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Fluffy Sweet Potato Pancakes are easy and delicious with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon for a cozy warm flavor. The addition of mashed sweet potatoes and Greek yogurt gives this wonderful texture. Top them with a drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkle of pecans for the perfect breakfast!
You may also like my chocolate chip pancakes or my cottage cheese pancakes. Give them a try next.
Tired of making regular pancakes? Make these Sweet Potato Pancakes instead. They are thick, soft, delicious, and fluffy! The combination of sweet potato and Greek yogurt adds moisture and makes these flapjacks tender while giving them a comforting flavor.
With a golden crisp outside and a fluffy inside, these are a welcome sight on the breakfast table! They’ll be worth waking up for! Add a drizzle of maple syrup and some chopped pecans, then complete this breakfast with crispy bacon or sausage and scrambled eggs. Your family will love you for it!
Looking for more breakfast ideas? Checkout my collection of healthy breakfast recipes.
Why you will love this recipe
- Quick & easy to make: This sweet potato pancake recipe takes very little prep time to make and cook. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, cook, and enjoy.
- So flavorful: The subtle sweetness of the sweet potato paired with the cinnamon, vanilla, and maple syrup gives these the best melt-in-your-mouth flavor.
- Great for meal prep: Make these and freeze or refrigerate them for later. Cook up a double batch, and freeze the extras. Then, you can heat up what you need to make busy mornings a little less crazy… and way more tasty!
Ingredients needed
Lucky for you, this healthy sweet potato pancakes recipe is not only delicious and easy to make, it’s filled with good-for-you ingredients! It’s also a great way to use up leftover sweet potato. Here’s everything you’ll need to make them:
- Whole wheat flour: I like to use whole wheat flour for a healthy dose of whole grains and nutty flavor. You can use all-purpose flour instead if you’d like.
- Ground cinnamon: The perfect spice to compliment sweet potato!
- Baking staples: Baking powder and baking soda make these extra fluffy.
- Fine kosher salt: To balance the sweetness and bring out all of the delicious flavor.
- Eggs: Two large eggs will help bind the ingredients and add richness.
- Sweet potato: I am adding mashed, cooked sweet potato right into the batter. You can use freshly cooked or canned sweet potato, or sweet potato puree if you’d like. If you have any leftover mashed or baked sweet potatoes, use them to make pancakes!
- Oil: A small amount of vegetable oil or melted coconut oil adds just enough extra moisture and helps make these pancakes light and fluffy.
- Yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt adds a boost of protein and lots of extra moisture, so we only need a small amount of fat in the recipe.
- Milk: You can use any milk variety to give this tenderness and ensure the batter is the right consistency.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the overall taste.
- Optional toppings: For extra sweetness and a nutty crunch, top your stack with maple syrup and chopped pecans.
How to make sweet Potato Pancakes
You can make these pancakes in just a few easy steps! You’re not only going to love the cozy taste but also how quick they are to whip up. Here’s how:
- Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, stir all the dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Whisk wet ingredients: In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the mashed potatoes, oil, yogurt, milk, and vanilla.
- Combine: Add in the dry ingredients with the wet, and stir well to combine.
- Cook: Preheat a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Scoop about 1/4 cupful of batter per pancake and cook in batches, for 2-3 minutes per side.
- Serve: Enjoy warm with maple syrup and pecans, if desired.
Recipe tips
Follow these helpful tips for incredibly fluffy and perfectly cooked sweet potato pancakes!
- For the sweet potato: This recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of mashed sweet potato. You can use canned or cook about 2 medium or 1 large sweet potato. Poke holes in it and roast it in the oven for about 40 minutes at 425ºF. Or poke holes in it and microwave it for about 5 minutes. Here are instructions for cooking them in an instant pot.
- Don’t over-mix: Once you’ve combined the wet and dry ingredients, avoid over-mixing the batter. Some small lumps are fine. Over-mixing causes gluten to develop, which can result in an undesirable texture.
- Cook on a hot pan: Before adding the pancake batter to the nonstick griddle or pan, be sure it has time to get nice and hot. This will ensure your pancakes cook evenly, so the middle and outside are done at the same time.
- Wait to flip: Be patient and only flip once. Don’t flip pancakes back and forth or they will end up flat. They are ready to flip when the edges are set and you see bubbles popping, forming little holes on the surface.
