I used to think sweet potatoes were a huge pain to make. You had to turn on the oven, wait forever for it to heat up, then bake them for what felt like hours. Half the time they’d come out either rock hard or mushy.
That’s because I didn’t know about the magic of crock pot sweet potatoes. Toss them in your slow cooker in the morning, and by dinner time you’ve got perfectly tender sweet potatoes without any of the fuss. No preheating, no timing drama, and they come out just right every single time.
Why You’ll Love These Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes
- Set-it-and-forget-it convenience – Just toss everything in the slow cooker and let it work its magic while you focus on other dishes or spend time with family.
- Perfect holiday side dish – These sweet potatoes free up valuable oven space during busy holiday cooking and taste just as good as the traditional casserole version.
- Kid-friendly flavors – The sweet maple syrup, brown sugar, and fluffy marshmallows make this a side dish that even the pickiest eaters will ask for seconds of.
- Simple ingredients – You probably already have most of these pantry staples on hand, making it an easy addition to any meal plan.
- Naturally gluten-free – This recipe works perfectly for guests with dietary restrictions without any special modifications needed.
What Kind of Sweet Potatoes Should I Use?
For this crock pot recipe, you’ll want to stick with orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, which are the most common type you’ll find at the grocery store. These have that classic sweet, creamy texture that works perfectly with the brown sugar and maple syrup. You might see them labeled as “yams” at some stores, but they’re actually sweet potatoes – true yams are harder to find and have white flesh. When picking them out, look for sweet potatoes that feel firm and heavy for their size, without any soft spots or wrinkled skin. Since you’ll be dicing them up, don’t worry too much about finding perfectly shaped ones – just focus on getting ones that are fresh and solid.
Options for Substitutions
This sweet potato recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:
- Sweet potatoes: You can use any variety of sweet potatoes – orange, white, or purple all work great. If you’re short on time, frozen sweet potato cubes work too, just reduce the cooking time by about 30 minutes.
- Brown sugar: White sugar works in a pinch, though you’ll lose some of that molasses flavor. Coconut sugar is another good option that adds a slight caramel taste.
- Maple syrup: Honey or corn syrup can step in for maple syrup. If using honey, add it during the last 30 minutes of cooking to prevent burning.
- Butter: For dairy-free cooking, coconut oil or vegan butter work well. Use the same amount and make sure it’s at room temperature for easy mixing.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Don’t have pumpkin pie spice? Mix 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon ginger, and a pinch of cloves. Plain cinnamon works too if that’s all you have.
- Mini marshmallows: Regular marshmallows cut into pieces work just fine. For a healthier twist, try chopped pecans or a brown butter drizzle instead.
Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking
The biggest mistake when making crock pot sweet potatoes is cutting them too large, which leads to uneven cooking with some pieces mushy while others stay firm – stick to that 1/2 inch cube size for consistent results.
Another common error is adding the marshmallows at the beginning, which will cause them to completely dissolve into nothing, so save them for the last 15-20 minutes of cooking time.
Don’t skip stirring the sweet potatoes halfway through cooking, as the bottom pieces can get overly soft while the top ones remain undercooked, and resist the urge to lift the lid too often since this releases heat and extends cooking time.
For the best texture, test a few pieces with a fork after 3-4 hours on low – they should be tender but not falling apart, and if your crock pot runs hot, start checking even earlier to prevent overcooking.
What to Serve With Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes?
These sweet and cozy crock pot sweet potatoes are perfect alongside your holiday turkey or ham, but they’re honestly good enough to eat as a side with just about any main dish. I love serving them with roasted chicken, pork chops, or even grilled salmon since the sweetness pairs really well with savory proteins. For a complete comfort meal, try them with some green beans or a simple salad to balance out all that delicious sweetness. They also make a great addition to your Thanksgiving spread right next to the stuffing and cranberry sauce.
