Use leftover sweet potatoes in these easy, mildly spiced sweet potato pancakes for babies and toddlers. They have no added sugar, are make ahead friendly and great for baby led weaning, so you can feel good about your little one's breakfast!
Sweet potatoes are a common first food for babies, and delicious for kids of all ages! Use this tuber to add a little extra nutrition to your little one's breakfast and change up the routine from regular pancakes. The texture is perfect for baby led weaning, but they're also great for babies in the finger food stage, toddlers, older kiddos, and even adults.
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Why You'll Love These Sweet Potato Pancakes
These sweet potato pancakes are nutritious and delicious for the whole family. What I love about making these for my kids is that they are:
- Easy to make ahead and reheat. Great for busy mornings!
- Nutritious. Made with no added sugar and and an extra nutrient boost from sweet potatoes.
- Delicious! With natural sweetness and subtle fall spices, you and your little ones will love them.
- BLW and toddler friendly. Great for the littlest eaters, from baby led weaning to toddlers, but also great for adults.
- Great for using leftover sweet potatoes. Leftover baked, boiled or steamed sweet potatoes are perfect here.
What You'll Need
- Mashed sweet potato
- Egg
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Apple cider vinegar
- Whole wheat flour
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Baking soda
Helpful equipment: Large nonstick skillet or griddle, 2 tablespoon cookie scoop
How To Make Them
Here is a quick run down of how to make them. For the full detailed instructions, head to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Cook the sweet potato if it isn't already cooked. You'll need 1 cup mashed sweet potato, which is the yield of about 1 medium sweet potato. The easiest way is to boil peeled sweet potato cubes (about 1 inch) for about 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain and let cool.
- Mash the sweet potato in a large bowl. Add the milk, egg, vanilla and apple cider vinegar and mix well with a fork or whisk.
- Add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking soda. Whisk to combine, but don't over-mix. You want the flour to have just disappeared.
- Drop batter by 2 tablespoonfuls onto a heated griddle or skillet (grease with butter or oil if necessary) and cook until the edges start to dry, about 2-3 minutes, then flip pancakes and cook until done throughout, another 1-2 minutes.
- Repeat with the remaining batter until it's all been used.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- The batter will be fairly thick. Keep the heat a little lower on the griddle than if you were making regular pancakes, as they will take just a little longer to cook.
- If you have a nonstick skillet or griddle, greasing it is not usually necessary. If you do not, melt a little butter or oil in the pan before adding the batter.
- For gluten-free pancakes, use your favorite cup-for-cup GF flour in place of the whole wheat flour.
- You can use sweet potato baby food or homemade sweet potato puree, however, it may be a little thinner, so use just a bit less milk.
Storage and Reheating
Store cooked and cooled pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen pancakes overnight in the refrigerator.
To reheat, simply microwave on a microwave-safe dish for 15-30 seconds. Or heat in the toaster oven or toaster on a low setting to avoid crispy outsides. Always test the temperature before serving to babies!
How To Serve Pancakes for Baby Led Weaning
For young BLW babies, you can either cut pancakes into strips the width of 1-2 adult fingers, or you can leave them whole if they are small. I prefer the strips. You can serve with applesauce for dipping, or spread with a thin layer of natural peanut butter or plain Greek yogurt and a sprinkle with cinnamon!
FAQ
These pancakes are great for using leftover sweet potatoes if you already have some made. If not, boiling or steaming cubes, peeled sweet potatoes is easiest. Or baking whole sweet potatoes in the skin, then scooping out the flesh also works if you're planning on using the oven. Cook sweet potatoes until nice and tender so they mash easily.
Yes. Baby sweet potatoes and homemade puree can be used. However, they may be thinner than regular mashed sweet potato. You'll need to adjust the liquid in the recipe accordingly, using a little less milk.
Yes. Cooled pancakes can be frozen in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight when you're ready to use them.
Yes. Swap your favorite cup-for-cup GF flour for the whole wheat flour.
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More Baby and Toddler Friendly Pancake Recipes
- Baby Led Weaning Friendly Buttermilk Pancakes
- Pumpkin Pancakes for Baby & Toddler
- Apple Oat Pancakes for Baby and Toddler
- Baby Cottage Cheese Oat Pancakes
- Banana Oatmeal Pancakes for Baby Led Weaning
Sweet Potato Pancakes for Baby and Toddler
Use leftover sweet potatoes in these easy, mildly spiced sweet potato pancakes for babies and toddlers. They have no added sugar, are make ahead friendly and great for baby led weaning, so you can feel good about your little one's breakfast!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: about 14 baby pancakes 1x
- Category: breakfast
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato
- ½ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour (or all purpose)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
Instructions
- If your sweet potato is not already cooked, cook according to preference and mash to yield 1 cup. 1 medium sweet potato will make about a cup.
- Add mashed sweet potato to a large bowl with milk, egg, vanilla and apple cider vinegar. Mix until well combined with a fork or whisk.
- Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir until just combined. The batter will be thick.
- Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low heat (about 325°F). If needed, add a little butter or oil to prevent sticking. This is usually not necessary if your surface is nonstick.
- Pour batter onto the hot skillet or griddle, using about 2 tablespoons per pancake. Cook until the edges start to dry, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through, an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Let pancakes cool before serving to babies.
Notes
- The batter will be fairly thick. Keep the heat a little lower on the griddle than if you were making regular pancakes, as they will take just a little longer to cook.
- If you have a nonstick skillet or griddle, greasing it is not usually necessary. If you do not, melt a little butter or oil in the pan before adding the batter.
- For gluten-free pancakes, use your favorite cup-for-cup GF flour in place of the whole wheat flour.
- You can use sweet potato baby food or homemade sweet potato puree, however, it may be a little thinner, so use just a bit less milk.
- Store leftover pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 moths.
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