We’ve been on a sweet potato/yam exploration for the last few weeks. Having pretty much mastered the “oven fry” version with several different varieties, this last weekend we decided to move on to new territory: sweet potato pancakes.
I only slightly modified this recipe & we added a little bit of honey butter to these. These pancakes were so awesome that they will become our future “pancake go-to” recipe. They are super tasty!
And, not only are they yummy, sweet potatoes & yams are also high in beta-carotene and other antioxidants. Additionally, the anthocyanins (and other pigment related compounds found in colorful varieties) are desirable for their anti-inflammatory benefits.
Sweet Potato Pancakes
1 pound sweet potatoes or yams (makes ~3 cups mashed)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c. milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
~ Boil sweet potatoes for 15-20 minutes (or until the potatoes are tender enough to mash). Drain and immediately & immerse in cold water to loosen skins. Remove skins and chop & mash potatoes.
~ In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg & cinnamon. In a separate bowl, mix mashed sweet potatoes, milk, butter, vanilla & eggs together. Gradually combine the dry and wet mixtures to form a batter.
~ Lightly grease a griddle or skillet & preheat to medium. Drop batter onto skillet by tablespoons (seemed like 2 tablespoons made a good size cake). Cook until brown, turning once when batter begins to bubble.
We also discovered that these reheat really well after being frozen. I piled the batch leftovers (we ate ~ 1/2 a batch together for dinner) on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for around an hour. Then, I put them all in a big freezer bag and have been pulling them out and briefly reheating them when we want some more.
I put about a teaspoon of honey butter on each pancake (which makes them about 110 calories a piece with the butter).
Honey Butter
3 parts softened unsalted butter : 1 part honey
~ Mix with a blender or by hand until well homogenized. Store covered in the refrigerator.
This butter is also super tasty. Of course it should be used sparingly, but we’ve discovered it’s also a great addition to a baked sweet potato or bagels. 
Now, of course one shouldn’t eat “sweet potato pancakes with honey butter” as an exclusive diet. But, there’s no reason why these can’t be enjoyed in moderation. I think it’s better to enjoy whole fat & sugar foods in reasonable quantities than to rely on artificial sugars & ultra-processed oils to fool your body into “thinking” you’re eating those richer foods.
We had these for dinner along with a snap pea & tomato dish. If we had them for breakfast, I’d probably serve them with a fresh fruit salad.
