Transform boring mashed potatoes into a fall inspired sweet and savory dish! Mash in a can of pumpkin puree to your potatoes (or sweet potatoes). Drizzle with maple syrup just before serving. There’s a secret ingredient in this pumpkin mashed potatoes recipe that will add incredible savoriness and depth of flavor.
Why This Recipe Works
- This makes a perfect side dish for Fall, Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
- Easy to make, only 5 mins prep.
- Packed with flavor, including cinnamon and maple syrup.
- Secret ingredient: just a dash of Worcestershire sauce
- Keeping the boiling water at a low simmer prevents gummy mashed potatoes
Ingredients
- Potatoes or sweet potatoes
- Butter
- Heavy cream
- Canned pumpkin
- Spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves
- Maple syrup
- Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper
- Chives or parsley (optional)
How To Make These Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes – Step By Step
Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to boil, turn to heat to medium-low and cook potatoes for 20 minutes or until you can easily pierce with a fork. Make sure when you cook the potatoes, that the water is at a very low boil (a bubble burp every couple of seconds) – a big, rolling boil will make your potatoes mushy. Drain water.
Mash the potatoes. Stir in the remaining ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Drizzle with a bit more maple syrup just before serving.
Secret Ingredient: Adding the Missing Flavor Element to Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes
We added maple syrup for a tiny hit of sweetness. But the flavor was still flat. Normally, that means it’s missing “umami” or savoriness. After rounds of testing, adding just a dash of Worcestershire sauce completed the flavor profile.
I know it may sound a little strange to add a savory condiment to mashed potatoes, but it works. Don’t just trust me—one of the most famous restaurants in Las Vegas makes a Miso Mashed Potato recipe.
Surprisingly, Worcestershire added the richness and savoriness that the recipe had lacked. It helps pull together all of the flavors—warming spices, sweet maple syrup, and creamy pumpkin.
Can I Cook Mashed Potatoes Ahead of Time?
Absolutely. If you’re cooking for the holidays, this is the perfect side dish to make ahead. Cooked Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes stay fresh and flavorful in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Can I Freeze Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes?
Yes! For convenient single-servings, use a large spoon or ice screen scoop to portion out mashed potatoes. Place scoops on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Place frozen scoops in a freezer-safe bag, squeezing out as much air as possible.
For group servings, just load up the mashed potatoes into a freezer-safe bag, flatten out and squeeze out the extra air. Frozen pumpkin mashed potatoes can last up to 10 months in the freezer.
Top Tips For Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes
- Make sure you cook the potatoes on a very low boil.
- Drizzle with a bit of maple syrup before serving.
- Sprinkle with minced chives or parsley.
More Pumpkin Recipes
- Roasted Pumpkin Wedges
- Sweet Pumpkin Wonton Dessert
- Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
- Pan-Fried Pumpkin Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sage
Have you tried these Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes? Feel free to leave a star rating and I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds potatoes or sweet potatoes peeled
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 15 ounce canned pumpkin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- minced fresh chives or parsley optional
- Additional maple syrup to drizzle
Instructions
- Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to boil, turn to heat to medium-low and cook potatoes for 20 minutes or until you can easily pierce with a fork. Make sure when you cook the potatoes, that the water is a very low boil (a bubble burp every couple of seconds) - a big, rolling boil will make your potatoes mushy. Drain water.
- Mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Stir in the remaining ingredients to the mashed potatoes until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Drizzle with a bit more maple syrup just before serving.
