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Thick, fluffy, and perfectly spiced, these Sweet Potato Pancakes are a breakfast worth waking up for! With earthy sweet potatoes, warming cinnamon, and a touch of maple, they are naturally sweet, nutrient-rich, and ridiculously delicious.
From lemon ricotta pancakes to sheet pan pancakes to whole wheat pancakes, I love pancakes of all varieties. But sweet potato pancakes rank as one of my all-time favorites. Moist, tender, and incredibly rich, they are simply irresistible!
Kristen's Keys for Sweet Potato Pancakes (Start Here!)
A few quick tips will help to maximize your time, save you money, and ensure the the best results.
- Start with leftovers. While you can use canned sweet potato puree, it is not always easy to find. The easiest (and most cost effective) option is to bake or pressure cook sweet potatoes earlier in the week. Enjoy some for dinner and save a few to mash or blend to make homemade sweet potato puree.
- No buttermilk on hand? Make it yourself! Simply mix 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar with milk (dairy or non-dairy) and let it sit for 5 minutes. The acidity reacts with the baking powder to ensure fluffy pancakes.
- Use any flour you like. For a serving of whole grains, I love using whole white wheat flour, which is 100% whole grain, yet has a lighter crumb than traditional whole wheat flour. That said, this recipe works beautifully with all-purpose flour or a gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose blend.
5-Star Reader Review
These turned out so good! They add the perfect amount of sweetness too! Thank you! -Jessica ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
How to Make Sweet Potato Pancakes
While an overall easy recipe, my step-by-step process will break down key pointers and tips that will help you achieve the best sweet potato pancakes.
Step One: Prepare Sweet Potato Puree
You will need about 2 medium sweet potatoes to equal 1 cup of sweet potato puree. I prefer using my Instant Pot sweet potato method to keep it quick and simple but you can also opt to bake the sweet potatoes at 400°F for 45-55 minutes, or until fork tender. Or as I stated earlier, you can start with leftovers from earlier in the week to speed up the process.
- Peel the sweet potatoes. Once the sweet potatoes are cooked and cool enough to handle, peel off the skins and place the flesh into a large mixing bowl, blender, or food processor fitted with an s-blade.
- Puree. Mash or blend until creamy and lump free and measure out 1 cup of puree for the pancakes.
👉🏻Leftover Sweet Potato Casserole? Replace the sweet potato puree with leftover sweet potato casserole (topping and all) and omit the added maple syrup. The pancakes may have a bit of crunch from the streusel topping, but that is never a bad thing!
Step Two: Prepare the Batter
Just like any good pancake batter, it is best to first mix the wet and dry ingredients separately and then gently combine. This helps to ensure the batter is evenly combined without over mixing which leads to dense pancakes.
- Sift dry ingredients. Over a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt using a fine mesh strainer. Sifting isn't just an extra step, it prevents clumps and ensures everything mixes evenly for a consistent batter.
- Whisk wet ingredients. In a separate large bowl, combine the sweet potato puree with eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Whisk until everything is nice and combined and lump-free.
- Gently combine. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold the two together until just combined.
👉🏻Thick Batter? The batter should be thick but pourable. If it is too stiff, add additional buttermilk, a tablespoon at a time, until it loosens slightly.
Step Three: Cook Pancakes
My favorite trick for ladling out pancake batter is to use an ice cream scoop or quarter-cup measuring cup. This keeps each pancake even in size makes the process easy and mess-free!
- Preheat the skillet. Lightly grease a skillet or griddle with butter or oil and heat over medium heat. Don't be tempted to use high heat to speed up the process--that can cause the surface to burn before the center is cooked through.
- Ladle out batter. Ladle about ¼ cup of batter for each pancake.
- Cook until set. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface form and the edges look set, about 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes until golden.
👉🏻Pro-Tip: Resist the urge to push down on the pancakes as they cook, as this will cause the air bubbles in the pancakes to burst, which results in dense pancakes.
