Mashed Pumpkin & Sweet Potato
A bowl of this mashed pumpkin and sweet potato is easy, creamy, and oh-so-delicious. These mashes are simple, lusciously smooth, and perfectly flavored, making them an excellent side dish to complement any meal. They are also ideal to serve for Thanksgiving.

How this recipe came about
Who doesn’t love creamy mashed potatoes? And, mashed potatoes with beef gravy are still our all-time favorites. So when we went to our favorite restaurant last week and ordered “the special,” a baked halibut, which is usually served over creamy mashed potatoes, instead, it was served with a mashed pumpkin puree mixture. I fell in love with it!
I knew I had to recreate it to the best of my ability. The other night, we invited family and friends for dinner and decided to make our parmesan-crusted chicken cutlet dinner and serve this mashed pumpkin sweet potato as a side. It was a hit! Everyone loved them, to say the least.
Why this mashed pumpkin sweet potato recipe works
- Using one can of organic pumpkin puree helps make this recipe for the mashes very easy.
- The sweet potatoes offer the texture needed to blend with the pumpkin puree to create a thick, mashed potato texture.
- The mascarpone cheese is a thick Italian cheese we prefer to give a rich taste and texture to the pumpkin sweet potato mixture.
- The sour cream complements the sweet potatoes and pumpkin puree for some milky flavor with a slightly acidic tang.
- Some sea salt is needed for flavor and to balance some of the sweetness of the veggies.
Ingredients needed and substitutions
Using these five ingredients will give you the best flavors and textures. Here’s what you will need from the store before you begin making this side dish:
- Pumpkin puree: Choose 1 can of organic pumpkin puree (not for pie filling) or you can use our fresh pumpkin puree, if you prefer.
- Mascarpone cheese: We prefer mascarpone cheese, but you can substitute it with cream cheese instead.
- Sweet potatoes: We used 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, but you can use 3 or 4 small ones for this recipe.
- Sour cream: Choose good quality sour cream, or you can use non-fat Greek yogurt in its place.
- Salt: We prefer sea salt, but if you don’t have any, use kosher salt instead.

Directions to make mashed pumpkin & sweet potato
This is such a simple recipe, it is an ideal side dish to keep on rotation. Find the printable recipe card with full measurements below. And, here is a brief explanation, and a few easy steps to make a flavorful side dish everyone will love.
- First, boil the potatoes. Fill a small pot with water, and place it on the stovetop. Add 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes and bring the water to a boil. Boil them until you can easily run a fork or knife through the potatoes. Drain, and allow them to cool enough to handle. Then peel off their skins, and toss them into a large mixing bowl.
- Add pumpkin puree to the sweet potatoes and blend until smooth with a hand-held mixer, or you can use a potato masher.
- Add the cheese, sour cream, and salt, and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer to the serving bowl, and serve.

Make ahead and reheat
This an ideal side dish you can make ahead one day and reheat before serving. Be sure to allow the mashes to cool before storing them in the fridge. You want to avoid any condensation going into the mixture.
To reheat: transfer these mashes to a medium-sized pot, and reheat them on the lowest heat, for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until they are warm or to your liking. Then serve.
What to serve with these mashes
There are so many options to serve these mashes as a side dish. Here are a few suggestions you can serve with our mashed pumpkin & sweet potato, but the possibilities are endless:
- Roasted Boneless Turkey Breast
- Baked Halibut & Seabass Oreganata
- Parmesan-Crusted Turkey Cutlets
- New York Strip Steak Grilled
- Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey

Serve and enjoy!
Once the mashes are done, you can top them with a dollop of sour cream, and a sprinkle of finely chopped fresh parsley, as garnish.
These are best-tasting mashes! Your family and friends will enjoy them as much as we do.
Try them!
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Mashed Pumpkin Sweet Potato
Mashed pumpkin sweet potatoes will make a flavorful side dish that's simple, vibrant, and easy to make. Perfect to serve with meats, poultry, and fish. And, an ideal side dish for Thanksgiving too!
Ingredients
- 1 can ( 15 ounces) (2 cups) pumpkin puree
- 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes - boiled and peeled
- 4 ounces of mascarpone cheese (half of an 8-ounce container)
- 1/2 cup of sour cream
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt, and extra to taste
Instructions
1. First, boil the sweet potatoes. Fill a small pot with water, and place it on the stovetop. Add 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes and bring the water to a boil. Boil them until you can easily run a fork or knife through the potatoes. NOTE: depending on their size, about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Drain the potatoes, and allow them to cool enough to handle. Then peel off their skins, and toss them into a large mixing bowl.
3. Add pumpkin puree to the sweet potatoes and blend until smooth with a hand-held mixer, or you can use a potato masher.
4. Add the cheese, sour cream, and salt, and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste the mashes, and is where you can add additional salt if you like.
5. Transfer to a warm serving bowl, and serve.
Notes
Tips and Tricks
Best to serve these mashes in warm serving bowl. We like to use "oven-safe" serving bowls and platters and place them into the oven to get them warm before transferring the food and serving.
To Make Ahead and Reheat:
This an ideal side dish you can make ahead one day and reheat before serving. Be sure to allow the mashes to cool before storing them in the fridge. You want to avoid any condensation going into the mixture.
To Reheat: transfer the mashed to a medium-sized pot, and reheat them on the lowest heat, for a few minutes, stirring occasionally until they are warm or to your liking. Then serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 servings Serving Size: 1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 133Total Fat: 8.9gSaturated Fat: 5.2gCholesterol: 38mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1.9gSugar: .9gProtein: 1g
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xo anna and liz
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Weeknight Dinners Made Easy
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Yum. I love that you used both the pumpkin and sweet potatoes. Great idea!
Hi Mimi! So nice to hear from you! Thank you for leaving a sweet comment. And yes, we agree, the combination of using both the pumpkin puree and fresh sweet potatoes worked perfectly and became our new favorite! Thanks so much, have a great week. 🙂