Sweet Potato Pancakes

I love sweet potatoes! But really, who doesn’t??

As with any food, I think whether someone loves or hates a food often depends on how it is prepared.  For example, people who hate cauliflower will never be converted with a plate of steamed florets. However, if you smother it with cheese and put it next to something they love, like pasta, you will have more success overcoming their aversion.

Tall Dark and Handsome avoids sweet potatoes on principle.  He visibly cringes when I serve them.  I see this face often because I try to eat sweet potatoes often.

I made these pancakes for myself one day and he declined breakfast.  His loss.  A few days later while searching the fridge for instant food I suggested that he have sweet potato pancakes for breakfast.  Hungry and cranky I pulled the previously cooked pancakes out of the freezer and tossed them in the toaster oven.

After he covered the pancakes in syrup and butter, he took a couple of bites and looked up at me.  I said, “Well??” He grudgingly replied “It tastes like pumpkin pie.”  That’s a win for the sweet potatoes.

The pancakes are tender, moist, and taste like sweet potato. They require few tools to prepare and they freeze well.  Sweet potato pancakes are low in added sugar and adaptable to all sorts of substitutions.  Use winter squashes if that is what is abundant and substitute oil for melted butter if desired.

I have tried variations like corn or rye flour instead of whole wheat, and used rosemary or mustard seed instead of cinnamon. Amazing dinner pancakes!

While no syrup is needed to make the cakes sweet, they are decadent if topped with maple & pecan syrup.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

• 1 Lrg cooked sweet potato or 1 1/2c mashed
  
• 2 eggs
• ¼c melted butter
• 1 1/2c milk
• 1t vanilla (optional)
• 1-2T brown sugar or other sweetener
• 1c flour
• 1/2c whole wheat flour (or additional white flour)
• 3 1/2t baking powder
• 1t salt
• 1t cinnamon

Preheat a griddle, pan, or flat top on medium heat.

Use a blender to puree the cooked sweet potato. Add to the potato, the eggs, milk, and butter. Pulse until smooth.  Add the remaining ingredients and again, pulse until combined.

Slowly pour your batter onto a heated griddle. Grill cakes for 3-4 min per side. The center of these pancakes is a little richer than the average cake so allow these babies to cook a little longer for a well done pancake.

Yield: 2-3 dozen

To store: Freeze the prepared pancake batter in a zipper bag. Thaw over-night in the fridge and simply cut a corner off the bag to pipe batter onto the griddle.  Optionally, cook the pancakes and freeze individually on cookie sheets. Transfer frozen pancakes to a bag and store in the freezer. Reheat in the microwave, oven, or toaster.

Enjoy!