Easy Sweet Potato Pancakes Recipe

I grew up on boxed pancake mix and Saturday cartoons, and I still love both, but these sweet potato pancakes are like if my childhood stack got a glow-up and paid its bills on time. Fluffy in the middle, gently crisp on the edges, and naturally sweet without being dessert-for-breakfast sweet. The sweet potato brings moisture, a cozy fall vibe, and that pretty golden color that makes you feel like you have your life together even if you’re flipping in pajamas.

My husband swears these are “the good ones” and will mysteriously appear in the kitchen with a mug just as I’m about to pour the first round—convenient. The kid dunks them in yogurt like it’s a sport. We’ve done weeknights, weekends, breakfast-for-dinner, and freezer stash emergencies with these. They’re now the thing I make when we need a soft landing after a chaotic day.

How to Make It

Okay, here’s the game plan while the coffee kicks in. You need about 1 cup mashed sweet potato (leftover roasted is dreamy; canned puree totally works). In a big bowl, whisk it with 1¼ cups milk, 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons melted butter (or oil), 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 tablespoons brown sugar or maple syrup. Get it smooth-ish. If your sweet potato is a little lumpy, that’s life. Pancakes don’t judge.

In another bowl, whisk together 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon fine salt. Tip the dry into the wet and stir until you don’t see flour streaks. It’s going to be thicker than regular pancake batter—perfect. If it looks like paste, splash in a tablespoon or two more milk. Let it sit 5 minutes so the baking powder can do its magic.

Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium. Melt a little butter or oil. Scoop ¼-cup puddles, don’t crowd them. When you see bubbles and the edges look set (about 2–3 minutes), flip. Cook another 1–2 minutes until puffed and cooked through. Taste the first one for salt/sweet and adjust your maple pour accordingly. Keep finished pancakes warm in a 200°F oven while you finish the batch. Yields about 10–12 small pancakes—enough for 3–4 normal humans or 2 very hungry ones.

✔Ingredient Notes

– Sweet potato: Mashed roasted is king—deep flavor, less water. Canned puree or microwaved works too. If watery, just use a smidge less milk.
– Milk: Any milk flies—dairy, almond, oat. Oat makes them extra tender. If using buttermilk, skip the baking soda reduction? Nope, keep it—it helps the lift.
– Egg: Structure and fluff. Vegan? Use a flax egg (1 tbsp flax + 3 tbsp water), but give the batter an extra minute to rest.
– Flour: Regular all-purpose for cloud vibes. Whole wheat works (use 1 cup, not 1¼, and add 1–2 tbsp more milk). Gluten-free blend (1:1) is solid—don’t overmix.
– Baking powder + soda: The air makers. If your baking powder is sleepy (older than 6 months), your pancakes will be too.
– Cinnamon (and nutmeg if you’re wild): Cozy town. Don’t overdo nutmeg—just a pinch unless you want perfume pancakes.
– Butter/oil: Butter tastes like Saturday morning. Oil makes edges crisp. I do a little of both—chaos, but good chaos.
– Brown sugar or maple: Just enough for balance. You can skip it and let the syrup do the heavy lifting.

✔Recipe Steps

1. Cook sweet potato if needed: pierce 1 medium sweet potato and microwave 6–8 minutes until tender; scoop and mash.
2. Whisk wet: in a large bowl mix 1 cup mashed sweet potato, 1¼ cups milk, 1 egg, 2 tbsp melted butter/oil, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 tbsp brown sugar or maple.
3. Whisk dry: in a second bowl combine 1¼ cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp salt.
4. Combine: add dry to wet and stir just until combined; rest 5 minutes. Thin with 1–2 tbsp milk if needed.
5. Cook: heat a greased skillet over medium; pour ¼-cup batter rounds; cook 2–3 minutes, flip, cook 1–2 minutes.
6. Serve: keep warm in a 200°F oven; stack with butter, maple, yogurt, or whatever makes you happy.

What to Serve It With

– Maple syrup (warm it—trust me)
– Salted butter or honey butter
– Greek yogurt + berries
– Toasted pecans or walnuts
– Crispy bacon or sausage (salty-sweet heaven)
– Sliced bananas + tahini drizzle
– A fried egg on top if you’re savory-curious

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Batter too thick? Add milk a tablespoon at a time. Too thin? A spoonful of flour.
– First pancake is a tester—adjust heat after that. Medium is your friend; high burns sugar fast.
– Don’t smash the pancakes with your spatula. You’re squeezing out the fluff!
– Rest the batter 5 minutes—worth it for puff.
– Grease the skillet between batches to keep that crisp edge.
– If using canned puree, it can be wetter—start with 1 cup milk, then add more as needed.

✔Storage Tips

Fridge: Cool completely, then tuck into an airtight container for up to 4 days. They’re weirdly good cold, straight from the fridge, especially with peanut butter. No shame, breakfast ninjas.
Freezer: Freeze in a single layer, then bag for up to 2 months. Reheat in the toaster or a 350°F oven for 6–8 minutes. Microwave works in a pinch, but the toaster brings back the edges.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Batter may need a splash more milk.
– Dairy-free: Use oil instead of butter and a non-dairy milk. Coconut milk = extra lush.
– Pumpkin swap: Sub pumpkin puree for sweet potato. Add another tablespoon of sugar since pumpkin’s less sweet.
– Nutty: Fold in chopped pecans or walnuts. Or chocolate chips if we’re being honest.
– Spice play: Add ginger or cardamom for a chai moment.
– Sweetener: Honey ↔ sugar ↔ maple syrup—use what you have. Reduce syrup on the plate if you sweetened the batter.
– Protein boost: Stir in a scoop of unflavored or vanilla protein powder; thin batter as needed.
– And no, tamari ↔ soy sauce doesn’t belong here, but if you’re making breakfast fried rice on the side, go wild.

Frequently Asked Questions

Easy Sweet Potato Pancakes Recipe

Fluffy, gently spiced pancakes made with creamy mashed sweet potato. Quick, cozy, and perfect for an easy fall breakfast or brunch.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup mashed sweet potato cooked and cooled
• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 2 tablespoon brown sugar packed
• ▢ 1 cup milk whole or 2%
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted slightly cooled
• ▢ 1 tablespoon neutral oil or butter for cooking

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar until evenly combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk mashed sweet potato with milk, egg, vanilla, and melted butter until smooth.
• Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
• Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and brush lightly with oil or butter.
• Scoop about 0.25 cup of batter per pancake onto the hot surface. Cook 2 to 3 minutes until bubbles form on top and edges look set.
• Flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more until golden and cooked through. Adjust heat as needed to prevent burning.
• Repeat with remaining batter, adding a little more oil or butter to the pan as needed. Serve warm with butter and maple syrup.

Notes

Make it dairy-free by using almond or oat milk and swapping the butter for oil. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Add-ins like 0.25 cup mini chocolate chips or chopped pecans are great—fold them in with the batter.