Can You Freeze Sweet Potatoes?

Can you freeze sweet potatoes? Absolutely! Learn how to freeze sweet potatoes and also thaw and store them, so you can enjoy them for up to a year.

Sweet potatoes are a super-crop. They’re tasty, nutritious, versatile, and affordable.

They’re also a magnificent ingredient in hundreds of recipes, both sweet and savory. 

Plus, you’ll never run out of ways to prepare sweet potatoes as a stand-alone dish!

Whether you bake, mash, grill, boil, or roast them, sweet potatoes are always hit.

My only gripe is that no matter the method, it takes a while to cook sweet potatoes.

That’s why I make it a point to cook large batches, store it, and just thaw when I’m ready to serve or eat them.

That way, I don’t have to spend too much time cooking, yet I still get to enjoy the tasty goodness of the potatoes whenever I want.

And do you know the best way to store sweet potatoes, whether raw, boiled, baked, or mashed? Freeze them!

When frozen, you keep the veggie’s integrity for up to an entire year. You just need to know how to do it right. 

How to Freeze Boiled Sweet Potatoes

Whether whole, sliced, diced, or cubed, you can freeze boiled sweet potatoes no problem. They work great with stews, soups, and candied sweet potatoes!

Here’s how to prepare the sweet spud for freezing:

1. Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes, then slice them according to your preference. No need to peel the skin off, since it will peel off easily once cooked.
2. Toss them in a pot of boiling water and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Check for doneness with a fork – it should pierce through easily but still have a little firmness.
3. Take the sweet potatoes out of the pot and let them cool to room temperature.
4. Transfer the sweet potatoes into freezer-safe bags. Squeeze out any excess air, seal, and freeze.

How to Freeze Baked Sweet Potatoes

Baked sweet potatoes also keep well in the freezer. This is great because they take so long to bake!

But now you can just make one huge batch in advance and take them out of the freezer any time for a fantastic side dish!

Here’s how to do it:

1. Scrub the sweet potatoes clean. Poke them all over with a fork, and place them on a large baking pan.
2. Pop the pan in the oven and bake for 1 to 1.5 hours at 375 F.
3. Let them cool to room temperature in the oven for about 30 minutes.
4. Wrap them individually with foil and transfer them into freezer-safe bags. 
5. Freeze for up to 12 months.

How to Freeze Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Mashed sweet potatoes taste great on their own, but you can also use them to make baked goodies such as puddings, cakes, pies, and biscuits.

Here’s how to cook and freeze them:

1. Bake the sweet potatoes as instructed above. Once they’ve cooled to room temperature, peel off the skins – this should be super easy to do at this point.
2. Place the spuds in a large bowl and beat until smooth.
3. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice per 1 pint of sweet potatoes. This step isn’t required, but it helps keep the spuds from browning.
4. Transfer the mashed potatoes into freezer-safe bags. Flatten them out as much as you can to remove excess air.
5. Seal the bags and freeze.

How to Thaw Frozen Sweet Potatoes

The next important thing is knowing how to defrost sweet potatoes. If you don’t do it correctly, all that effort of freezing them will be futile. Don’t worry though, it’s pretty simple to thaw frozen sweet potatoes.

Regardless of the cooking method you chose, take the frozen spuds out of the freezer and put them in the fridge. Let them sit there for a few hours until thawed.

If you do not have any space in the fridge, just soak them in a bowl of cold water overnight. 

You can also microwave them to speed things up. Adjust the microwave settings to “defrost” and wait until they’re thawed. A word of warning, though: this method might dry out your sweet potatoes.

Tips & Tricks

• If you think raw sweet potatoes keep well in the fridge, think again. They’ll develop a tough core, plus they won’t taste as good.

• While I did say frozen sweet potatoes will last up to a year, I’m going off of the best by date. In reality, these guys can be frozen much longer. But as best practice, it’s certainly safe to keep them up to a year when frozen properly.

• A plus side: just because you freeze the sweet potatoes, doesn’t mean you lose their nutritional value. You still get all those health benefits even when they’re frozen.

• If your sweet potatoes suffer from freezer burn, that doesn’t mean they’re unsafe to eat. Sure, they won’t taste as great, but they are still edible.

• If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, do the straw method instead to seal your food. Seal the bag and leave a tiny opening. Place a straw through the opening and squeeze out as much air as you can and then seal the bag completely.

How to Freeze Sweet Potatoes

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Ingredients

• Sweet Potatoes

• Large Baking Pan

• Freezer-Safe Bags

• Foil

Instructions

• Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes clean. Poke them on all sides with a fork, and place them on a large baking pan.
• Place the pan into the oven and bake for 1 to 1.5 hours at 375 F.
• Let the potatoes cool to room temperature in the oven for about 30 minutes.
• Take them out and wrap them individually with foil, then transfer them into freezer-safe bags.
• Freeze the potatoes for up to a year.

Kim - InsanelyGood

Hey there! I'm Kim. I love running, cooking, and curling up with a good book! I share recipes for people who LOVE good food, but want to keep things simple :)

See Full Bio

Related posts

Can You Freeze Mashed Potatoes? (Easy How-To) How to Freeze Chili (Easy Guide) Can You Freeze Watermelon? (Yes! Here’s How.) Can You Freeze Alfredo Sauce? (Yes, Here’s How!) How to Freeze Mac and Cheese (Easy Method) Can You Freeze Canned Pumpkin Puree?