Light and super-fluffy, perfectly spiced Vegan Sweet Potato Pancakes drizzled in the most delicious Caramel Sauce! Just perfect for fall!
Who doesn't love pancakes? Breakfast, brunch or dbrinner......Whatever the time of day, pancakes are just perfect, and what better way to feed my sweet potato and pancake obsession than to combine the two in these vegan sweet potato pancakes.
Life doesn't get any sweeter than having a great big stack of perfectly spiced, fluffy pancakes drenched in caramel sauce plonked down in front if you on a chilly fall morning!
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What ingredients do you need and why?
To make these vegan sweet potato pancakes you will need:
- Flour - I love these vegan pancakes made with spelt flour but regular all-purpose flour or wholewheat flour are fine too. Use whatever you have or like best.
- Coconut sugar - Coconut sugar is my sweetener of choice in both the Vegan Sweet Potato Pancakes and the caramel sauce they are served with. It's my go-to sugar when I want a rich, deep, caramel flavour, and it works incredibly well with the sweet potato and fall spice flavours. You could use dark brown sugar if you want but the flavour won't be as good.
- Baking powder - For the fluff factor!
- Baking soda & apple cider vinegar - When not using eggs it's necessary to add something else to make up for the leavening they would otherwise provide. That something else, in this case, is baking soda and vinegar which react together to form bubbles and provide lift and lightness.
- Salt, vanilla & cinnamon - Flavour!
- Sweet potato - For flavour and colour
- Ground flaxseed - To bind and thicken
Then for the caramel in addition to some of the things already above, you'll be needing some nut butter. I like to use cashew or almond butter because their flavour works best but you can use sunflower seed butter or tahini if you don't eat nuts. The caramel is an optional extra, but highly recommended because it's super delish!
How to make vegan sweet potato pancakes
For detailed measurements and instructions, scroll to my printable recipe card at the bottom of the page or click the "jump to recipe" button at the top of the page.
These vegan sweet potato pancakes are really easy to make and so is the caramel sauce which is a modified version of my Five Minute Vegan Caramel Sauce.
Here's how it's done:
Step 1 - Add the flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon to a bowl and mix together.
Step 2 - Add the milk, sweet potato, butter, flax, vinegar and vanilla extract to a blender and blend until smooth.
Step 3 - Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and allow to rest for a few minutes.
Step 4 - Add the caramel sauce ingredients to a pan and melt together then set aside.
Step 5 - Cook the pancakes and serve with the caramel sauce.
Success tips
- It's important to cook vegan pancakes slowly for optimum fluff, so don't have the heat too high.
- Weighing the flour will give you the best and most consistent results
- Coconut sugar gives the best flavour in these pancakes and the caramel. I don't recommend switching it for another kind.
- It is really important to mix the pancake batter until just combined. Don't go mad and blend it all together or beat it like mad. When you mix too well, it activates the gluten and you will end up with not so fluffy and light pancakes. The trick is to mix until the flour is just combined and you can't see any dry bits. Then stop, and lay down that spoon. Pancake perfection is imminent!
- Vegan Pancake batter is often thicker than pancake batter with eggs. As long as you've measured the flour and other ingredients correctly you will be fine. Don't add any more liquid or your pancakes won't be as thick and fluffy as they should and you might get soggy insides.
How to serve
Make these vegan sweet potato pancakes even more decadent by topping them with a dollop of vegan yogurt, vanilla ice cream, coconut whipped cream or vegan ricotta. A sprinkle of chopped pecans or walnuts or sliced banana is a great addition too.
You could even omit the caramel sauce and simply serve them with vegan butter and maple syrup, drippy nut butter or date caramel.
Storing leftovers and reheating
Leftovers can be covered well and stored in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Reheat them for 30 to 40 seconds in the microwave or pop them in a toaster to warm through.
You can also freeze them for up to 2 months. Separate each one with a layer of parchment paper and place in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. They can be defrosted or simply reheated straight from the freezer in a microwave or toaster.
Ways you can adapt this recipe
- Add chocolate chips, blueberries or chopped nuts to the batter
- Use butternut squash or pumpkin instead of sweet potato
Hungry for more?
