Sweet Potato Breakfast Pancakes

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 05/5/22
Sweet potato pancakes
marhero / Getty Images
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 12 mins
Total: 27 mins
Servings: 12 servings

These easy sweet potato pancakes are lightly spiced with a little nutmeg. They make a fabulous fall breakfast or brunch dish. Add strips of cooked bacon or sausage, along with sliced melon or orange sections. Maple syrup, cane syrup, or an apple cider syrup are excellent choices to top for these great-tasting sweet potato pancakes. Enhance these sweet potato pancakes by making flavored butter to complement them.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 scant teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1 1/4 cups mashed sweet potatoes, see cooking instructions below

  • 2 large eggs, beaten

  • 1 1/2 cups milk

  • 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

Steps to Make It

  1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir or whisk to blend thoroughly.

  2. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk. Add the sweet potatoes and melted butter.

  3. Add the sweet potato mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

  4. Heat a lightly greased griddle or skillet over medium heat. Using a 1/4-cup measure or large spoon or scoop, drop the batter onto the griddle and cook until browned on the bottom. The edges will begin to look dry, and there will be broken bubbles over the surface of the pancakes. Turn to brown the other side.

  5. Serve the pancakes with butter your favorite syrup.

Tips

  • To make mashed sweet potatoes, peel about 1 pound of sweet potatoes and cut into chunks. Put the sweet potato chunks in a medium saucepan of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and mash or blend until smooth.
  • Grate whole nutmeg for best flavor.
  • Make a cinnamon-honey butter to serve with the pancakes. Combine 4 tablespoons of softened butter with 1 tablespoon of honey and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon.
  • For a tasty orange butter, combine 4 tablespoons of softened butter with 2 teaspoons of confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon of orange zest, and 2 teaspoons of orange juice.
  • Make maple butter with a combination of 4 tablespoons of softened butter with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup.

Recipe Variations

  • Add about 3 to 4 tablespoons of grated sweet apple to the pancake batter for extra flavor and texture.
  • For sweeter pancakes, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of granulated or brown sugar.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
158 Calories
7g Fat
20g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 158
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 4g 21%
Cholesterol 48mg 16%
Sodium 394mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 20g 7%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 2mg 11%
Calcium 137mg 11%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 123mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)