Despite the fact that the days are slowly getting warmer, the mornings are still pretty cool and a bowl of oatmeal still hits the spot for breakfast. I had been wanting to try doing a baked oatmeal for a while and I figured that I should do it now before the morning get too warm. Sweet potatoes are still in good supply and I was thinking about the sweet potato casserole that I had made a while ago and wondering if I could make a baked oatmeal version. I prefer using steel cut oats to rolled oats when making oatmeal but I could not find a recipe for a steel cut oats baked oatmeal. In the end I decided to just modify the rolled oats recipe for the steel cut oats. Steel cut oats require more liquid and more cooking time but you can cut down on the cooking time by soaking the oats overnight which is what I decided to do. I roasted the sweet potatoes in the oven until they were nice and soft and starting to caramelize for added flavour. Maple syrup seemed like a natural addition and keeping with the sweet potato casserole theme I went with a pecan streusel topping. I had to wait to add the streusel topping until the oatmeal had cooked enough that the streusel would not just sink into the oatmeal so I added it part way through the cooking process. The baked sweet potato oatmeal turned out really good! It was nice and warm and sweet and really creamy on the inside with a slightly crisp topping. The sweet potato flavour really came through and of course it worked well with the pecan topping. It was like having dessert for breakfast. In fact, a scoop of melting vanilla ice cream would probably go really well on it.
Baked Sweet Potato Oatmeal with Pecan Streusel
ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup steel cut oats
- 4 1/2 cups milk
- 1 1/2 cup sweet potato (cooked and mashed)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup pecans (chopped)
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 tablespoons butter (softened)
directions
- Mix the steel cut oats and the milk in an 8 inch baking dish and let sit over night.
- Mix in the sweet potato puree, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Bake, covered, in a preheated 350F/180C oven until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about for 30-40 minutes.
- Mix the brown sugar, pecans, flour and butter and pour it onto the oatmeal and bake, uncovered until golden brown on top, about 20 minutes.
SWEET POTATOES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My love.
What a yummy way to eat oatmeal. I think I’d save it for dessert though.
What a great idea to add sweet potato to your oatmeal. I usually eat mine with a tsp of maple syrup.
That sounds fantastic! I also often add canned pumpkin to my steel cut oatmeal which can be very tasty also.
Sounds so good! I love your other oatmeal recipe you posted, too! I usually have mine with a spoon or two of preserves.
Baked oatmeal with sweet potato (or pumpkin) is one of my all-time favorites! The maple syrup here must be a great addition, too.
I love sweet potatoes!
That certainly looks like dessert! And our weathers must be crossing paths at the moment (Autumn/Spring). Just wondering though, about your preference for steel cut oats. It’s less commonly used here, I think, though I’ve seen it for sale. How is it better?
Baked oatmeal, what a very creative idea. And to add sweet potato, very very creative.
An interesting combo! Fantastic!
Cheers,
Rosa
I am not a big breakfast eater so I do not think I can stomach this for breakfast, but certainly for dessert!!Yum!
Sweet potatoes? Wow! Who would have thought of that one?
Whoa… this looks great. Right up my alley;)
I like sweet patatoes!!!!
This just may be your best oatmeal yet!!(well my fav) yum!!!!
Wow looks so comforting, i have never made anything with sweet potato han eat them just boiled wheniwas in India.
As I sit here eating my oatmeal let me just say……I’m so mad it doesn’t have sweet tater in it!
OK KEVIN!! Tell me what this taste like!!!! I love sweet potatoes, pecans and oatmeal. This looks wonderful….
I might go with convention and have this for a dessert instead! It looks like a loaded baked sweet potato but with oatmeal…how could you go wrong?
I am officially jealous that you get to eat such an indulgent breakfast 🙂
Wow! This looks really hearty. Certainly something that will keep you full all morning.
I have to start stealing some of your awesome breakfast ideas. Although it would require me to wake up early and I love sleep.
Looks awesome as always!
Sounds like you have a good long time in the morning, and so can enjoy your breakfast. Good breakfast, Kevin!
Wow, this is a unique and delicious combination. Looks perfect!
Too good to start off my day with this great oatmeal!
What a tasty breakfast – I would never have thought to combine sweet potatoes and oatmeal. Nicely done.
Another great idea for oatmeal. Your creativity never ceases to amaze me.
OHHHHH MY. Sweet potatoes- my absolute WEAKNESS. I MUST make this!!!!
WOW, I can’t even imagine how this would taste!
Oh that sounds good and I have a bunch of sweet potatoes I just bought!
No one loves sweet potatoes more than us. No one! This is dessert, this is breakfast. This is a snack. This is all of those things in one! So. good.
What a fantastic idea Kevin, I love it and I bet my husband will too!
great idea with the scoop of vanilla ice cream!!
Do you have the recipe with the rolled oats? What’s the difference between steel cut and rolled?
Oh wow, I almost don’t want spring to come now, just so we have more cool mornings and more opportunities to try this! It looks/sounds amazing! Thanks Nick!
Oh my goodness. That looks like dessert for breakfast. And I am okay with that!
Excellent idea Kevin. I think I will try this in my slow-cooker.
Y: Steel cut oats have a chewier texture that I enjoy.
Anonymous: Steel cut oats go through less processing than rolled oats and have a chewier texture. You could use one of the baked oatmeal recipes on allrecipes.com. Note: I chose to skip the the eggs this from my recipe this time. The next time I make baked oatmeal I will try it with the eggs to compare it though.
Oh, I’m all for having dessert for breakfast, Kevin. This looks delicious.
oof this looks SO good. and with all that sweet potato and steel-cut oats, it’s really, really good for you!
That is a colorful oatmeal! I am sure the sweet potatoes are amazing and the streusel, even better!
Oatmeal and sweet potatoes. 2 of my favorite things into one! Awesome!
I’m coming to your house for breakfast! (Hope you don’t mind…)
What a fantastic idea! I’ll definitely be trying this. I found your blog, while searching for a recipe for Nikujaga that looked good, and google pulled up yours. The photo of the bowl of it you’d made was so appealing, I’ve jotted down the recipe and will be trying it later this week. I’ve bookmarked your blog and will return. Thank you for creating such an imaginative and intriguing food blog, it’s been most enjoyable to read what I have here thus far! 🙂
Probably my favorite dish as Thanksgiving is the sweet potato casserole and I have oatmeal every morning. THIS looks divine!
Love it – pecan streusel sounds amazing with sweet potatoes!
This looks way better than any oatmeal I’ve ever had! There’s nothing wrong with dessert for breakfast.
Thanks Kevin. I’ll have to buy some to try 🙂
Every time I visit your blog I find that you have posted a more delicious looking and unique recipe than the one before — its amazing!!!
I am glad there are still fans of oatmeal out there. I thought I was alone! What a creative spin on a classic.
Is that sweet or savory? Can I try some? ;p
Oh my goodness that looks incredibly decadent! YUM!
~ingrid
Wow this looks amazing!
I’m loving the looks of this oatmeal! I bet it’s so much more filling than plain oatmeal!
I am positive I will love this and what a great way to get the 3 year old to eat oatmeal – as he can’t get enough sweet potatoes!
Mark Garso 37
Hi Kevin,
This oatmeal recipe has my name written all over it! I was wondering how many cups of milk you'd suggest I use if I sub in regular rolled oats for the steel cut oats. I would very much appreciate your insight. Thanks, and I can't wait to try this amazing baked oatmeal!
Lauren: I have not tried baking regular old fashioned rolled oats yet. I would say that 2 1/2 cups of milk should work.
wow, this is really great recipe! I love this!