Sweet Potato Waffles

4.95 from 633 votes

These sweet potato waffles are a simple low-carb breakfast idea. They are a great way to use up leftover sweet potatoes, and each waffle is only 80 calories

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These Sweet Potato Waffles turn leftover sweet potatoes into crispy little squares of heaven drizzled with maple syrup. The waffle recipe is a low-carb breakfast idea made with a healthy serving of vegetables from the sweet potatoes. It’s very similar to the popular Cauliflower Waffles but with a sweeter taste.

Sweet potato waffles stack on small white plate with fork and knife next to it.
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These sweet potato waffles are such a great breakfast option that are low carb and low calories. They can easily be made gluten-free too with some quick swaps. But in general, you’ll only need regular pantry items plus sweet potatoes to make these low carb waffles.

ingredients to make the recipe

  • Sweet Potato: Sweet potatoes are a great healthier alternative to regular potatoes as they contain more vitamins and minerals. Peel them before boiling until tender and then you can incorporate with the rest of the ingredients.
  • Oats: Oats help to absorb excess moisture. Rolled oats are best as they add a slightly chewy texture, but quick oats can also be used.
  • Flour: Use all-purpose flour, or a 1:1 GF flour to make these gluten-free.
  • Almond Milk: To keep these waffles dairy-free we use unsweetened almond milk. Other plant based milks like oat or soy will also work well, or use dairy milk if you prefer.
  • Eggs: To bind the ingredients together. Use flax eggs to make this breakfast vegan.
  • Baking powder: This is mixed into to help the sweet potato waffles become light and fluffy.
  • Seasonings: Cinnamon, salt and orange zest.
Ingredients to make the recipe

How to cook sweet potatoes

This recipe for low carb waffles is best if you have some leftover baked sweet potatoes. But if you don’t, you’ll need to cook them. Here are a few different ways to cut sweet potatoes depending on the cooking method you choose. You can cook the sweet potatoes by boiling on the stovetop, roasting in the oven, or baking in the microwave. Here are the three methods in more detail.

  • Boil on Stovetop: Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into chunks. Place in a saucepan large enough to fit the sweet potatoes and cover with boiling water. Boil until fork tender, about 15 minutes.
  • Roast in Oven: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pierce the sweet potato all over with a fork, then wrap it in aluminum foil. Place it on the oven rack or on a baking sheet and bake until fork tender, about 45-60 minutes. Grab the full baked sweet potatoes recipe.
  • Bake in Microwave: Pierce the sweet potato with a fork to make sure it doesn’t explode. Dampen a paper towel and place the sweet potato on the damp towel on the microwave plate. Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Then check that the sweet potato is fork tender, and continue microwaving in 30-60 second increments until it is cooked.

How to make sweet potato waffles

  1. After you cook the sweet potato, transfer it to a food processor and add the remaining ingredients.
  2. Blend it until the sweet potato is completely combined. Then the batter is ready for the waffle machine!
  3. Pour some of the batter into your preheated waffle iron.
  4. You want to cook until the outsides of the waffles are golden and cooked through, but try to set the waffle machine and leave it alone for at least a few minutes before checking on it.
4 image collage to show how to make the batter and then cook it in waffle machine

Tips for making sweet potato waffles

  1. Cook the sweet potatoes until fork tender. This will make them easier to combine with the other ingredients and the batter will have a nice smooth consistency with no lumps.
  2. Preheat your waffle iron before adding the batter. This will ensure that your waffles come out crispy on the outside and they are fully cooked through.
  3. Make your waffles extra crispy. Cool them slightly on a wire rack to help them crisp up a little more, they will still stay warm in the middles, but the circulating air will cool the outsides and crisp them up.
  4. Make them savory. For a savory breakfast, skip the cinnamon and orange zest, and add green onions and garlic powder, or, anything else you have to hand.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you serve them with?

Finish off the waffles with some maple syrup and pecans and enjoy these low carb waffles that are only about 80 calories a square. You can serve them sweet or you can even top them off with some fried or scrambled eggs!

Can you make the batter ahead of time?

To make your mornings even quicker, you can easily make up the batter up to 2 days ahead of time. Blend everything together and then keep it covered in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

Can you cook the waffles them ahead of time?

Yes, these are a great make ahead breakfast. Let them cool fully on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container in the fridge and they will keep well for 3 to 4 days. Reheat them in the oven at 350F for 5 to 10 minutes to warm them through.

