These Vegan Sweet Potato Pancakes are fluffy, lightly sweetened, tangy, and flavorful. This simple and easy recipe is the perfect way to switch up your normal pancake routine. Great for Sunday brunch, breakfast-for-dinner, and any time you want a cozy fall vibe!
If you've never thought of combining sweet potato and pancakes before, then this is your sign to give it a try! These vegan sweet potato pancakes get sweetness from the potatoes and maple syrup and tanginess from the apple cider vinegar, giving them a unique and delicious flavor you just have to taste to believe!
Not only do I love them, but they were also a big hit with my kids, who happily munched on them not only at breakfast but as snacks throughout the week. Under normal circumstances, neither of my kids will touch sweet potatoes, so I'd call the fact that they not only ate them but liked them a minor miracle.
Vegan sweet potato pancakes make a perfect addition to any weekend brunch, but they're also great for meal prepping and breakfast-for-dinner.
Looking for more unique vegan sweet potato recipes? Check out this sweet potato chickpea curry or this sweet potato spinach salad!
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You'll love this vegan sweet potato pancake recipe because it's:
- Simple & Delicious
- Quick & Easy
- Vegan/Vegetarian
- Kid-friendly
- WFPB & Oil-Free
- Perfect for Vegan Sunday brunch, breakfast for dinner, and cozy fall days!
Ingredient notes
Wet Ingredients
- sweet potatoes: The star of the show!
- soy milk: Any type of plant milk will do, but I prefer soy for the higher protein.
- maple syrup: For sweetness and that rich flavor.
- apple cider vinegar: For tanginess and to help the baking soda activate and make the pancakes fluffy.
- vanilla extract: Just for a little extra richness.
Dry Ingredients
- Spelt, white, or whole wheat white flour: I recommend Spelt, but the others are also fine. If you want to make these gluten-free just substitute with an all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- cinnamon: For rich and fall-spiced flavor!
- baking powder: For rise and fluffiness.
- baking soda: This helps with the rise, but also with the browning and getting a crispy edge on the pancakes.
- salt: Adding a bit of salt to baked goods and pancakes helps to enhance the flavors.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here are step-by-step instructions with photos.
Use a fork to poke holes in the sweet potatoes and cook for 45 to 60 minutes in the oven at 425F or in the microwave for 7 to 10 minutes. When the sweet potatoes are done, cut them in half and use a spoon to scoop out the soft sweet potato and transfer to a measuring cup. Measure out 1 cup of packed sweet potato.
Add all of the sweet potato and other wet ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
Add all of the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients.
Mix until just combined, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix!
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium (adding vegan butter to the skillet is optional). For each pancake, use a ⅓ measuring cup to transfer the batter to the skillet. (The number of pancakes per batch will depend on the size of your skillet, but 2 to 3 will fit in most large skillets.)
- Cook each pancake until the bottom is lightly browned and slightly crispy on the edges. Then flip the pancake and cook on the other side. Continue until all of the batter is used up.
- Serve and enjoy right away! This recipe will make about 12 pancakes (3 to 4 inches each).
Hint: For consistently sized pancakes, use a ⅓ measuring cup to ladle the batter onto the skillet.
Variations
Here are some ideas for ways to switch things up.
- Fruity - add chopped apples or blueberries to each pancake after you ladle it onto the skillet.
- Extra Sweet - add chocolate chips or raisins!
- Pumpkin - these pancakes can also be made with pumpkin in place of the sweet potatoes. Check out these vegan pumpkin pancakes for the complete recipe!
Equipment
For this recipe, you'll need a blender, a mixing bowl, and a skillet.
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How to serve
Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes make the perfect addition your Sunday breakfast or brunch. They are perfect for fall or any time of year! Since they have sweet potatoes in them, they're also a great choice when you're having breakfast for dinner.
If meal prepping is your thing, these pancakes are a great choice. Double the batch and freeze the pancakes after they're done so that you can enjoy quick vegan pancakes any day of the week!
Top them with maple syrup, pecans, fruit, berry chia jam, and all of your favorite pancake fixings.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheat in a microwave, toaster, or skillet.
Top tip
To keep the pancakes from burning in the skillet, remove the skillet from the heat in between batches. You can also turn the heat down ever so slightly for the last two batches.
FAQ
If you have unseasoned mashed sweet potatoes they should be fine (though you might want to reduce the soy milk somewhat, depending on how thick they are). If they are sweetened, you could reduce the maple syrup. If they are leftover savory mashed sweet potatoes, just cut the maple syrup and serve them with savory toppings.
