Sweet Potato Pancakes

Thick, fluffy, and perfectly spiced, Sweet Potato Pancakes are a healthy breakfast recipe that everyone loves! Made with whole grains, sweet potato puree, maple syrup, and warming spices, this easy recipe for Sweet Potato Pancakes is genuinely delectable.

Light, tender, and filled with the warming flavors of sweet potato, cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple, it is easy to see why Sweet Potato Pancakes are a southern favorite! They are absolutely delicious not to mention they are loaded with fiber and Vitamin A.

And good news--they happen to be really easy to make at home!

My recipe for Sweet Potato Pancakes is made by folding sweet potato puree and warming spices into a simple whole wheat pancake batter, to create light, fluffy, whole grain pancakes that are loaded with nutrients and flavor!

And while I love sweet potato pancakes drizzled with warm maple syrup and chopped pecans, they are especially spectacular when served with sauteed cinnamon apples. However you choose to enjoy these Sweet Potato Pancakes, they are phenomenal.

Key Ingredients Needed

• Sweet Potato: Unless you can find 100% canned sweet potato puree or you want to use baby food puree, it is best to prepare the sweet potato puree yourself by mashing up the flesh of cooked sweet potatoes. This is an incredibly easy process and also a great way to use up leftover baked sweet potatoes.
• Flour: For whole grain pancakes, I recommend using whole white wheat flour. It is 100% whole grain, yet keeps the pancakes light and fluffy. Feel free to replace the whole white wheat flour with all-purpose flour.
• Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg add warmth to these pancakes and pair perfectly with the flavor of the sweet potatoes.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk is key to fluffy pancakes, as the acidity from the buttermilk reacts with the baking powder to form delicate air pockets. But there is no need to purchase buttermilk. To make homemade buttermilk, add 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar to milk and let sit for 5 minutes. This works even if using non-dairy milk.
• Butter: In true southern fashion, I used melted butter for the pancake batter. However, melted coconut oil or canola oil will work in place of the butter, if so desired.

How to Make Sweet Potato Pancakes

Step One: Prepare Sweet Potato Puree

The first step, and most time-consuming step, is to prepare the sweet potato puree. This is done by cooking a sweet potato and then mashing or blending the sweet potato puree until smooth. I often use a leftover baked sweet potato from dinner earlier in the week, but there are several options when it comes to cooking the sweet potato.

• Bake one medium sweet potato for 30 minutes at 400 degrees F, or until fork tender.
• Prepare Instant Pot Baked Sweet Potatoes.
• Place 1 peeled, cubed sweet potato in a stock pan and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, and continue to boil until the sweet potato cubes are fork tender.

Once the potato is cooked, mash the flesh of the sweet potato using a fork or blender until it is nice and smooth. Allow the puree to cool slightly before adding the pancake batter.

Tip: Feel free to replace the sweet potato puree with canned 100% pumpkin puree for Pumpkin Pancakes!

Step Two: Prepare Sweet Potato Pancakes

• Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together over a large bowl. If you don't sift the ingredients, be sure to whisk them together really well, so that the baking powder is evenly distributed through the batter.

• In another mixing bowl, mix together the sweet potato puree, buttermilk, vanilla, melted butter, eggs, and maple syrup together.

• Add the sweet potato mixture into the flour mixture until the flour mixture is moistened. Do not over-mix the pancake batter. You want to just combine the wet and dry ingredients until JUST combined.
• Measure out ¼ cup of the pancake batter onto a preheated, greased skillet. I love using an ice cream scoop to do this.
• Allow the pancakes to cook until small bubbles appear on the surface and then flip and cook for another couple of minutes. Resist the urge to press the pancakes down with a spatula, as this will cause the air bubbles in the pancakes to burst, leaving thick dense pancakes instead of tender, light pancakes.

Step Three: Serve

• Serve the Sweet Potato Pancakes with warm, maple syrup, chopped nuts, and/or warm apple compote.

Apple Compote Recipe

Maple syrup is delicious on sweet potato pancakes but simmered spiced apples take these pancakes to a whole new level of deliciousness!

If you would like to make the apple compote, begin simmering the apples before preparing the pancake batter. It will come together in the time it takes to make the pancakes.

Storing Sweet Potato Pancakes

If you are not serving Sweet Potato Pancakes immediately, transfer the cooked pancakes to a rack fitted over a sheet pan. Keep the pancakes warm in a 200-degree F oven for up to one hour. The rack will help air circulate evenly around pancakes, preventing the pancakes from getting soggy.

If you have leftover pancakes, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the pancakes for future use. To freeze, lay out the pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet and place them in the freezer for 30 to 60 minutes. This helps the pancakes from sticking together. Remove the pancakes and place them into a freezer-safe bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat for 1-2 minutes in the microwave from frozen.

Recipe Modifications

• Dairy-Free Sweet Potato Pancakes: Use non-dairy milk for the homemade buttermilk and use melted coconut oil or canola oil in place of the butter.
• Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pancakes: Use a 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour in place of the whole wheat flour. I have done this many times with great success.

More Sweet Potato Breakfast Recipes

• Baked Sweet Potato Oatmeal
• Sweet Potato Crust Quiche
• Breakfast Sweet Potato
• Southwestern Sweet Potato Hash

If you gave these Sweet Potato Pancakes a try, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.