Name: Sweet Potato Overnight Oats with Maple Pecans
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 100 g sweet potato (cooked, mashed weight); 70 g old-fashioned rolled oats (jumbo oats, approx. ¾ cup); 140 ml semi-skimmed milk/light milk (or a non-dairy alternative); 3 tbsp thick yogurt (Skyr or fromage frais); 45 g pecans (approx. ⅓ cup); 2 tbsp maple syrup; ¼ tsp cinnamon (or to taste); pinch of fine sea salt

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These sweet potato overnight oats are rich, creamy and full of veggie goodness. They come with a delicious sweet and crunchy topping of toasted pecans coated in maple syrup.

These sweet and nutty sweet potato overnight oats are a delicious way of including more sweet potato into your diet.

It is not common to use vegetables in 'sweet' recipes. But after the success of my sweet potato mango mousse I posted recently I knew sweet potato would also work really well in an overnight oats recipe.

The sweet potato adds bulk and sweetness, as well as helps to create a rich and creamy consistency, which is just gorgeous with the crunchy topping of maple pecans.

Sweet potato overnight oats ingredients

In addition to the oats and sweet potato the mixture also contains milk (use regular of plant-based), yogurt for a bit of tangy flavour as well as creaminess, cinnamon and a pinch of salt to enhance the flavour. For the topping I used toasted pecans coated in maple syrup (these can also be prepared the night before, see Instructions below).

Can I use any oats

For best results I recommend using organic old-fashioned rolled oats (jumbo oats). They will absorb the flavours and soften overnight while still retaining some texture (these oats are also very nutritious). If you use instant oats you'll end up with a pretty uninspiring, mushy mixture.

How to prepare the sweet potato

The sweet potato does need to be baked before being combined with the milk and oats, but this is easy to do. Simply bake it whole at 375 F/190 C for 30 minutes or until fully cooked (check with a fork). Allow to cool completely before scooping out the pulp and adding into the oats.

Top tip

To save time you can bake the sweet potato ahead and once cooled, refrigerate it (for up to a day) until you are ready to make the recipe.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1.Once you've baked your sweet potato and cooled it completely, scoop out the pulp and mash up with a fork.

2. Place in a bowl along with the rest of the ingredients.

3. Stir thoroughly, cover and refrigerate overnight.

4. Dry toast the pecans.

5. Chop roughly and combine with the maple syrup. Cover and set aside overnight.

6. In the morning stir the oat mixture, add a splash of milk if needed, top with the pecans and enjoy!

Top tips

I recommend using large oats (ex. jumbo rolled oats) as opposed to instant oats as these might produce a mushy consistency (this goes for any overnight oats recipe).
Bake either one small whole sweet potato or cut a larger one in half and only bake one part. You can prepare the sweet potato ahead, mash and refrigerate the pulp, covered, for up to 2 days.
I recommend adding the maple pecan topping just before serving so that the pecans retain their crunch and the maple syrup does not get 'lost' in the mixture. Make the topping ahead and keep covered until you are ready to use it.
Adjust the amount of maple syrup and cinnamon to suit your preference.
Storing: keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Not suitable for freezing.

Substitutions

Maple syrup: Use honey, agave syrup or another sweetener if desired.
Cinnamon: Substitute pumpkin spice/mixed spice or ground ginger.
Yogurt: Use ricotta (plus a drizzle of lemon juice).
Pecans: These can be replaced with walnuts or cashews. Alternatively top with toasted seeds, coconut flakes, fresh berries, dust with cacao powder and drizzle over the maple syrup.

Extras

These sweet potato overnight oats are delicious as they are but you can add other ingredients (½-1 tablespoon) to enjoy this recipe a little differently every time. These include:

sultanas
chia seeds/poppy seeds/flaxseeds
desiccated coconut
almond flakes

Check out also this collection of 18 easy vegetable breakfast recipes.

Keep in touch!

If you make this easy overnight oats recipe don't forget to let me know how it turned out for you in the comments below. Thanks!

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