Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Mashed sweet potatoes are great, but add a little bourbon and they become outright decadent. Make this easy side dish for Thanksgiving or a holiday party this year.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated October 27, 2023
Elise Bauer
Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes recipe

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

It's the holidays, right? We still have time to sneak in a few indulgences? Good, just the excuse I need for these creamy garnet sweet potatoes splashed with smoky bourbon.

Funny thing is, if you looked in our liquor cabinet, you would find all sorts of wonderful things to drink—vermouth, marsala, madeira, rum, calvados, JD, Maker's Mark—yet nobody in our family actually drinks anything beyond an occasional glass of wine or beer. Or maybe a small glass of sherry or port.

All those high octane bottles are for use in cooking, including the bourbon. I love the taste of bourbon, with its slightly smoky edge. But I'm a lightweight when it comes to alcohol, so only use it for flavoring something wonderful, like chocolate bourbon cake, a New Orleans bread pudding, or these sweet potatoes.

Don't Skip the Bourbon

For those of you who avoid alcohol in cooking, I'm afraid this recipe is not for you.

Obviously you can easily make the mashed sweet potatoes without the bourbon; it will be great, just add some nutmeg and cinnamon to spice it up a bit.

I did experiment with reducing the alcohol content in this recipe by boiling the bourbon first to accelerate the evaporation, but while the alcohol was reduced, so was the taste of the bourbon. So if you want the wonderful note that the bourbon provides, you'll just have to add it as is.

The Best Sweet Potatoes to Use

Look for garnet sweet potatoes for this recipe. These sweet potatoes have a reddish-brown skin and bright orange flesh. They cook quickly, mash easily, and have a pleasantly sweet flavor.

How Long to Boil Sweet Potatoes

For these mashed sweet potatoes, peel the potatoes, cut them into large cubes, and then boil them until tender. This should take roughly 15 to 20 minutes.

What to Do With Leftover Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Leftover mashed sweet potatoes will keep for about 5 days in the fridge.

They can be reheated on their own for an easy weeknight side, or use them to top a shepherd's pie, fry them into thin potato pancakes, or mix them into a lightly boozy version of our sweet potato waffles.

More Favorite Holiday Side Dishes

Bourbon Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Servings 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds garnet sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

  • Kosher salt

  • 3 to 4 tablespoons bourbon whisky

  • 4 tablespoons butter, more or less to taste

  • 4 tablespoons brown sugar, more or less to taste

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

  1. Boil the sweet potatoes until tender:

    Place the sweet potato chunks in a large (5 quart) pot, cover with water. Add a tablespoon of salt to the water. Bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

    sweet potatoes in a pot of water

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
    sweet potatoes boiling in a pot

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
  2. Mash the sweet potatoes:

    Drain the cooked sweet potatoes and return them to the pot on the stove. Lower the heat to low.

    Add the bourbon and the butter to the pot and stir. Add the brown sugar and vanilla extract and stir.

    Mash with a potato masher until smooth. Add more salt, bourbon, butter, and brown sugar to taste.

    Did you love the recipe? Give us some stars and leave a comment below! 

    sweet potatoes being mashed in a pot

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
228 Calories
6g Fat
41g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 228
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 8%
Saturated Fat 4g 19%
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 181mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 41g 15%
Dietary Fiber 6g 20%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 33mg 167%
Calcium 71mg 5%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 819mg 17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.