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This Whipped Sweet Potatoes Recipe is easy and effortless to make, yet elegant and loaded with flavor! They are unbelievably fluffy and guaranteed to please! These mashed sweet potatoes are the perfect, delicious fall alternative to traditional mashed potatoes. And, this side dish recipe is easy enough for both weeknight dinners and your holiday table!

Overhead shot of a neutral bowl containing whipped sweet potatoes topped with crumbled pancetta, crispy sage and brown butter; blue linen under the bowl and small salt and pepper shaker in the upper left corner.

Update: This post was originally published in November 2017. I made edits to the post below to include more information about these easy mashed sweet potatoes. Plus, I added a recipe video to show you how quick and fuss-free these Sage Brown Butter Whipped Sweet Potatoes are to make right at home.

Hi, friends! So, things are about to get real. I just had to triple check my calendar, because even though I’m well aware of the fun fact that this year is flying by at warp speed, I didn’t believe my eyes when I saw that Thanksgiving is only 2 weeks away. TWO WEEKS!! Seriously? How’d that happen?!

Hopefully if you are hosting turkey day dinner this year, you are starting to plan out your holiday menu. With that said, I feel like this is the perfect time to segue into talking about ‘taters. Last year, I mentioned that potatoes are an integral part of my holiday menu. I mean, a party just ain’t a party without some spuds, right?

Angled shot of 3 cut open roasted sweet potatoes on a parchment paper lined small sheet pan with a blue linen in the background - photo of step 2 of the recipe.

Table of Contents

About these whipped sweet potatoes

Silky smooth, light and airy roasted sweet potatoes whipped with rich crème fraiche and studded with crispy, salty pancetta, earthy sage and drizzled with fragrant, nutty brown butter.

These whipped potatoes are rockin’ ALL the sweet and savory vibes, friends!

If you are looking for light, ultra-fluffy and decadent potatoes to add to your Thanksgiving table, look no further!!

On top of this sweet potato mash recipe tasting BEYOND delicious, it is also ridiculously easy to make! If you can turn on the oven and operate a food processor, you can make these spuds!

Speaking of the oven, you know how some mashed potato recipes come out bland and/or watery? NOT THESE!

Roasting the sweet potatoes brings out their natural sweetness and ensures moist, evenly cooked, airy (not watery) whipped potatoes!

Angled shot of whipped sweet potatoes in the bowl of a food processor with a small creamer pitcher pouring half-and-half on top of the potatoes - photo of second part of step 5 in the recipe. Angled shot of whipped sweet potatoes in the bowl of a food processor with cooked, crumbled pancetta being poured on top of the potatoes - photo of the second part of step 5 of the recipe.

FAQs: sweet potato mash

How to mash sweet potatoes without a mixer?

You can absolutely mash or whip sweet potatoes without a stand, or handheld, mixer!

In fact, I actually prefer to make these whipped sweet potatoes in the bowl of a food processor. I have found that using the food processor to whip sweet potatoes instead of a mixer results in a more evenly whipped, light and airy sweet potato.

Overhead, up-close shot of a neutral colored bowl containing whipped sweet potatoes topped with crispy, crumbled pancetta, crispy sage leaves and brown butter.

How long will whipped sweet potatoes keep?

To store whipped sweet potatoes, make sure you follow the directions as written below and allow the potatoes to cool completely. Leftover whipped sweet potatoes should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Properly stored mashed potatoes will keep for 3-5 days in the refrigerator.

Can I freeze sweet potato mash be frozen?

You can absolutely freeze mashed sweet potatoes, although their texture won’t be exactly the same once they are thawed and reheated.

To freeze whipped sweet potatoes, transfer completely cooled potatoes to a large, freezer safe zip-closure bag. Flatten the bag to get out as much air as possible before sealing closed and store the potatoes so they are flat (it will make them faster and easier to thaw). Store the whipped sweet potatoes in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Reheating mashed sweet potatoes

Thaw frozen mashed sweet potatoes overnight in the refrigerator.

