Mashed Purple Sweet Potatoes
These purple mashed sweet potatoes are a beautiful and delicious side dish that is easy to make! Purple sweet potatoes are mashed and paired with plenty of butter and minced garlic for a flavorful and easy veggie recipe the whole family will love.
Have you ever had purple sweet potatoes before? They are sooo gorgeous and fun to eat! There is not a speck of food coloring or photo editing going on here, this color is the real deal!
Other easy side dish recipes:
I actually like using them more than a traditional orange sweet potato because they are denser, less sweet, and have a creamy texture. And because they are so naturally pretty.
How to make mashed purple sweet potatoes
This recipe is very simple to make! Here is a brief overview of the recipe to give you an idea of how it works. For the full set of directions and measurements, please make sure you scroll down to the recipe card below!
- Wash the sweet potatoes, and then peel and dice them into 1” cubes.
- Place the diced sweet potatoes into a medium sized saucepan and cover with cool clean water.
- Place the pot on the stovetop and turn onto high heat. Allow to come to a boil.
- Boil for about 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
- Carefully drain the water from the potatoes. Keep the potatoes in the colander and return the empty pot back to the stovetop.
- Add the butter and garlic over low heat just until the butter has melted and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the sweet potatoes back to the pot with the melted butter and pour in the milk.
- Using a potato masher, mash until smooth and all the ingredients are mixed together. Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper (I used ½ teaspoon of each, but adjust according to your preferences).
- Serve immediately. You can top with a pad of butter and fresh chopped parsley if desired.
Timing of this recipe
This recipe is great for busy weeknights! It will take you approximately 30-40 minutes from start to finish. This timing includes:
- about 5-10 minutes for peeling and dicing the potatoes
- about 15-20 minutes for boiling
- about 5 -10 minutes for mashing
Prepping ahead of time
You can definitely make these purple potatoes ahead of time. Store them in an airtight container with a lid in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
How to serve this to your family
These purple sweet potatoes make an excellent side dish for a lot of meals. Try pairing them with a meatloaf, your favorite steak, spiced pork chops, or roasted salmon for a full flavor and full of color meal your family will adore.
Dinner conversations with kids
One of my favorite ways to get kids interested in trying new foods is to draw them into a conversation at the dinner table that gets their curiosity piqued. Try these dinner conversation starters:
- What other foods do you think we could pair these sweet potatoes with if we were going to make a meal of rainbow foods?
- I used garlic in this recipe, but what other ways do you think we could flavor these sweet potatoes that would make them even more delicious?
Check out my family dinner conversation starters to help your family get to talking about your food!
Other sweet potato recipes recipes:
- Roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (slow cooker)
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Mashed Purple Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 purple sweet potatoes peeled and diced into 1″ cubes
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ⅓ cup milk or cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Wash the sweet potatoes, and then peel and dice them into 1” cubes.
- Place the diced sweet potatoes into a medium sized saucepan and cover with cool clean water.
- Place the pot on the stovetop and turn onto high heat. Allow to come to a boil.
- Boil for about 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
- Carefully drain the water from the potatoes. Keep the potatoes in the colander and return the empty pot back to the stovetop.
- Add the butter and garlic over low heat just until the butter has melted and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the sweet potatoes back to the pot with the melted butter and pour in the milk.
- Using a potato masher, mash until smooth and all the ingredients are mixed together. Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper (I used ½ teaspoon of each, but adjust according to your preferences).
- Serve immediately. You can top with a pad of butter and fresh chopped parsley if desired.