- Keep warm: If you want to keep cooked pancakes warm, while you’re making more, set the oven to 200ºF, place cooked pancakes on a baking sheet or oven-safe plate, and pop them in the oven until you’re ready to serve.
Frequently asked questions
These sweet potato pancakes are similar to other pancake recipes and are made with flour, eggs, milk, baking staples, and flavorings. The addition of mashed sweet potato and Greek yogurt makes them extra fluffy and delicious!
To avoid pancakes from sticking to the pan, be sure it is plenty hot and grease it with butter or oil.
Compared with other pancake recipes, these are healthier than most. They are made with better-for-you ingredients, they contain no refined sugar, we’re using whole grain flour, and only using a small amount of oil. Plus, sweet potatoes and Greek yogurt contain many nutrients. To make these more nutritious and lower in calories, use plant-based milk, like unsweetened almond milk. You can also top these with sugar-free maple syrup if preferred.
Variations & topping ideas
Get creative with your pancakes and change up the toppings and mix-ins. Here are some options:
- Syrups: We love the flavor of maple syrup with the sweet potato, but honey or fruit syrups are delicious too!
- Nut butter: A dollop of peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower butter, or Nutella is wonderful on pancakes.
- Fresh fruit: For extra nutrients, top these with blueberries, cinnamon apples, pear slices, banana slices, or pomegranate seeds.
- Nuts: You can add these as a topping or fold chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds into the batter.
- Chocolate chips: Use as a topping or fold some directly into the batter! Semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips would all be wonderful.
- Pumpkin: Feel free to replace the mashed sweet potato with pumpkin puree or another leftover mashed squash. Butternut squash works great too!
Serving suggestions
Make this a full breakfast spread by serving your pancakes with any breakfast sides you love. Here are some of our favs:
- Fresh fruit or fruit salad: To keep things light, this easy fruit salad with a poppy seed dressing would be a great option.
- Yogurt: Dollop a spoonful on top of your pancakes, or serve on the side. For extra protein, make it Greek yogurt.
- Breakfast meats: Bacon, sausage, or ham make a nice savory complement to the sweet pancakes.
- Eggs: For some added protein, serve with scrambled eggs like these cottage cheese scrambled eggs, baked egg muffins, or crustless quiche.
Storage recommendations
Leftover sweet potato pancakes can be saved for days in the fridge or frozen, and reheated later! They are just as delicious the next time you eat them. This makes such an easy breakfast option for busy mornings! Here’s how to store them, so they stay fresh:
- In the refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: Flash freeze the pancakes by placing them on a pan (not touching), and freeze for about 30 minutes. Then, transfer them to freezer-safe bags or containers, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Label the bag with the date!
- Reheat: Once you’re ready to eat, you can reheat from frozen! Microwave for 30-60 seconds or until warm. You can also heat these in a toaster, toaster oven, or air fryer.
More pancake recipes to try
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Sweet Potato Pancakes
Equipment
- Large non stick Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cup mashed sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup milk of choice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Optional: maple syrup and pecans
Instructions
- In a bowl, stir all the dry ingredients: flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the mashed potatoes, oil, yogurt, milk, and vanilla.
- Add in the dry ingredients with the wet, and stir well to combine.
- Preheat a non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Scoop about 1/4 cupful of batter per pancake and cook in batches, for 2-3 minutes per side.
- Serve warm with maple syrup and pecans, if desired.
Notes
- In the refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: Flash freeze the pancakes by placing them on a pan (not touching), and freeze for about 30 minutes. Then, transfer them to freezer-safe bags or containers, and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Label the bag with the date!
- Reheat: Once you’re ready to eat, you can reheat from frozen! Microwave for 30-60 seconds or until warm. You can also heat these in a toaster, toaster oven, or air fryer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Could I make these in a mini waffle iron instead? Like waffles more than pancakes.
Yes you can.
I do not have yogurt, is there a replacement or alternative?
Hi, you can do sour cream, or just milk
Delicious! I used coconut oil & had to add some extra oat milk to thin the batter.
Perfect!
Not too bad I am in Australia and I changed the flour to glutenfree as I have family that are coeliacs it seemed to work out okay
I have a question more than a comment. I am wondering if the batter or the cakes keep in the refer for three or four days.
Hi Harry. I haven’t tested this concept honestly to be 100 percent sure. I would think it should be fine. Just need to give in a good mix before using it again.