Chipotle Maple Sweet Potatoes

Smoky chipotle pepper in adobo sauce mingles with just the right amount of sweetness from the maple syrup all mixed into earthy sweet potatoes for a full flavored savory Chipotle Maple Sweet Potatoes side dish that’s welcome at any holiday gathering or Monday night dinner!

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Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.

Savory potato side dish

I love sweet potatoes, but for me, the side dish with the marshmallows is just too sweet. So I prefer to add in savory ingredients to balance the sweet potatoes. Yes, there’s a bit of maple syrup to provide a little balance to the dish, but it’s not overly sweet.

The sweet potatoes have a nice creamy texture with a nice smokiness richness from the chipotle and adobo sauce. And, I can feel good about serving this, as I know it’s healthy enough for everyday eating.

I’ve taken this dish to many family gatherings, as well as pot lucks, and I always have requests for the recipe.

I’ve been making this recipe since 2001, and I first posted it from a recipe that I adapted from Cooking Light back in 2013. But, I wanted to refresh it and make it more useful for you guys, so I’m resharing it now!

My cousin once told me that I need to make these sweet potatoes for every Thanksgiving from now on. He said he doesn’t usually like sweet potatoes because they’re usually too sweet and all covered with marshmallows and well, that’s just not for him. But these are nice and tingly and savory.

Canned chipotle brands will vary

Different brands of chipotle will have varying heat levels as well as flavor levels. Heck, even inside the can of chipotles, the level of heat will vary from one pepper to the next.

That’s one of the reasons I love making chipotle paste and using it for this sweet potato mash. By blending all the chipotles and adobo sauce together into a paste, you’re getting those hot peppers to mingle with the mild peppers, so the paste comes to a nice even heat. It also has a more complex flavor than simple chipotles by themselves, and you don’t get big chunks of chipotle in any bite.

I like the Embasa brand of chipotles. The chipotles and the adobos sauce always have a nice flavor. Find canned chipotles in the Mexican section of the grocery store, next to the salsas and beans.

That being said, I have found that most brands are very good, so if your store doesn’t carry the Embasa brand, feel free to grab what they do carry. Just know that the heat level and the flavor (especially since the adobo sauce recipe the brand uses may be different) may change a bit.

What are chipotles in adobo sauce?

Chipotle chiles are dried, smoked jalapeño peppers, and adobo sauce is a tangy, red sauce with a hint of sweetness. Put them together and they become a versatile pantry staple. And, then blend the contents of the can together to make the paste, and you have a really easy to use seasoning ingredient. That’s why this recipe calls for chipotle paste. Make sure to hop over and take a look at these easy instructions.

Easy to make

Peel and chop the potatoes into cubes. Place them into a large pot and cover with cool water. Boil the potatoes until tender.

While the potatoes cook, stir the rest of the ingredients together in a small bowl.

Mash the sweet potatoes and mix in the remaining ingredients.

What’s the best way to mash the potatoes?

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There are several ways to mash the sweet potatoes. You can use a potato ricer. The ricer probably makes the smoothest mashed potatoes, but it also takes a bit of time. You’ll have to place the cooked sweet potato cubes in the bowl of the ricer, and press down on the smasher. But, if you like really smooth and creamy potatoes, this is the way to go.

You can use a simple hand potato masher, you know, old school, like Grandma used to use. This is probably the easiest method to mash potatoes, but also makes a chunky mash. If you don’t care about how smooth it is, and are short on time, this is the way to go.

You can also use an immersion blender or a hand mixer to mix the ingredients together. These will both produce good results for smooth mashed potatoes, but you have to clean the attachments.

You can also use a stand mixer with the flat paddle blade. This would be great if you have hand issues like arthritis or carpal tunnel. But, again, you’ll have to clean another piece of equipment.

Can I leave the maple syrup out?

Yes, you can leave the maple syrup out of these sweet potatoes if you want.

Maybe you’re serving these to a diabetic, or someone who has to limit their sugar intake.

I haven’t tried any sugar replacers, but you might want to try a small amount of a diabetic friendly sweetener like Stevia.

It will change the flavor of the final dish to leave the maple out, but it can be done.

Can I use sweet potatoes that have been roasted or microwaved instead of boiled?

Yes, if you have leftover sweet potatoes from another meal, you can use them in this recipe.

Roasted sweet potatoes, which have a great nutty caramelized flavor, would be a great option. Just make sure they are nice and well cooked, almost squishy.

I also have instructions on how to cook whole sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot if you’d prefer to cook them in there.

To microwave sweet potatoes, pierce each one with a fork a few times. Then wrap each one in a damp paper towel, and cook about 4 -5 minutes or until tender all the way through when pierced with a fork. Remember, microwave times will vary depending on power of the microwave and the size of the sweet potato.

Can I make this dish vegan?

Yes, absolutely this can be made vegan fairly easily.

Use a plant-based milk. I’d suggest a neutral flavor like soy milk or unsweetened almond milk. Coconut milk is lovely, though the coconut does change the flavor of the dish.

And, use a plant-based butter instead of dairy butter. Otherwise, everything in the dish is vegan.

Can these be made ahead?

Yes this can be made ahead. It reheats like a dream, which makes it the perfect dish to make ahead of time.

After making the recipe, and combining all the ingredients, let it cool to room temperature, and place it in an airtight container and pop it in the fridge.

It can be reheated on the stove top, you may need to add a little milk if it has thickened up a bit.

Reheat it in the microwave.

Or reheat it in the oven. This is a great option if you’re taking it to a family dinner. Just place it in a baking dish, and bake at 350° F until heated through.

It can also be frozen from longer storage. Place the prepared and cooled sweet potato dish in an airtight freezer safe container, and freeze until ready to serve. It should keep about 6 months in the freezer.

Recipe Tips

Larger sweet potatoes will yield more flesh, there’s a higher flesh to skin ratio.

Also, when choosing your sweet potatoes at the store, try to get ones that are uniform in size and shape. If they have skinny thin ends and thick centers, they will not cook at the same rate.

Make sure to taste and adjust the seasoning for your needs. I like to start out on the lower end of the chipotle scale and see if the heat is to my liking. You can always add more chipotle paste, but you can’t take it out. And, sometimes those peppers can be mighty hot. My recipe makes a medium heat-level dish.

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Chipotle Maple Sweet Potatoes Recipe