Maple syrup getting poured on top of two sweet potato waffles

More Sweet Potato Breakfast Recipes

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This Sweet Potato Waffles recipe was originally published on November 23, 2018. The post has been updated to include helpful cooking tips, frequently asked questions and step-by-step photos.

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Sweet Potato Waffles

These sweet potato waffles are a simple low-carb breakfast idea. They are a great way to use up leftover sweet potatoes, and each waffle is only 80 calories
5 from 633 votes
Servings 4 servings
Course Breakfast
Calories 184
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Video

Ingredients
  

Instructions

  • Set waffle iron to preheat.
  • Place the cooked sweet potatoes, oats, flour, milk, eggs, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and orange zest into a blender. Blend until well combined and there are no chunks of sweet potatoes left.
  • Spray waffle iron with cooking spray. Pour ⅓ cup batter into preheated waffle iron. Cook until the outsides of the waffles are golden and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Serve with maple syrup and pecans, if desired.

Notes

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 3-4 days in the fridge. Reheat them in the oven at 350F for 5 to 10 minutes to warm them through.
Make Ahead Tips: You can easily make up the batter up to 2 days ahead of time. Blend everything together and then keep it covered in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
  • Any variety milk works well in this recipe. Feel free to keep it dairy-free with almond milk or coconut milk or use regular milk if you prefer.
  • To make it gluten-free, replace the all purpose or whole wheat flour with 2 cups of gluten-free oats.
  • To make it keto-friendly, substitute the flour and oats for almond flour.
  • To use what you have on-hand, you can actually make these using leftover sweet potato casserole or any other type of sweet potatoes you have. They will also work well with pumpkin puree! 

Nutrition

Calories: 184kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 250mg, Potassium: 377mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 8136IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 122mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American
Course: Breakfast

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. I also couldn’t get these to cook in the middle, even when I gave up on the iron and turned them into pancakes. Maybe too much sweet potato? Not sure what I’m doing wrong.

    1. So sorry to hear you had an issue with these. How much batter did you add the iron? All waffles irons work differently and you’d need to follow your manufacturers directions to see how much batter the iron should be filled with.

  2. Very tasty but anyone getting four servings out of this recipe must be cooking for young children or are serving these waffles as a side dish. We barely got three standard-size round waffles out of this recipe, which was a real problem when you’re trying to feed four teenagers. If you want to serve four adolescents (or older) you really need to double this recipe or somebody’s gonna go hungry.

  3. I was excited for this recipe but the taste is so bland for some reason, maybe the oats. Waffles were too mushy in the middle. I preheated the waffle iron as well but didn’t turn out right.

    1. So sorry to hear that! You can add more cinnamon, orange zest or even a splash of vanilla extract if you prefer.

  4. Amazing recipe!! I added frozen blueberries to the batter to have that ‚jammy‘ & sweeter taste. My 8month old baby loved it too, huge win!

  5. I added 2 tsp vanilla but made it exact other than that. This made 5-6 mini round waffles. Difficult to track macros from there but worth it to try again and do macros by weight. Also, better to use less batter in the waffle maker so they cook through. Thank you!

  6. These came out great! Served them with maple syrup and peanut butter with goji berries and some plain Greek yogurt on the side. I will definitely make these again!

  7. Just made and devoured. Wonderful crispy and airy recipe. Since I added some oil, maple syrup and vanilla to the recipe as recommended, (just quick pours of each) I also added another tablespoon of flour to get the right waffle batter thickness. Made 4 perfect size waffles. Next time I am going to try just egg whites and protein pancake mix to boost the protein for dinner. Thanks for the recipe, glad it was as described when so so many recipes don’t come out worthy of 5 stars to us.

    1. Thank you so much, Patty! I really appreciate the kind words and am so glad that you enjoyed the waffles!

  8. These tasted great, but the batter was so thick it broke my beautiful ErgoMixer! I made the option gluten free with extra oats. I had to add extra milk and also added oil to ensure some crispness after reading some reviews. They really are great waffles with a bit of tweaking. Served them as recommended, and added frozen banana (a trick I learned from my mom) on top. Super yummy 😁. But my mixer is broken😭 I will freeze the extras. took off one star for my mixer

    1. I am sorry to hear that Jillene. Is it possible your mixer was on its way out and it just happened to break with this last use? I am not sure we can say that the recipe is at fault here as appliances do tap out all the time.