For more vegan pancakes recipes, check out these great options:
- Vegan Banana Pancakes
- Chocolate Banana Pancakes
- Gingerbread Pancakes
- Vegan Pumpkin Pancakes
- Vegan Spelt Pancakes
- Healthy Oil-Free Pancakes
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Sweet Potato Pancakes
Ingredients
For the pancakes
- 200g / 1½ cups flour , all-purpose (plain in the UK), spelt or wholewheat
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda , (bicarbonate of soda in the UK)
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon , or pumpkin spice or allspice
- 300 mls / 1¼ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 85g / ⅓ packed cup cooked and cooled orange sweet potato , or yam or pumpkin
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon oil or melted vegan butter , plus a bit more for the pan when cooking them
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar , or lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the caramel sauce
- 75g / ½ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 30 mls / 2 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cashew or almond butter , or seed butter for nut-free
- 128g / ½ packed cup cooked orange sweet potato/yam
- 30 - 60 mls / ⅛ - ¼ cup non-dairy milk , adjust depending how thick you want the sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon , or pumpkin spice or allspice (use whatever you put in the pancake batter).
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon to a bowl and mix together to combine.
- Add the milk, sweet potato, vegan butter, flax, vinegar and vanilla extract to a blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and mix gently together. Just stir until you cannot see any dry flour. Do not over-beat it or use the blender. Let rest while you make the caramel sauce.
- Make the caramel sauce while the batter rests. In a small saucepan add the sugar and water and heat over medium heat until it is liquid and you cannot see any grains of sugar. It will only take a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Rinse the blender out and add the sweet potato, nut butter, salt, half the milk and the cinnamon. Pour in the melted sugar mixture and blend everything up until completely smooth. Add extra milk to thin to desired drizzling consistency. Return to the pan and warm gently for a few minutes before serving with the pancakes.
- Heat a griddle or skillet/frying pan over medium-low heat. Add a little vegan butter or oil or if it's non-stick you can cook them without oil if you want to.
- Scoop the batter onto the griddle/pan. Leave well alone until the edges are looking firm and the top is starting to bubble. It takes about 5 to 6 minutes. Don't rush them. The trick with vegan pancakes is to let them cook fairly slowly. Flip then cook for another 3 to 4 minutes or until golden.
- Serve drizzled with the warm caramel sauce.
NOTES
- It's important to cook vegan pancakes slowly for optimum fluff, so don't have the heat too high.
- Weighing the flour will give you the best and most consistent results. If you have to use cups do not scoop the flour up into the cup. Fluff it up with a fork then spoon gently into the cup and level the top without shaking or compacting it down. Scooping the flour will give you up to a ⅓ more flour that is intended.
- It is really important to mix the pancake batter until just combined. Don't go mad and blend it all together or beat it like mad. When you mix too well, it activates the gluten and you will end up with not so fluffy and light pancakes. The trick is to mix until the flour is just combined and you can't see any dry bits. Then stop, and lay down that spoon. Pancake perfection is imminent!
- Vegan Pancake batter is often thicker than pancake batter with eggs. As long as you've measured the flour and other ingredients correctly you will be fine. Don't add any more liquid or your pancakes won't be as thick and fluffy as they should and you might get soggy insides.
NUTRITION
Nutritional information is provided for convenience & as a courtesy. The data is a computer generated estimate so should be used as a guide only.
This recipe was originally published on April 18th 2017. I've updated the post and now I am republishing it for you. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for following A Virtual Vegan!
Barbara Boldt says
These pancakes are amazing! I didn’t make the sauce because I don’t do nut butter, but the pancakes alone with some ghee and applesauce and fig juice were delicious. These are a keeper!
Ellen says
Is there a gluten free flour I could use?
A Virtual Vegan says
I have never tried them with gluten-free flour. Oat flour would probably work but you would need to adjust the liquid slightly as it's not as absorbent as spelt. Just add enough to make it a really thick batter, almost like cake batter and it should be fine.
Jonna says
Thank you for sharing this recipe!!! It's amazingly yummy!!!! The best pancake so far... vegan or non- vegan!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's so good to hear. Thank you!
Tami Dana says
Tried these this morning for breakfast! Sooooo good! Pretty sure I'd be tempted to eat my own arm with that caramel sauce slathered on it!!
Thank you,
Tami
A Virtual Vegan says
Ha ha! I know the feeling. It's good on so many things! I'm so pleased you enjoyed the pancakes.
