One pound of sweet potatoes is about 3 medium sweet potatoes, though the count ranges from 1 very large root to 4 or 5 small ones. For recipes, 1 pound of raw sweet potatoes gives about 3 cups cubed or about 1¾ cups cooked and mashed.
Sweet potatoes vary more in size than most produce, and a single grocery-grade root can weigh more than a pound on its own. Use these counts for shopping, and use a kitchen scale when a recipe gives a weight.
Sweet potato conversion chart
| Size | Weight per sweet potato | Sweet potatoes per pound | Sweet potatoes per kilo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 3 to 4 oz (85 to 115 g) | 4 to 5 | 9 to 12 |
| Medium | 4½ to 6 oz (130 to 170 g) | About 3 | 6 to 8 |
| Large | 8 to 10 oz (225 to 285 g) | About 2 | 3½ to 4½ |
| Very large | 12 to 20 oz (340 to 565 g) | About 1 | 2 to 3 |
Measurement note: These are kitchen estimates. USDA FoodData Central lists a medium sweet potato, about 5 inches long and 2 inches across, at 130 grams (4.6 ounces) raw. Oregon State University Extension's Food Hero sweet potato guide puts 1 pound of raw sweet potatoes at about 3 cups cubed, sliced, or shredded, or 1¾ cups cooked and mashed.
How many sweet potatoes are in a pound?
One pound is usually about 3 medium sweet potatoes. Two large roots often reach a pound, and small ones take 4 or 5. Shape matters as much as length: a blocky root like Averre weighs more than a long, tapered Japanese-style root of the same length. Our guide to types of sweet potatoes compares 33 varieties side by side.
Count by size when shopping without a scale. Weigh them when a pie, casserole, or holiday batch depends on an exact amount.
How many cups are in a pound of sweet potatoes?
| Form | From 1 pound raw |
|---|---|
| Raw, cubed, sliced, or shredded | About 3 cups |
| Cooked and mashed | About 1¾ cups |
| Half-cup servings, cooked | 3 to 4 |
Cube size and how tightly the pieces settle change the volume. Mashed volume also grows with every splash of milk and pat of butter, so measure plain mash when a recipe calls for a set amount.
Sweet potatoes in 2 pounds, a 3-pound bag, and a 5-pound bag
| Amount | Medium sweet potatoes | Range by size | Cooked and mashed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 pound | 3 | 1 very large to 5 small | About 1¾ cups |
| 2 pounds | 6 | 2 very large to 10 small | About 3½ cups |
| 3-pound bag | 9 | 3 very large to 15 small | About 5¼ cups |
| 5-pound bag | 15 | 5 very large to 25 small | About 8¾ cups |
How much does a sweet potato weigh?
A medium sweet potato weighs about 130 to 170 grams (4½ to 6 ounces) raw. USDA uses 130 grams for a 5-inch root in its nutrition data, and grocery-store roots often run larger. Under the USDA grade standards for sweet potatoes, a U.S. No. 1 root can be 3 to 9 inches long and weigh up to 20 ounces.
Whole weight includes the skin and tapered ends. If a recipe calls for peeled sweet potato by weight, peel and trim before weighing.
How many sweet potatoes to buy for a recipe
| Mashed sweet potato needed | Raw sweet potatoes to buy | About how many medium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | A generous ½ pound | 2 |
| 2 cups | About 1¼ pounds | 3 to 4 |
| 3 cups | About 1¾ pounds | 5 |
| 4 cups | About 2¼ pounds | 7 |
A 9-inch sweet potato pie usually takes about 2 cups of mash, so buy about 1¼ pounds. Add one extra root in case one turns out stringy or bruised inside.
Chef's measuring tips
For regular potatoes, our guide to how many potatoes are in a pound uses the same weight-first method.
- Bake rather than boil for pie. For pie, I bake rather than boil when possible, then judge the purée. I reduce it gently only if it is loose or watery, rather than draining every batch.
- Add liquid to mash gradually. I add warm liquid a little at a time for softness and butter or oil for richness, adjusting to the batch in front of me. Moist orange types need little; drier white and purple types take more.
- Measure the mash before you season it. When a recipe calls for "2 cups mashed," it means plain cooked sweet potato. Butter, milk, and cream added first will throw off the amount.
- Buy matching sizes for baking whole. Roots of similar weight finish at the same time, so none are underdone while others dry out.
- Store cool, not cold. Keep raw sweet potatoes in a cool, dry, dark place and out of the refrigerator. Chilling can cause a hard center and off flavors.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, for most shoppers. Roots labeled yams in U.S. supermarkets are usually moist, orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, so the same counts apply. True yams are a different crop, usually found in international markets, and they can grow much larger.
Plan on 1 medium sweet potato per person when baking them whole. For mash or casseroles, 1 pound of raw sweet potatoes makes about 1¾ cups mashed, enough for 3 to 4 half-cup servings.
Size and shape matter more than color. A long, slender Japanese-style root weighs less than a blocky orange one of the same length, so weigh specialty sweet potatoes rather than counting them.
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