Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes
These incredible mashed sweet potatoes are mixed with herbs, butter and sour cream. No marshmallows or brown sugar in this mashed sweet potatoes recipe!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 10, 2024
I’m on a mission to stock this food blog with all the holiday recipes you might need, and it’s about time I shared a mashed sweet potato recipe. The problem with most mashed sweet potatoes is that they’re made even sweeter with brown sugar and marshmallows. Sweet potatoes are already plenty sweet on their own!
So, I added savory ingredients to my mashed sweet potatoes to balance out that inherent sweetness. Finely chopped fresh parsley and green onion combined with some sour cream and butter are all you need for incredible savory mashed sweet potatoes.
I don’t know why these basic ingredients create such a stellar flavor combination, but they do. These mashed sweet potatoes took a cue from my baked rosemary Parmesan sweet potatoes (another simple holiday side option) and the quinoa-stuffed sweet potatoes in my cookbook.
Watch How to Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes
More Sweet Potato Recipes to Enjoy
- Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas
- Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole
- Perfect Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato, Kale and Chickpea Soup
If you’re looking for regular mashed potatoes (and by regular, I mean my family’s favorite), meet Lucille’s Mashed Potatoes. Here are more Thanksgiving recipes.
Please let me know how these mashed sweet potatoes turn out for you in the comments! Your feedback means so much to me.
Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes
These incredible mashed sweet potatoes are mixed with herbs, butter and sour cream. No marshmallows or brown sugar in this mashed sweet potatoes recipe! Recipe yields 6 to 8 side servings.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds sweet potatoes (about 7 small-to-medium), peeled and cut into 1″ cubes
- 2 teaspoons salt, divided
- ⅓ cup finely sliced green onion, mostly green parts (from 1 bunch)
- ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 small-to-medium garlic clove, pressed or minced
- ¼ cup sour cream*
- 3 tablespoons butter, cubed
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Place the cubed sweet potatoes in a large saucepan or Dutch oven and add enough water to cover by about 1″. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender (in other words, it’s easy to slide a fork in and out), about 9 to 12 minutes.
- Drain well, then return the potatoes to the pot. Mash the sweet potatoes to your desired consistency.
- Promptly add almost all of the green onion and parsley, reserving a small amount of each for garnish. Add the garlic, and stir to combine. Then stir in most of the sour cream (reserve roughly 1 tablespoon for garnish), all of the butter, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Season to taste with additional salt (I usually add another ¼ to ½ teaspoon) and freshly ground black pepper.
- Transfer the mashed potatoes to a serving bowl and swirl the reserved sour cream onto the top with a spoon. Sprinkle with the reserved green onion and parsley, drizzle the top lightly with olive oil, and finish with a sprinkle of pepper.
- Serve promptly. Leftovers will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for 3 to 4 days.
Notes
Make it dairy free/vegan: I believe you could replace the sour cream with vegan sour cream (recipe also available in my cookbook, page 217). Instead of butter, stir in extra-virgin olive oil, to taste.
*Sour cream alternative: Many are asking if Greek yogurt will work, and yes, I think it will! I just prefer sour cream in savory applications like this.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Beautiful flavor…. soo delicious!
Thanks for letting me know you loved it, Tess!
Can this be made a couple of hours ahead and reheated in the oven? I would love to make this for my Easter dinner this evening.
Sorry for the delay! That should be ok, although best severed immediately. What did you decide to to?
Love this recipe! Everyone kids and adults enjoyed it. Making it for a second time now
Great to hear Liz! Thanks for the review.
Loved it! Adding the garlic made if 100x better! :D
Yes! I agree, the garlic does so much.
These were wonderful. We like sweets year round and I served them with bbq chicken, corn on the cob and sautéed spinach with balsamic caramelized onions. They had great flavor and looked beautiful on the plate too. I’m not a fan of raw garlic taste so I sautéed the garlic briefly in 1Tbs of the butter before putting the sweets back in the pot to mash em. Also,I only had regular parsley, and didn’t love that part much so will definitely use flat leaf or another herb next time. Thanks for a new family favorite!
Thanks for sharing, Alice!
This is the recipe I was looking for!
I had tasted savory mashed sweet potatoes, but I didn’t know what was in it.
It was both, easy and delicious!
Thank you SO much, this will be a regular at my home.
I’m happy to hear that! Thanks for your review.
I love your cookbook and recipes! I’ve been looking for a savoury sweet potato mash and this one is a winner!
I’m happy to hear that, Niki!
