Mashed White Sweet Potatoes
Published Mar 26, 2025
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Rich, creamy and slightly tangy, these Mashed White Sweet Potatoes are an absolute game-changer. Think of your favorite comfort food, but in an elevated version!
They’re great as a Thanksgiving side dish or when served with pretty much any holiday main or meaty protein for dinner. I know what I’m making this year for Thanksgiving!
We love the classic mashed potatoes, especially my Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes and Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes, which team up perfectly with holiday roasts.
This time, I wanted to try something different, using a different kind of potatoes. I love Japanese sweet potatoes (sometimes labeled as “Murasaki sweet potatoes”), and you can always catch me frying them or baking them.
I decided to try something new with these white-fleshed sweet potatoes, and I’m in love. This one is a personal favorite!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe💜
- Precious’ Pro Tips
- What You Need To Make Mashed White Sweet Potatoes
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Mashed White Sweet Potatoes
- Step 1: Peel and Chop Potatoes
- Step 2: Boil the Potatoes
- Step 3: Drain and Mash
- Step 4: Add Butter, Milk and Cheese
- Step 5: Season and Finish Up
- How To Serve Mashed White Sweet Potatoes🍽️
- Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
- Common Questions
- More Side Dish Recipes You’ll Love💜
- Mashed White Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Recipe💜
If you love regular mashed potatoes, this updated version is going to win you over. Here’s why:
- Show stopper side: These creamy and tangy white sweet potatoes can be the perfect side dish for any holiday meal. They have the perfect balance of sweet, salty and slightly tangy flavor and creamy texture and are sure to be a total crowd-pleaser, rivaling regular potatoes.
- Easy to make: Making it is super easy. All you’ll need is 15 minutes of hands-on kitchen time.
- Simple ingredients: You’ll need just a few pantry staples in addition to the white fleshed potatoes which you can get from most grocery stores or Asian markets. Nothing fancy.
Precious’ Pro Tips
In this section, I share some pro tips I noted while testing the recipe. Make it insanely delicious with my tips!
- If a potato masher isn’t giving you the perfect smooth and creamy texture, use a fine mesh sieve or a potato ricer to do the job.
- Begin mashing the potatoes while they’re still hot. Doing this will ensure that there are no lumps, and breaking them down is much more effortless.
- Use good quality butter for the recipe- it really makes a difference in the flavor. If you can, use European-style butter like Kerrygold.
- Get the cream cheese to room temperature before you use it for the recipe.
- To lend the mashed potatoes a bit of extra savory deliciousness, top them with a drizzle of garlic butter sauce from my Garlic Butter Wings recipe.
What You Need To Make Mashed White Sweet Potatoes
Simple ingredients, extraordinary results! You need the following ingredients:
- Japanese sweet potatoes: These are also called Murasaki sweet potatoes or Korean sweet potatoes. They have white flesh and red skin and you should be able to find them in most Asian food stores.
- Butter: For that rich, luxurious flavor.
- Milk: To achieve that creamy texture. Use half and half for a more indulgent version of this recipe.
- Cream cheese: To add extra flavor and richness. The tang of the cream cheese is the perfect balance to the sweetness of the potatoes.
- Seasonings: I kept it simple and just used some salt and black pepper.
- Chives: Chopped fresh to garnish. You could garnish with diced green onions as well.
For the full list of ingredients with measurements, check out the recipe card below.
To enhance the flavor of the potatoes, roast them instead of boiling them. Roast at 400°F (200°C) for 45-60 minutes, depending on their size, until fork tender.
Substitutions & Variations
- Mixed Potatoes: If you don’t want to stick to using only these white potatoes, try using a mix of orange sweet potatoes and white sweet potatoes. This will also add a nice bit of color and a sweeter flavor to the mash.
- Keep it Light: To lighten up the dish, use low fat cream cheese or Greek yogurt instead of the full fat version.
- More Savoriness: Add some grated parmesan or roasted garlic.
- More Creaminess: Add some heavy cream if you want it creamier.
- Warm Spices: Add some cinnamon and nutmeg for extra warmth.
