These sweet potato pancakes are delicious and nutritious! Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta-carotene (vitamin A), which keeps your eyesight laser sharp.
Made with whole wheat flour and milk, these pancakes are a good source of fiber and bone-building calcium. They’re a top “game day” pick for athletes because they provide a perfect balance of protein, healthy fat, and whole grains. Go team!
*Kids can crack and separate eggs, and can flip pancakes with adult supervision.
Ingredients
1 medium sweet potato (10–12 ounces)
1 cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup walnuts or whatever nut you like, chopped (optional)
3 tablespoons cornmeal
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 1/3 cups low-fat (1%) milk
1 tablespoon canola oil
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, separated
Maple syrup or agave nectar
Directions
Pierce the sweet potato with a fork in several places. Place potato on a paper towel in a microwave oven. Cook on high for 3–4 minutes or until fork-tender, turning the potato over once halfway through cooking. (Or, preheat oven to 450˚F. Pierce potato with fork; place on oven rack and bake for 45 minutes or until fork-tender.) Cool potato until easy to handle.
Scoop out cooled sweet potato from skin and place in a small bowl; set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, walnuts (if using), cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together sweet potato, milk, oil, vanilla, and egg yolks. In a small bowl, whisk egg whites until foamy.
Add the sweet potato mixture to dry ingredients and stir until blended. Fold egg whites into the batter.
Heat a nonstick griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Pour batter onto a hot griddle or skillet using a ¼-cup measure.
Cook pancakes until bubbles form on top, about 5 minutes. Turn over and cook a few minutes longer or until underside is golden. Transfer to a plate; keep warm. Repeat until all batter is used.
Serve hot with maple syrup or agave nectar.
Makes 9 servings (2 pancakes per serving)
Nutrition Facts per serving (pancakes only): 170 calories; 6g fat (1g sat fat, 2g mono, 2g poly, 0g trans fat); 45mg cholesterol; 25g carbohydrate (3g fiber, 7g sugar); 6g protein; 240mg sodium; 50% Daily Value (dv) vitamin A; 4% dv vitamin C; 10% dv calcium; 8% dv iron
Stacey Antine, MS, RDN, author, Appetite for Life, founder, HealthBarn USA, director, HealthBarn Foundation, and recognized as top 10 dietitians nationally by Today’s Dietitian magazine for her work with HealthBarn USA.