I grew up on Southern sweet potato pie, so when I say the spices matter, I mean it. Real sweet potatoes make it extra creamy and give it natural sweetness, while cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla bring in all of those flavors you expect from sweet potato pie. I’ve been sharing home-cooked recipes for over 10 years and breakfast deserves the same treatment as dinner: simple ingredients, clear steps, and plenty of flavor.
Sweet Potato Oatmeal Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes
- Oatmeal: I use rolled oats, but steel cut also work.
- Milk: Use your milk of choice. Any milk works.
- Water
- Vanilla Extract
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg
- Sugar or Sweetener
How to Make Sweet Potato Oatmeal (Two Ways)
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Stovetop
- Slow Cooker or Crockpot
If you want to use an Instant Pot for this recipe, check out my Instant Pot Apple Steel Cut Oats recipe.
- Nuts and pecans
- Protein powder (my favorite add-in! I love to add ¾-to a full scoop to make it a protein filled meal)
- Monkfruit Maple Syrup
- Honey
- Yogurt
- Bananas
- Blueberries
- Shredded Coconut
- Granola
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Sweet Potato Oatmeal
Want to save this recipe for later?
I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also grab your FREE ebook with my best 30-minute one-pot meals! Dinner stress stops here.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato Mine weighed 13 oz. Peeled and diced into chunks ½-1 inch thick
- 1 cup oatmeal Steel cut or rolled oats
- 2 cups milk Any milk will work, milk of choice.
- 1 cup water Can be substituted for milk.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons sweetener or sugar Adjust to suit your taste. Add more if you like it really sweet.
Instructions
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Spray the slow cooker with cooking oil to prevent sticking. Add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker.
- For rolled oats cook for 2 ½-3 hours on High or 5-6 hours on LowFor steel-cut oats cook for 3-4 hours on High or 6-8 hours on Low. Your cook time will vary based on the slow cooker you use (they all cook at different speeds!) and how you like your oatmeal. If you like it thick you will need to cook it a little longer.
- Open the pot and mash the sweet potatoes.
- Taste repeatedly and add additional sweetener if necessary. You can thin out overly thick oatmeal with additional milk or water until it reaches your desired texture.
Stovetop Method (Uses cooked and mashed sweet potato)
- If cooking your oatmeal on the stove, follow the measurements and instructions on your packaging. Disregard the liquid measurements noted above.
- Once your oatmeal is cooked, add in the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, sweetener or sugar, and cooked sweet potato. Stir and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Frequently Asked Questions and Recipe Pro Tips
You can use old-fashioned rolled oats or steel-cut oats in this recipe. You cannot use quick or Instant Oats (unless you use the stove top method).
No, you don’t have to peel the sweet potatoes. The skin is completely edible and adds a little extra fiber and texture. That said, I prefer to peel them for sweet potato oatmeal because it gives you a smoother, creamier texture and lets the sweet potatoes blend right into the oats. If you like a little more texture or simply don’t feel like peeling them, leave the skin on. The oatmeal will still turn out great.
Stovetop: Use fully cooked, mashed sweet potatoes. Bake them at 425°F for about 60 minutes, air fry at 400°F for 35-50 minutes, or boil for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Mash and stir them right into the oatmeal.
Slow Cooker: For rolled oats, cook for 2 ½-3 hours on High or 5-6 hours on Low. For steel-cut oats, cook for 3-4 hours on High or 6-8 hours on Low.
Every slow cooker cooks a little differently, so keep an eye on the oatmeal toward the end. If you like it thick, let it cook a little longer.
Yes. Canned sweet potatoes are a great shortcut. Look for sweet potatoes packed in water and drain them well before mashing. If they're packed in syrup, your oatmeal will be much sweeter, so adjust any added sweetener accordingly.
The spices are where the magic happens. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla give the oatmeal that classic sweet potato pie flavor. Don't be afraid to taste and adjust the spices to suit you.
Use your favorite sweetener and adjust it to taste. Brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, or a sugar-free sweetener will all work. Sweet potatoes already bring some natural sweetness, so taste before you go overboard.
Sweet potatoes naturally thicken the oatmeal, and the oats will continue to thicken as they sit. Stir in a little milk or water until it reaches the consistency you like.
Let it cook a little longer. The oats will continue absorbing liquid as they cook. Keep in mind it will also thicken as it cools.
Yes. Store it tightly covered in the refrigerator and reheat it when you're ready to eat. The oatmeal will thicken in the fridge, so you'll probably want to add a splash of milk or water when reheating.
It will typically keep for 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Toppings and Ideas for Add-Ins
More Oatmeal and Breakfast Recipes
Slow Cooker Crockpot Apple Oatmeal
Instant Pot Apple Steel Cut Oatmeal
Pumpkin Crisp Recipe
Healthy Sugar Free Apple Crisp
Fried Potatoes and Onions
Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole
Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
Chocolate Chip Banana Protein Muffins
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Sugar Free Sweet Potato Pie
Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar
Sweet Potato Beef Chili
Sweet Potato Cornbread
Sweet Potato Avocado Toast
Sweet Potato Soup
Julia Howell Barros says
I am an oatmeal addict and I love sweet potatoes and for the life of me, I have no idea why I have not combined the two. I can already tell this recipe is going to be a winner. Thank you Brandi!
staysnatched says
I hope you love it.
Alisha G. says
Not a huge oatmeal fan, but trying to eat healthier, this was very tasty! Easy to make on the stovetop and very filling. Thanks for another recipe!
staysnatched says
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Sydney says
I don’t normally like oatmeal, but I gave this to try and it was amazing! So flavorful and makes for an easy week now that breakfast is already prepped
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Anne D says
So yummy and easy. I did the variation with steel cuts oats on low in the slow cooker for 8 hours. I let it go ~9 hours since I let it cook overnight. The steel cut oats had a creamier consistency because they cooked for so long. I am not sure I would recommend going over the time Brandi specified because the sweet potatoes floated to the top and were starting to char. It was still so delicious! My husband was a little skeptical about the sweet potatoes, but texted me from work how delicious the oatmeal was, and that it "didn't need any sugar!" I made 1 and 1/2 batches and froze some in souper cubes and had the rest for breakfast all week. Will be making this again next week!
staysnatched says
So glad to hear it!
Shannon says
Delish! Perfection! Nailed it!
I’ve made this four times in 2023 and found my go to breakfast. It heats up great to enjoy all week! Thank you so much!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoy it!
Sara says
I did this in my slow cooker with gluten free oats and almond milk. I am very pleased with how it turned out! I’ve never been much on oatmeal but thought I would give it a try with the sweet potatoes. Having this prepped on the days I can’t make my usual breakfast is going to be so helpful! Thanks, Brandi!
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Crystal says
So delicious and really easy to make, especially in a crockpot. It's a great recipe to add to the oatmeal rotation.
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Petrina says
Made this this morning- I used regular oats, boiled the sweet potatoes and then added the oatmeal and mashed it together and just added some water. It was warming to my stomach as I have just returned from a trip and my stomach was rejecting food. I loved it and I am still full since I had it in the morning around 10am- It is now 3pm. I think it would be a great breakfast item moving forward. Thanks for this easy to make recipe
staysnatched says
You're welcome!