Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Bourbon Praline Sauce (Rich, Creamy, and Divinely Delicious)
Inside: These Southern-style mashed sweet potatoes are whipped smooth with butter and topped with a bourbon praline pecan sauce made from brown sugar, cream, vanilla, and toasted pecans—with just a whisper of whiskey flavor! The ultimate Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish.
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One of the usual suspects on the Thanksgiving buffet is sweet potato casserole. You know the one. A couple of cans of yams under a layer of brown sugar and covered in marshmallows out of a bag.
It’s always been a part of our big holiday meals. But once I put these mashed sweet potatoes with bourbon praline sauce into my mouth, the angels sang. And they said “you must make this every year to make your life complete” (okay, maybe a little overstated but while I’m eating it I’m right there in heaven with them).😇
Who knew that a vegetable could be so delicious, so delectable, so divine, and so decadent?
Why You’ll Love This Mashed Sweet Potato Recipe.
- Creamy and buttery: whipped smooth, no lumps.
- Make-ahead friendly: perfect for Thanksgiving prep.
- Irresistible praline topping: sweet, nutty, and slightly boozy.
How to Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Bourbon Praline Sauce (At a Glance):
- Bake the sweet potatoes until fork-tender
- Beat butter and sweet potatoes together until smooth
- Simmer butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup, cinnamon, and salt
- Add baking soda, bourbon, vanilla, and toasted pecans
- Spoon warm praline sauce over mashed sweet potatoes
Ingredients for Bourbon Praline Sweet Potatoes.
You’ll need just a few simple ingredients for this bourbon sweet potato recipe:
- 7-9 medium to large sweet potatoes
- 3 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cups roughly chopped pecans, toasted (see instructions)
- 1 cup light brown sugar or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons bourbon whiskey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
How to Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking pan with foil. Wash and place potatoes on the baking sheet. Prick each several times with a fork.
Using fresh sweet potatoes over canned makes all the difference!
Bake the sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes or until they are soft when squeezed and the skin looks like it’s puffy and pulling away.
Let them cool just enough to handle. Slice the skin on the top and peel it away from the sweet potato flesh. It should come off easily if you’ve cooked them long enough.
Place two sticks of butter into a large mixing bowl and then add the peeled pieces of sweet potato (if they are no longer warm, soften the butter first or add melted butter).
With a hand mixer or an electric mixer and a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sweet potatoes until smooth.
If you don’t have a mixer, you can use a potato masher and then beat with a spoon by hand – they just won’t be as smooth and creamy.
Options:
The original recipe I based this on calls for a cup of sugar, but I find sweet potatoes to be plenty sweet on their own, plus the bourbon praline topping is sweet. But if you have a raging sweet tooth, add the sugar with the butter and sweet potatoes and then whip it up.
If you use unsalted butter but you like it saltier, also add a teaspoon of salt at the same time. Or replace the unsalted butter with salted butter.
How to Make the Bourbon Praline Pecan Sauce.
After cooking the sweet potatoes, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Roughly chop whole pecans and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 6-8 minutes, then set aside.
In a small saucepan, bring a stick of butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup, cinnamon, and salt just to a boil over medium heat.
Lower the heat and let it softly bubble for two minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. Then add the bourbon whiskey (or bourbon extract), vanilla, and toasted pecans.
Stir the praline mix until everything is mixed and let it cool slightly. The baking soda will make it a bit frothy and lighter in color at first, but it will look different after it sits for a few minutes.
Cooking for a crowd? My Thanksgiving Prep Timeline breaks down what to make and when — from grocery shopping to serving dinner right on time.
How to Serve Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Bourbon Pecan Cream Sauce.
Add the sweet potato mixture to a large casserole dish. Then how you serve the sauce is up to you:
You can either spread the warm pecan topping over the whole thing like a bourbon sweet potato casserole.
Or you can top each serving with warm sauce (or let guests serve their own to their liking).
I prefer to leave it on the side and usually serve it in a mini crockpot to keep it warm. Plus sometimes I don’t want to sauce on the leftovers because the buttery roasted mashed sweet potatoes are magically delicious on their own.
FAQ’s:
Q: Can you make the sweet potato mash and praline sauce ahead of time?
A: Absolutely, and I usually do. Make it up to three days in advance and store the sweet potatoes and bourbon praline sauce separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Warm the potatoes either on the stovetop on low, stirring frequently, or in the microwave. Reheat the bourbon sauce in a saucepan on low heat or in the microwave on low.
Q: Is the bourbon important to the sauce?
A: Yes—the bourbon adds a hint of flavor complexity, but you can omit it for a non-alcohol version.
Q: Can I make this without bourbon?
A: Yes! Substitute 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon bourbon extract for a similar flavor.
Storing Leftovers.
Store leftover mashed sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The bourbon praline sauce keeps for 3–4 days in the fridge.
You can freeze the sweet potatoes (without the sauce) for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave, and warm the praline sauce separately before serving. (The sauce won’t freeze well.)
Printable Recipe.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Bourbon Praline Sauce
Ingredients
- 7-9 medium to large sweet potatoes
- 3 sticks unsalted butter see notes
- 1 1/4 cups roughly chopped pecans toasted (see instructions)
- 1 cup light brown sugar or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons bourbon whisky
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Mashed Sweet Potatoes:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking pan with foil. Wash and place potatoes on the baking sheet.Prick each several times with a fork.
- Bake the sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes or until they are soft when squeezed and the skin looks like it’s puffy and pulling away.
- Let the sweet potatoes cool just enough to handle. Slice the skin on the top and peel it away from the flesh. It should come off easily if you’ve cooked them long enough.
- Place two sticks of butter into a large mixing bowl and then add the peeled sweet potatoes. (If they are no longer warm, soften the butter first or add melted butter.)
- With a hand mixer or an electric mixer and a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sweet potatoes until smooth.
- Place mashed sweet potatoes in a serving dish.
Bourbon Praline Sauce:
- After cooking the sweet potatoes, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
- Roughly chop whole pecans and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 6-8 minutes, then set aside.
- In a small saucepan, bring a stick of butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup, cinnamon, and salt just to a boil over medium heat.
- Lower the heat and let it softly bubble for two minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda. Then add the bourbon, vanilla, and toasted pecans.
- Stir the praline mix and let it cool slightly. (The baking soda will make it a bit frothy and lighter in color at first, but it will look different after it sits for a few minutes.)
- Serve warm sauce over warm sweet potatoes.
Notes
This Southern favorite brings together buttery mashed sweet potatoes and a bourbon pecan praline sauce that’s so indulgent, it could double as dessert.
Whether you serve it for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Sunday dinner, this dish will steal the show from the marshmallows every time.
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That sounds amazing!
Thank you Susan!😀