How to Make Homemade Sweet Potato Puree

Homemade sweet potato puree is an ingredient that adds great texture and flavor to so many baked goods. It’s easy to make, stores well and is super versatile. If you love all things pumpkin, but aren’t able to get your hands on it, try making your own sweet potato puree and you’ll fall in love!

Do you love pumpkin everything, but hate that you can only get it certain times of the year? Have you ever tried baking with sweet potato puree instead of pumpkin puree? The texture is almost identical and the tastes are really similar. I love how easy it is to make your own sweet potato puree and you can find sweet potatoes pretty much year round.

All you need is really two ingredients (a few more if you want to add sweetener and spices) and a food processor or blender, and you can make your own homemade sweet potato puree.

HOW TO COOK SWEET POTATOES

I’ve cooked sweet potatoes both ways and they turned out great. Obviously placing them in the oven is less time consuming. It is also said that placing them in the oven makes them sweeter. It also depends on what you’re making. If you’re making something sweet with your sweet potatoes, then you probably want to put them in the oven. If you’re making a savory dish, you may want to boil them.

METHOD ONE: BAKING

Start by washing the sweet potatoes and patting them dry. Using a fork, poke several holes in them.

Place them on a lined baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until tender.

Take the sweet potatoes out of the oven and allow them to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Cut them in half and either use a spoon to scoop out the inside or squeeze them.

METHOD TWO: BOILING

Start by washing and drying the sweet potatoes. Pat dry and peel them with a vegetable peeler. Then cut the sweet potatoes into similarly sized cubes and add them to a large pot. Add cold water to the pot until it just covers the sweet potatoes.

Over medium-high heat, bring everything to a boil for 15 to 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender and break apart using a fork. Drain the water from the sweet potatoes.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE SWEET POTATO PUREE

Once your sweet potatoes are cooked, add them into a food processor or blender. You could also use a potato masher, but the consistency won’t be as smooth. I prefer to blend mine. As you blend the mixture, add in a bit of water until you get the desired texture. If you choose, you can also add maple syrup or sugar and some cinnamon. It all depends on what you plan to make with the sweet potato puree.

HOW TO STORE SWEET POTATO PUREE

STORING IN THE REFRIGERATOR

• If you’ll use the sweet puree within a week, simply put it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use as you need it.

STORING IN THE FREEZER

• One option is to place the sweet potato puree in ice cube trays, freeze for a few hours and then place the cubes in a zip top bag. When you’re ready to use, simply thaw what you need.
• You can also store the sweet potato puree directly in a zip top bag or an airtight container and then thaw the entire batch when you’re ready to use.
• I like to either thaw purees in the refrigerator overnight or in some warm water if I want it quicker.

Sweet potato puree made this way can be given to babies (omit the sweetener and spices though), is great in baked goods like my Sweet Potato Pancakes, for a Thanksgiving side dish and so much more!