These fluffy vegan sweet potato pancakes are perfect for cool fall mornings. They're so easy to make using classic pancake ingredients.
Nothing says fall quite like cozy mornings spent sipping hot coffee and chowing down on cinnamon-y sweet potato pancakes. True fall weather won't come to Georgia for a few weeks, but that doesn't stop me from lighting pumpkin scented candles and sharing cinnamon laden recipes.
It's my reward for (mostly) making it through a hot Georgia summer, right?
I'll admit that I'm on a bit of a breakfast roll this week. This is the third vegan breakfast recipe I'm sharing in a row. Oops? I'll blame the weather.
I used my popular fluffy vegan waffles recipe to make these vegan sweet potato pancakes, give or take a few modifications. The result is fluffy, golden pancakes with a deliciously spiced flavor. Oh, so fall!
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Sweet potato health benefits
Before we're inundated with all things pumpkin, let's appreciate the humble sweet potato.
Not to be confused with yams, sweet potatoes are tapered at the ends and range from white to vibrant orange. Yams are starchier and often less sweet, with a cylindrical shape.
Don't let the inexpensive price of sweet potatoes fool you, they're rich with vitamins and minerals.
Sweet potatoes are a good source of potassium, vitamin C, and Vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant that gives the sweet potato its orange color. Beta carotene converts into Vitamin A, which is necessary for vision health and healthy skin.
I'm not going to go pretending that eating sweet potato pancakes is the best way to get in a serving of sweet potato.
If you're looking for a way to eat a wholesome serving of sweet potato vegan black eyed pea and sweet potato soup or vegan sweet potato nachos with cowboy caviar are great options.
How to roast a sweet potato
The most important ingredient in these pancakes is (you guessed it!) sweet potatoes! I like to prepare my sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot using this recipe, but you can easily prepare your sweet potato by roasting it in the oven.
Set the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Clean your sweet potato and stab a few holes in it with a fork. Wrap it in foil and place in a baking dish; this way, if the sweet potato gets juicy it won't drip its juices all over the oven.
Bake the sweet potato for 45 minutes to an hour, until the center is soft.
Pro tip: Make 3-4 sweet potatoes at a time and freeze them for later use. When ready to eat, let thaw in the fridge for about 24 hours.
How to make Vegan Sweet Potato pancakes
The only difference from regular vegan pancakes is the addition of ½ cup sweet potato and warming spices. The sweet potato flavor is subtle but just present enough to emphasize the cinnamon and nutmeg.
Step 1. Start by mixing your wet ingredients together (non-dairy milk, pureed sweet potato, oil, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract).
Step 2. Slowly stir the wet ingredients into a well in the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg). The batter will be bubbly and fluffy.
Step 3. Lightly grease a medium-sized pan or large griddle with oil and bring to medium heat (I love this countertop griddle just for this reason - it also works well with veggie sausages and veggie burgers).
Step 4. Portion out pancakes using a quarter cup. Flip the pancakes when the pan-side of the pancake is golden brown. You can also tell it's ready to flip when the pancake batter has consistently popping bubbles.
Can I freeze vegan pancakes?
Vegan pancakes can be frozen for up to three months. To freeze, let the cooked pancakes cool to room temperature before stacking in a freezer-safe container (I love these freezer-safe glass containers).
Looking for more vegan recipes?
- Fluffy Vegan Waffles
- Fluffy Vegan Pancakes
- Sweet Potato Biscuits with Cashew Mushroom Gravy
- Sweet Potato Buns
- 15 Minute Savory Tofu Scramble
Fluffy Vegan Sweet Potato Pancakes
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 and ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons organic brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 and ¼ cups soy milk see note
- ½ cup mashed or pureed sweet potato see note
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together all dry ingredients (all purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon). Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
- Stir together the wet ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the well, mixing with a wooden spoon to combine. Don't overmix; it's okay if a few lumps remain.
- Lightly grease a medium skillet with nonstick spray. Place on the stove over medium heat. Add ¼ cup pancake mixture at a time, smoothing to make round circles as needed. Flip the pancakes when the tops start bubbling, or when sufficiently browned.
- Enjoy with maple syrup, walnuts, or coconut cream. Store refrigerated in a closed container for 2-3 days. Reheats best on the stove at medium-low heat.
Notes
- Sweet potato puree: One medium to large sweet potato yeilds about 1 cup of mashed or pureed sweet potato. Do not puree the sweet potato skin. For best results, I recommend pureeing the sweet potato in a blender. This will make the sweet potato much easier to mix into the batter.
- How to roast sweet potatoes: roast a medium sweet potato in a 425 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. It will be done when it's sizzling with juices and soft in the middle.
- Non-dairy milk: Choose your favorite unsweetened, unflavored non-dairy milk. I use soy milk for its creaminess and flavor, but almond or oat milk will also work.
- How to freeze pancakes: Vegan pancakes can be frozen for up to three months. To freeze, let the cooked pancakes cool to room temperature before stacking in a freezer-safe container (I love these freezer-safe glass containers).
Sandy
Delicious 😋
Donna
These pancakes were absolutely delicious, followed the recipe to a “T” and came out perfect every time. Made them for family and friends several times and each time they were a hit😃
Miriam
I followed the directions, added the exact measurement but the recipe did not come out as expected. The dough came out thick and lumpy. Did I miss something wrong or the recipe was written down incorrectly. I wasted organic and expensive ingredients trying to make this recipe, not to mention that I was looking forward to having sweet potato pancakes for lunch...urgggg
Please advice.
