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Quick and easy, these Sweet Potatoes with Maple Syrup are perfectly sweet and delicious. A wonderful side dish to every holiday party!

 

 

Super creamy, slathered in butter and maple syrup, maple sweet potatoes are SO yummy. 

I’m a HUGE fan of real maple syrup. 

Maple Pecan Bars, Maple Syrup Corn Bread, Crockpot Maple Brown Sugar Ham, and Canadian Maple Syrup Pie just to name a few.

Maple Syrup is amazing in everything. But maple syrup and sweet potatoes? Some things are just meant to be.

I love how quick maple mashed sweet potatoes are. All you need is the cooking time for the potatoes.

Mashed sweet potatoes with Maple syrup only call for a handful of ingredients too. 

And most of them are pantry ingredients!

When I serve this sweet potato recipe with maple syrup for Thanksgiving or Christmas I get rave reviews and you will too!

But don’t feel like you need to save this for Christmas or Thanksgiving. Sweet potatoes with Maple syrup are good all year long!

 

 

Is Sweet Potato and Maple Syrup a Good Combination?

Yes! Double yes! I’d even go so far as to give it a triple yes!

Fresh sweet potatoes, as their name implies, naturally tend to be pretty sweet. 

This makes them much more likely to be combined with sugar than other types of potatoes.

Often you’ll see sweet potatoes combined with brown sugar, which is actually a deep maple-y flavored sugar.

So why not use real maple syrup? It helps to cream the potatoes and gives them a delicious flavor too.

Trust me on this, you’ll love it and your holiday menu will thank you.

 

 

Ingredients in Sweet Potatoes with Maple Syrup

Just 4 staple ingredients for a delicious side dish that you can serve for any holiday meal!

• Sweet Potatoes: These are often also called yams. They should have bright orange inside.
• Butter: I always use salted butter. I find most foods need the salt anyway.
• Maple Syrup: REAL maple syrup. If you haven’t tasted the difference you’ll love using the real stuff.
• Salt and Pepper: Just a sprinkle for flavoring!

Pro Tip: Check the sweet potatoes for bruises or soft spots before you leave the store. You don’t want to have to go back for good ones.

How To Make Sweet Potatoes with Maple Syrup

This easy sweet potato recipe makes a sweet side dish on your Thanksgiving table! Here’s the best way to make it:

1. Cook Potatoes: I prefer the microwave for speed but an oven would work too.
2. Mix: Cooked potatoes should be easy to mix with butter and syrup.
3. Drizzle: That drizzle of maple syrup is beautiful on top!

Pro Tips: 

• Prick the potatoes lots of times to prevent them from exploding while cooking!
• Never pick up a freshly cooked sweet potato or you’ll burn your hand.
• Make sure to scoop the flesh out of the skins. Mashed sweet potatoes are much better without the skins.

Cooked Sweet Potatoes are as easy to whip as any other type of potato. Pick a potato masher, blender, or whatever else works.

 

 

Are Yams Sweet Potatoes?

Yes and No. Technically yams and sweet potatoes are different.

True yams have a bark type skin and are white inside.

Sweet Potatoes have a softer skin and orange inside. They’re very high in vitamin C.

However, in the United States the names are mostly used interchangeably at the grocery store or at a holiday gathering.

It’s rare to find an actual yam so you’re probably purchasing a sweet potato and not a yam.

And actually, sweet potatoes can even be purple! Not very common, but it’s possible.

What you want to do is find the sweet potatoes with soft outsides and orange insides.

Then you’ll have the perfect side dish!

How To Flavor Sweet Potatoes with Maple Syrup

It’s as simple as putting maple syrup in sweet potatoes!

Instead of adding cinnamon, sugar, brown sugar, almond butter, etc, just add maple syrup! 

I find I don’t even need to add any chopped pecans or things like that either!

The natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes pairs well with the pure maple syrup.

This makes it a great addition to Christmas dinner when you’re probably already a little heavy on the sugar but still craving those cozy flavors!

 

 

How Long Do Sweet Potatoes Last?

Uncooked sweet potatoes will stay good anywhere from 3-5 weeks at room temperature.

Uncooked sweet potatoes in the fridge will last 2-3 months.

Once the sweet potatoes are cooked and flavored with maple syrup and butter, eat them within 4 days.

Pro Tip: Anything cooked needs to be sealed and properly stored in the fridge or it will develop bacteria quickly.

Can Dogs Eat Sweet Potatoes with Butter and Maple Syrup?

Sweet potatoes boast a wide range of health benefits for both you and your pooch.

They support your immune system, digestive system, eye health, and heart health. 

I’m no expert on all the nutritional information, but you can easily find it online.

As with all carbohydrates, they should be eaten in moderation.

Real maple syrup, not fake, isn’t all that bad for dogs either.

Though too much sugar can be detrimental for dog’s health.

And the butter mixture isn’t really bad for dogs but it’s not really good for them either.

To sum up, can dogs eat maple sweet potatoes? 

If your dog consumes a small amount of sweet potatoes with butter and maple syrup, health wise they will probably be okay.

But it’s not really something you should be feeding to your dog on the regular.

I’d save this easy side dish for humans.

 

 

How to Cook Sweet Potatoes

You’ve got four great options for making sweet potatoes:

• Microwave: Most microwaves come with a “potato” setting making this a snap! If yours doesn’t, cook for 8-10 minutes, flipping after 5 until fork tender.
• Oven: A preheated oven to 425 will cook your sweet potatoes to perfection in 45-50 minutes on a sheet pan.
• Instant Pot: Definitely another favorite in a time crunch! Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes are super simple!
• Slow Cooker: Super easy but longest time. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

I think you’ll find the first time you make sweet potatoes, that it’s actually pretty simple and they’ll quickly become one of your favorite root vegetables.

And actually, if you bake sweet potato slices instead of the whole sweet potato, you’ll need to cook for even less time.

Just be sure to use a rimmed baking sheet, some extra-virgin olive oil, and keep them in a single layer for best results.

Can You Freeze Maple Sweet Potatoes?

Very easily! This makes them one of my favorite side dishes! 

Planning your Thanksgiving menu or maybe just everyday dinners? No problem! Pull these frozen potatoes out of the freezer!

Simply wait for the maple sweet potatoes to cool completely.

Then place them in a freezer safe, airtight container.

Sweet potatoes with maple syrup will stay good for up to 6 months.

When you’re ready to eat them, thaw in the fridge overnight.

Pro Tips: 

• Drizzle a small amount of maple syrup on top again to get that same beautiful look. Some extra maple syrup won’t harm the flavor.
• Write the name and date on your container. Nothing worse than wondering what something is in the freezer and how long it’s been there.

 

 

Additional Sweet Potato Recipes You’ll Love…

• Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
• Pecan Crusted Sweet Potato Casserole
• Sweet Potato Rolls
• Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
• Roasted Winter Vegetables
• Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
• Oven Baked Sweet Potatoes
• Baked Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Southwest Sweet Potato Salad
• Sweet Potato Salad with Southwest Vinaigrette
• Butternut Squash Potato Soup

Sweet Potatoes with Maple Syrup are an absolute favorite every year. 

Perfect for serving on Christmas, Thanksgiving day, and every other time of year too!

 

Originally Posted: January 8, 2015

Photos & Text Updated: November 17, 2023

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