Sweet potatoes don't get enough love, honey. We have been screaming about pumpkin for decades, it's time for sweet potato to shine!
They're a million times more flavorful than a pumpkin on their own, can be used in sweet and savory dishes, even in their own lattes!
Yes, let's get into the sweet potato lattes, people! Sweet potatoes can be used in anything pumpkin can!
They're my favorite tuber and having some pureed and ready for savory mashed potatoes or sweet potato pie on Thanksgiving makes things so much easier than taking more time out of that busy day to roast and mash them!
Simple Roasted Sweet Potato Puree Recipe Notes
This recipe keeps things simple: just sweet potatoes, no extras needed. Some folks like to add oil or milk to loosen things up, but I skip it. Keeping the purée pure means it works perfectly in any recipe without worrying about extra ingredients changing the flavor or texture.
Roasting the sweet potatoes in the oven gives the best results: the sugars caramelize, the moisture cooks off, and you’re left with rich, concentrated sweetness and a naturally creamy texture.
Once they’re roasted, I scoop the flesh into a food processor. It’s way easier than ricing and makes silky smooth purée with no stringy bits (sweet potatoes is notorious for having strings).
Overall, this is less of a recipe and more of a kitchen basic I keep on hand every holiday season. Simple, cozy, and endlessly useful.
Choosing the Right Sweet Potatoes
At the grocery store you want to choose either Jewel, Beauregard, or Garnet sweet potatoes. These are the ones with the orange flesh and reddish-brown skin.
We're not looking for the purple or white sweet potatoes, those are a totally different breed and won't get the same results.
You'll want smaller sweet potatoes, since the large ones are harder, fibrous, and less sweet.
How to Make Sweet Potato Puree
Step 1
Potato pricks.
Scrub the potatoes clean, then poke holes into the skin of the sweet potatoes with a fork or knife, all over the potatoes. Then place them on a lined baking sheet.
Step 2
Roast + scoop.
Roast the potatoes at 400ºF for about an hour. Test if the sweet potatoes are tender by poking with a fork or knife. When they're fork tender, pull them out and let them cool until safe to handle, about 10-15 minutes. Then scrape the potatoes' flesh from the skin and into your food processor or potato ricer.
Step 3
Blitz, blitz, blitz!
Pulse the sweet potatoes in the food processor, scraping down the sides as needed with a silicone spatula, until the sweet potatoes are a smooth and creamy consistency.
Step 4
Use or store.
Use the puree immediately in your dishes or store in an airtight container in your fridge/freezer until you're ready to use.
Chef's Tips
- The smaller and younger the potatoes, the easier this will be. Older potatoes and larger potatoes will be drier, tougher, and full of fibrous strands. Young, small potatoes will make you a silky smooth puree!
- You can also boil or steam the sweet potatoes! This works if you are working more savory, like for mashed potatoes, soups, or side dishes as the sugars aren't being caramelized and the water in the potatoes aren't being evaporated.
How I Use Sweet Potato Puree
Homemade sweet potato puree is so incredibly versatile. You can use it anywhere you use pumpkin puree like in muffins and quick breads, in pie or cake, swirled into oatmeal, lattes, and smoothies, or simply eat it up with a spoon mixed with spices and brown sugar for extra sweetness.
Storage Instructions
Store in the refrigerator for up to one week or freeze for 3 months. If you're using it for baby food, however, use it within 2-3 days.
More Sweet Potato Recipes to Try
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Sweet Potato Puree
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 medium orange-flesh sweet potatoes, scrubbed and dried
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil for easy clean up.
- Use a fork to prick holes in multiple places on each sweet potato. Roast the potatoes on the baking sheet for 50-60 minutes, or until the sugars are bubbling out of the potatoes and they are fork-tender.6 medium orange-flesh sweet potatoes
- Let the potatoes cool for about 10-15 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Cut in half and scoop the flesh from the potatoes into a large (at least 6 cup) food processor. Discard the skins.
- Pulse the roasted sweet potato flesh in 5 second bursts in the food processor until its smooth and pureed, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed with a silicone spatula. If it's too thick, add in a splash of milk or water if you don't need pure sweet potato for your recipes.
- Cool completely, then store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe Notes
Chef's Tips
- Extra smooth: For the silkiest texture, process while still warm so it blends more evenly.
- Baby food twist: Add a pinch of cinnamon for a cozy “baby candied yam” version little ones love.
- Make ahead: Freeze purée in measured portions (like ½ cup or 1 cup) to make holiday baking easy.
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