The Best Sweet Potato Pancake Recipe (2024)

Thick, fluffy, and perfectly spiced, Sweet Potato Pancakes are an easy breakfast recipe that everyone loves! Made with sweet potato puree, maple syrup, and warming spices, this Sweet Potato Pancake Recipe makes genuinely delectable and fluffy pancakes.

Growing up in the Midwest, I rarely, if ever, saw Sweet Potato Pancakes on breakfast menus. As soon as I moved south, that quickly changed. Sweet Potato Pancakes were on every breakfast menu around! And as a lover of all these sweet potatoes, I knew I had to try Sweet Potato Pancakes.

Light, tender, and filled with the warming flavors of sweet potato, cinnamon, nutmeg, and maple, it is easy to see why Sweet Potato Pancakes are a southern favorite! And after one bite, I was in LOVE!!! These pancakes reminded me of my favorite Sweet Potato Casserole in pancake form.

So I set out to make a recipe for Sweet Potato Pancakes at home. And good news for all of us--Sweet Potato Pancakes happen to be really easy to make at home.

Notes on Ingredients

• Sweet Potato: Unless you can find 100% canned sweet potato puree or you want to use baby food puree, it is best to prepare homemade sweet potato puree. This is an incredibly easy process and also a great way to use up leftover baked sweet potatoes.
• Flour: For whole-grain pancakes, I recommend using whole white wheat flour. It is 100% whole grain, yet keeps the pancakes light and fluffy. Feel free to replace the whole white wheat flour with all-purpose flour.
• Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg add warmth to these pancakes and pair perfectly with the flavor of the sweet potatoes.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk is key to fluffy pancakes, as the acidity from the buttermilk reacts with the baking powder to form delicate air pockets. But there is no need to purchase buttermilk. To make homemade buttermilk, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to milk and let sit for 5 minutes. This works even if using non-dairy milk.
• Butter: In true Southern fashion, I used melted butter for the pancake batter. However, melted coconut oil or canola oil will work in place of the butter, if so desired.

Recipe Modifications

• Dairy-Free Sweet Potato Pancakes: Use non-dairy milk for the homemade buttermilk and use melted coconut oil or canola oil in place of the butter.
• Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pancakes: Usea 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour in place of the flour. I have done this many times with great success.
• Egg-Free Sweet Potato Pancakes: Combine 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed with ½ cup of milk of choice and let sit for 5 minutes before adding to the wet ingredients. This is how I make my light and fluffy eggless pancakes as well.
• Pumpkin Pancakes: replace the sweet potato puree with canned 100% pumpkin puree and the cinnamon and nutmeg with 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice for Pumpkin Pancakes.

Tips for the Best Sweet Potato Pancakes

The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Sift the Dry Ingredients. Over a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt using a fine mesh strainer. This will help ensure your batter does not have any large clumps of baking powder, which will quickly ruin pancakes.

Don't overwork the batter. Just like all pancake recipes, it is best to use a gentle hand when combining the wet and dry ingredients to prevent dense, tough pancakes. Simply fold together until the flour mixture is moistened, keeping in mind a few lumps are fine.

Don't push down on the pancakes as they cook. Resist the urge to press the pancakes down with a spatula, as this will cause the air bubbles in the pancakes to burst, leaving thick dense pancakes instead of tender, light pancakes.

How to Serve Sweet Potato Pancakes

Sweet potato pancakes are best served warm with butter, maple syrup, and toasted pecans.

How to Keep Pancakes Warm

If you are not serving Sweet Potato Pancakes immediately, transfer the cooked pancakes to a rack fitted over a sheet pan. Keep the pancakes warm in a 200-degree F oven for up to one hour. The rack will help air circulate evenly around pancakes, preventing the pancakes from getting soggy.

Storage & Reheating Instructions

Allow any leftover sweet potato pancakes to cool fully to room temperature and then store and reheat as directed below.

• Refrigerate: Place the cooled pancakes in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• Freeze: To freeze the leftover pancakes, lay out the pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet and place them in the freezer for 30 to 60 minutes. This helps the pancakes from sticking together once frozen. Remove the pancakes and place them into a freezer-safe bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Reheat: Reheat pancakes in a single layer on a heat-safe plate for 30 seconds, flip, and continue to reheat for 30-60 seconds as needed to warm through.

If you enjoyed this recipe for Sweet Potato Pancakes, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.