    1. Hi Meera, great question! You sure can freeze them and then pop in the toaster or oven right from the freezer to reheat. Hope you enjoy!

  9. Yum. Thank you for a great recipe!! I used 1/3 cup fine almond flour instead of the 1/2 cup flour and ran all the dry ingredients including the oats thru the blender first. I added a tablespoon of almond yogurt to the other wet ingredients. It was delish!! Cannot wait to make them again.

  10. So delicious!! Best sweet potato waffles I’ve ever had. The only change I made was substituting whole milk for the almond milk. I did double the recipe.

  11. Batter was to runny if you make it with the flax seeds instead of eggs or if you try and add ANY extras like nutmeg or vanilla extract, I’m going to add about 1/2 cup of flower now and see if it won’t get the consistency together

    1. Oh no! I am sorry to hear that you are having trouble with the consistency. Did adding the flour help? Is it possible that the flax eggs were a little too wet?

  12. Great recipe! Absolutely amazingly complex flavor, much better than ordinary waffles! Made mine completely vegan, so replaced the milk with coconut milk and the eggs with “flax egg”. Did the 3x recipe for the family with the exact specified ingredients, plus added more cinnamon since we all like cinnamon. There were comments that said their batter was runny. I wonder if they sautéed the sweet potatoes instead of just mashing. I’d recommend just mashing and draining well beforehand as my batter turned out a little thick (no even close to runny). I actually had to add some more coconut milk. As for the waffle setting, I tried between the 1 and 2 on the waffle iron and it had trouble cooking it through. Final setting was 3+ and sometimes I had to run the cooking through the cycle twice. Takes a bit more time, but if you have dairy or egg allergies, this is perfect for you as the recipe outlines how to make it completely vegan. Thanks for sharing it!

    1. Thank you so much! That is such a compliment. I am happy to hear you all enjoyed it with the flax egg substitution. That’s a great note to avoid the batter from being runny – thank you!

  13. The recipe is a good start. I turned it into pancakes to make it easier. It definitely needs maple syrup to complete. Add some bananas if you want to sweeten it up but still want it healthy. The kids will love it just like that, no syrup needed.

  14. Made them as directed with 2% milk. Worked like a charm. My waffle iron was on setting number 3 and did all the heavy work. They were perfect. Thanks for the recipe!

  15. My toddler son has been requesting waffles for breakfast everyday so I’ve been trying to find healthier recipes and I found this. I used pumpkin purée since I did not have time to cook a potato. I used whole wheat flour and whole milk. I also did not have oranges which I think would have been a great addition and I will make sure to have them on hand for next time. The texture of my batter was not runny and they cooked well in my waffle maker though they did take longer than most “regular” waffle recipes I’ve tried. My son and I both liked them but I think they would be even better with the sweet potato and orange

    1. That’s perfect! I love the sound of sweet potato and orange. Let me know how that turns out if you decide to give that a go!

  16. Like a few others I also got waffles that are really wet inside and undercooked (I preheated the waffle maker so it is not that, and never had an issue with other waffle recipes). It might just be the consistency/water content of the sweet potato but somewhat concerning given the eggs in the recipe. If I try this recipe again (though I probably won’t), I would cock it on low setting for much, much longer so it is cooked in the center, and then crank up the heat to make the outside crisp.

    1. Thank you for your feedback! The water content will definitely impact the consistency of the batter. I will have to take a look at this recipe again, too!

  17. I used 1/3 cup aquafaba instead of eggs and I used homemade cashew milk, so for anyone trying to make em vegan, substitutions work out great!

    I noticed the batter was a little thin, and the first waffle was too dense, but after adding an extra 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and adding flour a tablespoon at a time until the batter was slow (can flip the measuring cup for a moment without losing any), these are perfect! They’ve got just enough sweet potato flavor for you to know they are different, and putting a frozen one in the toaster oven for a few minutes perfects the texture, like a good classic waffle (not talking eggos here).

    I think next time I will process the oats a little dry, first: might help with the moisture.

    Thanks so much for this, it’s going in the notebook!

    1. I’m so glad to hear it worked out that way too! This is so helpful. Let me know how it goes with the next round. You’re so welcome!

