Whipped Sweet Potatoes and Bananas with Honey

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 20

Servings: people

Author: Giangi Townsend

Whipped sweet potatoes and bananas with honey are among those side dishes that surprise you on the first bite

Ingredients

10 sweet potatoes, medium size and scrubbed
4 bananas, unpeeled
1 cup unsalted butter
⅓ cup honey
¾ cup dark brown sugar, well packed
½ cup unbleached all purpose flour

OPTIONAL

1½ cup pecans, chopped

US - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, put them in a roasting pan, and roast for 30 minutes.
Toss the bananas into the pan and continue roasting for 10 to 15 minutes, until both the bananas and potatoes are very soft. Remove the pan from the oven but do not turn the oven off.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a large mixing bowl.
Peel the bananas and add them to the bowl along with 1 stick of butter and the honey. Season with salt and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until everything’s well combined and the mixture is fluffy.
Spoon that into an ovenproof serving bowl and smooth the top.
In a separate mixing bowl, use your fingers to rub together the remaining stick of butter, the brown sugar, flour until the mixture is the consistency of coarse crumbs.
Bake 20 minutes, or until the crumbs are golden. Serve hot.

Equipment

Notes

Choose sweet potatoes that are similar in size so they roast evenly and finish cooking at the same time.

Roast the bananas in their skins. This concentrates their natural sweetness and gives them a wonderfully caramelized flavor.

Whip the sweet potatoes while they are still warm. They will blend more easily with the butter, honey, and bananas.

Do not overmix. Whip just until smooth and creamy so the sweet potatoes stay light rather than becoming dense.

You can prepare the sweet potato mixture a day ahead if needed.

Keep an eye on the topping during the final bake. You want it golden and crisp, not overly browned.

Store: Store leftovers tightly covered or in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Reheating: Place the sweet potatoes in an oven-safe dish, cover loosely with foil, and warm at 325°F until heated through. Remove the foil for the last few minutes if you want the pecan topping to crisp again.

Make-ahead: Assemble the whipped sweet potato mixture one day ahead, refrigerate it, and add the topping before baking.

Nutrition

Giangi's Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.