Sweet potato pancakes recipe

Sweet potato: the perfect breakfast food?

These bright orange, sweetly-flavoured tubers are a familiar sight these days in our supermarkets and restaurants. Originally, they are thought to have come from Central America, although they’re grown all around the world nowadays. In fact, sweet potatoes are the world’s seventh most important food crop.(1)

Compared to their white-fleshed cousins, sweet potatoes offer a lower GI option as well as masses of healthy vitamins and minerals.

Like regular potatoes, they provide lots of carbohydrate. However, they may actually help to regulate the amount of sugar in our bloodstream. For this reason, the World Health Food Organisation has named them a food with ‘anti-diabetic activity’.(1)

On top of that, they’re packed with beta-carotene, fibre, antioxidants and minerals such as iron, potassium and phosphorus.(1)

In short, they’ll provide you with lots of slow-release energy and healthy nutrients for a great morning ahead.

Making sweet potato purée

While it might seem a bit too much effort to be making sweet potato purée in the morning, bleary-eyed and reaching for the coffee pot, it’s actually very quick and easy.

The fastest way is simply to prick your sweet potato all over with a fork, set on a plate and pop in the microwave for 4-5 minutes on high.

Meanwhile, you can get on with prepping the rest of your pancake ingredients.

When the microwave pings, check your sweet potato is soft all the way through by inserting a fork or skewer. Then, simply cut it in half and scoop out the cooked flesh with a spoon.

If you prefer a very smooth texture to your pancakes, you might want to pulse it for a few moments in a blender before adding to the rest of your mix.

Blending with spices

We’ve taken inspiration for the flavourings of our pancakes from an American thanksgiving favourite: sweet potato pie.

In traditional recipes, many bakers like to include warming spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg in their pie filling.

This could be because sweet potato pie is traditionally served during the autumn and winter months, when the cool air has us craving warm flavours.

Or, it may be simply because these spices complement the sweetness of the potato. This soul-nourishing blend of comforting carbs and winter spices warms the body and the soul.

For our pancakes, we’ve gone with the classic cinnamon and a contemporary addition of cardamom. This takes inspiration from Nordic cooking, where cardamom is often included in breakfast pastries for its delicious flavour and fragrance.

What about topping our sweet potato pancakes?

Really, the world is your oyster when it comes to topping these sweet potato pancakes. You could try stewed fruits, or keep things simple with a drizzle of maple syrup. However, we’ve gone for a combination of coconut yoghurt and raw walnuts.

Many producers add probiotics to their coconut yoghurt, helping you to support your gut health with the addition of healthy bacterial strains.

Meanwhile, raw walnuts are rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. It’s especially important to include these in your diet if you are vegan or vegetarian.

They also contain protein, minerals such as magnesium, copper and zinc, and B vitamins. What’s more, they’re a good way to add a bit of protein to your breakfast.

Erbology Organic Sea Buckthorn Oil

The final finishing touch to our sweet potato pancakes is our Organic Sea Buckthorn Oil.

Our oil is super concentrated (we use around 50kg of berries to extract one litre of oil) and is made from the pulp of the fruit. It is very high in rare plant-based omega-7, containing around 34g of this special nutrient per 100g oil.

Omega-7 cares for your skin, eyes and mucous membranes. Meanwhile, the beta-carotene in the oil is converted by our bodies into vitamin A, offering further support for healthy skin and vision.

Many women like to use sea buckthorn oil during menopause, as there is evidence that it can help with symptoms of dryness.

Our oil has a lovely botanical and slightly sweet flavour, and we recommend taking between 20 and 40 drops a day. You can take the oil neat, but if you’d prefer to include it in a recipe, our sweet potato pancakes are the perfect way to enjoy your daily dose.

Simply add about 20 drops on top of your yoghurt and walnuts for a hint of botanical flavour and all of sea buckthorn oil’s healthy nutrients.