Vanilla Bean Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (2024)

Creamy and sweet, vanilla bean mashed sweet potatoes taste like dessert. They’re so easy to make and will quickly become a favorite!

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: This creamy sweet potato mash is easy to make and you can prep it ahead if you like.

How long it takes: 10 minutes to prep, 45 minutes to heat (depending on which method you choose).
Equipment you’ll need: mixing bowl, large baking dish
Servings: 8

Vanilla Bean Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (1)

Table of Contents close

  • 1 Recipe Overview
  • 2 What is Vanilla Bean Paste?
  • 3 About This Sweet Potato Recipe
  • 4 What You’ll Need
  • 5 How To Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes
  • 6 A Few more Vegetable Casseroles
  • 7 FAQs
  • 8 Make It Your Own
  • 9 Make-Ahead Ideas
  • 11 Leftover Love
  • 12 More Sweet Potato Recipes
  • 13 Get the Recipe: Vanilla Bean Mashed Sweet Potatoes

If you’re looking for an amazing sweet potato recipe, this is it! Ben RAVED about it and he’s typically not a sweet potato fan (nor is he typically a “raver”). After one bite of these mashed sweet potatoes, he couldn’t stop talking about them. He said they tasted like cake.

Thanks, vanilla beans! They are responsible for the beautiful sweetness of these mashed sweet potatoes. Well, vanilla bean paste, that is, plus a little brown sugar.

What is Vanilla Bean Paste?

If you’re not familiar with vanilla bean paste, it’s similar in consistency to maple syrup. It’s made with vanilla extract, pulp from vanilla beans, and cane syrup. I love it because not only does it have intense vanilla flavor, there’s all those little brown flecks of vanilla beans which add so much visual appeal.

This sweet potato casserole is perfect for your Thanksgiving table. You’re not alone if you’re not into the usual marshmallow situation with syrupy canned sweet potatoes. This casserole is a welcome alternative.

About This Sweet Potato Recipe

Easy to make. If you can make mashed potatoes, you can make this casserole! To get a head start on the recipe, you can cook the sweet potatoes a day or two ahead of time.

Versatile. Use this recipe as a starting point. If you want to make a smaller batch, cut the recipe in half; a larger batch can be just as easily achieved. It’s easy to make it non-dairy or vegan. Make it as sweet or not sweet as you want. I’ll give you more suggestions in the Make It Your Own section below.

Nutritious. Sweet potatoes are loaded with antioxidants and vitamins, and provide both soluble and insoluble fiber, which promotes a healthy gut (Healthline).

I’ll run through the recipe and give you lots of helpful tips. Look for specific instructions, measurements, and nutrition information on the recipe card below.

What You’ll Need

  • Cooked Sweet Potatoes: You’ll need four good-sized sweet potatoes. I didn’t put a specific weight down because it’s really up to you and this recipe is very forgiving. If you use a smaller amount, the casserole will be a little sweeter and richer. There are a few easy ways to cook the sweet potatoes and I’ll run through those methods in the next section.
  • Butter: Use real butter, not a butter spread or margarine. If you choose salted butter, you may want to omit the added salt in the recipe. Again, the amount is up to you. If you are cutting back on fat calories, use less.
  • Brown Sugar: Just one-third cup of brown sugar is plenty to sweeten the potatoes; they are pretty sweet naturally. You can use less if you want, or sub in maple syrup.
  • Milk: You’ll need just a splash of milk (any type) when you mash the potatoes for a creamy texture.
  • Vanilla Bean Paste: I talked a bit about vanilla bean paste in the preceding paragraphs. Vanilla extract, vanilla beans, or vanilla powder can be substituted although not 1:1.
  • Salt: Just a small amount of salt keeps the dish from tasting flat. You may add more to taste.
Vanilla Bean Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (3)

How To Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes

To start this casserole, you’ll need sweet potatoes that are already cooked. There are several ways to accomplish this.

  1. Instant Pot pressure cooker: This is my preferred method. See Instant Pot sweet potatoes for step-by-step instructions.
  2. Microwave: Poke the potatoes a few times with a fork, wrap them in a damp paper towel, microwave on high, and they’re ready in about 5 minutes. Test them to make sure they are soft all the way to the center.
  3. Oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Scrub sweet potatoes and prick a few times with a fork. Wrap them in foil and bake for 1 hour, or until tender when pierced by a fork.
  4. Stovetop: Cook the sweet potatoes in a large pan like regular potatoes. Peel and cut them into chunks, cover with water, and boil until tender. Drain well. I like to return the drained potatoes to the pan, with medium heat, tossing occasionally, and let any remaining moisture evaporate.

