Maple-Brown Sugar Sweet Potatoes
Founders
A Grounded Kitchen Thanksgiving Recipe
Sweet potatoes have a natural place on the Thanksgiving table. Their gentle sweetness and creamy texture provide a welcome contrast to savoury turkey, stuffing and gravy.
This version keeps things simple: roasted sweet potatoes are mashed until smooth, then folded with butter, warm cream, pure maple syrup and a touch of cinnamon. A light brown sugar and pecan topping is added before the dish goes into the oven, where it becomes lightly caramelized and crisp around the edges.
The result is comforting without becoming dessert-sweet — a Thanksgiving side that feels familiar, generous and made for sharing.
Ingredients
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1.8 kg (4 lb) sweet potatoes
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
⅓ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Wash and dry the sweet potatoes. Prick each potato several times with a fork and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 45–55 minutes, depending on their size, until completely tender and easily pierced with a knife.
Roasting rather than boiling concentrates the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes and prevents the finished mash from becoming watery. Allow the potatoes to cool until comfortable enough to handle.
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Cut the sweet potatoes open and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Discard the skins. Add the melted butter, cream, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Mash until smooth. For an especially silky texture, pass the cooked sweet potatoes through a ricer or food mill before adding the remaining ingredients.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. The mixture should be warmly spiced and gently sweet, but still clearly savoury enough to accompany the Thanksgiving meal.
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In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, chopped pecans, flour, cinnamon and salt. Pour in the melted butter and mix with a fork until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Don't overmix — you want some larger pieces of pecan and brown sugar to remain.
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Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). Lightly butter a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Spread the sweet potato mixture evenly into the dish. Scatter the pecan-brown sugar topping over the surface. At this stage, the dish can be covered and refrigerated if you're preparing it ahead.
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Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are hot throughout and the topping is golden and lightly crisp. If the topping begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover the dish with foil for the remainder of the baking time. Allow the dish to rest for approximately 5–10 minutes before serving.