If you’re anything like me, you’d eat sweet potatoes for every meal of the day! They’re healthy, filling, and oh-so-versatile. Have them in a pie, in a casserole, or a hearty vegetarian chili. BTW, do you know that eating too much of them could turn your skin orange? But these creamy, heavenly honey butter mashed sweet potatoes just might make the accidental tan totally worth it!
These are seriously the best EVER way to enjoy these tubers! Baked to perfection in the oven, then flavored with brown butter, sugar, honey, and spices. But if that’s not convincing enough, here are even more reasons to go nuts over this sweet potato mash:
- Ridiculously easy to make
- Finished in the blink of an eye
- Indulgent without being cloying
- Incredible depth of flavor
- Full of vitamins and nutrients
- Mostly guilt-free
This is also a great way to get your picky little ones to eat their vegetables. I gave my eleven-year-old nephew a taste, and his eyes lit up with so much wonder. “AMAZING”, he said, which totally makes up for the fact that he didn’t like my spicy glazed carrots the other night. Can’t please them all the time, right?
Honey butter mashed sweet potatoes will make a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving table this year. The holiday may be a lot different than what we’re used to, but that doesn’t mean it has to be any less delicious.
And don’t just wait till the holidays to enjoy this dish. Make it anytime sweet potatoes are in season, or whenever you have some lying around the kitchen.
How to make mashed sweet potatoes from scratch
- Roast, not boil: Roasting vegetables enhances their flavor, so we’re skipping the stovetop boiling and going straight to the oven, which we’ll preheat at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and dry sweet potatoes, pierce several times with a fork, wrap them in aluminum foil, and bake for about 65-75 minutes, until fork tender. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
- Brown the butter: Melt cubes of unsalted butter in a light-colored sauce pan on medium heat, stirring frequently with a spatula. The butter will sizzle, foam, and then, as you stir, the butter will darken and you’ll see little golden brown specks pop up. Immediately pour the butter (including the little brown bits) into a heat-safe container, to prevent it from burning. Don’t try to substitute with regular melted butter, as the flavor will not be as rich!
- Mash the potatoes: Remove the sweet potato flesh from the skins and transfer to a large bowl, then mash to your desired texture. You can use a variety of kitchen tools for this step, which I’ll talk about more below.
- Flavor: Now, for the best part! Add in brown butter, honey, and brown sugar. You can also stir in half and half for a creamier consistency. Season the mash with salt, ground black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Taste and adjust the spices, salt, sugar, and honey to your liking, and enjoy!
What to mash potatoes with?
The most obvious answer is a potato masher, but you have so many more options! For a super smooth, almost whipped texture, use a food processor or immersion blender. If you don’t have either of those, or if you prefer a slightly rougher texture, you can use a pastry cutter (it’s what I used!) or a fork, if you can manage.
What to serve with honey butter mashed sweet potatoes?
So many things!
This dish pairs excellently as a side to chicken, fish, pork or steak. My personal favorite way to enjoy it is with a nice herb-baked or honey-glazed salmon. Can you tell I really, really like having honey with my food?
This would also pair great with another vegetable dish, like green beans, baked brussels sprouts, or glazed carrots!
How to store and reheat leftovers
Another thing to love? This dish is totally fridge-friendly. Some foods become insipid even after a few hours of refrigeration, but you can store sweet potato mash in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
As for reheating, a couple minutes in the trusty ‘old microwave does just the trick. It tastes just as flavorful reheated as it does freshly made.
Bonuses for your Thanksgiving table…
Honey Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes scrubbed
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter cubed
- 2 tablespoons honey plus more if desired
- 1 tablespoon half and half (optional)
- 1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar packed
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- dash of ground ginger (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and scrub each sweet potato thoroughly, then pierce the skins several times with a fork. Wrap each potato in aluminum foil and bake on a sheet pan for 65-75 minutes, until fork tender. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- On the stovetop, set a light-colored sauce pan to medium heat. Add cubes of unsalted butter, stirring frequently as they melt. The butter will start to sizzle and foam; keep stirring. Be sure not to leave the stove unattended. Within a few minutes, the butter will darken, and golden brown specks will appear. Remove immediately from the stove and transfer to a heat-proof bowl to prevent the butter from burning.
- Remove the sweet potato flesh from the skins and transfer to a large bowl. Mash to your desired consistency. Stir in honey, half and half, brown sugar, salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Taste and adjust salt, spices, honey, and sugar to your liking.
- Spoon into bowls and serve warm with garnish of your choice.
Notes
- Two pounds of sweet potatoes is usually 2-3 large potatoes or 3-4 medium potatoes. Use a kitchen scale is highly recommended.
- Nutrition facts are only an estimate.
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