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A warm sweet potato topped with creamy Greek yogurt, banana, nut butter, and crunchy granola makes a filling breakfast with very little effort. Cook a batch of sweet potatoes ahead, then reheat one for 1-2 minutes, and your sweet potato breakfast is ready before your coffee finishes brewing.
Breakfast Sweet Potatoes at a Glance
- Cook It Three Ways: Oven (30-40 minutes), Instant Pot (22 minutes), or slow cooker overnight (6-8 hours on low).
- Great for Meal Prep: Cook the sweet potatoes ahead and refrigerate them for up to 5 days.
- Fast in the Morning: Reheat for 1-2 minutes, then add the toppings.
- Easy to Customize: Omit the nut butter or swap in berries or savory toppings like eggs, avocado, or breakfast sausage.
Kristen's Keys for Breakfast Sweet Potatoes
I've topped baked sweet potatoes with pulled pork and taco meat for years, but once I tried one for breakfast with Greek yogurt and crunchy granola, I was hooked.
The contrast between the warm potato, cold yogurt, and crunchy topping makes it feel like a complex breakfast, but it's incredibly easy to make, especially if you keep the following tips in mind.
- Cook several at once. Cooking the sweet potato takes the most time. Once cooked, breakfast takes only a couple of minutes. Make as many as you and your family intend to eat over the next 5 days.
- Season the potato itself. Add a pinch of salt so the sweet potato isn't bland underneath all the good stuff.
- Build in protein. Greek yogurt adds creaminess and a solid protein boost. You could also try cottage cheese, go savory with eggs and breakfast sausage, or even bake eggs inside sweet potatoes.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
What You Need
- Sweet Potatoes: I like to look for small to average-sized sweet potatoes, as they are the perfect size for breakfast. If you have larger sweet potatoes, increase the cook time accordingly (see recipe card for detailed timing) and enjoy half for breakfast.
- Yogurt: I tend to stick to plain Greek yogurt, as it is unsweetened, thick, creamy, and higher in protein than regular yogurt. Feel free to swap it out for vanilla yogurt or your favorite non-dairy yogurt, such as Instant Pot coconut milk yogurt.
- Banana: Optional, but I love the natural sweetness it adds. If using, I suggest a firm, yet ripe banana for easy slicing.
- Granola: Topping with a bit of store-bought or homemade granola adds a satisfying crunch and texture. Chopped nuts, chia seeds, and/or hemp seeds are alternative options for adding crunch.
- Nut Butter: Peanut butter or almond butter adds a rich finish. For a nut-free alternative, use tahini or sesame seed butter.
How to Make a Breakfast Sweet Potato
Step One: Prepare Sweet Potatoes
You can bake sweet potatoes in the oven, pressure-cook them using my Instant Pot sweet potato recipe, or cook them in the slow cooker for overnight prep.
- To Bake: Scrub sweet potatoes and pierce them several times with a fork. Bake on a foil-lined baking sheet at 375°F for 30-40 minutes, or until fork-tender.
- To Pressure Cook: Scrub sweet potatoes and pierce them several times with a fork. Place a trivet inside the inner pot and add 1½ cups cold water. Place the sweet potatoes on the trivet and seal the lid. For average-sized sweet potatoes, cook on High Pressure for 22 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
- To Slow Cook: Place washed and dried sweet potatoes directly in the slow cooker. You do not need to add water, line with foil, or pierce the sweet potatoes. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.
Step Two: Serve or Store
You can enjoy your sweet potato immediately after it's cooked, or let it cool, then refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 5 days before reheating and topping as desired.
- Reheat, if needed. Place on a heat-safe plate, slice open, and microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until warmed through.
- Top and enjoy. Sprinkle the flesh lightly with salt and then top with a generous scoop of yogurt, sliced banana, a drizzle of nut butter, and granola, if using.
Sweet Potato Breakfast Toppings
While I love my breakfast sweet potato topped with Greek yogurt, nut butter, and banana, you can swap out the fruit or take your breakfast in a savory direction. For a more filling breakfast, I recommend pairing the sweet potato with a protein source rather than serving it plain.
- Eggs + Breakfast Meat: Top with scrambled eggs + breakfast sausage or crumbled bacon + avocado or cheese.
- Berries + Yogurt: Yogurt + berries + granola/chia/hemp.
- Tex-Mex: Oven-poached egg + avocado + salsa + cilantro.
- Egg-Free Savory: Breakfast sausage + sautéed spinach/peppers + avocado. This is a great place to use leftover fajita vegetables.