When adding the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, you want to mix until just combined. If you continue to mix beyond that, the glutens in the flour will overdevelop and the pancakes will become rubbery and tough.
More vegan breakfast recipes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Sweet Potato Pancakes (Simple + Easy)
Equipment
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato (packed)
- 1.5 cups soy milk
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups Spelt, white, or white whole wheat* (I recommend Spelt) (240g)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Use a fork to poke holes in the sweet potatoes and cook for 45 to 60 minutes in the oven at 425F or in the microwave for 7 to 10 minutes. When the sweet potatoes are done, cut them in half and use a spoon to scoop out the soft sweet potato and transfer to a measuring cup. Measure out 1 cup of packed sweet potato.
- Add the sweet potato and all of the other wet ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Add all of the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix!
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium (adding vegan butter to the skillet is optional). For each pancake, use a ⅓ measuring cup to transfer the batter to the skillet. (The number of pancakes per batch will depend on the size of your skillet, but 2 to 3 will fit in most large skillets.)
- Cook each pancake until the bottom is lightly browned and slightly crispy on the edges. Then flip the pancake and cook on the other side. Continue until all of the batter is used up.
- Serve and enjoy right away! This recipe will make about 12 pancakes (3 to 4 inches each).
Notes
- To keep the pancakes from burning in the skillet, remove the skillet from the heat in between batches. You can also turn the heat down ever so slightly for the last two batches.
- *If you are using whole wheat flour, either weigh the flour (225g) or reduce the amount by ¼ cup.
- If you are measuring the flour with cups, don't pack the flour down, as this will cause the pancakes to be too dense.
Nutrition
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Did you try this recipe? Have a question? Just leave a comment below and I'll get back to you ASAP!
MaryB says
Could you use gf or oat flour in the place of spelt/whole-wheat? These look fantastic. Thank you
Julianne Lynch says
I haven't tested it with gf flour, but generally speaking, all-purpose gluen fre flour can be used in place of regular. I'm not sure about oat.
Nancy Nowak says
I made the recipe tonight and they tasted great but the mix was WAY too thick. It was more the consistency of a light cookie dough. I followed the recipe exactly too The recipe either needs more soy milk or less flour. I think I will try less flour next time…perhaps between 1 1/4 and 1 1/2 cups. This time, I used white whole wheat flour. I would love any suggestions you have to make the mix thinner. If I use less flour, should I cut back on any of the other ingredients?
Julianne Lynch says
It sounds like you used too much flour. Did you pack the flour? That can make it too dense. I will add a note to the recipe card. If it's ever too thick, then you can always thin it out with more soy milk.
Nancy Nowak says
Thanks for your response! I don’t think I packed the flour. Do you think I could try next time with less flour instead of more milk? Actually, the recipe was too large for just the two of us. Is the recipe naturally more dense than regular pancakes? Thanks again! Nancy
Julianne Lynch says
Next time, try reducing the flour by 1/4 cup. I think that should take care of the problem. It shouldn't be any denser than regular pancakes.
Ashley Schuering says
Ohmygosh, these are so freaking delicious! Perfectly fluffy, easy to make, and my new favorite fall brunch idea for when my vegan buds come to visit. Thank you so much!
Julianne Lynch says
You're very welcome! I'm so glad you liked them.
Heather says
I adore sweet potato pancakes! These were so yummy and I love that they were made with spelt flour. Thanks for the great recipe!
Julianne Lynch says
Thanks! I'm so glad you liked them!
Kae says
Could I make the batter in the waffle iron? I do r actually care for pancakes but I love sweet potato
Julianne Lynch says
I haven't tested that, but since the batter is on the thicker side it should work. Please let me know if you try it!
Geetu Melwani says
Just made these. As your other commenter said, the batter was way too thick. I added more liquid and it worked out. The results were delicious. I'll probably start with less flour next time and add as needed. Thank you for the recipe.
Julianne Lynch says
Thanks for letting me know. I'm glad you found a way to make the recipe work.
Dana says
These are excellent, fluffy and filing. After I combined the dry and wet ingredients, I thought the batter looked a little too thick, so I added another tablespoon of milk to thin out. I also added some cinnamon.
Julianne Lynch says
Great! I'm glad you liked it!
Dana says
I see cinnamon in the ingredient photo, but not in the recipe itself. Please edit the recipe. Thanks. I made these and did add cinnamon to them.
Julianne Lynch says
Good catch. Thanks for letting me know! I've updated the recipe.