Cinnamon Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash
on Nov 13, 2019, Updated Jul 09, 2024
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These Cinnamon Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash are an easy side dish to add to your Thanksgiving table. A lighter and easier to make alternative to sweet potato casserole and it won’t take up any oven space!
I’ve got another side dish to add to your Thanksgiving table this year, Cinnamon Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash. It’s creamy, sweetened with maple syrup and warmly spiced with both cinnamon and allspice.
The flavor resembles what you’ll find in sweet potato casserole, but without feeling like you’re eating dessert with dinner. Don’t get me wrong, classic sweet potato casserole is delicious, but it’s too much for me to be eating as a side dish alongside my turkey. I could eat it for dessert, because that’s essentially what it is.
A few year ago I made a Cinnamon Maple Squash Casserole, which was my spin on sweet potato casserole. It was much lighter in terms of calories, fat and most of all sugar. I found it far more inviting to eat as a side dish.
If you’re looking for something easier to make that a casserole and still has that comfort food flavor, give these Cinnamon Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash a try. It’s incredibly easy to make and is a great side dish to serve if you’re gluten-free, vegan, or have guests who are.
What Do I Need To Make the Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash?
- Sweet potatoes
- Butternut squash
- Milk, I used unsweetened almond milk.
- Maple syrup
- Butter (optional)
- Cinnamon and allspice
- Pecans
You might be wondering why I used both sweet potatoes and butternut squash for this recipe. Sweet potatoes are naturally quite sweet and adding the butternut squash takes the sweetness down a bit. It also adds a wonderful squash flavor to the mash, which I really enjoyed. The biggest reason though, is because I had one that needed to be used. I’m sure we’ve all been there before.
Can I Make This Recipe with Only Sweet Potatoes?
Absolutely. Keep in mind that it will be sweeter and you may not need to use as much maple syrup. Likewise, if you decide to use only butternut squash you may need to add extra maple syrup. Sweetness is a personal preference so always start with less than what a recipe calls for and add more as you see needed. The exception being with baking, as it can sometimes affect how the final product turns out.
The butternut squash and sweet potatoes are peeled, cut into chunks and boiled until they’re soft. Once the water is drained add in the spices, milk, butter (if you’re using it) and maple syrup. Mash everything together with a potato masher or if you want an extra smooth and creamy texture use an immersion stick blender. I prefer to use the immersion stick because it’s harder to get a smooth texture for butternut squash.
Just before serving Cinnamon Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash, top it with toasted chopped pecans and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon. This side dish can be made in advance and warmed on the stove or in the microwave and any leftover can be frozen in an airtight container. You could also use the leftovers to make these Morning Glory Sweet Potato Almond Butter Muffins the next morning.
More Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Side Dishes
Mashed Butternut Squash with Goat Cheese and Rosemary
Brown Butter and Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Twice Baked Butternut SquashCinnamon Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 1/4 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Peel the sweet potatoes and butternut squash and cut them into approximately 1-2 inch chunks. Place them in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, add salt, then reduce the heat to medium and cook uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until they're fork tender.
- Drain the water from the pot then add in the milk, butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, allspice, salt and pepper. Use and immersion stick blender or potato masher to purée until smooth or until desired texture is reached. Taste for seasoning and add extra milk if the mixture isn't creamy enough.
- Pour the mixture into a serving bowl and top with the chopped pecans, a drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
really nice dish, love pairing sweet potatoes with butternut squash, great idea, thank you!