4lbs of sweet potato yields A LOT. As a side dish, for 5 ppl, I would use 2lbs in the future. Overall though, it is a very easy recipe to follow and the potatoes came out quite tasty.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Bex!
I’ve never been a marshmallow and sugar sweet potato girl, and am not crazy about sweet potato fries like most people. These are the BEST sweet potatoes I have EVER had! The other ingredients truly make them a savory dish, rather than a hybrid sweet and savory (which is what I don’t love about most sweet potato dishes). Kate does it again! I am forever singing her praises!
These ae SO good. I usually just put butter and salt on sweet potatoes, but I wanted something more so googled and found this recipe. I cooked my potatoes in the instant pot – SOOOO easy! No peeling or chopping. Then I added the herbs and sour cream and butter and used a mixer to make them smooth and creamy. They are delightfully savory! Highly recommended!
Thank you for your recommendation, Janet!
Awesome recipe, Kate, thank you! First time my husband enjoyed mashed sweet potatoes. Instead of the onion and herbs in your recipe I used dried sage, oregano, savory and garlic, and made it vegan with olive oil and tofu sour cream. Wonderful alternative to sweetened versions, will repeat for Thanksgiving.
You’re welcome! Thanks for sharing, Gwen.
I made this mashed Kumera recipe and it was delicious. Many yhanks
Thanks for commenting!
The nutrition information is based on six servings. This seems preposterous being that the recipe calls for 4 pounds of potatoes alone, making one serving 2/3 of a pound of potatoes alone. I wish recipes like this would base the nutrition on volume or weight, not just number of servings. Who is really going to eat 10 ounces of potatoes at a time, okay some people might….
Hi David! This recipe serves 6 and the nutrition information is a per serving basis. Here is more about my nutrition information: https://capital-fly.pro/nutrition-disclaimer/%3C/a%3E. I hope that helps!
Made these for the family tonight. They were a hit! Love the addition of the sour cream.
How would you make this ahead of time, and how would you heat it up again? Would you make it as is or add the butter and sour cream before dinner when heating up the mash?
Hi Effi! These are best served right away. If you have to make ahead of time, I would do the entire recipe and then gently reheat on the stove or oven.
Excellent savory recipe, thank you. I made this for Thanksgiving. I steamed 6 lbs sweet potatoes in an instant pot (1 inch cubes, steamer basket or trivet, 8 mins or less on high, quick release, drain) and folded in the ingredients per the recipe, substituting garlic salt for salt since I was missing minced garlic. It tasted so good, I didn’t add the sour cream for fear of pushing my luck, but I’ll try that next time to compare.
Kate,
I was hesitant to make this dish for a friends Thanksgiving dinner but I decided to try it anyway. So happy I did, never thought a combination of green onion, garlic and parsley with sweet potatoes would be so amazing! Thank you! The dish was a hit with everyone.
Your recipes are always amazing.
David Noel
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was banging!! THE best savory mashed sweet potatoes I ever had!! Thank you thank you thank you!! This will be my go to recipe!! I’ll post a picture on my public Instagram account, @aye_que_bella
I’m glad it was a hit, Lisa!
For a vegan version, vegan sour cream will work. I suggest adding a bit of apple cider vinegar to it to give it that tang that vegan sour cream is missing (from the Tofutti variety). Instead of adding more oil, Earth Balance vegan butter has a very pleasant flavor and is available in regular and soy-free versions.
Thank you for sharing, Ryan!
This is soooo good! I have made it now several times. Once as a side dish in a potluck, sometimes for christmas…I could eat this just by itself as a main course.
I appreciate you sharing, Katariina!
Love this recipe! It’s awesome to find a SP recipe that isn’t full of sugar! I forgot to add the garlic but didn’t really miss it. I used Whole Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream since I always have it and can’t really tell the difference in flavor. Looking forward to making this on a regular basis!
Absolutely delicious! I served this as a side dish with braised short ribs. I don’t think I’ll ever make sweet potatoes any other way!
Thank you for trying this recipe, Monica!
Delicious! My husband and I don’t usually like sweet potatoes but really enjoyed this. 2 out my 3 kids loved it too.
Great! Thank you for sharing, Abigail.
I don’t particularly like sweet potatoes but my Old Man does. So while looking for a nonsweet recipe I came across yours. It turned out great. I didn’t have the exact ingredients but I managed. I used dried chives and frozen parsley from my garden and dehydrated garlic. It’s winter and I am a rural dweller! Thanks for all of your great recipes!
I’m glad these were great for you both! Thanks for sharing, Katie.