Kirsten Shovilin says
I wish there were photos of the batter before cooking...I’m making it now and it seems really really thick (like cookie dough)
A Virtual Vegan says
This is a pretty old recipe. I've started to do more progress shots now. To be honest with you, I can't even remember what the batter was like, it was so long ago. With pancakes though, the thickness of the batter is pretty flexible. The thicker the batter the fatter and fluffier the pancakes will be. They will be fine. You can add a little more milk if you like to thin it out a bit. The thinner the batter the thinner and less fluffy the pancakes. I do prefer thicker batters when making American style fluffy pancakes.
As an aside though, did you weigh your flour? If you used cups it could be that you've unintentionally used a little too much flour. Literally every-time you fill a cup there is a different weight of flour in it. It's impossible to be accurate with them. That's why I'm always wittering on about buying digital kitchen scales! Finger crossed you were happy with them regardless anyway!
Yvonne says
I am in love with these pancakes, and that's without the sauce! I eat them with maple syrup or cold with cashew butter and honey. YUM!! I've made them with an almond- flour based GF flour mix and those were great too! I don't think I'll have any reason to make any other kind of pancake. Thank you for creating a perfect pancake recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
Yay! Thank you Yvonne. I'm so glad you are enjoying them. If you haven't tried my Gingerbread Pancakes they are worth a go too. I actually prefer them to the sweet potato ones. Thank you so much for stopping by to leave feedback. I really appreciate it! Oh and here's the link for the gingerbread ones just in case...One can never have too many pancakes ;O) https://avirtualvegan.com/vegan-gingerbread-pancakes/
Tina says
Hi,
I am wondering if it would be okay to use amaranth or quinoa instead of the spelt flour? I'm trying to avoid wheat, oats, rice, and corn.
A Virtual Vegan says
I haven't tried it myself, but if you do I would love to hear how it turns out!
mbashford says
Really great recipe for anyone who loves American-style pancakes, autumn-inspired flavours and is looking for vegan breakfast ideas!
Took me about an hour to make (must be my cooking abilities!!) and I burned the first few pancakes (try cooking them for a shorter time than suggested to avoid this) but after that it was all worth it!
Try using a small amount of silken Tofu instead of flax seed if you don't have flax seed to hand, this worked well for me. Also adding maple syrup to the sauce gives it extra sweetness if that's what you like :)
nami says
Absolutely delicious. They turned out perfect. Such a great recipe. Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you!
Ginny McMeans says
You are killin' me. This is absolutely amazing from the pancakes to the sauce.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you so much Ginny! ????
Jenn says
They turned out so perfect, Mel! Well worth all the hard work. I want to dive head first into that caramel sauce!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thanks Jenn! They were worth the effort and yes that caramel sauce is very dive-in-able!
Linda @ Veganosity says
OMG! I'm putting this on my list for Thanksgiving breakfast ideas. YUM!
A Virtual Vegan says
You have more willpower than me to wait until Thanksgiving! ;O)
Rachel Herriott says
These look delicious. Just one question (it may be a silly one) but is the sweet potato cooked or raw when you put it in the blender? Can't wait to try them!
A Virtual Vegan says
Not silly at all! I wrote 'cooked' on the sauce part but missed it on the pancake part. I just amended it. It is cooked sweet potato. I hope you enjoy them!
Kristina says
I am currently looking at the sugars I use - docs say to limit because of my migraines... this sounds closer to the kind of thing I need to be using...
also = these pancakes! yum! definitely making these soon!
A Virtual Vegan says
I hope switching your sugars makes a difference to your migraines. Test out the coconut sugar with these pancakes! ;O)
Sophia | Veggies Don't Bite says
Love putting caramel sauce on pancakes! SO good. Sweet potatoes are such a great ingredient too and so versatile for so many things. Yum!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thanks Sophia. Sweet potatoes are the best...(as is caramel sauce ;O) !
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
These look amazing! I've never had sweet potato pancakes before, but I know I'm going to like them, especially with that caramel sauce!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Amy. Let me know what you think if you give them a try!
Dianne says
These look so perfect for weekend brunch! I love that they're made with sweet potatoes!
A Virtual Vegan says
Knowing they have veggies in makes me feel less guilty after eating a massive stack of pancakes! ;)
Becky Striepe says
Wow, these look phenomenal! Loving that caramel sauce especially.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thanks Becky...It's so good!