Thick, fluffy, and perfectly spiced, Sweet Potato Pancakes are a healthy breakfast that everyone loves! Made with 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 for all of us! Sweet Potato Pancakes happen to be really easy to make at home.
This recipe for Sweet Potato Pancakes is made by folding sweet potato puree and warming spices into a simple pancake batter, creating light and fluffy pancakes that are loaded with flavor.
Notes on Ingredients
- Sweet Potato: Unless you can find 100% canned sweet potato puree or you want to use baby food puree, it is best to prepare homemade sweet potato puree. 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
- Over a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt using a fine mesh strainer. This will help ensure your batter does not have any large clumps of baking powder, which will quickly ruin pancakes.
- Add the cinnamon and nutmeg to the flour mixture and lightly whisk together until everything is evenly incorporated.
- In a separate mixing bowl, mix together sweet potato puree, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup, and melted butter together until well combined.
- Add the sweet potato mixture into the flour mixture until the flour mixture is moistened. Do not overmix 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.
- 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.
- Once pancakes are prepared, transfer them to a baking sheet to hold warm, as you finish preparing the remaining sweet potato pancakes.
- Serve the pancakes warm with butter, maple syrup, and toasted pecans as desired.
How to Keep Pancakes Warm
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.
Storing Leftover Pancakes
Allow any leftover sweet potato pancakes to cool fully to room temperature and then store and reheat as directed below.
- Refrigerate: Place the cooled pancakes in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: To freeze the leftover pancakes, 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 once frozen. Remove the pancakes and place them into a freezer-safe bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Reheat pancakes in a single layer on a heat-safe plate for 30 seconds, flip and continue to reheat for 30-60 seconds as needed to warm through.
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 flour. I have done this many times with great success.
- Pumpkin Pancakes: replace the sweet potato puree with canned 100% pumpkin puree for Pumpkin Pancakes.
If you enjoyed this recipe for Sweet Potato Pancakes, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Sweet Potato Pancakes
Made with whole grains, sweet potato puree, maple syrup, and warming spices, this easy recipe for Sweet Potato Pancakes is genuinely delectable.
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Servings: 6
Calories: 307kcal
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Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Once heated, place a baking sheet fitted with a cooling rack into the oven.
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In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg and lightly whisk together until everything is evenly incorporated.
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In a separate small bowl, mix together sweet potato puree, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup, and melted butter together until well combined.
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Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix. You just want the flour to be fully moistened. If your batter appears too thick, add in up to an additional ¼ cup of buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time.
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Set the batter aside and preheat a large nonstick skillet or griddle to medium heat and grease with melted butter.
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Once the pan is heated, ladle pancakes, using ¼ cup of pancake batter per pancake, onto the heated skillet. Cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry. Flip the pancakes and cook for 1-2 minutes before removing them from the skillet. Remember, do not be tempted to push down on the pancakes as they finish cooking.
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Once pancakes are prepared, transfer them to the baking sheet in the oven, to hold warm in the oven until serving.
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Repeat the process with the remaining batter.
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Serve with butter, maple syrup, and/or nuts as desired.
Notes
Storage: Allow any leftover sweet potato pancakes to cool fully to room temperature and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 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.
Dairy-Free Modification: Use non-dairy milk for the homemade buttermilk and use melted coconut oil or canola oil in place of the butter.
Gluten-Free Modification: Use a 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour in place of the flour. I have done this many times with great success.
Pumpkin Pancakes: Replace the sweet potato puree with canned 100% pumpkin puree for Pumpkin Pancakes.
Nutrition
Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 327mg | Potassium: 521mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 9265IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 171mg | Iron: 3mg