Once ready to eat, sweet potatoes can be reheated a few different ways.

  • Stovetop:  Transfer the sweet potatoes to saucepan and place them, covered, on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Stir the potatoes occasionally and cook until heated through. Add additional butter or seasoning as needed.
  • Oven:  Transfer the sweet potatoes to an oven-safe dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F. Cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are heated through.
  • Microwave:  Transfer the potatoes to a microwave-safe dish and cover. Reheat at 50% power in 2 minute increments, stirring in between. The amount of time the thawed whipped sweet potatoes take to become completely heated throughout will depend on the amount of potatoes you are reheating and the strength of your microwave. (This is my least recommended method for reheating sweet potatoes.)

Angled, extremely up-close shot of whipped sweet potatoes topped with crispy, crumbled pancetta, crispy sage leaves and brown butter.

How to whip sweet potatoes?

These easy mashed sweet potatoes will be a lifesaver during the holidays! However, they also make the perfect side for weeknight dinners. Rich, creamy, dreamy and loaded with flavor, you will want to make this recipe again and again.

  1. Bake potatoes: Poke the potatoes several times with a fork and individually wrap each potato with 1 sprig of thyme in a sheet of aluminum foil. Transfer the pouches of potatoes to a baking sheet and roast in a 400-degree oven for about 1 hour, or until a thin skewer easily inserts into the potato with no resistance. Remove the potatoes from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
  2. Meanwhile, cook the pancetta: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the pancetta until crisp. Then, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. Transfer the bacon to small plate and set aside. Drain the grease from the pan.
  3. Brown the butter: To the same pan, add the butter. Melt the butter, swirling the pan gently, until it turns pale golden in color, about 2-3 minutes. Add the sage leaves and fry until crispy, about 30-45 seconds. Remove the sage leaves to a paper towel lined plate. And then, transfer the melted butter to the bowl of a large food processor, or the bowl of a stand mixer (with whisk attachment).
  4. Whip potatoes:  Peel the sweet potatoes and transfer them to the bowl with the butter. Add in the nutmeg, crème fraiche, ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Pulse or gently whip until incorporated. Add in the half-and-half, a heaping tablespoon at a time, and gently whip until combined. Stir in the crumbled sage, pancetta and garlic (reserve some for topping if desired). Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper, and consistency with more half-and-half.
  5. Serve:  Transfer to a serving bowl and top with crumbled reserved crispy sage and pancetta. Enjoy!

Tips for the best holiday sweet potatoes recipe

  1.  The recipe below calls for 3 pounds of sweet potatoes, which is roughly 3 large sweet potatoes. But, the weight of 3 pounds is a rough approximation for the recipe! If you are a little light, or a little heavier on the potatoes, it is no big deal!
  2. While the recipe does use pancetta, you can absolutely substitute plain bacon if you would like! Simple proceed with the recipe as instructed replacing bacon for pancetta in the recipe.
  3. While I do recommend crème fraiche in this recipe, you can use full fat sour cream if you can’t find crème fraiche or simply don’t like it. If making the substitution, please be aware that crème fraiche is thicker, richer and less tangy than sour cream.
  4. The recipe below calls for half-and-half, but if you like richer potatoes, you can absolutely use heavy cream. The amount of half-and-half (or heavy cream) you use in the recipe will depend on personal preference and the desired consistency of your potatoes. I used 2 ½ tablespoons in mine.
  5. If you would like to drizzle the top of the whipped sweet potatoes with brown butter you can either reserve 2-3 tablespoons of the brown butter before adding it to the food processor, or you can simply make more brown butter.
  6. The recipe below serves 4-6, but can easily be doubled.

Angled shot of a neutral colored bowl containing whipped sweet potatoes topped with crispy, crumbled pancetta, crispy sage leaves and brown butter with a serving spoon inserted into the potatoes and a blue linen underneath the bowl.

Put down the marshmallows, or whatever weird ingredients you add to your sweet potatoes, and give your potato side dish LIFE with these Pancetta & Sage Brown Butter Whipped Sweet Potatoes. Trust me, your Thanksgiving table DESERVES these ‘taters!

