Vegan Mashed Sweet Potato

5 from 1 vote

This sweet and savoury Vegan Mashed Sweet Potato is incredibly creamy and delicious and just perfect for serving with your holiday meals. The sweet potatoes are first roasted with herbs and garlic to concentrate the flavours, then they are mashed with spices and coconut cream to make them even better!

Prep Time8 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time48 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: vegan

Servings: to 5 servings

Calories: 392kcal

Author: Melanie McDonald

Equipment

Ingredients

3lb / 1360 grams sweet potatoes/yams , about 4 medium to large potatoes
1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil , OPTIONAL
4 cloves garlic
about 8 small 2 inch sprigs fresh rosemary , or fresh thyme (enough for one to go under each potaot half)
4 tablespoons coconut cream , scraped from the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon , plus more to taste
30 mls / 2 tablespoons maple syrup , real maple syrup not pancake syrup
1 teaspoon salt , or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper , or to taste

To serve

vegan butter , (OPTIONAL)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 °F (230 °C)
Line a large baking tray with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Cut each sweet potato in half lengthways and rub each one with a little oil (omit to keep the recipe oil-free).
Peel the garlic cloves and cut each one lengthways into about 4 thin slivers.
Lay the potatoes cut side down on the baking tray and tuck a couple of slices of garlic under each one along with a sprig of rosemary. Place in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until nice and soft and a fork will stick into them easily.
Remove from the oven and carefully turn over the potatoes, discard the pieces of garlic and rosemary, and scrape the flesh out of each potato with a spoon and place in a mixing bowl. I cover one hand with a clean dish towel to protect it from the heat so I can hold the potatoes and stop them from wobbling around while I do this.
Discard/compost the skins (If you have dogs they love to dispose of them for you ;O)
To the bowl add the coconut cream, cinnamon and maple syrup. Mash well then add the salt and pepper to taste, making sure to stir it in really well. Give it a quick beat with a wooden spoon, then taste and add more cinnamon f you want a more pronounced flavour but go easy and add a tiny bit at a time.
Serve immediately, topped with a few knobs of vegan butter (optional), or keep warm in a covered dish in a low oven until needed.

Notes

Success Tips:

You must use orange sweet potatoes or yams. White, yellow, or purple potatoes aren't anywhere near as good in this recipe.
Roasting the potatoes might take longer than boiling or steaming them, but it condenses the flavour and makes for a much better tasting and not so wet mash.
Be generous with the seasoning!

Storage - Leave the mashed potatoes to cool completely and store them in a covered container in the refrigerator. They’ll keep for 3 to 4 days.

Reheating - Place the leftovers in an ovenproof dish, cover with a lid or some foil, and bake at 350 °F (175°C) for about 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in a little more coconut cream or vegan butter to serve. Alternatively, reheat them in a microwave on half-power for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.

Freezing - You can freeze the mashed sweet potatoes for up to 2 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge overnight then place in an ovenproof dish covered with a lid or some foil, and bake at 350 °F (175°C) for about 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in a little more coconut cream or vegan butter to serve. Alternatively, reheat them in a microwave on half-power for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.

How to make oil-free - This recipe calls for olive oil and optional vegan butter but you can omit both to make this recipe oil-free. The olive oil is brushed on the cut surface of the potatoes so they don't stick. Omit it and use a silicone baking mat and they should cook without any sticking. The optional butter is recommended when serving only and isn't actually mashed into the potato so it's very easy to avoid.

Nutrition