Make-ahead baked oatmeal muffins flavored with roasted sweet potato and almond butter are the perfect portable breakfast for busy mornings. Originally published October 2020. Last updated November 2022.
Fall is here, which means almost every recipe should include apple, pumpkin, or sweet potato, right? We're talking sweet potato today because it's just so dang versatile. You can put it just about any kind of recipe, sweet or savory, and it works. These sweet potato oatmeal cups join the ranks of my favorite oatmeal recipes with tender roasted sweet potato, creamy almond butter, and crunchy pecans. Let's get into it!
Looking for more make ahead breakfast bites? Check these out, too!
What do they taste like?
This healthy hot breakfast for cold mornings kind of tastes like dessert and that's probably because I season them a lot like my sweet potato pie--with lots of nutmeg and cinnamon so you could call it sweet potato pie breakfast oats. There are warm comforting notes from the spices, earthy sweetness from the sweet potato and creaminess from the almond butter. Maple syrup provides a touch of sweetness and pecans provide some crunch. The sweet potato pecan combination actually reminds me of my sweet potato pecan pie.
What You'll Need for this Recipe
If you want to meal prep oatmeal and need something portable, my healthy baked oatmeal bites will come in handy. I love sweet potato for breakfast. Here are the sweet potato oatmeal ingredients to add to your grocery list.
- Almond Butter
- Cinnamon
- Maple Syrup
- Milk
- Nutmeg
- Pecans
- Rolled Oats
- Sweet Potato
- Vanilla Extract
- Vanilla Protein Powder (optional)
What kind of oatmeal to use in baked oatmeal? I only recommend using rolled oats, also called old fashioned oats in this recipe but not quick oats or steel cut oats because the texture will not be quite right.
Recipe Tips & Tools
Making hot oatmeal ahead of time means all you need to do each morning is reheat and eat! Grab a 12 count cupcake pan for this recipe, along with a mixing bowl and a silicone spatula. I also like to place a sheet pan under the sweet potato when I roast it to catch any drips.
How to store them? Refrigerate the oatmeal cups in an airtight container and they'll keep for about 10 days.
Can I freeze baked oatmeal cups? Yes. Wrap each cup individually so they don't stick together. Then freeze wrapped cups in a freezer-safe bag and they'll keep for up to six months. To reheat one cup, unwrap and microwave for one to two minutes on a microwave safe dish.
How to Roast Sweet Potatoes
If you're wondering how to meal prep breakfast with sweet potato, this recipe starts with roasting. The process is simple and can be done days ahead of time, if needed. Here's how I roast whole sweet potatoes to make sweet potato baked oatmeal muffins--and lots of other things.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Using a knife or fork, piece the sweet potatoes several times.
- Place sweet potatoes in the oven on any rack.
- You might wish to place a sheet pan or foil on the rack below to catch any juices that may drip from the sweet potatoes while roasting.
- Roast sweet potatoes for about 45 minutes or until fork tender.
- Remove them from the oven and allow to cool. I like to stick them in the fridge to speed up this process.
More Roasted Sweet Potato Recipes
Sweet potato isn't just for easy fall breakfast ideas, I use it in sweet and savory dishes all the time.
- Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole
- Brown Butter Sweet Potato Soup
- Gingerbread Sweet Potato Jumbo Muffins
- Sweet Potato Chorizo Soup
- Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
Is this recipe PCOS friendly?
You probably hear a lot about sweet potatoes for PCOS because it's a complex carb with fiber that helps reduce blood sugar spikes in comparison to regular potatoes. To make this a hormone healthy oatmeal recipe that's PCOS friendly, I pair the sweet potato with protein from nut butter and nuts, as well, as quality protein powder.
I also like to add either flax meal or milled chia seeds for additional fiber that helps promote healthy digestion and elimination. And cinnamon is helpful for healthy balanced hormones so feel free to increase to taste in this recipe! For a complete breakfast I pair an oatmeal cup with a baked egg bite and hot or iced spearmint matcha latte in the morning.
I hope you'll make my sweet potato oatmeal bites part of your morning routine. And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this meal prep breakfast idea to feed the whole family over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
Healthy Sweet Potato Oats Recipe
Sweet Potato Baked Oatmeal Cups
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes about 12 to 16 ounces total weight
- 4 cups rolled oats
- ½ cup pecan pieces
- 4 tablespoons protein powder optional
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 ⅔ cup milk warmed to room temperature
- ½ cup almond butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a fork or knife, piece sweet potatoes several times then place in oven to roast for about 45 minutes or until tender.
- Remove sweet potatoes from oven and place in fridge to cool. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-count cupcake pan with non-stick oil and set aside.
- Add oats, pecans, protein powder, cinnamon, sea salt, and nutmeg and mix.
- Once sweet potatoes have cooled enough to touch, remove their skin and place them into another bowl. Use the back of a spoon or fork to mash sweet potatoes until broken up into small pieces (this mixture does not need to be smooth).
- Add milk, almond butter, vanilla extract, and maple syrup to mashed sweet potatoes then stir until uniform.
- Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir until well incorporated and no dry "pockets" remain.
- Divide the oatmeal mixture evenly between each well of prepared cupcake pan. Lightly press mixture into each well so that the tops of the oatmeal cups are smooth.
- Place pan in oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until tops of oatmeal cups are firm when pressed. Allow them to cool completely in pan before removing. Store refrigerated in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Melody says
I was pleasantly surprised by these! I'm really trying cut out any added sugar, so I used one sweet potato and 2 bananas instead of using any maple syrup. Still great (though I'm sure the maple syrup adds a nice flavor!). Also added dried cranberries, which I will do again...maybe some apples too! Other than that, I followed the recipe, and had enough batter for 12 muffins as well as filling a 9x9 pan (about 1/2 inch thickness). These muffins freeze well too! Thanks for posting this tasty, versatile recipe 🙂
Jazz says
So glad you enjoyed, Melody! Dried cranberries sound like a nice addition.