Twice-Baked Twelve-Spice Sweet Potato Mash

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-29 · Updated 2026-04-29

A comforting twice-baked sweet potato dish enriched with a dozen spices that highlight the cultural reverence for twelve. This American-inspired New Year's recipe (vegetarian), ready in about 70 minutes, pairs large sweet potatoes, unsalted butter, milk for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 280 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 3 large sweet potatoes
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

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Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pierce 3 large sweet potatoes with a fork and bake directly on the oven rack for 45 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife.
2. Step 2: Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and let cool slightly. Cut them in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh into a bowl, keeping the skins intact.
3. Step 3: To the sweet potato flesh, add 4 tbsp unsalted butter, 1/2 cup milk, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1/4 tsp ground allspice, 1/4 tsp ground cardamom, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, 1/4 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp maple syrup, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mash everything together until smooth and creamy.
4. Step 4: Spoon the mashed mixture back into the sweet potato skins and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped pecans evenly on top.
5. Step 5: Bake at 400°F for an additional 15 minutes until the tops are golden and slightly crisp. Serve warm.