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Stack of sweet potato pancakes with maple syrup pouring on top.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

by Liren Baker on October 29, 2017 updated | 21 Comments This post may contain affiliate links. Please see Affiliate Disclosure in my Terms of Service.

If you love pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, or sweet potato cake, you’ll LOVE Sweet Potato Pancakes. This is also a delicious use for your leftover Thanksgiving sweet potatoes!

Stack of sweet potato pancakes with maple syrup pouring on top.
Sweet Potato Pancakes
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If you love pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, sweet potato cake, or all of the above, you’ll LOVE Sweet Potato Pancakes. Also delicious for leftover Thanksgiving sweet potatoes!

Stack of Sweet Potato Pancakes with syrup pouring down the sides.

Note: This post was originally part of my “Simple Sundays” series, and first appeared on November 4, 2012, and was updated on November 29, 2015, with improved kitchen notes and recipe annotation. The recipe video for Sweet Potato Pancakes was added and images were updated again on October 29, 2017. I hope you enjoy this favorite from my kitchen.

Weekend Pancakes

It was Friday night and as I turned over and snuggled my cheek into my pillow, my thoughts drifted to just one thing: pancakes. I was already thinking of Sunday morning pancakes. So I knew I wouldn’t be able to wait for Sunday.

But there was one more thing. As I began to dream of a leisurely Saturday morning, I thought of the sweet potatoes I brought home from the market. Then I knew what must be done.

Adding fall spices to the dry ingredients in a glass bowl.
Sweet potato being mashed with a fork to use in a recipe.

Making Sweet Potato Pancakes

I rose this morning and even before I poured myself a cup of coffee, I set to work preheating my griddle and measuring out my flour. I poured Buttermilk and cracked eggs. And then I began to mash some sweet, steaming sweet potato, their vivid orange brightening my spirits. A dash of cinnamon and a wee bit of nutmeg, and I was soon stirring up autumn in a bowl.

I gave myself a generous drizzle of maple syrup. Then the edge of my fork chiseled out a wedge of Sweet Potato Pancakes. And as I brought the bite to my mouth and tasted the sweetness of the potato, I nearly had to remind myself that I was no longer dreaming. My vision was finally reality.

Stack of Sweet Potato Pancakes served with syrup on a white plate.
Side view of a stack of Sweet Potato Pancakes cut into with a fork and ready to eat.

More favorite breakfast recipes:

Cherry Dutch Baby Pancake with Pecan Streusel
Mixed Berry Fruit-on-the-Bottom Yogurt Cups
Blackberry Yogurt Muffins
Chocolate Zucchini Belgian Waffles
Baked Buttermilk French Toast with Oat Streusel
Martha Stewart’s Buttermilk Pancakes

Sweet Potato Pancakes

If you love pumpkin pie…or sweet potato pie…or sweet potato cake…or all of the above…then you will LOVE these pancakes. This stack of steaming pancakes burst with the flavors of autumn (and will disappear in no time). They’re also a delicious way to enjoy leftover Thanksgiving sweet potatoes!
Stack of sweet potato pancakes with maple syrup pouring on top.
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4 from 2 votes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 283kcal
Author Liren Baker

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 large egg lightly beaten
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, plus ½ teaspoon for griddle
  • 1 sweet potato cooked (can be boiled, or baked in oven or microwave), peeled and mashed (about 3/4 cup). [See notes below.]

Instructions

  • Heat griddle to 375°F.
  • Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
  • Add egg, buttermilk, and 2 tablespoons butter using a whisk until just combined. Stir in the mashed sweet potato. Do not over mix; the batter should have small lumps.
  • Test griddle by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If water bounces and spatters off griddle, it is hot enough. Using a pastry brush, brush remaining ½ teaspoon of butter onto griddle. Wipe off excess with a paper towel.
  • Using an ice cream scoop or ladle, pour pancake batter (about half a cup), 2 inches away from one other. When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around edges, about 2½ minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute.
  • Serve warm with a drizzle of pure maple syrup.

Video

Notes

Adapted from Best Buttermilk Pancakes, Martha Stewart Living, January 2001.
Can I use leftover sweet potato casserole? Yes, you can use leftover sweet potatoes from a Thanksgiving casserole, just be careful of sweetness. If you are using pureed sweet potatoes, you may need to add a touch more flour if you find the batter is too thin.
I don’t have any leftover sweet potatoes. How do I quickly cook sweet potato to use in this recipe? If you don’t have any leftover sweet potatoes, the quickest way to make them is in the microwave! To microwave your sweet potatoes, pierce them a 4-5 times with a fork, then place them in a microwave-safe dish in the microwave.  Cook on high for about 4-5 minutes, rotating halfway through. 
How to keep pancakes warm: Preheat the oven to 175°F. As you cook the pancakes, transfer them to a sheet pan and keep them warm in the oven.
Can the pancakes be frozen? Yes! Cool the pancakes completely on a wire rack. Then store the pancakes with a sheet of parchment or wax paper between each pancake in a freezer-safe container. This will make it easy for you to separate one pancake and reheat!
How to reheat frozen pancakes: The easiest way to reheat frozen pancakes is in the microwave. Place 1-4 pancakes on a microwave-safe plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Reheat in 20 second increments until warmed through.

Nutrition

Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 412mg | Potassium: 380mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 4995IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 1.9mg
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see! Tag @kitchconfidante on Instagram and hashtag it #kitchenconfidante

Comments

Recipe Rating




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  2. Eboni

    4 stars
    The recipe was great! The flavoring was the best of any sweet potato pancakes we’ve tried thus far (3). However the consistency resulted in pancakes too thin for our liking. Next time we’ll try using yogurt instead of milk and blending the sweet potatoes instead of mashing them. Can’t wait to try it again!

    Reply
  4. Liz

    Such a dreamy autumn breakfast! Nice break from the Bisquick version my hubby loves to make ;)

    Reply
  5. Susan G

    This is just my style! I will be making these this weekend for sure! I’ll make the boys in my house extra happy by making mine with a side of bacon – thanks!

    Reply
  6. Ellysa

    This is a very good comfort food recipe…looks so delicious…

    Reply
  7. sofia

    didn’t have buttermilk around so i used almond milk instead – worked fine. these are fantastic!

    Reply
  8. Christina

    I just made this recipe and I used 1/2 c of pureed sweet potato and 1/2c of home-made apple sauce. My first 2 pancakes were disasterous so I had to add another cup of flour. That did the trick and the pancakes came out wonderful. Great recipe! and for those of you who use pureed sweet potato instead of mashed, be prepared to add some flour because it will not come out the same. ;)

    Reply
  9. Lynn

    I made these last week and they were great. It was the first time my son had had pancakes and he gobbled them up. These will definitely be part of our recipe rotation. I also added some cardamon.

    I plan to make these again next week but substituting the egg with ground flax instead due to having an egg intolerance.

    Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  17. Deb

    I found a place of comfort in your recipe and photos of Sweet Potato Pancakes. Bursting with seasonal flavor, just perfect for a crisp autumn morning!

    Reply
  18. Mindy

    Yeah, nothing about these sounds like it sucks. :o) I even have some leftover mashed sweet potatoes in the fridge as I type. Meant to be?
    My favorite pancake addition this time of year is grated parsnips. Oh man. Gonna have to make that happen soon!

    Reply
  19. Brian

    Oh my goodness! I haven’t had a leisurely weekend in a while… but the next one I have, I’m going to make these pancakes.

    Reply

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