Taste of Fall: Spiced Sweet Potato Pancakes

A comforting stack rich with ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon, crafted for those slow, brisk mornings. Plus kitchen notes for extra fluffiness, and a playlist to match.

Sep 13, 2026

Last week I made the fluffiest pumpkin pancakes and they were delicious, but these ones are my favorite. I forgot how good sweet potatoes pancakes are, why don’t I see more of this combination on breakfast menus? So far this the batch I will be making more of this fall.

Next week, I am testing out pear pancakes. Because I am a pear girl, that is my favorite fruit. So I am excited for this recipe. I am curious to see how they will work out. Is it better with the fruit as a topping or the pear mixed directly into the batter? We will see, and I will let you know next week.

What you will need:

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons (38 g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (12 g) baking powder
1 teaspoon (4 g) baking soda
2 teaspoon (6 g) cinnamon
½ teaspoon (2g) kosher salt
½ teaspoon (2g) ground ginger
½ teaspoon (2g) ground nutmeg

Wet Ingredients:

2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup (255 g) of roasted, mashed sweet potato
1 ¾ cups (420 ml) cultured buttermilk, room temperature
3 tablespoons (42 g) of unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 teaspoons (8 g) of vanilla extract

Kitchen Notes:

Bring your ingredients to room temperature. Let the buttermilk and eggs come to room temp., and allow the melted butter to cool slightly before mixing.
Do not overmix. Gently fold the wet and dry ingredients with a spatula until well combined. A few lumps are normal! If you overmix it will develop gluten and the pancakes will be tough.
Let the batter rest for 10-15 minutes. This allows the flour to hydrate, resulting in tender pancakes.
No buttermilk? Make a quick substitute. For every 1 cup of buttermilk, combine 1 cup of whole milk with 1 tablespoon of squeezed lemon or distilled white vinegar. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before using. It’s not the same as cultured buttermilk but it works in a pinch.
Swett potato has natural sugars that will lead to browning faster, so lower the heat if the exterior is becoming dark before the center has finished.
Also if you are comfortable using stainless steel pans, use those instead of nonstick, you get a better rise. I like recommending nonstick because its the safest and everyone is more comfortable using them. But I find I get fluffier pancakes when making them on a stainless steel pan.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F (250C). Wash and dry the sweet potato, then pierce it several times with fork. Cover it in foil and roast until completely tender when its easily pierced with a knife, approximately 45-60 minutes, depending on its size.

Let it cool enough to be handle, remove the skin and mash until smooth. Measure 1 cup (about 250 g) and let it cool to room temperature before making the batter.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg until combined.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the room temperature mashed sweet potato and eggs until well combined.

Then whisk in the buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla together until well combined.

4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold together just until mostly combined. It’s okay if there are a few small lumps in the batter. We do not want to overmix.

The batter would be thick and scoopable but still be able to slowly spread when it hits the pan.

5. Let the batter sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the griddle or large skillet, I prefer a nonstick pan, over medium-low to medium-high heat. Once the batter is done resting, do not stir it again.

6. Brush the pan with butter to lightly grease it. Working in batches, add ½ cup of batter for each pancake. Cook until the edges look set and bubbles appear across the surface. Flip gently and cook the second side for another 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown.

Sweet potato has natural sugars that will lead to browning faster, so lower the heat if the exterior is getting dark before the center has finished. I like to cover my pancakes with a lid to help them cook evenly.

7. Serve warm with butter and your favorite toppings. You could do some toasted pecans and maple syrup. But to me they are perfect on their own.

I took this image with my fuji, I need to stop using my phone for pics. This is so much better.

What I have learned from this recipe is that my mom likes it more cinnamon forward, my dad loves more nutmeg and my sister doesn’t want any sugar in it. So make it your own. Lean into whichever spice you love the most. You can’t go wrong with this one. Just be careful with nutmeg, its a powerful spice.