These sweet potato pancakes are so fluffy, moist and flavorful, they’ve moved to the top of our favorites list! This recipe is the ultimate way to transform leftover sweet potatoes into a satisfying breakfast.
These sweet potato pancakes are so fluffy, moist and cinnamon-scented, they immediately moved to the top of our favorites list (along with these banana oatmeal pancakes). In fact, we’d recommend boiling up a potato just so you can make them, though they’re also the absolute best use of leftover cooked sweet potatoes. They turn into the most delicious, fluffy breakfast treat: incredibly moist and packed with cozy flavors. Get ready to fall in love with this easy and satisfying breakfast idea!
What you need for sweet potato pancakes
Once you taste a cozy-scented, fluffy moist bite of this sweet potato pancake recipe, you’ll be a believer! In fact, we were surprised at how delicious these turned out. They’re a riff on our pumpkin pancakes, but we think they’re even tastier (maybe because the potato adds a nuanced sweetness that is missing from pumpkin). Either way, our kids absolutely adore them and leftovers are perfect for snacks, too. You’ll need just a handful of ingredients for this one:
All-purpose flour
Brown sugar
Baking powder
Cinnamon
Salt
Eggs
Cooked sweet potato
Milk of choice
Neutral oil (grapeseed, organic vegetable or canola)
Butter, for cooking (or more oil)
Ways to cook a sweet potato (or use leftovers)
This sweet potato pancake recipe is ideal if you’ve got some leftover cooked sweet potatoes (like mashed potato pancakes). But there are a few quick ways to cook a sweet potato if you want to make it especially for this recipe. To be honest, we are people who crave things on a whim so we often just boil the sweet potato right before making this recipe. Here are a few methods to cook a sweet potato:
Boiling: Boiling a sweet potato is the quickest way to cook it. You’ll peel and dice it, then boil for 7 to 12 minutes until fork tender. See How to Boil Sweet Potatoes.
Roasting: Baking or roasting a sweet potato is good if you’re making it in advance. You can bake a whole potato, or cut them in half to shorten the bake time. See How to Bake a Sweet Potato.
Microwave: While you can microwave a sweet potato, we do not recommend it as a first choice for this recipe. It can dry out the sweet potato, which causes baked goods to become very dry (this happened with a recipe tester for our Sweet Potato Bread when she used a microwaved sweet potato).
Tips for cooking sweet potato pancakes
Sweet potato pancakes are simple to whip up, once you’ve cooked the sweet potato! Here are a few of our top tips for the process making pancakes:
Use a large griddle: a non-stick surface is helpful. Some griddles have uneven heating, so use a quality griddle or skillet. A non-stick surface is a plus, though you’ll still want to cook the pancakes in butter or oil to get them golden brown.
Experiment to find the right heat level. Medium low heat is ideal, but it’s different on every stovetop. It should take a few minutes to get the pan up to heat. If the heat is too low, the pancakes won’t puff as much when cooking.
Don’t worry if the first pancake isn’t perfect! Use it as a test for honing in your pancake skills and adjust the heat accordingly.
The batter sometimes becomes very thick while waiting for the second batch. If so, add a teaspoon or two of milk until the batter is pourable.
Toppings and mix ins
These sweet potato pancakes are perfect topped with butter and pure maple syrup. But we know many of you like to get creative with mix-ins and toppings! We recommend using toppings that compliment the flavor and vibe of sweet potatoes. Here are a few ideas:
Pecans: Add a hint of nutty flavor with a handful of finely chopped pecans in each pancake or sprinkled over the top.
These sweet potato pancakes are so fluffy, moist and flavorful, they’ve moved to the top of our favorites list! This recipe is the ultimate way to transform leftover sweet potatoes into a satisfying breakfast.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and kosher salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the sweet potato, milk, and oil (or melted butter).
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until no dry patches remain and a smooth batter forms.
Lightly butter or oil a skillet or griddle and wipe off extra grease with a paper towel. Heat the skillet to medium low heat. Pour the batter into small circles (about ¼ cup). Cook the pancakes until the bubbles pop on the top and the bottoms are golden. Then flip them and cook until cooked through and no longer gooey at the edges (the batter may ooze out a bit at the sides; just keep cooking until fully cooked, adjusting the heat as necessary so they don’t brown too fast).
Place the cooked pancakes under an inverted bowl to keep them warm. Repeat with the remaining batter, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain an even temperature. Serve immediately with butter and maple syrup.
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