Sweet Potato Waffles Recipe

By
Jennifer Perillo
Jennifer Perillo
Jennifer Perillo
Jennifer Perillo is an experienced recipe developer, cookbook author, and blogger behind In Jennie's Kitchen.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/23/22
Sweet potato waffles

The Spruce / Jennifer Perillo 

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 4 waffles

Waffles are a brunch staple and kid-favorite breakfast food. These sweet potato waffles make it easy to sneak in veggies, while also boosting your daily vitamin A and fiber intake. Another bonus is they’re naturally gluten-free since they’re made with oat flour. This recipe is a great way to use up plain, leftover roasted or mashed sweet potatoes, but don’t let a lack of leftovers stop you from making them. They're worth cooking a sweet potato or two.

Most waffle irons have a handy light that goes on or off, signaling the waffles are ready, but don’t rely on them solely or else you risk over- or under-done waffles. A sure sign of doneness: The steam stops shooting out the sides of the waffle maker.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups oat flour

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potatoes, cooled

  • 2/3 cup milk

  • 2 large eggs

  • 6 tablespoons (3/8 cup) unsalted butter, melted

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • Syrup, optional for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Sweet potato waffle ingredients
    The Spruce / Jennifer Perillo​  

  2. Whisk oat flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. In another bowl, beat the sweet potatoes, milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract.

    Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients
     The Spruce / Jennifer Perillo​

  3. Pour the milk mixture over the oat flour mixture and stir with a fork until just combined. Let sit for five minutes. This resting time allows the baking powder to activate.

    Mix the dry and wet ingredients together
     The Spruce / Jennifer Perillo​

  4. Meanwhile, heat your waffle iron. Pour or ladle enough batter to cover about 2/3 of the surface (the rest will spread once you close the top). Close and cook according to the waffle iron manufacturer’s instructions.

    Sweet potato waffle
    The Spruce / Jennifer Perillo​ 

  5. Serve hot with syrup and other desired accompaniments.

Tips

  • If you don't have leftover sweet potatoes, cook them until tender, then mash them. Scrub the potatoes, poke them with a fork a few times, then bake in a preheated 425 F oven until tender when pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes. Alternatively, you can cook them in the microwave for about 5 minutes on high power, depending on the size of your potatoes and your microwave's wattage.
  • If you can’t find oat flour or want to save some money, you can easily make it at home. Just add whole, old-fashioned oats (not quick-cooking) to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they’re ground into a fine flour. 

Recipe Variations

  • To make this recipe dairy-free, just swap in your favorite unflavored, unsweetened milk alternative, and use a neutral oil, like sunflower or grapeseed, in place of the melted butter.
  • Can you use canned sweet potatoes? Yes! As long as they’re unseasoned and plain, you can use cooked, canned sweet potatoes. Even frozen sweet potatoes steamed or cooked in the microwave will work. The key is to make sure the sweet potatoes are plain and not seasoned with any spices or other ingredients.
  • Spice it up! We wanted to let the sweet potatoes shine in this waffle recipe. Feel free to spice up your breakfast by adding 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, allspice, or even pumpkin spice.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
463 Calories
28g Fat
43g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 463
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 28g 36%
Saturated Fat 15g 76%
Cholesterol 153mg 51%
Sodium 608mg 26%
Total Carbohydrate 43g 15%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 5mg 25%
Calcium 324mg 25%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 365mg 8%
*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.)