Mash the sweet potatoes. Once you have cooked sweet potatoes, you’re ready to mash them. Put the cooked potatoes in a large bowl. Mash them with a potato masher. Add the butter (melt it first), sugar, milk, vanilla bean paste, and salt; combine to mix well.

Vanilla Bean Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (4)

For a really creamy and smooth texture, use a hand mixer. The process is very similar to making regular mashed potatoes.

Vanilla Bean Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (5)

Heat. Scrape the sweet potato mixture into a baking dish and heat it until it’s piping hot.

Vanilla Bean Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (6)

Use your oven, microwave, or even your slow cooker. The recipe card below has details for each method. That’s all there is to it!

Vanilla Bean Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (7)

A Few more Vegetable Casseroles

If sweet potatoes aren’t your thing or if you’re looking for another hot dish to round out your holiday menu, here are a few more ideas:

  • Cheesy Brussels Sprouts au Gratin
  • Zucchini Casserole
  • Cheesy Baked Corn with Bacon and Jalapeño
  • Green Bean Casserole Recipe (with no canned soup)
  • CrockPot Cheesy Potatoes
  • Asparagus Casserole

FAQs

Why is my sweet potato mash watery?

If you boiled your sweet potatoes, it could be that you either boiled them too long so that they broke down and absorbed a lot of water, or perhaps you didn’t drain them well.

Is it better to boil or bake sweet potatoes?

Apparently, cooking sweet potatoes quickly better preserves the nutrients, so boiling would win out over baking. However, since sweet potatoes are so nutritious, it doesn’t matter a whole lot how you prepare them. It’s more important to just eat them; choose the method that tastes best to you and then you’ll probably eat them more often!

Make It Your Own

  • Enhance the flavor: Try adding nutmeg, cinnamon, or orange zest – see recipe card for details!
  • Add a crunchy topping: buttered bread crumbs, crumbled bacon, toasted nuts or seeds, streusel, crushed potato chips or crackers, whatever you like.
  • Make it vegan/dairy-free: Replace the butter with a couple tablespoons of coconut oil; use a dairy-free milk such as unflavored almond milk.
  • Make it savory: Omit the brown sugar and vanilla bean paste. Season with your choice of chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, smoked paprika, thyme, sage, rosemary. If you like, add sautéed bacon, garlic, shallots, or onions.
  • Substitute another vegetable. Try my mashed butternut squash recipe or carrot soufflé.
Vanilla Bean Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (8)

Make-Ahead Ideas

There are a few ways to get a head start which is especially helpful if you’re making this dish for Thanksgiving.

Prep your sweet potatoes a day in advance. Cook the potatoes using your preferred method and pop them in the fridge. When you’re ready, proceed with the recipe as directed.

Completely prepare this dish a day or two in advance. Refrigerate it, and then heat it using one of the 3 methods: slow cooker, microwave, or oven.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Refrigerate: Leftover sweet potato casserole will keep about five days if promptly refrigerated. Cool to room temperature and store in a covered container.

Freeze: Creamy sweet potato mash can be frozen for up to 6 months. Spoon it into a resealable freezer bag, seal and flatten the bag slightly, and freeze. There’s no need to thaw the potatoes before reheating.

Leftover Love

Have a lot of sweet potato casserole left over? Repurpose the sweet mash into pancakes. Try this recipe for sweet potato pancakes from Pancake Recipes.

More Sweet Potato Recipes

Hasselback Sweet PotatoesScalloped Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and GruyèreHealthy Sweet Potato Casserole (gluten-free, dairy-free)Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Browse All

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Vanilla Bean Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (13)

Recipe

Get the Recipe: Vanilla Bean Mashed Sweet Potatoes

4.73 from 11 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 45 minutes mins

Total Time: 55 minutes mins

8 servings

Print Rate Recipe

Creamy and sweet, vanilla bean mashed sweet potatoes taste like dessert. They're so easy to make and will quickly become a favorite!

Ingredients

  • 4 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes (about 4 large potatoes)
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste

Instructions

  • Combine sweet potatoes, melted butter, sugar, milk, vanilla bean paste, and salt in a large bowl. Mash together thoroughly. If desired, use a hand mixer to achieve a smoother texture.

  • Check seasoning, adding more salt if necessary. Scrape into prepared baking dish (or slow cooker) and heat as directed below.

Heat one of three ways:

  • Slow cooker: Spray the inside of a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray and add the sweet potatoes. Heat on low for 2 to 3 hours or until heated through.

  • Microwave: Heat in microwave for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring 2 to 3 times, until heated through.

