Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Brown Butter

Savory mashed sweet potatoes topped with browned butter and roasted pecans.

5 from 1 vote

Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Brown Butter

Creamy savory mashed sweet potatoes made with rich brown butter, cream, and just a touch of brown sugar. This easy side dish is perfect for holidays, Sunday suppers, potlucks, and weeknight dinners.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 437kcal

Author: Sharon Rigsby

Ingredients

2 pounds sweet potatoes, (about 4 medium or 2 large)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons brown sugar *see notes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup candied or roasted pecans roughly chopped

Instructions

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into one inch chunks. Place them in a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minute until tender when pierced with a fork.
Drain the potatoes in a colander and return to the empty pot. Mash the potatoes until they are mostly smooth or run through a potato ricer.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Let the butter foam and sizzle. Continue to cook for 5 to 8 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally. Watch for brown specks to form at the bottom. The butter will smell nutty (like pecans roasting) when it's ready. Remove it from the heat immediately. Set aside 2 tablespoons for garnish.
Pour the brown butter over the potatoes. Add the heavy cream, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and black pepper. Stir everything together until it's combined.
Transfer the potatoes to a serving dish. Drizzle with the reserved brown butter. Garnish with chopped candied or roasted pecans.

Notes

Use a light-colored saucepan or skillet to monitor butter browning.
Drain well: Too much water = runny mash.
Use room-temperature cream to prevent gumminess.
Mash while hot: Sweet potatoes will be looser and mash much more easily than russet potatoes, but they become harder to work with as they cool.
Brown sugar: Only add 1 tablespoon, then taste. My family prefers the taste with one tablespoon instead of two. But add one and see what you think.
Taste before serving: Potatoes love salt! During testing, one final pinch of kosher salt made a surprisingly big difference, helping balance the potatoes' natural sweetness.
Here are links to how to roast pecans or how to make stovetop candied pecans. I always keep a stash of both in my freezer for adding a little crunch to salads, adding to quick breads, etc.

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