Published: / Modified: by Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN / This post may contain affiliate links / 15 Comments
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Learn how to freeze sweet potatoes to preserve them for later use. Tips for freezing blanched, roasted, and mashed sweet potatoes are included.
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my affiliate disclosure.
You can freeze just about any vegetable, and sweet potatoes are no exception! In fact, you can freeze these tubers in multiple ways — from raw (as long as they’re blanched first) or cooked. If you have a lot of sweet potatoes on hand or want to preserve sweet potatoes before they go rotten, this post is for you.
How to Freeze Sweet Potato Cubes or Fries
If you want to freeze raw sweet potatoes that you cut into cubes, fries, or wedges, you have to blanch them first. Blanching is the process of boiling vegetables for a short period of time followed by plunging them into an ice bath. This helps to preserve nutrients, color, and texture.
When you blanch sweet potatoes, you can use then them in recipes that call for cooked sweet potatoes without sacrificing the final texture. I have roasted and pan fried frozen sweet potatoes and the final product tastes similar to how it would with fresh sweet potatoes.
Can you freeze raw sweet potatoes?
It’s not recommended to freeze raw sweet potato fries or cubes. They won’t hold up well in the freezer and they won’t cook correctly in recipes. Blanching or cooking sweet potatoes fully is the way to go.
How to Blanch Sweet Potatoes for Freezing
- Peel sweet potatoes to remove skin. Dice into desired shape: cubes, fries, or wedges. See my tutorial on How to Cut Sweet Potatoes for more tips.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop the sweet potatoes into the boiling water. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Wait until the water comes back to a boil to start the timer.
- Remove the sweet potatoes with a slotted spoon and place them in a bowl filled with ice water. Let them sit for a few minutes. Drain the potatoes.
- Spread the potatoes out in a single layer on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Place the baking sheet in the freezer, somewhere it won’t be bumped, for an hour or two until the potatoes are frozen solid. This helps prevent them from lumping together.
- Transfer the frozen potatoes to a labeled freezer bag. I love to use reusable Stasher bags. Remove as much air as possible before sealing. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
How to Freeze Cooked Sweet Potatoes
You can also preserve sweet potatoes that have already been cooked. Here are some of the most common preparations of cooked sweet potatoes and how to freeze them.
- Roasted Whole Sweet Potatoes: To roast whole sweet potatoes, scrub them clean and use a fork to poke several holes in the skin (to let air escape). Roast at 400 degrees F on a piece of aluminum foil on the center rack of the oven for 50 to 70 minutes until cooked through. Cooking time depends on the size of the potato. Let them cool completely then wrap each one in aluminum foil and transfer to a freezer bag. Store for up to 6 months in the freezer.
- Boiled Sweet Potatoes: Boiled sweet potatoes can also be frozen. Peel and slice a sweet potato into chunks, then boil for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. Drain and let them cool completely. Transfer to a freezer bag, remove as much air as possible, and seal. Store for up to 6 months in the freezer.
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes: If you mashed sweet potatoes after you boiled or roasted them, let them cool completely then transfer to freezer bags or containers. Use your hands to flatten the potatoes in the bag. Remove as much air as possible before sealing. Store for up to 6 months in the freezer.
How to Thaw and Use Frozen Sweet Potatoes
Blanched sweet potato cubes, fries, or wedges can be used in recipes directly from frozen. You may need to decrease the cook time by a few minutes when using frozen sweet potatoes. However, I’ve found that it takes them a little longer to get crispy when using them in roasted sweet potato recipes. So I usually keep the cook time as is or even increase it a little.
Use blanched then frozen sweet potato cubes or fries in these recipes:
- Sautéed Sweet Potatoes
- Loaded Sweet Potato Fries
- Arugula Sweet Potato Salad with Cumin Lime Dressing
- Ancho Chile Black Bean Sweet Potato Tacos
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Meal Prep Bowls
Frozen cooked sweet potatoes, like mashed or roasted whole ones, should be thawed in the fridge overnight. You can reheat them in the microwave, on the stove top (mashed), or in the oven (whole ones). If you need to thaw them quickly and did not put them in the fridge overnight, try reheating in the microwave in increments until warmed through.
Use frozen then thawed cooked sweet potatoes in these recipes:
- Easy Vegan Sweet Potato Brownies
- Walnut and Sweet Potato Smoothie
- Oatmeal Raisin Sweet Potato Cookies
- Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers
- Sweet Potato Blueberry Flax Muffins
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📖 Recipe
How to Freeze Sweet Potatoes
Learn how to freeze raw then blanched or fully cooked sweet potatoes.
4.88 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
Freezing time: 2 hours hrs
Total Time: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Servings: 1
Calories: 194kcal
Author: Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Equipment
Stasher bags or other freezer bags
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato
Instructions
Blanching and freezing sweet potato cubes, fries, or wedges
Scrub and peel the sweet potato. Slice it into your desired shape.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop the sweet potatoes into the boiling water. When the water returns to a boil, start a timer and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
In the meantime, fill a large bowl with ice water. When the timer goes off, remove the sweet potatoes promptly from the boiling water using a slotted spoon. Submerge them into the ice water and let them sit in it for a few minutes.
Drain the sweet potatoes. Spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the baking sheet in the freezer (somewhere it can lay flat won't get bumped) for 1 to 2 hours until the sweet potatoes are frozen solid.
Transfer the frozen potatoes to a labeled bag or container. Remove as much air as possible before sealing. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Freezing roasted, boiled, or mashed sweet potatoes
Cook potatoes as desired. Let them cool completely.
If freezing roasted whole sweet potatoes, wrap each one in aluminum foil then place in a bag or container to store in the freezer. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
For boiled or mashed potatoes, transfer them to bags or containers. If freezing mashed potatoes, use your hands to flatten them in the bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Notes
- Blanched then frozen cubes, fries, or wedges can be used directly from frozen in cooked sweet potato recipes (i.e. recipes that call for them sautéed or roasted). You may need to decrease the cooking time slightly since they were blanched for a few minutes before being frozen. However, frozen sweet potatoes tend to take longer to get crispy in roasted sweet potato recipes. So I usually keep the cooking time the same and may even increase it to get them crispy.
- Cooked then frozen sweet potatoes should be thawed in the fridge overnight to yield the best texture. After thawing, you can use them in recipes that call for cooked sweet potatoes. If you need to thaw them quickly, you can microwave them in increments until warmed through. You can reheat thawed potatoes in the microwave, on the stove top, or in the oven and then use them as desired.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sweet potato | Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 762mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 32063IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 1mg
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Enjoy your sweet potatoes! – Lizzie
