Don’t let those leftover sweet potatoes go to waste. Turn them into a delicious breakfast treat!

These sweet potato pancakes are an amazing twist on traditional pancakes and perfect for a cold-weather breakfast or brunch.  Fluffy and naturally sweet, they are speckled with orange zest and crunchy walnuts. The mashed sweet potatoes add a natural sweetness to the pancakes.

And for even more deliciousness, add a generous drizzle of maple syrup, a dollop of vanilla Greek yogurt and sprinkle of granola for a satisfying and wholesome meal.

 

Why We Love These Ingredients

Sweet potatoes are rich in essential vitamins as well as antioxidants and fiber. Test-tube studies also found that antioxidants in purple sweet potatoes promote the growth of healthy gut bacteria, including Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species.

Sweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene and anthocyanins that can support immune function and may help prevent vision loss and improve eye health.

Buttermilk is a fermented dairy product with a healthy amount of such gut-friendly probiotics as Lactococcus lactis or Lactobacillus bulgaricus.  If dairy normally bothers you, buttermilk contains lactic acid, which can make its lactose content easier to digest.

Buttermilk is rich in calcium and Vitamin K2, which help support bone strength and density. It also contains certain compounds that improve blood pressure, artery health and even oral health.

Maple syrup contains inulin, a prebiotic food that fuels the good bacteria in your gut – so it supports digestive health and intestinal balance. The prebiotics also complement the probiotics our recipe’s buttermilk

In addition, Maple syrup contains compounds that may help slow down the breakdown of carbohydrates in your digestive tract. That’s good news for keeping your blood sugar and blood pressure healthy.

 

Some Pro Tips To Get You Started

This sweet potato pancake recipe was created using leftover mashed sweet potatoes, but you can make it with leftover baked sweet potatoes or even freshly baked sweet potatoes that you mash.

You cook and mash sweet potatoes just like regular white potatoes. A quick and easy way to mash is to throw them into a food processor and process them until smooth. Sweet potatoes have less starch than regular potatoes, so blending in the food processor won't cause them to turn gummy. You can also use a regular potato masher or even a ricer.

Pancakes can be placed on a baking sheet and kept warm in a 200°F oven for up to 30 minutes.

 

Sweet Potato Pancakes

Active Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 45 mins

Servings: 4 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (about 8 1/2 ounces)
• 2 TBSP light brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon, or more to taste
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup leftover mashed sweet potatoes
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp grated orange zest
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
• Unsalted butter, for greasing griddle and serving
• 1/2 cup granola
• Pure maple syrup, for serving

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Stir together flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves in a medium bowl. Whisk together buttermilk, sweet potatoes, eggs, and orange zest in a large bowl. Stir in flour mixture until dry ingredients are just incorporated. Don’t overmix as this can lead to dense pancakes. The batter should be slightly lumpy. Stir in walnuts. Let batter stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.
   
   
2. Heat an electric griddle to 350°F, or heat a large stainless-steel skillet over medium-low; grease with butter. Using a 2-3/4-inch scoop and working in 3 batches, spoon about 1/2 cup batter per pancake onto hot griddle. Cook until tops are covered in bubbles and sides are set, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until set and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Wipe griddle clean between batches.
   
   
3. To serve, top pancakes with butter. Sprinkle evenly with granola, add a dollop of vanilla yogurt and drizzle generously with maple syrup. Enjoy!

 

 

Recipe source:

https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/candied-sweet-potato-pancakes