Sweet Potatoes in the Slow Cooker
Making Sweet Potatoes in the Slow Cooker is by far one of the easiest methods, and this recipe has a special step to make them more moist and fluffy than ever!
Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes
Using a slow cooker for whole sweet potatoes is ideal for a crowd, holiday meals, or a simple weeknight meal.
Slow cookers tend to save valuable oven space and keep your kitchen cooler in the hot summer months. They also make for really hearty meals any time of the year, like this Ham and Scalloped Potatoes recipe or my Velveeta Mac and Cheese.
The real secret to this recipe is to rub the sweet potatoes with just a bit of oil before placing them in the slow cooker. This prevents the skins from drying out, ensuring the flesh stays tender and moist inside. Tender sweet potatoes, whether whole or sliced and into a scalloped sweet potato casserole is a must in our house.
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If you can keep the flesh moist during the cooking process, the sweet potatoes will have a nice fluffy interior. If there ever was an effortless recipe for sweet potatoes, it’s this one!
Ingredients
- Medium sweet potatoes: I like sweet potatoes that are about 6-8 ounces in size and that are more elongated in shape than they are round.
- Oil for coating the sweet potato skins: I use vegetable oil or canola oil and this really helps keep the skins nice and moist so the sweet potato flesh is extra tender inside.
- For serving the sweet potatoes: Butter, brown sugar, marshmallows, cinnamon, maple syrup, or honey
How to make Sweet Potatoes in Your Slow Cooker
Prep the Sweet Potatoes. Wash and dry the sweet potatoes. Rub each sweet potato all over the exterior with a bit of oil using your fingertips.
If desired, you can place a sheet of foil or parchment paper in the bottom of the slow cooker before cooking the sweet potatoes to make clean-up quicker and easier.
Place the prepared sweet potatoes into a preheated slow cooker, set to low. Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until the sweet potatoes are very tender when tested at the center with a fork.
If the sweet potatoes are ready and fully cooked, the fork should be easily inserted into the sweet potato with little pressure, and when the fork twists, the sweet potato easily gives in to the pressure. If this doesn’t happen, continue cooking the sweet potatoes and check again 30 minutes.
Serve. Slice the warm sweet potatoes open lengthwise and season with butter, salt, and pepper, as desired; top with cinnamon, brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey, as desired.
Should I pierce the Sweet Potatoes Before Cooking
When cooking sweet potatoes in a slow cooker, because the sweet potatoes are cooking low and slow, there’s no need to pierce them first.
Making a small batch
The slow cooker doesn’t have to be full of sweet potatoes – you can cook just a few at one time. The sweet potatoes may cook a little bit more quickly if you’re just cooking 2 or 3 at a time.
Making Mashed Sweet Potatoes
To make mashed sweet potatoes from this recipe, slit the fully cooked and slightly cooled sweet potatoes lengthwise to expose the flesh inside. Use a spoon to scoop out the cooked flesh, placing it into a bowl.
Using a potato masher or an electric hand mixer, process the sweet potato flesh until smooth. To taste, add milk or orange juice along with maple syrup or brown sugar a little bit at a time, continuing to mash the potatoes until they reach the desired consistency.
Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
If the sweet potatoes have been refrigrated before mashing, reheat as directed below in the microwave before proceeding with the steps above.
How to Store
Once the sweet potatoes have cooler a bit, they can be store in an air-tight container in the fridge. Cooked sweet potatoes will keep 3-4 days in refrigeration.
How to Reheat Left Over Sweet Potatoes
To reheat any leftover slow cooker sweet potatoes, use a knife to split them open lengthwise, then place one or two onto a microwave-safe plate. Cook on full power in your microwave in 30-second increments, or until hot throughout. This usually takes 60-90 seconds, depending on how big the sweet potatoes is.
If you want to reheat leftover whole sweet potatoes in the oven, it will take 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Serving Suggestions
Sweet potatoes served with a generous pat of butter and a drizzle of hot honey are delicious – “sweet and spicy” in every bite.
One of my favorite ways to eat sweet potatoes is loaded with pulled pork and topped with a good drizzle of barbecue sauce.
We enjoy baked sweet potatoes topped with chili and cheese. Talk about satisfying and hearty.
Sweet Potatoes in the Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 8 medium sweet potatoes, approx. 6-8 oz. each
- 1 tablespoon oil for coating the sweet potato skins
- Butter, brown sugar, marshmallows, cinnamon, honey, maple syrup optional, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the Sweet Potatoes. Wash and dry the sweet potatoes.
- Rub the Skins With Oil. Using your fingertips, rub each sweet potato all over the exterior with a bit of oil.
- Load the Slow Cooker. Place the prepared sweet potatoes into a preheated slow cooker, set to low, stacking them up if needed.
- Cover and Slow Cook. Cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until the sweet potatoes are very tender when tested at the center with a fork.
- Serve. To serve, slice the sweet potatoes open lengthwise and searing as desired with salt and pepper; top with butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey, as desired.
Notes
To make mashed sweet potatoes from this recipe, slit the fully cooked and slightly cooled sweet potatoes lengthwise to expose the flesh inside. Use a spoon to scoop out the cooked flesh, placing it into a bowl. Using a potato masher or an electric hand mixer, process the sweet potato flesh until smooth. To taste, add milk or orange juice along with maple syrup or brown sugar a little bit at a time, continuing to mash the potatoes until they reach the desired consistency. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. If the sweet potatoes have been refrigrated before mashing, reheat as directed below in the microwave before proceeding with the steps above.