Name: Vanilla Bean Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 4 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes ( (about 4 large potatoes)); 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted; ⅓ cup packed brown sugar; ¼ cup milk; 2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste; ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: Creamy and sweet, vanilla bean mashed sweet potatoes taste like dessert and will quickly become a favorite! This sweet potato recipe 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 in white bowl.

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.

Creamy Mashed Sweet Potatoes

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. Keep reading for more suggestions.

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

Vanilla bean sweet potatoes on a wooden spoon.

Ingredient Notes

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.

Ingredients needed for recipe including cooked sweet potatoes.

How To Cook Sweet Potatoes

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

Instant Pot pressure cooker: This is my preferred method. See Instant Pot sweet potatoes for step-by-step instructions.
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.
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.
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.

Cooking Tip

To avoid watery or juicy sweet potatoes, avoid boiling them too long. They should be fork tender but not falling apart and disintegrating. If you boil them too long, they break down and start to absorb water. Be sure to drain them well after boiling.

How To Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes

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.

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

Sweet potatoes being mixed with a hand mixer.

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

Sweet potatoes being spread into baking dish.

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!

Sweet potatoes artfully spread into pan.

Vegetable Casserole Recipes

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

Recipe Variations

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 a casserole: It’s easy to turn these creamy sweet potatoes into your favorite sweet potato casserole. Try my sweet potato casserole with marshmallows or healthy sweet potato casserole.
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.

Close up of mashed sweet potatoes topped with butter.

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.

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