  18. Awesome !!! I used a mini waffle maker using a ⅓ cup as instructed. I made some changes since I did not have all the ingredients at home. I replaced the flower for home made almond flower and 2% milk. Great for rush morning. Heat or toast and maple syrup and it is delicious. My fiancée love it too!!!

  19. Recipe resulted in gummy waffles. Heated my waffle iron for 20 minutes before putting first waffle on. Cooked for up to ten/twelve minutes and it was still very wet in the middle.

    Flavor wasn’t super punched up but was alright for the breakfast I was making.

    1. I’m not sure what happened there! Is it a bigger waffle iron? Because it shouldn’t have been wet after being cooked for that long.

    2. I subbed in almond flour for the oats and regular flour. They were a crumbly disaster. Stuck to iron and separated despite generous cooking spray. Added an extra egg and some avocado oil and that helped. You need to leave them in for a while to fully set and they don’t really get crispy. If you are making these GF with just almond flour you definitely need more egg to act as a binder. I would say even two more or 4 total.

  20. I was also let down by this recipe, took a long time to make and the inside wouldn’t cook and if I left it longer it just burned.

    1. I’m sorry to hear that! It may help to preheat your waffle iron before adding the batter. This will ensure that your waffles come out crispy on the outside and they are fully cooked through!

  21. What an amazing recipe !! Super moist and delicious 😋 the house smelled like a perfect winter night while it was being baked 😍😍will definitely make it again ! Thank you Yumna

  22. These were not my favorite,I should’ve paid more attention to the ingredients. When I saw sweet potato I thought oooh,sounds good! But these were tough in texture, I didn’t detect sweet potato in the taste.

  23. :These are out of this world!! Even my family who doesn’t enjoy sweet potatoes loved these. It’s my favorite go to waaffle recipe now. Unbelievably moist, and balanced taste with a slightly crispy exterior.

  24. The results were excellent after I made a few adjustments. The oats and sweet potato were much too thick to puree in my blender, so I added the eggs and milk right away. Also, I needed another half cup the amount of milk to blend in the rest of the ingredients. Even then I had to use my spatula to ensure that everything got blended. I ate them with orange marmalade.

  25. These are amazing. I don’t understand the comment about them not turning out. I made sure I measured 3/4C of sweet potato rather than a large one. I added a T of Splenda and a t of vanilla. The orange zest was perfect. These could be served at brekkie, lunch, a side at dinner or dessert. I was skeptical when my husband found the recipe and forwarded it to me. These were the first ones I made in my new waffle iron, a gift for Mother’s Day from my kids. Perfect!

  26. Terrible recipe. The middle doesn’t cook well and all the batter stayed stuck on both sides of the waffle iron. It just made a huge mess in my kitchen. I waisted time, effort and my sunday morning….

    1. I’m so sorry to hear it turned out that way. I would suggest adding more all-purpose flour, so it is not too wet/ doesn’t stick to the waffle iron.

  27. We tried this recipe for the first time this morning and loved it. The waffles turned out great. The only change we made was to add 1 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp chia seeds.

  28. I’ve made these a couple of times and love them for lunch or a snack! I leave out the cinnamon to keep them savoury and pop them in the toaster to crisp them up 😊

  29. My kids purposefully don’t eat their sweet potatoes at dinner so that I’ll make the waffles the next day. So Yummy!!

  30. This recipe is great! I made two waffles in a large waffle maker. I also added a little vanilla extract and a drizzle of maple syrup to the waffle batter. It was amazing! Definitely keeping this recipe for later use!

  31. My family loved these. What a great way to use up sweet potatoes! The only thing I I had to adjust was the cooking time for my reliable 25 year old waffle maker.

  32. These worked brilliantly and tasted great! Followed the recipe but left out the salt and our 10 month old absolutely loved them plain and me and my husband enjoyed them with maple syrup, Greek yoghurt and blueberries.

  33. Like previously mentioned, the waffles needed a bit more cooking time, but then, they were delicious and light enough for my toddler, my baby and myself, all of us being a bit picky. They will be a regular on our table!

  34. Made these for brunch and subbed sweet potato for South Georgia Candy Roaster Squash and Almond Milk for Soy Milk and they were delicious!! So easy and smelled so good while cooking. Had wild black raspberries on top with maple syrup. My husband loved them! Thank you.