- Simple Cinnamon: Cinnamon sugar + Greek yogurt.
Alternative option
Prefer a Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl?
Instead of stuffing a cooked sweet potato with your favorite toppings, peel the cold, cooked sweet potato (easier to peel when cold) and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Season with a bit of salt or cinnamon sugar, mash with a fork, then reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Add your favorite sweet or savory toppings.
More Sweet Potato Breakfast Recipes
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Breakfast Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 average-sized sweet potato
- 1 pinch kosher salt, just a pinch, no more than ⅛ teaspoon
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 small ripe, but firm banana, sliced
- ½-1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter, or almond butter, optional
- 2 tablespoons granola, or chopped nuts, optional
Instructions
Prepare Sweet Potatoes
- Bake Sweet Potatoes: Scrub, dry, and pierce the potatoes several times with a fork. Place on a foil-lined sheet pan and bake at 375℉ (190℃) for 30-40 minutes, or until a fork pierces them easily. Note: If using larger sweet potatoes, bake for closer to 50-60 minutes. For small sweet potatoes, bake for about 28-30 minutes.
- Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes: Wash, dry, and pierce the potatoes several times with a fork. Add 1½ cups of cold tap water to the inner pot, add a trivet, then stack the sweet potatoes on top of the trivet (it's okay if they overlap). Place the lid on the Instant Pot and seal the vent. For average-sized sweet potatoes, cook on High Pressure for 22 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, you can manually quick-release the remaining pressure or continue to let it release naturally. Note: Adjust the cook time to 16 minutes for small sweet potatoes, 26 minutes for large sweet potatoes, and 35 minutes for extra-large sweet potatoes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
- For Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes: Wash and dry the sweet potatoes, but do not pierce. Place them in the slow cooker liner, cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until a fork pierces the flesh easily. There is no need to add water to the slow cooker.
Assemble Sweet Potato Breakfast
- Enjoy Immediately: Once cool enough to handle, cut open the baked sweet potato and sprinkle with salt. Top with yogurt, sliced banana, nut butter, and granola.
- Store for Later Use: Let the sweet potatoes cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To reheat, slice the sweet potato open, then microwave on a heat-safe plate for 1-2 minutes until warmed through. Top with salt, yogurt, banana, nut butter, and granola.
Notes
- Eggs + Breakfast Meat: Top with scrambled eggs + breakfast sausage or crumbled bacon + avocado or cheese.
- Berries + Yogurt: Yogurt + berries + granola/chia/hemp.
- Tex-Mex: Oven-poached egg + avocado + salsa + cilantro.
- Egg-Free Savory: Breakfast sausage + sautéed spinach/peppers + avocado.
- Simple Cinnamon: Cinnamon sugar + Greek yogurt.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Kristen, your meal planning is by far my favorite website, and you just made my year when I stumbled upon this recipe! I'm having a difficult time getting enough nutrition and staying off a feeding tube, but sweet potatoes are an absolute favorite of mine, and so nutritious! I never thought about eating them for breakfast. I will be trying every variation you have; they all sound great. I love adding chia seeds because I seem to digest them easily. I need high-protein, easily digestible foods. Thank you again! Your recipes have been life-saving because my family loves them, they're easy, and most of them are extremely healthy. We never feel like we're settling, and they aren't bizarre foods my dad's never heard of.
Hi Katie! I am so sorry for the challenges you have been facing. I know how hard it can be find foods your body can easily absorb and tolerate. I am so happy to be able to help you in a small way 🙂 Sending hugs -- and I know you will LOVE sweet potatoes for breakfast 🙂
Wow you’re quite the innovative cook. We have been having your overnight hot crockpot oats almost everyday, so I wonder if I put these in a crockpot overnight would they cook and be ready for breakfast? What do you think Kristen, any ideas, do you think I would need to add water or dry cook on low?
Hi Sami! I love hearing you have been enjoying my crockpot oatmeal. To cook sweet potatoes in the crockpot, wash and place in slow cooker. No need to pierce, wrap in foil, or add water. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours--and enjoy for breakfast 🙂
GENIUS idea! So delicious and the perfect breakfast!
I am so glad you enjoyed Gina! I am actually having this right now for breakfast 🙂
I love this idea to mix up my daily breakfast routine! The protein from the greek yogurt and healthy fat from the chia seeds has made this a morning staple for me! Yum!
I am so glad you have been enjoying Kalee--and that it keeps you satisfied!
This is a great idea! I love sweet potato recipes too. 🙂