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Fluffy, naturally sweet, and packed with nutrition, these sweet potato pancakes are the perfect way to use up leftover mashed sweet potatoes. The addition of brown sugar, maple syrup, nutmeg, and cinnamon gives these pancakes a warm, cozy flavor that will have your family thinking they’re having dessert for breakfast. Serve with extra maple syrup and a dollop of vanilla Greek yogurt for a satisfying and wholesome meal.
Leftover mashed sweet potatoes? No problem! These delicious pancakes are the perfect way to use them up. They are fluffy, flavorful, and kid-friendly. Plus, they only require a few simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand. Give these sweet potato pancakes a try for your next weekend brunch or as a fun twist on traditional pancakes. Your tastebuds (and your family) will thank you!
why you’ll love these mashed sweet potato pancakes
- Very little added sugar. The brown sugar and maple syrup in this recipe is more for flavor than sweetness, as the mashed sweet potatoes add a natural sweetness to the pancakes.
- Nutritious and filling. Sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Serve with extra toppings like sliced bananas or walnuts for added nutrition.
- Easy to make. This recipe only requires about 10 minutes of prep time and 7 minutes of cook time. If you have a large griddle, you can knock them out in no time flat!
- A tasty way to use up leftovers. Don’t let those leftover mashed sweet potatoes go to waste – turn them into a delicious breakfast treat!
- Kid-approved. Kids love the sweet flavor and fluffy texture of these pancakes. It’s a great way to sneak some extra veggies into their morning meal.
Ingredients to make fluffy sweet potato pancakes
- Mashed sweet potatoes: This sweet potato pancake recipe was created using leftover mashed sweet potatoes, but you can make it with leftover baked sweet potatoes or even freshly baked sweet potatoes that you mash. If using whole sweet potatoes, you’ll need 1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes to equal one cup of mashed for the recipe.
- Wet Ingredients: Eggs, milk, maple syrup, and melted butter round out the wet ingredients for this recipe. You can use a plant-based milk and applesauce at a 1:1 ratio in place of butter to make these pancakes dairy-free. You’ll want to use real maple syrup for the authentic flavor, but you can also leave it out if you don’t have any on hand.
- Dry Ingredients: All-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices give these pancakes their fluffy texture and warm flavor. You can substitute gluten-free 1:1 baking flour if needed to make them gluten-free
How to make fluffy sweet potato pancakes
Get ready to be amazed at how easy it is to make these pancakes! Simply mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl until just combined – don’t overmix, as this can lead to dense pancakes. Heat a griddle or nonstick skillet on medium heat and grease with cooking spray or butter, and cook!
Mix Batter
- Place mashed sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, brown sugar, and maple syrup.
- Whisk until combined.
- Sprinkle flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg on top of the sweet potato mixture.
- Stir until smooth. Add melted butter and mix until combined
Cook Pancakes
- Portion the sweet potato batter onto a preheated skillet. Cook until bubbles form on the top of the pancake.
- Flip and cook until heated through. Repeat the process until all of the batter has been used. Serve warm with maple syrup.
Tips for making leftover mashed sweet potato pancakes
- Use more leftover sweet potatoes. Using 1 cup of mashed sweet potatoes results in a fluffy pancake-like texture. However, if you have more than a cup, you can add up to an additional cup to the recipe for a more potato pancake-like texture. The recipe is very forgiving.
- Keep it sweet! This recipe is designed to be used with leftover sweet potatoes that skew sweet in their flavor profile. But, if there is a little herb or black pepper in your recipe, don’t worry. They will still come out perfectly.
- Try it with leftover squash. If you have leftover mashed squash or pumpkin puree, swap it for the mashed sweet potatoes, and it will still work out well.
- Don’t overmix. I can’t stress this enough – overmixing the batter will result in dense pancakes. Mix until just combined, and then stop mixing.
popular substitutions & additions
- Use up odds and ends. Have leftover dried cranberries or nuts from your Thanksgiving meal or from other recipes? Toss them in the batter! You can add up to ½ cup of mix-ins to this recipe.
- Top with your favorites. These sweet potato pancakes taste great, topped with maple syrup, Greek yogurt, chopped nuts, sliced bananas or apples, or even a drizzle of melted peanut butter or almond butter.