  35. Terrible. The middle wouldn’t cook. A waste of time and effort. Also, I tried the modifications in the comments after the first 10 wouldn’t work. WOULD NOT recommend to anyone. Generally speaking, bloggers don’t test their recipies riggorously like other professional chefs. This one was no exception. I have had great recipes from bloggers but unfortunately this one didn’t make the cut. Also all of the 5 star ratings are at the top – smh.

    1. Hi, Alex. Thank you for your feedback. I would recommend cooking the waffles for longer because the cooking time will depend on your waffle machine. What modifications did you try?

    2. Alex, I am really surprised to see your comment. I am on this page in order to make this recipe for the second time and write it down for the future, since my whole family loved it and demands more)) Even my husband who does not like sweet potatoes asked for seconds! It worked out perfectly fine for me, the only modification I made was to double the amount of everything, but using three eggs, not four. Could it be something with your waffle iron settings? (I used medium high and I let it cook for 8 minutes.)

  36. These are so delicious! My family won’t give sweet potatoes a chance so I made these and did not inform them that they were sweet potato waffles. The said they were the best waffles I have made. Surprise!
    I added 1 tablespoon of honey to add a little sweetness. Also used wheat instead of white flour and added miller flax seeds to sneak in extra fiber. So good!

    1. These are so delicious! My family won’t give sweet potatoes a chance so I made these and did not inform them that they were sweet potato waffles. The said they were the best waffles I have made. Surprise!
      I added 1 tablespoon of honey to add a little sweetness. So good!

  37. Made this along with chicken for (chicken and Waffles),We were doing a birthday for my 5 year old grandson. So…I almost tripled the recipe since I had 7 adults and 3 children. I made the recipe basically as follows, but added 2% milk instead of Almond. Used white flour (my bad) but did puree the rolled oats (my bad) with the potatoes. Everyone including children said they were awesome possum! Then I tried subbing flour and oats with Almond flour. Added extra cinnamon. These take more time to cook than regular waffles so be patience. Well my taste buds didn’t like the texture of the almond flour. Taste was pretty good but nothing like the 1st time I made them. But loved this recipe! 👍👍

  38. Great recipe, became regular staple for our breakfast, excellent use of leftover sweet potatoes!

  39. These were great! I replaced the 1/2 cup of flour with an extra 1/2 cup of oats (so I used a total of 1 cup of oats). I also only had 1 egg… so I made a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 2.5 tbsp water) and added that instead of the other egg. These were SO soft! AND they didn’t stick to my waffle iron which is a problem I constantly have with healthier waffle recipes. Thanks!

  40. Delicious! And so easy. I added a touch of vanilla. Topped with walnuts, sliced banana and a bit of syrup.

  41. These tasted great! Just wondering, if i don’t add the rolled oats will it change the recipe much or will it be okay?

    1. It will be ok, but it will need something dry to help bind it so I recommend protein powder, flour or oats.

  42. By far the BEST waffles I have ever made. Will be my new go to recipe. Thank you for sharing ❤️

  43. These legitimately taste better than regular waffles!! I love making a double recipe using my Dash waffle maker and freezing the leftovers. In the morning I put them in the toaster and then in the microwave for 30 seconds for a deliciously easy breakfast. I have been making them with whole wheat flour so they are a little healthier, and I STILL like them better than regular waffles. One of my fave recipes!!!

  44. Just had these for breakfast and they were delicious. I think I will double the recipe next time. I used Bob’s Red Mill egg replacement to make this vegan. Thanks

  45. Loved it. I made it for the family and even added some carrots to the mix and my finicky kids devoured them. We made a healthy spin on chicken and waffles. So delicious. Thank you!

  46. My waffles were not crispy at all. Good flavor but floppy. Served them with Toasted pecan butter. Any suggestions to get them crispier?? I boiled the sweet potatoes…. may try baking next time.

    1. It will come down to the waffle machine you use and keeping it in there longer but on medium heat. I would also add 1-2 tablespoons butter to the mix. That might help as well.

  47. I used oat flour instead of the regular flour. I substituted dill for the cinnamon and served this waffle as a side to roasted chicken and asparagus. I used dilled greek yoghurt as the “whipped cream”
    Excellent batter for the waffle iron. Thank you for the inspiration.

  48. I am excited to make this with leftover Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole! What is the measurement I should use that’s the equivalent of “one sweet potato – cooked”?