These Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes and Apples feature perfectly cooked sweet potatoes, a sweet brown sugar glaze, and tender apples. You’ll delight everyone on Thanksgiving Day with this delicious recipe!
$11.07 per recipe / $1.38 per serving
Everyone has a favorite Thanksgiving side dish.
It’s usually the mashed potatoes, stuffing, or rolls, right?
Not for me.
These slow cooker sweet potatoes are hands-down the best side dish we eat on Thanksgiving Day!
My mom found the recipe years ago and has been making it every Thanksgiving ever since.
I don’t even remember what the sweet potatoes were like before she made this recipe, and I don’t care, because these sweet potatoes are absolutely delicious.
So forget the marshmallow-topped casseroles and make this for Thanksgiving instead!
This recipe works because it’s:
- Easy to prepare. Most Thanksgiving sweet potato dishes require you to mash the sweet potatoes, but you’ll just cut the product and throw them in the Crock Pot for my recipe.
- Unique and different. Instead of the traditional marshmallows and nuts, this side features fresh fruits and spices that aren’t overused.
- The perfect balance of flavors. The sweet apples combined with the tart cranberries and orange juice make this recipe so delicious and tasty!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Peel and cut 3 pounds of sweet potatoes into small cubes. Once your sweet potatoes are prepared, slice and cut 1½ cups apples into small cubes.
Place the sweet potatoes in the bottom of your slow cooker and add the apples to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Pour 1/3 cup orange juice over the apples and stir to coat.
Add 1 cup brown sugar, 4 tablespoons of melted butter, 2 tablespoons flour, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1 cup of dried cranberries to the mixing bowl. Stir well.
Once combined, pour the apple mixture over the sweet potatoes.
Cover your slow cooker with the lid and cook on low for 6-7 hours OR on high for 3-4 hours until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Once the sweet potatoes and apples are tender, remove the lid from the slow cooker and allow the ingredients to cook for 15 minutes more to thicken the sauce.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
The sauce can be pretty runny, so make sure you follow the last step. This will keep the sauce from creeping into the other foods on your plate.
Cutting sweet potatoes is my least favorite step in this recipe. If you can, buy small sweet potatoes so your knife will cut through easier.
If all you can find are large sweet potatoes, you can add them to a microwave-safe dish with a little water in the bottom, cover, and cook on HIGH for 1 minute. This will soften them just enough for easy cutting.
The easiest way to cut the apples is to first cut them into slices using an apple cutter. Then you can cut 3 slices at once into the cubes. Easy!
If you’d like, you can sprinkle glazed pecans on before serving.
Glazed Pecans
Place 1/2 cup chopped pecans and 2 tablespoons sugar in medium saucepan. Stir constantly over medium heat until sugar melts and coats pecans. Spread pecans on a sheet of foil to cool completely.
More Like This
Looking for more holiday side ideas? You’ll love these!
- Crescent Rolls
- Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples
- Pink Fluff
- Cinnamon and Honey Carrots
- Sweet Potato Crunch Casserole
What To Eat with Sweet Potatoes
And if you’re looking for ideas on what to serve with these slow cooker sweet potatoes, we have several awesome recipes.
You can enjoy these pairings for a cozy Sunday dinner or holiday meal.
Try meats and mains like:
- Meatloaf
- Turkey
- Ham
- Roast beef
And try sides like:
- Mac and cheese
- Pumpkin rolls
- Wild rice
- Zucchini casserole
Check out the full list of 43 ideas for what to serve with sweet potatoes.
Recipe Costs
This recipes costs $11.07 to make which is $1.38 a serving. Even with some of the more expensive ingredients like the sweet potatoes and cranberries, it’s still an affordable dish, especially for Thanksgiving!
- Sweet potatoes – $5.67
- Apples – $1.15
- Orange juice – $0.15
- Brown sugar – $0.42
- Butter – $0.63
- Flour – $0.02
- Vanilla extract – $0.42
- Cinnamon – $0.09
- Nutmeg – $0.21
- Cranberries – $2.31
FAQs
Yes! That’s the beauty of this recipe.
