Cozy sweet potato baked oatmeal with warming spices and a boost of protein is the perfect make-ahead breakfast for busy fall mornings.
This sweet potato pie inspired oatmeal bake joins the ranks of my favorite oatmeal recipes with tender roasted sweet potato, creamy almond butter, crunchy pecans, and more. Let's get into it!
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What does it taste like?
This healthy hot breakfast for cold mornings kind of tastes like dessert and that's probably because I season it a lot like my soul food 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, nuttiness, and a touch of sweet!
The sweet potato pecan combination actually reminds me of my layered sweet potato pecan pie and pecan topped sweet potato casserole recipe.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
Meal Prep Friendly - You can make this easy baked oatmeal ahead of time and refrigerate or even freeze until you need it. I love this for on-the-go breakfast when I need a nutritional boost in the midst of morning madness.
Cozy Fall Flavor - You can enjoy these oatmeal bites any time of year but it really hits different during autumn. Get into the szn!
Uses Basic Ingredients - No need to source speciality ingredients or go to multiple grocery stores--unless that's your thing! Simple, whole food pantry staples make up the bulk of the ingredients list.
Looking for more make ahead breakfast bites? You'll definitely enjoy my mini breakfast taco bites or my healthy almond butter blueberry oatmeal cups that give PB&J vibes. And don't sleep on these spinach & mushroom egg bites!
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 key sweet potato oatmeal ingredients to add to your grocery list.
Rolled Oats also known as old fashioned oats. Don't use quick oats or steel cut in this recipe because the texture won't be the same.
Sweet Potato - Reach for Jewel or Garnet variety for the best flavor and color here.
Maple Syrup for sweetness. Feel free to use honey, monkfruit or the sweetener of your choice. This ginger infused honey syrup is a great option!
Protein Powder is optional but helps make this baked sweet potato oatmeal recipe extra filling. You can use the brand and flavor of protein powder or collage peptide powder of your choice.
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Nuts and Nut Butter - Use the nut butter of your choosing, almond, peanut, cashew, etc, creamy or crunchy. And I use pecan pieces but feel free to use walnuts, chopped almonds, or whatever you like to make it work for you!
Size and Shape - I make these into one big baked oatmeal casserole or convenient sweet potato oatmeal cups depending on my mood and you can apply the same versatility. The casserole style is great for a crowd or larger family and the cups are great to grab and go in the mornings.
How to Make Sweet Potato Pie Baked Oatmeal
Step One: Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork or knife then roast until tender.
Step Two: Peel then mash the roasted sweet potato to your desired consistency using a heavy duty spatula or food processor.
Pro Tip: You can roast the sweet potato up to three days ahead of time. Store them in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Step Three: Mix all the ingredients in with the mashed sweet potato until uniform and no dry pockets remain.
Step Four: Spread the mixture into a baking dish.
Pro Tip: You can use most any kind of pan to bake oatmeal, from a square or rectangle dish, a casserole, muffin or cupcake pan, and even a bundt pan! Just note that baking times will vary.
Step Five: Bake until oatmeal is golden brown and firm to the touch on top.
If you enjoy this recipe, you will for sure love my Pumpkin Protein Baked Oatmeal Bars! And these Banana Nut Oatmeal Cups get devoured every. single. time. There are so many delicious ways to make hot oatmeal ahead of time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Refrigerate the oatmeal in an airtight container and it will keep for up to 10 days.
Yes. Wrap snugly in plastic wrap then in aluminum foil and freeze for up to six months. I recommend cutting into individual portions and wrapping them separately before freezing for easier reheating. Reheat in the. microwave for one to two minutes.
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 (Healthline).
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. And cinnamon is helpful for healthy balanced hormones (NIH National Library of Medicine) so feel free to increase to taste in this recipe!
I also like to add either flax meal or milled chia seeds for additional fiber that helps promote healthy digestion and elimination.
For a complete breakfast, pair an oatmeal cup with a baked egg bite and hot or iced spearmint matcha latte in the morning.
More Roasted Sweet Potato Recipes
Roasting sweet potatoes isn't just for easy fall breakfast ideas, I use it in sweet and savory dishes all the time.
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
📖 Recipe
Protein Sweet Potato Baked Oatmeal
Equipment
- 1 kitchen spoon or spatula
- 1 baking dish or 12-count cupcake pan
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes about 12 to 16 ounces total weight
- 1 ⅔ cup milk warmed to room temperature
- ½ cup almond butter or nut butter of your choice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 4 cups rolled oats
- ½ cup pecan pieces
- 5 servings protein powder optional
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
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 or a casserole dish with non-stick oil and set aside.
- 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.
- Stir in oats, pecans, protein powder, cinnamon, sea salt, and nutmeg and mix until combined and no dry pockets remain.
- Transfer the mixture into prepared pan. Lightly press mixture into pan so that top is smooth.
- Place pan in oven and bake for about 40 minutes (for casserole dish) or 25 minutes (for cupcake pan) or until top of oatmeal is firm when pressed. Allow to cool completely in pan before removing. Store refrigerated in an airtight container.
Krysten says
I recently whipped up the Cozy Sweet Potato Baked Oatmeal, and it instantly became a fall breakfast staple in my home! The addition of crunchy pecans provided the perfect textural contrast. Definitely a must-try for anyone seeking a cozy and nutritious breakfast option!
Marcus Avery Christon says
This sweet potato oatmeal is so easy to make and super versatile. I mostly eat it for breakfast and sometimes serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to satisfy my sweet tooth!
Marta says
I literally have a whole CASE of sweet potatoes that I bought for holiday prep, but I wanted to give your baked oatmeal muffins a try and I'm so glad I did. Not only were they tender and fluffy, your instructions made them so easy to prepare that I made a double-batch to serve for Thanksgiving dinner!
Robin says
My Mother is a sweet potato fanatic so I made this oatmeal for Sunday brunch. Mom, along with everyone else, devoured it! I love that it's full of antioxidants too. It will be on our Thanksgiving weekend menu for sure.
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.