- Reduce the sugar or eliminate it. If you want to reduce the added sugars in this recipe, feel free to omit the brown sugar altogether or reduce it by half. The pancakes will still be tasty and sweet thanks to the natural sweetness from the mashed sweet potatoes.
- Omit the flour and baking powder. You will end up with a dense, more potato pancake-like texture, but it can still be tasty. Keep in mind that the pancakes will not rise or have as fluffy of a texture without the flour and leavening agent.
how to store & reheat sweet potato pancakes
Let any leftover pancakes cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container or ziptop bag and store in the fridge.
To reheat, you can microwave them for about 40-60 seconds, wrapped in a damp paper towel, or heat them in a skillet on the stove until warmed through.
how long will sweet potato pancakes last in the fridge?
Leftover sweet potato pancakes will last in the fridge for up to 5 days.
can I freeze sweet potato pancakes?
Yes! Sweet potato pancakes also freeze well – just let them cool completely before transferring them to a freezer-safe container or ziptop bag and freezing for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat as mentioned above. Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can use either in this recipe for a similar result. I mean, what is sweet potato puree but extra, extra mashed sweet potatoes?
If your pancakes came out dense, it is likely because the batter was overmixed. Mix just until all ingredients are combined, and don’t continue mixing – this will result in a denser texture. Also, while this recipe does not have to be exact on the measurements, if you went to the extreme with the sweet potato or flour measurements, it could also result in a denser texture.
Yes, you can use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose in this recipe. You may need to adjust the amount slightly as whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid. Start with using ¾ cup and adding a tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. (Note: Whole wheat flour is also denser than all-purpose, so keep that in mind)
Sweet potato pancakes make a delicious, nutritious breakfast. They’re perfect for using up leftover mashed sweet potatoes, and you can add your favorite mix-ins to the batter. Plus, they freeze well, so you can enjoy them anytime! Give them a try for your next breakfast or brunch.
More pancake recipes:
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Classic Pancakes
- Fluffy Banana Pancakes
- Savory Potato Pancakes
- Blueberry Pancakes
- Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
- Chocolate Protein Pancakes
- Flourless Strawberry Pancakes
- Oat Flour Pancakes
- Carrot Cake Pancakes
If you try this feel good Sweet Potato Pancakes recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
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Sweet Potato Pancakes
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Ingredients
- 1 cup leftover mashed sweet potatoes
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Maple syrup plus more for serving
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pinch nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons melted butter plus more for cooking
Instructions
- Place mashed sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, brown sugar and maple syrup and whisk until combined.
- Sprinkle flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and nutmeg on top of the sweet potato mixture and stir until smooth. Add melted butter and mix until combined
- Set a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add a small pat of butter. Once melted, drop ⅓ cup portions of the sweet potato batter onto the preheated skillet. Cook until bubbles form on the top of the pancake, 2 to 4 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat process until all of the batter has been used, you should end up with about 8 pancakes.
- Serve warm with maple syrup.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Made these for breakfast with leftover mashed sweet potatoes from yesterday’s Thanksgiving. We had them with butter and leftover Turkey Gravy on top. I am now told this is the only way my family will eat sweet potatoes. Thanks, now they won’t eat them even roasted, mashed, or in soup. etc.
Haha so happy your family loved the recipe! It’s perfect for extra mashed sweet potatoes, I’m glad you were able to put your Thanksgiving leftovers to good use!!
These came out great!
Yay, so glad you enjoyed them!
Delicious! I’m not a good measurer, typically just eyeball amounts. My leftover sweet potatoes were hard so it would have been more work measuring an exact amount. When I read that the recipe was very forgiving, I went for it, eyeballing increases as needed. The end result was fabulous. When I make rice for dinner, I always make extra for fried rice the next day. Now I will have to make extra sweet potatoes for pancakes the next day!
Love that! So happy you like the recipe, Paul! Thank you!!
Loved these! Recommend cooking on low heat with coconut oil. Also, I was able to shove out the sugar and maple syrup for one mashed banana. If the batter is too thick, you can loosen it with more liquid to firm up “mushy” texture when cooking
Great tips, thank you for sharing! So happy you loved them, Heather!
Delicious taste and texture, be careful as they burn easily.
So happy you liked them, Michael!