Sweet Potato Pancakes
Submitted by mama
Sweet potato pancakes made with mashed cooked sweet potato, flour, and butter. Slightly sweet, slightly savory, served with sour cream. A clever way to use Thanksgiving leftovers.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minThese sweet potato pancakes sit somewhere between a breakfast pancake and a savory side dish, which is exactly what makes them so useful. Made with cooked, mashed sweet potato folded into a simple egg-flour-milk batter, they have a tender, slightly sweet interior and crisp golden edges from the butter in the pan.
The sweet potato is doing most of the work. Its natural sugars caramelize where the batter meets the hot pan, creating little dark patches that taste like roasted sweet potato chips. The flour is just enough to bind everything (the recipe is light on it on purpose), so the pancakes stay tender and almost custardy in the middle.
Serve with a dollop of cool sour cream as a side for roast pork, holiday turkey, or even a stack with a fried egg on top.
Pro Tips
- Use cooked sweet potato that’s been roughly mashed, not pureed smooth. Some texture in the mash gives the pancakes character; pureed mash makes them gummy.
- Adjust the milk to get the right consistency. The batter should be thick and lumpy, like a pancake batter that’s slightly heavier than usual. Too thin and the pancakes spread; too thick and they turn dense.
- Cook on medium heat. Sweet potato has natural sugars that burn fast on high heat; medium gives you golden edges without scorching.
- Wipe out excess butter between batches but leave a thin film. Too much butter pools and fries the pancakes; too little makes them stick.
- Keep finished pancakes warm in a 200°F (95°C) oven on a wire rack while you cook the rest, so the bottoms stay crisp.
Variations
- Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg for a holiday-leaning version that pairs with maple syrup.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons of finely chopped scallions and ½ teaspoon of cumin for a savory version that’s great with eggs.
- Replace half the sweet potato with mashed butternut squash or pumpkin for a fall-flavored variation.
Ingredients
Directions
Place sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl, add egg and mix well.
Stir in the flour and add the baking powder.
Add up to ⅓ cup of milk, stirring.
Stir in 1 tablespoon butter.
The mixture should have the consistency of thick, lumpy sauce and be able to coat a wooden spoon.
Place a non-stick or heavy iron skillet over medium heat on top of the stove and add ½ teaspoon butter.
Spoon 3 tablespoons of batter per pancake into the skillet and cook until bubbles rise to the surface of the pancakes and break, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Using a spatula, flip the pancakes and cook another 2 minutes.
Remove pancakes from the skillet and keep warm on a covered plate in the oven.
Repeat the procedure until all the pancakes are cooked.
After the first batch is cooked, add as little butter as possible without allowing the pancakes to stick to the bottom of the pan.
Serve with sour cream.
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