How to Make Mashed White Sweet Potatoes
You won’t want to mash regular white potatoes again after trying this recipe. It is truly special. Here is how to make it step-by-step with photos:
Step 1: Peel and Chop Potatoes
Start by peeling and rinsing the potatoes. Pat them dry and cut them into 1-inch chunks as shown below.
Step 2: Boil the Potatoes
Add them to a pot of water and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. Then, turn down the heat to medium and let them simmer for about 15 minutes or until fork tender.
Step 3: Drain and Mash
Drain the excess water and mash the potatoes while they’re still hot. I used a fine mesh strainer, but you could also just use a potato masher or ricer to get a consistent texture.
Step 4: Add Butter, Milk and Cheese
To the mashed potatoes, add the butter, milk and cheese. Mix well to combine.
Step 5: Season and Finish Up
Now add the salt and pepper and give it a quick mix. Taste and adjust. Top with finely chopped chives before you serve.
Don’t be tempted to use a food processor to mash the potatoes. This will cause the potatoes to become gummy. If you use a mixer to whip them, be careful not to overdo it as they could become gluey.
How To Serve Mashed White Sweet Potatoes🍽️
- These rich and creamy mashed sweet potatoes taste fantastic when paired with a roast meat dish like Herb Roasted Duck, Juicy Roast Turkey and Herb Roasted Chicken, which are almost always on my holiday dinner menu.
- They also work wonderfully with some Pan Seared Ribeye Steak or Pan Seared Lamb Chops and some Garlic Butter Green Beans or Bacon With Green Beans.
Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
- Make Ahead: These creamy mashed white potatoes are perfect to make ahead of time too. You can make this in a huge batch and freeze it for up to 6 months. Make sure you use freezer-safe containers or bags to prevent freezer burn.
- Storage: If you have some leftover mashed potatoes, allow them to cool down completely, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 2 days.
- Reheating: You can reheat the mashed potatoes in the oven or the microwave, and even on the stovetop. Use a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, and make sure you add a splash of milk to get it to the rice consistency. If you’re using the oven, make sure you use an oven-safe bowl and cover the bowl with some foil to keep the steam from escaping. Pause at every 20-second interval and mix if you’re using the microwave to reheat it.
Common Questions
You can! Simply use a plant based butter and milk, and use vegan cream cheese to add some richness to the mash. Coconut milk and almond milk are great non-dairy options to try.
I used just salt and pepper to keep it simple, but you can also add a dash of cumin, garlic powder, onion powder or paprika to season the potatoes. In fact, you can also top the mashed potatoes with some dried herbs of your choice.
More Side Dish Recipes You’ll Love💜
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Mashed White Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pound Japanese sweet potatoes also known as Murasaki sweet potatoes
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup whole milk room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons cream cheese
- Salt to taste ¼ to ½ teaspoon works
- Pepper to taste ⅛ teaspoon works
- Chopped chives optional garnish
Instructions
- Peel the Japanese sweet potatoes, rinse them and cut into about 1-inch chunks.
- Place the potatoes in a medium pot and add water to cover them. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and let them simmer for about 15-20 minutes until fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes and mash them using your desired method. You can either pass them through a fine mesh sieve or a potato ricer or mash them in a bowl using a potato masher. Mash the potatoes while still hot. I passed them through a fine mesh sieve.
- To the mashed potatoes, add the milk, butter, and cream cheese. Mix well to combine.
- Taste to determine how much salt is needed, then add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well to combine.
- Serve immediately or transfer to an oven-safe bowl and let it stay warm at 200℉ in the oven until ready to serve.
Notes
- If a potato masher isn’t giving you the perfect smooth and creamy texture, press it through a fine mesh sieve or use a potato ricer to do the job.
- Begin mashing the potatoes while they’re still hot. This will ensure that there are no lumps and that breaking them down is much more effortless.
- Use good quality butter for the recipe- it really makes a difference in the flavor. If you can, use European-style butter like Kerrygold.
- Get the cream cheese to room temperature before you use it for the recipe.
