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Creamy Stovetop Sweet Potato Oatmeal

Loose, creamy oatmeal cooked on the stovetop with mashed sweet potato, cinnamon and nutmeg. Ten minutes from a saucepan to a hot bowl.
Keyword creamy stovetop sweet potato oatmeal
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 2 servings

Ingredients

For the Oatmeal

  • 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • ½ cup mashed cooked sweet potato about 1 small potato
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar or pure maple syrup

For Topping

  • ¼ cup pecan pieces toasted
  • 2 tablespoons raisins optional

Instructions

Prepare the Sweet Potato

  • If you do not have a cooked sweet potato on hand, prick 1 small sweet potato all over with a fork and microwave it for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until a knife slides through with no resistance.
  • Split the potato, scoop the flesh into a bowl and mash it smooth with a fork. You need about ½ cup.

Cook the Oatmeal

  • Pour the milk into a small saucepan, add the salt, and set it over medium heat until small bubbles show around the edge. Do not let it reach a hard boil.
  • Stir in the rolled oats. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until the mixture visibly thickens.
  • Add the mashed sweet potato, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar. Beat the mixture with the back of the spoon, pressing the potato against the side of the pan, until the color is an even orange throughout.
  • Cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly so the sweet potato does not catch on the bottom of the pan.

Rest and Serve

  • Take the pan off the heat and let it stand for 2 minutes. The oatmeal thickens noticeably as it rests.
  • Divide between two bowls and top with the toasted pecans and the raisins, if using. Loosen with a splash of milk if it has set thicker than you like.

Notes

  • Stir often: Sweet potato is starchy and will scorch on the pan bottom if the oatmeal is left unattended.
  • Beat, do not fold: Folding the potato in leaves orange streaks through plain oats. Beat it until the color is even.
  • Rest it: The two minute rest off the heat is what brings the texture from loose to properly creamy.
  • Steel cut version: Use ¾ cup steel cut oats and 3 cups milk, and simmer 25 to 30 minutes before adding the sweet potato.
  • Storage: Keeps 3 days in the fridge. Reheat with 2 tablespoons of milk per portion.