These Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes are the perfect easy side dish for weeknight dinners, meal prep, or for the holidays. Thanks to the crockpot, you get perfectly creamy, sweet potatoes every time with only a few minutes of prep work. It's a hands-off, foolproof method that does not require water or wrapping them individually in foil. It is such an easy way to cook whole sweet potatoes without turning on the oven!
For a stress-free holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas, I like finding ways to make side dishes that do not involve a lot of effort or hands-on time. It's times like these that the crockpot really comes in clutch. The oven is usually packed with turkey, stuffing, rolls, or other holiday dishes. So, cooking the sweet potatoes in the slow cooker keeps one more side dish out of the oven and lets you prepare it ahead while you work on everything else. You can make so many side dishes in a slow cooker (like my slow cooker cranberry sauce) to free up your time and oven space.
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Why You'll Love This Crockpot Recipe
- These perfect baked whole sweet potatoes come out ultra creamy, super tender, and extra fluffy in the slow cooker.
- It only takes a few minutes to wash and prick the sweet potatoes, then the crockpot does the rest! I love how simple it is, so you can make it for busy weeknight meals as well. Just pop it into the slow cooker before you leave for work and have this side ready once dinner time rolls around.
- You technically only need one ingredient: sweet potatoes! It really can't get any easier. It is next to impossible to mess this recipe up! You don't even need to heat up the oven.
- It's perfect for feeding a crowd or meal prepping, as you can easily make 5 to 7 in one go. You can also make just enough for dinner. Speaking of a crowd, it's a holiday favorite for me, as the slow cooker does the work, baking the sweet potatoes while you can prepare other food on the stovetop or in the oven.
Ingredients You'll Need
sweet potatoes — I use medium sweet potatoes that are about 8 ounces each. Make sure they're similar in size, so they cook evenly. You don't have to peel them, I just give them a good rinse and scrub.
your favorite toppings — top these sweet potatoes with whatever you like! My go-to toppings are the classics: some butter, chives, sour cream, salt, and pepper. You can't go wrong with these.
Baking Whole Sweet Potatoes in the Slow Cooker
- Wash and scrub clean the sweet potatoes. No need to pat dry. The moisture will help them steam in the slow cooker. Prick all over with a fork or paring knife.
- Place the sweet potatoes in the slow cooker. Place them in a single layer across the bottom. If you have more, you can stack them onto a second layer. Do not go more than 2 layers.
- Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours or until potatoes pierce easily with a fork.
- Carefully remove the sweet potatoes from the slow cooker with tongs. Allow them to cool until cool enough to touch.
- Optional: If you would like a crispy exterior, place the sweet potatoes in the oven and broil for a few minutes.
- Cut a slit down the middle of the potatoes, then push the two ends together to open them.
- Top them with your favorite toppings!
Tips and Notes
- Smaller sweet potatoes will take less time (6 hours on low, 3 hours on high). If you have extra-large sweet potatoes, you'll need some extra time.
- When you remove the sweet potatoes from the slow cooker, they will be soft, so you'll have to be gentle.
- There's no need to add water to the slow cooker, as the sweet potatoes will release water as they cook, so they'll steam from that. If you add water to the crockpot, the sweet potatoes will get mushy.
- Make sure to give the sweet potatoes a good scrub to remove any dirt. When you add the sweet potatoes to the crockpot, you can leave some of the moisture from washing them, but they should not be dripping wet as too much extra water will lead to the sweet potatoes turning mushy.
- Do not stack more than 2 layers of sweet potatoes, or they will not cook evenly.
- There is no difference if you cook these crockpot sweet potatoes on high or low. It just depends on how much time you have to wait for them to be done. It is ideal to use a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
Ways to Serve Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes
- Turn these sweet potatoes into a full meal by adding some toppings! I like to add some simple Instant Pot pulled chicken, one pot chicken bolognese, or one pot chicken sloppy joes after cutting the sweet potatoes open.
- For a savory sweet potato side, top them with sour cream and chives, shredded cheese and bacon crumbles, or with some taco meat and beans!
- If you want the crockpot sweet potatoes sweeter, drizzle a little honey or maple syrup and sprinkle cinnamon or brown sugar over them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope! No need to wrap the sweet potatoes in aluminum foil.
Once you've made these crockpot sweet potatoes, you can serve them immediately or store them for later for meal prepping. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
Once they're done cooking, allow the sweet potatoes to cool to room temperature. Wrap each sweet potato individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, place them in a freezer-safe bag or container, then freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw the sweet potato overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
You can reheat sweet potatoes in the microwave. Wrap them with a damp paper towel and heat for 2 to 3 minutes. You can also reheat them in the oven at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes.
I mentioned in the tips section that you shouldn't stack them more than 2 sweet potatoes high. If you want to fit a generous amount of sweet potatoes in the slow cooker, I recommend strategically picking sweet potatoes that are longer and thinner, so you can use up every inch of the slow cooker lengthwise, or get ones that will fit perfectly across, as I do. Sweet potatoes come in a lot of odd shapes, so picking the right shape will help you fit more in your crockpot in two stacks.
Recipe
Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 medium sweet potatoes, about 8 ounces each
Optional Toppings
- butter
- chives
- sour cream
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Wash and scrub clean the sweet potatoes. No need to pat dry. The moisture will help them steam in the slow cooker.
- Prick all over with a fork or paring knife.
- Place the sweet potatoes in the slow cooker. Place them in a single layer across the bottom. If you have more, you can stack them onto a second layer. Do not go more than 2 layers.
- Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours or until potatoes pierce easily with a fork.
- Carefully remove the sweet potatoes from the slow cooker with tongs. Allow them to cool until cool enough to touch. Cut a slit down the middle of the potatoes, then push the two ends together to open them.
- Serve with some butter, chives, salt, and pepper or toppings of your choice.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipes To Serve With Sweet Potatoes
- Air Fryer Panko Chicken Thighs
- Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
- Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
- Crispy Baked Hot Honey Chicken Tenders
More places to find me: @onepotonlyrecipes on Instagram and One Pot Only on Pinterest.
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