I just made this and it is amazing! As a vegan sub for the sour cream I used Miyoko’s Vegan Cream “Cheese” and turned out beautifully. I also didnt have green onion on hand, so subbed 3/4 cup finely diced white onion. So good! Thanks so much for this recipe.
This is excellent. A new way to do sweet potatoes that’s not cloyingly sweet. Didn’t think my husband would like them, but he loved them.Thanks.
Easy, fast and delicious!
I’m not a fan of sweet potato, but I love it in this recipe. So delicious! hubby and I loved it (bit gourmet for our) little kiddies. That won’t stop me making it over and over again!
Great, Laura! Thank you for sharing.
If I don’t have green onions can I substitute or omit?
You can omit!
Hello! Any substitutes for the parsley and spring onions?
Hi Ratna! Cilantro and parsley usually substitute well, but I’m not sure in this recipe. You can omit the onions.
Great fluffy mash potato. Can we check does the garlic go in raw?
Hey Sarah! Yes, the garlic goes in raw. The warm sweet potatoes cook it a bit, which mellows the flavor.
Absolutely divine! Loved this recipe!! I paired it with cauliflower steaks tonight and it was the perfect combo. Thanks!
We decided to be extra decadent and substituted the sour cream for cream cheese. Amazing!!
The recipe works awesome!!! thank you very much!
I’m in the UK and so have never tasted sweet potatoes with a sweetener. But I used creamy Greek yogurt and it was delicious. The combination of green onions, parsley, butter, garlic, cream and Greek yogurt was amazing. Definitely will be making this again. Thank you!
I am not a fan of sweet treatment of sweet potatoes. I made this recipe tonight, and the family loved it. I used fresh sage instead of parsley, and oh my the dish was delicious. I used a bit less sage than 1/3 cup since it is stronger than parsley. I can’t wait to make these again an experiment with all the fresh herbs in my garden!
This was so easy and delicious! I used soy sour cream instead of regular (because one of my guests is lactose intolerant) and it turned out great. The savory really balanced the sweet of the potatoes and everybody loved it. Thanks!
This is delicious! I am currently on a paleo diet for autoimmune issues and sweet potato is about the only filling thing I can eat. Unfortunately most sweet potato recipes are well…sweet. This recipe actually makes me LIKE sweet potato. I’m thanking the Lord for helping me to find it. And thank you Kate for sharing it.
Absolutely LOVE this recipe !!!!! Thank you !!!!! I’ve always liked sweet potatoes; always just boiled them, had with some butter and salt. After trying this recipe, wow, now a huge fave! Husband and I love it and I always tell people about this recipe, it’s SO good.
I despise the sweet, marshmallowy version of sweet potatoes. This savor mash is scrumptious. I made it once with parsley and once with sage (you need to sauté the sage in a bit of butter first to smooth out flavor). Both delicious. A good alternative to roasted sweet potatoes.
This was great! I had to sub 2% Fage Greek yogurt for the sour cream and omit the parsley (based on what I had on hand during quar) but it still turned out delicious.
My question is about an alternative for parsley; what can you suggest to use instead?
Thanks
Hi Marcy! I really prefer parsley here. You may be able to use cilantro as they can be substitute, but that flavor may be a little odd here since i haven’t tried it. Maybe some more chives or green onion.
Made these last night and there were none left. Everyone at dinner, even my husband who doesn’t always my cooking experiments, loved them. Wonderful change from these potatoes prepared with a sweet taste.
That’s great! Thank you for sharing and commenting, Louise.
This was really good. A keeper. Made exactly as stated.
I did this the lazy way with mostly powdered ingredients and it was still delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
This was delicious and just what I was craving in a mashed sweet potato recipe! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Anna!
You have converted me from a hater of sweet potato to a lover! I can’t stop making these!
Thank you :)
Delicious! I was looking for a new way to make them besides baking. This was a perfect side.
Greetings from California! Thank you for an inspiring recipe. I will use it as a filling for chile rellenos instead of the usual heart-stopping cheese, and adding corn and cilantro and southwestern spices. Can’t wait!
I was looking for a mashed sweet potato recipe that didn’t add sugar; I had to do some searching, but I found this gem. My husband is now diabetic, and I am having to change my cooking habits. But really, what is sugar doing in most recipes anyway? It’s not needed and it’s not good for any of us. Anyway, this was absolutely delicious! My husband and I both loved this. I followed the recipe exactly, and I will be doing this again soon. The only thing I might do differently is add some milk as mine came out very thick. Flavor was wonderful though!
I’m happy you loved this one, Barb! Thanks for taking the time to comment and review.