Step Four: Serve
Whether served with butter and maple syrup, freshly whipped cream, or a smear of apple butter, you are sure to love these sweet potato pancakes.
👉🏻Need to Keep Pancakes Warm? If you aren't serving the pancakes immediately, or want to keep one batch warm while the other cooks, transfer the cooked pancakes to sheet pan fitted with an oven-safe rack and hold warm in a 200℉ oven for up to one hour. The rack will help air circulate evenly around pancakes, preventing the pancakes from getting soggy.
Recipe Modifications
- Dairy-Free: Use non-dairy milk for the homemade buttermilk and use melted coconut oil or canola oil in place of the butter.
- Egg-Free: Combine 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed with ½ cup of milk (or buttermilk) of choice and let sit for 5 minutes before adding to the wet ingredients.
- Pumpkin Version: Replace the sweet potato puree with canned pumpkin and use pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Storage Tips
Leftover pancakes make a delicious quick and easy breakfast when warmed up. Allow leftovers cool to room temperature and then store and heat as directed.
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Freeze individually on a baking sheet first, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag once frozen solid. Store in freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Microwave in a single layer on a heat-safe plate for 30-seconds, flip, and continue to microwave for 15-30 seconds, or until warmed through.
More Favorite Sweet Potato Breakfast Recipes
Love sweet potatoes for breakfast? Don't miss the following recipes:
Sweet Potato Pancakes
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour, whole white wheat, all-purpose, or a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 cup sweet potato puree, ~2 medium sweet potatoes, mashed
- 1½ cups buttermilk, see note for homemade
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, + more for greasing skillet
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200℉/90℃. Once heated, place a baking sheet fitted with a cooling rack into the oven. This is to keep the pancakes warm as you cook the batter. Skip this step if people will be eating the pancakes as they are prepared.
- Over a large mixing bowl, sift together 2 cups flour with 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon table salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg and lightly whisk together to evenly incorporate.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup sweet potato puree, 1½ cups buttermilk, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, and 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter until well combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined and the flour is just moistened and no flour pockets remain. Don't overmix. If your batter appears too thick, add in up to an additional ¼ cup of buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Set the batter aside and preheat a large nonstick skillet or griddle to medium heat and grease with melted butter.
- Once the pan is heated, ladle the pancake batter, using ¼ cup of batter per pancake, onto the heated skillet. Cook until bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes and the edges are dry. Flip the pancakes and cook for 1-2 minutes before removing them from the skillet. Do not be tempted to push down on the pancakes as they finish cooking.
- Once pancakes are prepared, transfer them to the baking sheet in the oven, to hold warm in the oven for up to 1 hour before serving. Repeat the process with the remaining batter.
- Serve with butter, maple syrup, and/or nuts as desired.
For Sweet Potato Puree
- Bake one large or two medium sweet potatoes at 400°F for 45-60 minutes, or until the potatoes are super soft and the flesh gives easily when tested with a fork. Alternatively, cook sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot Sweet Pot using my Instant Pot sweet potato recipe. Allow to cool slightly, remove the skin, and mash the potatoes using a fork or food processor. Measure out 1 cup of the puree and proceed with the recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published in 2022 and updated in 2025.
Too much to be easy. It's a wonderful recipe for once in a while however I make extra so they go in the freezer for next time and they're beautiful just like the 1st fresh batch
Hi Livie! I am glad you enjoyed the flavors. And while yes, if you don't have sweet potato puree (or leftover sweet potatoes) on hand, this recipe does take a bit more time than traditional pancakes.
This tasted so amazing! Fam really loved them.
This pancake recipe is a new favorite! My family loves its fluffiness and its flavor. Highly recommended!
Wonderful! So happy to hear you all enjoyed these Sweet Potato Pancakes. They are a favorite here as well.
These turned out so good! They add the perfect amount of sweetness too! Thank you!