Until next week, friends, cheers – to terrific tubers!

Cheyanne

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More sweet potato recipes!

The best Whipped Sweet Potatoes recipe plus step-by-step video👇

Whipped Sweet Potatoes

5 from 10 votes
Author: Cheyanne Holzworth
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6 people
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
These Pancetta & Sage Brown Butter Whipped Sweet Potatoes are easy and effortless, yet elegant and loaded with flavor!  Roasted sweet potatoes are whipped with crème fraiche and studded with crispy, salty pancetta, earthy sage and drizzled with fragrant brown butter.  Light, airy, sweet, savory, and guaranteed to please, these potatoes are the perfect addition to your holiday table! 

Equipment

  • baking sheet
  • skillet
  • Food Processor

Ingredients 

Instructions

  •  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
  • Bake potatoes: Poke the potatoes several times with a fork and individually wrap each potato with 1 sprig of thyme in a sheet of aluminum foil, folding the foil and crimping the edges to seal tightly. Transfer the pouches of potatoes to a baking sheet and roast for about 1 hour, or until a thin skewer easily inserts into the potato with no resistance. Remove the potatoes from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
  • Meanwhile, cook the pancetta: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the pancetta, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until pancetta is almost crisp. Add in the garlic and cook, stirring, for another minute or until garlic is fragrant. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pancetta and bacon to small plate and set aside. Drain the grease from the pan.
  • Brown the butter: In the same pan you used to cook the pancetta, add the butter. Reduce heat slightly to between medium and medium-low. Melt the butter, swirling the pan gently, until the butter starts to turn pale golden, about 2-3 minutes. Add the sage leaves and fry until crispy, about 30-45 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sage leaves to a paper towel lined plate. (Reserve 4-6 sage leaves for topping and add roughly crumble the rest.) Remove the butter from the heat* and transfer to the bowl of a large food processor, or the bowl of a stand mixer (with whisk attachment). 
  • Whip potatoes: Peel the sweet potatoes and transfer them to the bowl with the butter. Add in the nutmeg, crème fraiche, ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Pulse or gently whip until incorporated. Add in the half-and-half, a heaping tablespoon at a time, and gently whip until combined. Stir in the crumbled sage, pancetta and garlic (reserve some for topping if desired). Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper, and consistency with more half-and-half.
  • Serve: Transfer to a serving bowl and top with crumbled reserved crispy sage and pancetta. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  1. The calls for 3 pounds of sweet potatoes, which is roughly 3 large sweet potatoes.  But, the weight of 3 pounds is a rough approximation for the recipe!  If you are a little light, or a little heavier on the potatoes, it is no big deal!
  2. While the recipe does use pancetta, you can absolutely substitute plain bacon if you would like!  Simple proceed with the recipe as instructed, replacing bacon for pancetta in the recipe.
  3. While I do recommend crème fraiche in this recipe, you can use full fat sour cream if you can’t find crème fraiche or simply don’t like it.  If making the substitution, please be aware that crème fraiche is thicker, richer and less tangy than sour cream.
  4. The recipe calls for half-and-half, but if you like richer potatoes, you can absolutely use heavy cream.  The amount of half-and-half (or heavy cream) you use in the recipe will depend on personal preference and the desired consistency of your potatoes.  I used 2 ½ tablespoons in mine.
  5. If you would like to drizzle the top of the whipped sweet potatoes with brown butter you can either reserve 2-3 tablespoons of the brown butter before adding it to the food processor, or you can simply make more brown butter.
  6. The recipe serves 4-6, but can easily be doubled!!

Nutrition

Calories: 391kcal    Carbohydrates: 48g    Protein: 6g    Fat: 20g    Saturated Fat: 10g    Cholesterol: 46mg    Sodium: 230mg    Potassium: 839mg    Fiber: 7g    Sugar: 9g    Vitamin A: 32780IU    Vitamin C: 7.3mg    Calcium: 132mg    Iron: 2.2mg
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American

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