I don’t know if shared before that Kevin is a wonderful cook and a creative one too! We both cook but he is the one to cook dinner most often. We are a team and both do a lot of the house stuff that includes cooking, so why not send in the best player! My favorite thing he makes is Smashed Sweet Potatoes. I request these often! They make the perfect healthy, paleo, gluten-free side dish. And this is about the only way my kids like to eat sweet potatoes, well besides in fry form. I always say give me a sweet potato and I am a happy camper. When I started eating a strict paleo diet sweet potatoes saved me!
I shared in my stories a video as Kevin was making these Smashed Sweet Potatoes and so many of you asked for a blog post too! That way you can pin the recipe to Pinterest or print it out. (PS- how do you organize recipes??)
My favorite guy with my favorite food! I love when the edges of the Smashed Sweet Potato gets black and crispy on the edges. In my highlight videos on Instagram (I shared the video below too) I was prepping dinner for Kevin to make and I lined the baking sheet with parchment paper. Don’t do it. Besides the fact that the paper could possibly burn when it is cooking on broil it also prevents the bottom of the Smashed Sweet Potatoes to get crispy!
Smashed Sweet Potatoes-


- 4 Large Sweet Potatoes
- 1/8 cup Olive Oil
- 1/8 cup Honey
- Spices-
- 1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper*
- Bake sweet potatoes (See below)
- Combine seasonings in a separate small bowl
- Remove skin from sweet potato once baked (you could leave skin on and chop up small if you want the skin nutrients)
- Smash sweet potatoes on a cutting board
- Scoop up about 1/4 a cup, about the size of a large cookie or desired amount and place on baking sheet and smash down into a round shape
- Drizzle with olive oil and honey
- Sprinkle seasonings over the top of each sweet potato with your desired amount
- Broil in the oven on high for about 12-15 minutes (watch closely) I like mine to get black on the edges
- How to bake a sweet potato in the oven-
- Don't preheat the oven. Prick your sweet potatoes each 2-3 time with a fork, then place them directly on the oven rack in the middle of the oven, above the rack with the foil. Turn the oven on to 425. Bake for 45 minutes for sweet potatoes/yams that are 2-3 inches in diameter.
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- How to bake sweet potatoes in pressure cooker-
- Put the steamer rack into the bottom of your pressure cooker pot. Add in the 1 cup of water to the pot. Place the sweet potatoes on the steamer rack. Set the pressure cooker to cook on high pressure for 15 minutes
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- How to boil sweet potatoes on stove top-
- Cut sweet potatoes into cubes. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add sweet potatoes and cook until tender about 20 minutes.
- *You will have leftover spices. These spices taste great on so many things. Just label a jar and save! Also reduce the amount of Cayenne Pepper to make it less spicy (and for kids).
- *Yes you do "broil" the sweet potatoes. They do not burn. The reason is the sweet potatoes are really soft and have a lot of moisture. But still stay close like you would for anything you broil. Ovens vary. Our oven only has a "broil" setting and does not specify high or low (many of you have tested and boil on high).

I double this recipe when we make it so we have leftover for breakfast, lunch or dinner again! About 4 large sweet potatoes make 10 servings. You can make this recipe with any variety of potato.
I always bake my sweet potatoes in the pressure cooker and peel the skin after- it just slides right off.
We served our Smashes Sweet Potatoes with Scallops (from Trader Joes) and broccoli. It was amazing!
Find a spice jar and make a big batch of the spices to keep on-hand. (PS- labeling makes everything better) Label Maker HERE
And we used our new Pressure Cooker the last time making these and I LOVE it! I love the size too (8 qt). We baked 8 sweet potatoes at once!
Also find our Copper Non-Stick Baking Sheet HERE
Video of Kevin baking Smashes Sweet Potatoes (taken from Instagram Stories)-
Thank you for the recipe. I can’t wait to try it.
Thanks Jen!!
Oh these look so good
Can’t wait to try this!
I organize my recipes on interest but I also have a recipe book where I print out my absolute favorites.
My pinterest has two meal/recipe categories – ‘Recipes – to try’ and ‘recipe – winners!’ In each of those categories is sub categories like dinner (I also have one just for chicken cause we eat a LOT of chicken), sides, breakfast, deserts, keto, pressure cooker, slow cooker and even sauces, etc.
Then when I try a new recipe from the “to try” board and if its a winner I move it over to its appropriate category in the recipe winners board!.
you are so organized!!! I LOVE hearing this! Thanks for sharing!!
I’ve been wanting to try these for a while now. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Can someone kindly tell me how I can place this blog recipe on my Pinterest page? Love sweet potatoes! Thanks for the tips!
Enjoy your blog and posts. Where did you get the cover for your frying pan? Is it solid or mesh? Thank you.
I got it on Amazon- mine is like mesh material! You can find them here- https://rstyle.me/n/c4yi9cb5qwf
Hi! I’m new here and have just subscribed. So, one of the MasterChef’s contestants I follow on Instagram suggested to go Whole 30 and Paleo.
Why? Well, I just turned 61 and received my blood results on Friday and they’re not great!
My Cholesterol is 121, Glucose 57.7 apparently that means pre-diabetic just to say the least so viola here I am.
My question is how does an old lady like me with limited income shop for Whole 30 and Paleo meals? Love the chocolate and the Crio Bru the problem is where do I find it. I’m from the Bronx and closet to me are Supermarkets like Fine Fare, C-Town and Bravo. No Trader Joes in this are, in my daughters are though there’s BJ’s and Farmers Market.
I’ve already seen your receipts of Salmon, Pot Pie, Crepe all look delicious, not great at baking so I’ll try to make those chocolate coconut yummies I saw at the beginning of this page. Sorry for being long winded hope to hear from you and start eating healthier.
Thank you So Much!
I think you can shop in Supermarkets and fund healthy things. The “outer” isles are your friend! Did you read this post- http://nestingwithgrace.com/whole-30-and-paleo-meal-prep/
You go this!! Just try to eat better than you were before!
These smashed sweet potatoes are sooo good! My 15 year old made them the other night. I love sweet potatoes but these are delicious. Honey and seasoning for the kids…just seasoning for the adults. I ate them cold for breakfast;)
yay!! I eat them for breakfast all the time!!