  • Bake: Heat in a covered glass baking dish in the oven at 325°F for 45 minutes, or until heated through.

Notes

  • Instead of vanilla bean paste, you may substitute 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract and the pulp (seeds) of two vanilla beans. Vanilla powder is more concentrated so use less, about 1½ teaspoons.
  • Try cooking the sweet potatoes in your pressure cooker: Instant Pot sweet potatoes. See the post above for other cooking methods.
  • Possible add-ins: ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, or 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest.
  • Make Ahead: Prepare the casserole as directed, but don’t bake. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Bake as directed (or heat in slow cooker).

Nutrition Information

Serving: 0.5cup, Calories: 161kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 16mg, Sodium: 160mg, Potassium: 248mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 9617IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 38mg, Iron: 0.5mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk

Vanilla Bean Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe - Rachel Cooks® (2024)

FAQs

How do you make Ina Garten mashed sweet potatoes? ›

Place the sweet potato meat into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and add the orange juice, cream, butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Mix together until combined but not smooth and transfer to a baking dish. Bake the potatoes for 20 to 30 minutes, until heated through.

What does Rachael Ray use to mash potatoes? ›

Mash potatoes with half-and-half or milk using a potato masher. Add in the cream cheese and smash until the cheese melts into the potatoes. Add chives or scallions. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

What is the recipe for Rachael Ray's smashed potatoes? ›

Cover the potatoes in cool water in a medium saucepan. Bring the water to a boil and cook the potatoes for 10 minutes or until fork tender. Drain the potatoes, return to the hot pan and stir them over low heat to dry them out. Add the butter, sour cream and milk to the potatoes and smash to your desired consistency.

Why not to boil sweet potatoes? ›

Nutrient retention: Raw sweet potatoes may retain more of their nutrients compared to cooked sweet potatoes. Cooking methods like boiling or baking can cause some loss of water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C and B vitamins. Eating raw sweet potatoes can help preserve these nutrients. 2.

Should I peel sweet potatoes before boiling? ›

There is not much difference between boiling sweet potatoes with the skins on versus peeling them, but you will get a boost of fiber and potassium if you keep the skin on. The skin also adds a subtle texture to each bite. If you're looking for a smoother mash, peel the potatoes first before boiling.

How does Rachael Ray keep her mashed potatoes warm? ›

Rachael Ray's Solution for Keeping Mashed Potatoes Warm

"Hold your mashed potatoes in a bain-marie, or water bath, with a lid on top [and] they stay for hours — days really," Ray, who recently partnered with Home Chef, said in an interview with Allrecipes. The method is oh-so-simple.

What do professional chefs use to mash potatoes? ›

The secret weapon, a good potato ricer (affiliate). This pushes the potatoes into strings, which helps them soak up every bit of the cream and achieve maximum fluffliness.

What potatoes does Ina Garten use for mashed potatoes? ›

Garten's recipe uses a few simple ingredients, including Yukon Gold potatoes.

What's the difference between smashed potatoes and mashed potatoes? ›

While some people might use the terms smash and mash interchangeably, they are not the same. 'Smash' is when you merely break something into pieces. However, "mash" means you reduce a food to a soft, pulpy mass.

Why do you soak sweet potatoes before baking? ›

The cold water bath helps rinse the starch off the sweet potatoes so they're a bit more crispy. That said, if you do not have the time, you can still get crispy baked sweet potato fries by using high heat and a little drizzle of olive oil.

Is it better to boil sweet potatoes or bake sweet potatoes? ›

The peel of a sweet potato has nearly ten times the antioxidant power as the flesh (an antioxidant capacity comparable to that of blueberries). However, the peel's nutrition really takes a hit when baked, which wipes out over two thirds of the antioxidants, whereas microwaving or boiling are comparatively much gentler.

How to cook sweet potatoes Martha Stewart? ›

Scrub and pat potatoes dry. Pierce potatoes all over with the tines of a fork and bake in oven, directly on rack, until soft and caramelizing, 1 1/2 hours. Slash the tops of potatoes open with the tip of a sharp knife and push ends of each potato toward each other to open.

Why do you need to soak sweet potatoes before cooking? ›

TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: The main secrets to achieving that incredible crispy texture, is to soak the cut sweet potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes. This helps remove the starch from the sweet potatoes so they´re not limp & soggy.

How do you keep sweet potato mash from getting watery? ›

How Do I Make Sure My Mashed Sweet Potatoes are Not Watery? To make sure your potatoes aren't watery, don't overcook the potatoes. It's also important to drain the potatoes completely once you're done boiling them to avoid having unwanted water lingering in your pot.

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