There is no need to pre-cook or boil your potatoes before adding them to your slow cooker. The slow cooker will do all the work for you.
If you want to cut down on the cooking time for your potatoes, just chop or dice them into smaller pieces!
No!
Depending on the method, sweet potatoes actually take less time to cook than regular or russet potatoes.
If you’re roasting your tubers at 425 degrees, a russet potato needs about 40 minutes, whereas a sweet potato is done in 25.
Both sweet potatoes and regular potatoes cook to tender in about 20 minutes when boiled or steamed.
That depends.
Nutritional experts suggest we eat 5 portions of vegetables and fruits per day. While regular potatoes don’t count toward your veggie or fruit intake, sweet potatoes do.
They have amazing nutritional value and generally don’t lead to serious health problems in large amounts.
Just be cautious as they are very high in Vitamin A. The body stores this vitamin and your fingernails and skin may start to look a bit orange at high levels.
Fair warning: these sweet potatoes are very addicting, so you may want to portion out a small amount from the leftovers so you don’t go overboard!
I hope your family loves these delicious slow cooker sweet potatoes and apples! If you make it, be sure to take a picture and tag me on Instagram with @ashcroftfamilytable and use the hashtag #ashcroftfamilytable!
And if you’d like to get a 4-week meal plan featuring my recipes, just enter your email in the form above and you’ll get it straight to your inbox!
Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes and Apples
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes, about 3 medium sweet potatoes
- 1½ cups diced apples
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into small cubes then slice and cut the apples into small cubes.
- Place the sweet potatoes in the slow cooker and place the apples in a medium bowl.
- Pour the orange juice over the apples and stir to coat.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the medium bowl and stir well.
- Pour the apple mixture over the sweet potatoes and place the lid on the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 6-7 hours OR on high for 3-4 hours until the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Once the sweet potatoes and apples are tender, remove the lid from the slow cooker and allow the ingredients to keep cooking for about 15 minutes to thicken the sauce.
Cindy
Thursday 7th of November 2024
How would I cook in oven?
Jessica Ashcroft
Tuesday 12th of November 2024
Hi Cindy! I've never made it in the oven, but you can try these instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare the ingredients as directed in the original recipe, placing them in a baking dish instead of a slow cooker. Cover the baking dish with foil to help the sweet potatoes and apples steam and retain moisture. Place the covered dish in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. For a caramelized finish, remove the foil in the last 10-15 minutes of baking. Serve as directed in the original recipe.
Priscilla Giuliano
Friday 24th of November 2023
Can this dish be made the day before, then warmed the next day?
Jessica Ashcroft
Monday 27th of November 2023
Yes it can!
Denise
Thursday 26th of October 2023
Can I make this the day before and how do I reheat
Jessica Ashcroft
Monday 30th of October 2023
Yes you can Denise! It reheats the best in the Crock Pot so just set it to warm, pour the sweet potatoes and apples in, and let it warm for a few hours and it should be ready to serve!
Annie
Wednesday 23rd of November 2022
I just put everything in the crockpot and started it, but It seems like not enough liquid to cook the sweet potatoes. Just making sure I’m not supposed to add water or something?
Jessica Ashcroft
Wednesday 23rd of November 2022
Hi Annie!
No, you shouldn't need to add any other liquid. The apples and sweet potatoes will release moisture as they cook which will combine with the other ingredients to create a delicious sauce! I actually find there's too much liquid when everything is done cooking so that's why I recommend leaving the lid off to let the sauce thicken.
Let me know how you like it!
Sheryl Moyer
Tuesday 22nd of November 2022
What kind of apples do you recommend for this recipes? Thanks! Sheryl M.
Jessica Ashcroft
Tuesday 22nd of November 2022
Hi Sheryl! I always use Fuji, Gala, or Honeycrisp. Hope that helps!