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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
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!
Any chance this could be made in the instant pot?
I haven’t tried, but I think it could work!
This was delicious. I used honey because I don’t like maple syrup and I topped it with pecans and a few dried cranberries. This is definitely a keeper. Thanks.
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit! Enjoy! 😀
Hi if I add in a pear or an apple do I need to add in more water? Thank you for the recipe. Can’t wait to try it
Nope, you should be able to just add those chopped up as is (they contain a lot of water themselves!)
Sounds yummy can’t wait to try it
My new breakfast favorite! I would never have imagined this combination. I’m so glad I tried it.
I’m also glad I used a liner in my slow cooker! 😉
The liner is a game-changer! Happy eating! 😀
Can I replace oats with anything else? Like millet, or buckwheat etc? Thank you
Hi Petra! I haven’t tested this one with other types of grains, but I think it would work. I would love to hear how it goes if you try it out!
What’s a serving size? 1 cup? 2 cups?
Just 1/4th of the recipe! 🙂
I made this yesterday and was excellent! I would have gone with probably 2 cups of oats instead of 1 next time. The oats were unrecognizable amongst all the sweet potato but it was wonderfully warming and delicious still. 5 stars and 100 thumbs up!!!
I’m so happy to hear you loved it, Amy! Happy eating!
I put all but the water in the crockpot last night, When I got up in the night I put on the water and started the crockpot. It was ready when I got up. It was perfect and so good. Thank you
I’m so happy to hear it, Gayla! Happy eating! 😀
This was fabulous! I’ve been in an oatmeal rut and this reinvigorated my commitment. Warm, yummy, so filling. I added 1.5 cups of oats instead of 1 and enjoyed this ratio.
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit! Happy eating!!
Did mine in the crockpot overnight and they baked to the bottom of the pot before I woke up 🙁
Oh no! You can get slow cooker liners that prevent this for next time (especially if you’re pushing it to the longer side of cooking)!
Can this be made in a instant pot?
I haven’t tested this one in the instant pot! I’d love to hear how it goes if you test it out 🙂
I know you said steel cut oats but I don’t have any. I have rolled oats. How would you adjust the recipe for rolled oats? Would it work with quinoa too? Eager to try! Please advise❤️
Hi Danielle! Those both just cook quicker, so they may burn in the slow cooker (especially overnight). You might cook everything except the oats in the slow cooker overnight, then stir in the rolled oats or quinoa about 10 minutes before serving 🙂