Our Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes are the perfect side dish for your holiday feast! They’re smooth and creamy, and oh-so-delicious. They’re super easy to make in the Instant Pot, and even better you can make them sweet or savory, depending on your mood.
This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my affiliate policy here.

Why you’ll love this recipe
- Mashed sweet potatoes are creamy and delicious
- They cook a pressure cooker in a fraction of the time it would take to make them on the stovetop
- They’re easy to make ahead of time and keep warm in your Instant Pot until you are ready to serve them, so they’re perfect for holiday dinners, or just a busy weeknight
Mashed sweet potatoes are a great side dish because they are sweet and savory. The best part about them is that you can make them in your Instant Pot, which makes them quick and easy to make. Plus, it frees up your oven for other dishes.
Scroll down for the printable card for this Instant Pot mashed sweet potato recipe, or read on for all the details.
What do you need?
Instant Pot or another pressure cooker
I use an Instant Pot to make this recipe, but you can use any brand of electric pressure cooker or a multicooker with a pressure cook function.
Sweet potatoes
You can use any variety of sweet potatoes for this recipe. I like to use a variety with an orange interior (Beauregard, Jewel, or red garnet) as the color of the final mashed sweet potatoes is so wonderful, but you can also use the white or purple varieties.
There is no need to peel them unless you want to. Just give them a good scrub before cutting them up.
Water
To get the Instant Pot up to pressure and cook the sweet potatoes, you will need to add some water. Just enough to cover the sweet potato chunks is fine.
Heavy cream and butter
You need a little of something creamy to offset the starch of the potatoes and stop them from being dry. This recipe uses butter and heavy cream, but you could substitute milk for the heavy cream for a slightly lighter version.
How to make mashed sweet potatoes in an Instant Pot
This recipe is so simple to make, but there are a few key steps to getting it just right:
- Pressure cook the sweet potatoes until they are tender.
- Drain, and then mash or blend the sweet potatoes and stir in the cream, butter, and maple syrup.



Serving
You can serve these mashed sweet potatoes sweet or savory.
If you like your mashed sweet potatoes extra sweet, then you can add some maple syrup or honey (1-2 tablespoons). Either stir it in when mashing the sweet potatoes, or add a drizzle when serving.
You can also serve them savory. Add a little salt to taste as you mash them. You can also add other flavors like Parmesan cheese or cream cheese.
Storing and reheating
If you have any leftover mashed sweet potatoes, store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator and use them within three days. You can also freeze for up to two months.
You can reheat mashed sweet potatoes in the microwave. Microwave on high for around 2-3 minutes until piping hot. Stir and microwave for an extra minute or two if needed.
Recipe card

Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes
How to make mashed sweet potatoes in an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker.
Ingredients
- 2lb sweet potatoes
- 3-4 cups water (to cook the potatoes)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream [Note 1]
Instructions
- Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into equal-sized pieces approximately 2 inches across.
- Place sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot inner pot, and cover with water {Note 2].
- Close the lid, set the valve to 'Sealing', and pressure cook sweet potatoes on HIGH for 8 minutes. Then use the quick release to open the Instant Pot.
- Drain the cooking water out of the Instant Pot bowl [Note 3].
- Place the sweet potato chunks back into the Instant Pot, add the butter and cream, then use a potato masher to mash the potatoes until light and fluffy.
Notes
- Or substitute milk for a lighter version.
- Place sweet potatoes in a steamer basket if you have one to make draining them easier later.
- Use a colander, or if you used a steamer basket, carefully lift the basket out before discarding the remaining cooking water.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 269Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 514mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 5gSugar: 3gProtein: 6g
Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.
You may also like:
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Steamed Potatoes
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges
- Air Fryer Pumpkin Pie
Looking for more recipes?
Check out our recipe index where you can browse recipes by category and meal type!