Low Sodium Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
This low sodium mashed sweet potatoes recipe is a cozy and delicious side dish, perfect for a holiday meal or to serve with your favorite protein. It’s ready in less than 30 minutes and is made with simple ingredients and no added salt.
Start by peeling and boiling sweet potatoes, then mashing them with unsalted butter, milk, cinnamon, and a bit of black pepper. See our step-by-step photos and directions below, and you can make this easy vegetable side in no time!
Want more low sodium side dish ideas? Try our low sodium garlic potatoes, low sodium kale salad, and our favorite low sodium roasted asparagus.
I’ve been trying to add more sweet potatoes into our meals, and this super easy recipe is one of my favorite ways to do it! Growing up, we only had sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving, but with this simple side dish you can enjoy them all year round!
This recipe is made like regular mashed potatoes and doesn’t add any additional sugar, but it still has a wonderful natural sweetness. You can certainly make this for a holiday, served alongside low sodium roasted turkey and low sodium stuffing, or just enjoy it with chicken or steak any night of the week.
Why This Recipe Works
- It’s bright, naturally sweet, creamy, and so flavorful!
- A quick and easy way to make sweet potatoes in less than 30 minutes.
- Serve this versatile side dish all year long with your favorite protein.
- With just a handful of simple ingredients, this recipe is inexpensive and tastes great.
- Anyone can successfully make this recipe by following our step-by-step photos and directions below.
Ingredients You’ll Need
See the recipe card below for a full list of instructions and ingredient amounts!
The base of this recipe is sweet potatoes! You can use any sweet potato or yam variety you prefer, I used classic orange sweet potatoes (but I’ve had purple ones which are also delicious). I opted to peel mine, but if you want to leave the peels on, go for it!
I use both unsalted butter and milk to give these sweet potatoes creaminess and texture. I also like to serve with an extra pad of butter for garnish, but that is optional.
A little bit of cinnamon in the potatoes and black pepper on top are all the spice I add. I find both have a nice subtle flavor that pairs well with the sweet potatoes without being overpowering.
Additions and Substitutions
For sweeter sweet potatoes, you can add 1/4 cup brown sugar if desired. This gives the potatoes more of a Thanksgiving casserole vibe (and check out our low sodium sweet potato casserole for a great holiday side dish idea).
You can top with toasted pecans or walnuts if desired for extra crunch.
Instead of milk, you can use cream or half-and-half for richer potatoes.
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: Wash your sweet potatoes, and peel them (if desired). Place the peeled potatoes in a bowl and set aside. Discard or compost the peels.
Step 2: Dice the sweet potatoes into ~1 inch cubes, and place them in a large pot.
Step 3: Add enough water to cover the sweet potatoes by an inch, and bring them to a boil. Cook for 8-10 minutes until they can be pierced completely with a knife. Drain and place the potatoes back in the pot.
Step 4: Add the cinnamon, black pepper, 3 tablespoons of the butter (save the final tablespoon for serving), and the milk.
Step 5: Mash well with a potato masher until smooth and creamy.
Step 6: Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the potatoes, garnish with extra black pepper or cinnamon if desired, and serve hot.
Recipe FAQs
According to the USDA, sweet potatoes have naturally 72mg sodium per 5-inch sweet potato. This recipe has 88 mg sodium per serving, as it adds unsalted butter and milk in addition to the sweet potatoes.
You can store any leftover mashed sweet potatoes in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven until hot.
Yes, you can bake the sweet potatoes in the oven. Just pierce a few times with a fork, bake until tender (about 40-50 minutes), and scoop out the inner flesh to mash it.
Expert Tips
- When chopping the sweet potatoes, make them roughly the same size. That way, they will cook evenly in the boiling water and be done at the same time.
- Peelign is optional! I peeled mine for a smoother texture, but you can leave the peels on and mash them in the potatoes. Just be sure to give them a good scrub and remove any dirt/sediment before cooking.
- Make this recipe ahead of time – you can follow the recipe as written, and store in a baking dish covered with tin foil. Then, just pop in the oven and bake until hot and ready to serve.
More Low Sodium Vegetable Side Dishes
- Low Sodium Vegetable Stir Fry
- Low Sodium Ratatouille Recipe
- The best Low Sodium Tomato Salad Recipe
- Low Sodium Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe
- Low Sodium Three Bean Salad Recipe
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Low Sodium Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
- Pot
- Potato Masher
Ingredients
- 2 lb sweet potatoes
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- ¼ cup milk or more as needed
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Wash your sweet potatoes, and peel them (if desired). Place the peeled potatoes in a bowl and set aside. Discard or compost the peels.
- Dice the sweet potatoes into ~1 inch cubes, and place them in a large pot.
- Add enough water to cover the sweet potatoes by an inch, and bring them to a boil. Cook for 8-10 minutes until they can be pierced completely with a knife. Drain and place the potatoes back in the pot.
- Add the cinnamon, black pepper, 3 tablespoons of the butter (save the final tablespoon for serving), and the milk.
- Mash well with a potato masher until smooth and creamy.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the potatoes, garnish with extra black pepper or cinnamon if desired, and serve hot.
Notes
- When chopping the sweet potatoes, make them roughly the same size. That way, they will cook evenly in the boiling water and be done at the same time.
- Peelign is optional! I peeled mine for a smoother texture, but you can leave the peels on and mash them in the potatoes. Just be sure to give them a good scrub and remove any dirt/sediment before cooking.
- Make this recipe ahead of time – you can follow the recipe as written, and store in a baking dish covered with tin foil. Then, just pop in the oven and bake until hot and ready to serve.
Nutrition estimate (for 1 serving)
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used in our kitchen. It will vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify your nutrition content and sodium amounts.
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