Tebza
Cassidy Reeser
Hi, I'm sorry it didn't work out for you! Did you end up cooking the pancake batter? It should be relatively thick and some lumps are normal in pancake batter. You can always just add a splash of extra milk if it is too thick and that will fix it.
Denice Stirling
I made this today. The consistency was very slimy due to the sweet potato. It had the texture of uncooked batter although it was cooked and I did follow up he recipe. I must be doing something wrong as the recipe sounded delicious.
Cassidy Reeser
Hi Denice, thanks for the review! They shouldn't be slimy and my first thought is that they may have been cooked at too high a heat so that the inside didn't have time to fully cook through. I am happy to troubleshoot with you!
kiki
what flour would you recommend for someone who is gluten free.
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
I haven't tried this myself but you could probably use a gluten free all purpose flour, such as the one that Bob's Red Mill has.
Olivia
Can I use water instead of milk?
Cassidy Reeser
Yes, water will work. It will just be a little less rich.
Terry C.
My daughter and I made these today for MY Mother’s Day Breakfast! What a find!! They were scrumptious...like breakfast and dessert all in one! We made them just as you wrote the recipe except used unsweetened vanilla almond milk and added chopped walnuts to the dry ingredients before adding the wet. I folded the two together gently just until mixed. They were fluffy and moist!
To the few reviewers who thought the batter was too thick: I was watching the show the Kitchen just yesterday and the host was making pancakes and the batter was thick like this one. She spooned the batter onto the pan and then spread it thinner with a small rubber spatula. I did that today when I made mine and it worked perfectly. Great timing seeing that episode, right?
I pinned this recipe and saved it in my vegan/vegetarian folder (neither which is my lifestyle of eating) because there are a lot of recipes out there to enjoy that are yummy.
Thank you! I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes. These Sweet Potato Pancakes will be made for many years to come! Yummy! ?
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
Hi Terry, first off Happy Mother’s Day! Thanks for the tip about the Kitchen, that’s great timing. I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Kirsten
I made these this morning and they were so yummy!! I subbed oat flour for the all purpose and had a bit more sweet potato, but followed the recipe exactly otherwise and LOVED it. Definitely going to be a staple in my house!
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
So happy to hear that!! Thanks for making them and leaving a review 🙂
Gabi
I am also gluten free and grain free. Would substituting the all purpose flour with cassava flour work?
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
Hi Gabi, it might work but I can't say 100% since I haven't tried it out. I know an all-purpose gluten free flour mix will work. Let me know if you try it out!
Carley
These turned out exactly like the picture and are absolutely delicious!!! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!!! Definitely a keeper! 🙂
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
Thanks so much Carley! Glad you like them 🙂
Jane powell
Batter was way too thick, tried adjusting milk and baking powder, never got them to cook all the way through ?
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD
I'm sorry to hear that! I'm wondering if the heat was too high? Sometimes if my pancakes are cooking too quickly on the outside I'll turn the heat down to medium-low. Thanks for making the recipe!
Maxi-Mum
Made these pancakes this morning. They turned out ok, but because I enjoy sweet potatoes & would like to taste more of their flavor I'll add more potato & less flour next time.
Cassidy
Thanks for your comment. I find that they become less like a pancake if I add more sweet potato, but that's not a bad thing if you're looking for more sweet potato flavor.
Edie
I just made these today. They look, smelled and tasted amazing. I did use gluten free flour and flax milk. Turned out a bit thick but I spread out the batter in the pan and it worked great.
Cassidy Reeser
Thank you, I'm happy to hear you liked the pancakes!
Sorel
Can I substitute almond flour for the all purpose? I’d like to make it gluten free.
Cassidy
A gluten-free all-purpose flour mix would work best in place of wheat flour. I'm not sure if almond flour would work, but let me know if you try it out!
Eugenie
The batter was too thick for me so I had to add more soy milk but then it was overmixed and the pancakes were kinda chewy. I’ll try it again sometime using only 1 cup of flour.
Cassidy
Thanks for trying the recipe out, sorry to hear it didn't work out! I recommend the spoon and level measuring method next time you try the recipe. If you haven't done it before, you just spoon the flour into the measuring cup then scrape off the excess with the back of a knife. This will give you a consistent amount of flour.
Haley
My family loved these pancakes! I used pumpkin purée because that's what I had on hand. They were dense, chewy and moist! I may add an extra pinch of salt next time, but will definitely be keeping this one on hand!
Cassidy
Pumpkin puree is such a great idea! Glad you enjoyed.
Cassandra
This recipe did not work at all. My batter turned out dry and crumbly it was not like pancake batter at all. The concept of this recipe is great but something is off on the proportions.
Cassidy
Hi Cassandra, upon receiving your comment I remade the pancakes to make sure that I didn't write the recipe down wrong. It turned out just like in the photos; it is actually quite a dense and moist batter. Did you puree the sweet potato before adding it? I am not sure what went wrong because the batter was not dry or crumbly for me.
Steph
Hello, what frying pan are you using in the pictures? It looks wonderful!
Cassidy
It's porcelain enamel "tramontina", it's actually from a set at Costco.