Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes
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Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes are fluffy and buttery, perfectly cooked for a quick dinner side dish! It is simple yet it pairs well with almost anything!
Serve this side dish whenever you have savory mains like Pizza Sloppy Joes, Slow Cooker Pulled Pork, Slow Cooker Crack Chicken. It balances out flavors perfectly!
Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes can be done well under an hour which makes it a perfect weeknight side dish. Not only is it simple to prepare, but you will need only a handful of ingredients to make this.
What I like about using the Instant Pot for this dish is how it can be effective in softening the sweet potatoes and then, using its SAUTE function for further cooking – all in the same pot!
Since pressure cooking is highly effective, there are two ways in which we can prepare the sweet potatoes. The first option is to peel and cut them into 2-inch cubes. The second option is to just cut lengthwise without removing the skin.
I prefer the second because it is simpler, but it does not hurt to opt for the first option either. The bottom line is that this dish is a no-brainer!
What are Sweet Potatoes?
It is a kind of tuber in which the roots become the edible part of the plant. It is like the regular spuds, but the leaves are edible, too, while those of the regular spuds are poisonous.
Around the world, it is known to be a staple food. It grows abundantly even in the drier regions. In fact, it can get damaged by frost.
Are Sweet Potatoes Healthy?
They certainly are! This type of spud has fewer calories than regular ones despite having more sugar. This makes it ideal for people trying to lose weight as it is not bland, and yet, it is packed with vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants.
It is rich in vitamin A and it also has a lot of fiber that helps digestion. A piece has 112 kcal based USDA’s Nutrient Database.
What do you need to make Mashed Sweet Potatoes:
You need the spuds and water to be used for pressure cooking. Once soft, you will need to add the following ingredients to make it more delicious:
- butter
- brown sugar
- heavy cream
- salt
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
Then, to add some crunch, make the toppings out of the following:
- butter
- brown sugar
- ground cinnamon
- unsalted butter
- walnuts
How do you make Instant Pot Sweet Mashed Potatoes:
- Prep the Instant Pot: Put the trivet in and a cup of water. Put the sliced spuds in. You can stack them up.
- Pressure Cook: Close the lid and seal the valve. Set the timer to 14 minutes. After it beeps, the cooking will start.
- Do NPR: Allow the pressure to dissipate naturally before opening the valve.
- Saute: Remove the spuds, the trivet, and the water from the IP. Then, put the flesh of the spuds back into the IP. Set the mode to SAUTE and then, add in the rest of the ingredients except for the topping ingredients.
- Mash: Mash everything using a masher or a mixer.
- Serve: Garnish with the toppings and serve.
What is a Natural Pressure Release:
It is when you wait for the pressure to naturally dissipate, hence, the name Natural Pressure Release or NPR. This is done by simply waiting for the valve to float without initiating to move it.
How long do you pressure cook sweet potatoes:
This depends on the amount and size of the spuds. The 14-minute cooking time indicated in this recipe pertains to cooking about two pounds of the vegetable.
Allow another 10 minutes for the pressure to build up, and another 10 minutes for the NPR. So, plan ahead using these estimates!
How to store
- Refrigerator: In the fridge, it can stay good for 3 to 5 days as long as it is properly cooled before transferring into an airtight container.
- Freezer: To extend the shelf life, you can freeze it and it will stay good for 10 to 12 months. Put them first in freezer bags or plastic containers with a sprinkle of lemon juice to prevent it from oxidizing and discoloring. Again, cool completely before storing.
- To reheat: Thaw in the fridge and it will keep for 3 to 4 days but if thawed directly using the microwave or in water, consume immediately. The easiest way to reheat is using the microwave, just add a little bit of cream.
Recipe Tips:
- If you do not have heavy cream, you can use any of these: sour cream, buttermilk, milk, or half-and-half. All these contribute to a creamy dish!
- A masher is preferred but to make it silkier, you can use a food processor to mash. If you have none of these things, using a fork would be okay.
- To determine whether the spuds are soft enough, use a fork. You must be able to prick the pieces effortlessly.
Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes are fluffy and buttery, perfectly cooked for a quick dinner side dish! It is simple yet it pairs well with almost anything!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes washed and sliced lengthwise
- 1 cup water
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2/3 cup heavy cream more if needed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg to taste
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Place the metal trivet in the insert of the Instant Pot and add 1 cup of water.
- Wash the sweet potatoes, clean and slice them in half lengthwise. Arrange them on the trivet cut side up. You can stack them up.
- Close the lid, turn the valve onto "sealing" position, and pressure cook for 14 minutes.
- Once the time is up, let the Instant Pot release the pressure naturally.
- Open the lid and remove the sweet potatoes from the IP. Remove the trivet and discard the water.
- Scoop the flesh out of the sweet potatoes into the Instant Pot.
- Select Saute and add the “After Pressure Cooking” ingredients. Stir to combine, until sugar and butter are melted.
- Turn off Instant Pot.
- Mash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher, a whisk or even use a hand mixer to make them fluffier.
- Place a small skillet over medium heat. Add butter and melt.
- Add brown sugar, cinnamon, chopped walnuts and stir to combine.
- Serve on top of sweet mashed potatoes.
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Pinning for the holiday season! This will help when stove top space is limited.
This was the best side dish with dinner last night! So easy and packed with flavor; can’t wait to make again later this week!
Sounds extremely delicious! Definitely a perfect addition on the table, gotta give this a try!
What a quick and easy recipe! Made the best side dish with dinner last night; the whole family loved it!
I’ve never had mashed sweet potatoes before…can’t wait to try them!
I know for sure this would be a huge hit in my house! This looks absolutely delicious! Yummy!