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This slow-cooker sweet potato oatmeal has everything you need to kickstart your day! Packed with cozy fall spices and a touch of sweetness, this feel-good breakfast practically cooks itself. Just toss everything in before bed, and wake up to the creamiest slow cooker steel-cut oatmeal ever!
save this recipe!We’re all about set-it-and-forget-it breakfasts around here, and slow cooker sweet potato oatmeal is the real deal, friends. This cozy morning meal is the easiest way to supercharge your energy on chilly mornings (Bonus: it tastes like a sweet potato casserole!)
Get Ready to Fall In Love
- Less Sugar Required: Since sweet potatoes do most of the heavy lifting in the sweetness department, you don’t need all the usual excess sugar!
- Easy To Prep: Combine the ingredients in the evening, then let the slow cooker do all the work while you get your beauty sleep.
- Dress Up Or Down: With optional toppings like crunchy pecans or a sprinkle of brown sugar, you can make this oatmeal with sweet potatoes as fancy or as simple as you’d like.
Reader rating
“I made this yesterday and was excellent! 5 stars and 100 thumbs up!!!” —Amy
Grab These Ingredients
This sweet potato oatmeal uses ingredients you likely already have sitting in your pantry! Jump to the recipe card for exact measurements!
- Sweet Potatoes: We’ll use these tubers to add natural sweetness and a gorgeous orange hue (oh, and a ton of vitamins A and C!).
- Steel-Cut Oats: Steel-cut oats provide a hearty texture and a long-lasting energy boost. (They’re usually in the breakfast cereals aisle, next to rolled and quick oats.)
- Maple Syrup: For a touch of natural sweetness and some bonus antioxidants, we’ll add pure maple syrup. You can also use agave or coconut sugar to keep your oats free of refined sugars.
- Spice Mix: Ground cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg add a cozy, warming flavor and come with anti-inflammatory properties, so load up!
- Vanilla Extract: We’ll kick up the flavor with a dash of pure vanilla extract. You can also add other extracts (like almond, ginger, or hazelnut).
- Salt: A little pinch of salt goes a long way in balancing the sweetness.
Steel Cut Or Rolled?
When it comes to deciding between steel cut and rolled oats for this recipe, steel cut oats are the clear winner for this recipe. They’re less processed and retain a better shape, providing a chewy, hearty texture. Plus, they absorb liquid gradually, making them ideal for slow cooking. The result? Perfectly thick oatmeal that doesn’t turn mushy!
Let’s Make Oats!
Making slow cooker sweet potato oatmeal is as easy as pie (and it tastes like it too)! This is a quick overview, but you can jump to the recipe card for the full printable recipe.
- Cook the sweet potatoes and other ingredients until tender.
- Mash up the sweet potato pieces.
- Serve warm, topped with chopped nuts and a sprinkle of brown sugar or your sweetener of choice.
Mashing Is Key
Once cooked, don’t skip mashing the potatoes! This last step releases their natural sweetness and creates a creamier texture. You can customize the creaminess level—mash them fully for smooth oats or leave some chunks for a more rustic bowl of gruel (as we like to call it in our house).
Customize It!
It’s so easy to customize by adding different mix-ins or toppings. Toss in chopped apples or pears for a fruity twist, or use butternut squash instead of potato. You’ve got options!
For another sweet potato breakfast you’ll love, try my Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls!
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, about 3 cups diced
- 1 cup steel cut oats, 160 g
- ¼ cup maple syrup, 60 mL
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp each ground cloves and nutmeg
- 3 cups water, 700 mL
- Optional toppings: chopped pecans (or other nuts), brown sugar (or maple syrup)
Instructions
- Cook: Peel and chop 2 medium sweet potatoes into roughly 1-inch chunks. Add them to your slow cooker, along with all remaining ingredients.Slow cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or on low for 6 to 8 hours*, until oats are tender and potatoes are fork-tender.
- Mash: Using a potato masher or a fork, roughly mash up the sweet potato pieces.
- Serve warm, topped with chopped nuts and a sprinkle of brown sugar.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Wonder how I could increase the fiber and protein in this recipe without adding many calories.
Great question! A few easy ways to boost both without adding many calories: stir in a scoop of unflavored or vanilla protein powder before serving, or swap some of the liquid for unsweetened soy milk, which has more protein than other plant milks. For fiber, try adding a tablespoon of chia seeds or ground flaxseed at the start of cooking since they blend right in without changing the texture much. Hemp seeds sprinkled on top at serving are another great option as they add both protein and fiber with just a small amount. Hope that helps!
I don’t like steel cut oats. Can I use old fashioned oats?
You can use old-fashioned oats, but they will likely cook a lot quicker and need less liquid.