Storage Instructions
Keep Fresh: Your crock pot sweet potatoes taste amazing for days! Store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I actually think they taste even better the next day because all those sweet flavors have more time to meld together.
Freeze: These sweet potatoes freeze really well for up to 3 months. Just skip adding the marshmallows before freezing – you can always sprinkle fresh ones on top when you reheat. Let them cool completely, then portion into freezer-safe containers or bags.
Warm Up: To enjoy your leftovers, just microwave individual portions for 1-2 minutes or warm them in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes. If you want that fresh marshmallow topping, add new mini marshmallows during the last few minutes of reheating so they get all golden and gooey again.
| Preparation Time | 10-15 minutes |
| Cooking Time | 240 minutes |
| Total Time | 250-255 minutes |
| Level of Difficulty | Easy |
Estimated Nutrition
Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):
- Calories: 2500-2700
- Protein: 12-16 g
- Fat: 70-80 g
- Carbohydrates: 475-525 g
Ingredients
- 4 large sweet potatoes (approx. 2 lb, peeled and diced 1/2 inch)
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut in pieces
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice blend (or cinnamon with nutmeg)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups miniature marshmallows
Step 1: Prepare the Slow Cooker and Sweet Potatoes
- 4 large sweet potatoes (approx. 2 lb, peeled and diced 1/2 inch)
- Non-stick spray (for the slow cooker, not listed in the ingredients but implied)
Spray the inside of an 8-quart slow cooker with non-stick spray.
Place the peeled and diced sweet potatoes into the slow cooker.
This step gets everything ready for combining the remaining ingredients.
Step 2: Mix in Flavorings
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut in pieces
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice blend (or cinnamon with nutmeg)
- 1 tsp salt
Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, butter pieces, pumpkin pie spice blend, and salt to the diced sweet potatoes in the slow cooker.
Stir well to thoroughly combine all the ingredients.
This ensures every sweet potato piece gets coated in the flavorful mixture.
I like to use a big spoon or spatula to make sure nothing sticks and all the pieces are evenly coated.
Step 3: Slow Cook the Sweet Potatoes
- sweet potatoes coated in mixture from Step 2
Cover the slow cooker with its lid and set it to cook on high for 4 hours, or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
There may be extra sauce at the bottom when cooking is complete—you can pour it off if you want, or leave it in to drizzle over the finished sweet potatoes.
Step 4: Top with Marshmallows and Melt
- 2 cups miniature marshmallows
- cooked sweet potatoes from Step 3
About five minutes before serving, remove the lid and scatter the miniature marshmallows on top of the cooked sweet potatoes.
Replace the lid and allow the marshmallows to melt for 3 to 5 minutes.
Serve immediately!
For an even gooier topping, I sometimes let the marshmallows sit a minute longer—the extra melt makes it special.
Marshmallow Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 large sweet potatoes (approx. 2 lb, peeled and diced 1/2 inch)
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut in pieces
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice blend (or cinnamon with nutmeg)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups miniature marshmallows
Instructions
- Spray the inside of an 8-quart slow cooker with non-stick spray. Place the peeled and diced sweet potatoes into the slow cooker. This step gets everything ready for combining the remaining ingredients.
- Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, butter pieces, pumpkin pie spice blend, and salt to the diced sweet potatoes in the slow cooker. Stir well to thoroughly combine all the ingredients. This ensures every sweet potato piece gets coated in the flavorful mixture. I like to use a big spoon or spatula to make sure nothing sticks and all the pieces are evenly coated.
- Cover the slow cooker with its lid and set it to cook on high for 4 hours, or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender. There may be extra sauce at the bottom when cooking is complete—you can pour it off if you want, or leave it in to drizzle over the finished sweet potatoes.
- About five minutes before serving, remove the lid and scatter the miniature marshmallows on top of the cooked sweet potatoes. Replace the lid and allow the marshmallows to melt for 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately! For an even gooier topping, I sometimes let the marshmallows sit a minute longer—the extra melt makes it special.
