Smoky, spicy and sweet, these chipotle mashed sweet potatoes are the perfect side dish for your holiday table or any night of the week.
I love sweet potatoes. However, what I’m not down with the whole sugary, marshmallow sweet potato casserole thing. The whole concept just doesn’t do it for me – marshmallows are for dessert only!
In my opinion, the natural sweetness of the potato does its job and adding the smoky, savory element of chipotle peppers really sets them off. I first had a version of this great side dish at my childhood best friend’s house for Christmas dinner and was blown away at how good they were. Make these, and all of your guests will be asking you for the recipe.
With just a few simple ingredients, this delicious side dish is easy enough for any night of the week (which is great because they’re absolutely craveable), yet perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. I swear, these are the best mashed sweet potatoes you’ll ever have. Step aside regular mashed potatoes, this sweet potato mash is where it’s at.
Ingredients
This easy recipe is super flexible and can be customized to your tastes or dietary needs.
- Sweet potatoes – look for Jewel, Beauregard or Garnet varieties.
- Chipotle peppers – canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are easily found in any grocery store.
- Heavy cream – half and half will also work or even full fat coconut milk for a dairy-free version.
- Butter – what’s mashed potatoes without butter? Vegan butter will also work for dairy-free.
- Honey – just a touch. Maple syrup is also a great addition.
- Cinnamon – a pinch adds a little something special.
- Salt & pepper
Method
Start by baking the sweet potatoes. Poke them with a fork all over and place on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees f for 40-50 minutes until fork tender.
Remove 1-2 chipotle peppers from the can and finely chop them. In a large saucepan or medium pot, combine the cream, butter, honey, cinnamon, chopped chipotle pepper and adobo sauce and heat over medium low heat until it barely begins to simmer. While the mixture is heating, remove the skins from the sweet potatoes.
Once the cream mixture is hot, remove it from the heat and add in the sweet potato flesh. Use a potato masher to mash the mixture together until your desired consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper and more adobo sauce if necessary.
Transfer to a serving dish and top with a pat of butter and garnish with fresh herbs like parsley or chives if desired.
Recipe tips and notes
- I don’t mind some lumps in my mashed potatoes but if you want a more of a creamy texture, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to combine the cooked potatoes with the rest of the ingredients. You can also use a food processor.
- Start with one chipotle pepper and then add more chopped pepper and adobo sauce at the end if you want them to have more heat.
- This recipe can easily be made vegan by substituting maple syrup for honey, full fat coconut milk for cream and vegan butter for regular butter.
- Oven space is often limited when preparing holiday meals, you can also boil or steam peeled and cubed sweet potatoes instead of baking them whole.
- Leftover mashed sweet potatoes keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to a month.
- Leftovers can be heated in the microwave or on the stovetop. I recommend adding a little butter or a splash of milk or cream to help loosen them up.
What to serve with mashed sweet potatoes
This simple dish doesn’t just have to be for special occasions – it’s easy enough to make any night of the week! Try it with:
- Pork chops or pork tenderloin
- My Garlic and Herb Crusted Roast Beef
- Roast chicken or turkey
More seasonal side dishes you will love
- Mashed Potato Squash
- Winter Farro Salad
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes
- Harissa and Honey Roasted Rainbow Carrots
- Citrus Salad with Olives and Fennel
Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes 3-4 large
- 1-2 chipotle peppers canned
- 2 teaspoons adobo sauce plus more to taste
- ½ cup heavy cream or half and half
- 4 tablespoons butter plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees f.
- Prick sweet potatoes all over with a fork and place on a parchment paper or foil lined baking sheet. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until soft and easily pierced all the way through with a knife.
- Peel away the skins from the sweet potatoes. Finely mince the chipotle peppers.
- In a large saucepan or medium size pot, mix together cream, butter, chopped chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, honey and cinnamon. Heat over medium low heat until it just begins to bubble on the sides.
- Remove cream mixture from the heat and add the roasted sweet potato flesh to the pot. Mash together with a potato masher until desired consistency. Season with salt to taste and add more chopped chipotle pepper, adobo sauce and butter if desired.
- Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle with extra butter if desired, and serve warm.
Jazz
This mashed sweet potato recipe is perfect on all counts. I found the instructions easy to follow and everybody enjoyed immensely. No leftovers!
Marta
I absolutely love how the sweetness of the sweet potatoes played off the smoky spiciness of the chipotles! Making this recipe again for Christmas dinner.