If waffles are your thing, then you are going to love these Sweet Potato Waffles. Using a basic waffle batter, I add mashed sweet potatoes and maple syrup for sweetness and some pumpkin pie spice for a touch of warming spice. Once cooked, finish off with butter and a drizzle of maple syrup and you have the perfect weekend breakfast.
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I love serving waffles for a lazy weekend breakfast, cooking them up and letting everyone top then just how they like them. I’ll often make the batter the night before and leave it in the refrigerator, ready to make a batch of fresh waffles when we get up.
Sweet potato puree is great for adding to cake, pancake and waffle batters. Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet which means I can cut down in the amount of sugar I need to add. Only 1/4 cup of maple syrup in this batter mixture which makes 6 waffles.
If your family love homemade waffles you might also like to try my Cinnabon Waffles or Homemade Pumpkin Waffles recipes. For the perfect serving top them with my Cinnamon Butter or Homemade Honey Butter.
Ingredients
Here’s what you will need to make this easy sweet potato waffles recipe:
- Dry ingredients: all purpose flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and kosher salt.
- Wet ingredients: eggs, milk (I use 2%, but any kind would work), melted unsalted butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract.
- Sweet potato puree: I like to microwave my sweet potatoes, remove the skin, and then mash them. You can also bake them, air fry them, or even slow cook them. You can also purchase canned sweet potato puree, just make sure it doesn’t have any added sugar.
- Cooking spray or butter for greasing the waffle iron.
Equipment needed for this recipe
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Ladle
- Waffle iron
How to make sweet potato waffles
Combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and kosher salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk these dry ingredients until well mixed. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, melted unsalted butter, and maple syrup until smooth.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined.
Gently fold in the mashed sweet potato puree until it’s incorporated into the batter.
Preheat your waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions and lightly coat it with oil or butter.
Pour enough batter into the waffle iron to just cover the waffle grid.
Close the waffle iron and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions, usually for about 5 minutes, until the waffle is golden brown.
Carefully remove the waffle and serve immediately with your choice of toppings, such as powdered sugar and additional maple syrup.
Repeat with the remaining batter.
Expert Tips
These tips will help you make the best sweet potato waffles you’ve ever tried.
- Don’t over-mix the waffle batter; mix only enough to bring the batter together and smooth out any lumps. Over mix, and you will have dense waffles.
- While you can cook the batter immediately, I like to allow the waffle batter to rest while the waffle iron heats up. This helps the waffles become airy and fluffy.
- If the batter seems too thick or thin, adjust by adding a touch more milk or flour respectively to achieve the desired consistency.
- To stop the batter from sticking, grease the waffle iron with butter or oil between each batch of waffles.
- When I have leftover sweet potato, I mash it and store it in an airtight bag in the freezer. I am ready to whip up a batch of these waffles or my Sweet Potato Pancakes later.
Flavor variations!
- For an extra flavor boost, add a handful of chopped nuts or dried fruit to the batter before cooking. They’ll complement the rich sweetness of the sweet potato beautifully.
- Stir some fresh blueberries through the waffle batter.
- Stir some milk or dark chocolate chips through the batter just before cooking.
- I’ve added pumpkin pie spice, but you could substitute it with other ground spices like cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg, or try an apple pie spice blend.
- This recipe would also work with squash or pumpkin puree.
What to serve with sweet potato waffles
A stack of sweet potato waffles makes the perfect breakfast or brunch dish. When it comes to topping your waffles, the options are endless:
- Cinnamon butter
- Homemade honey butter
- Maple syrup, runny honey, or a sprinkle of powdered sugar
- Fresh berries
- Sliced bananas
- Slices of cinnamon-stewed apples
- Blueberry compote
- Fried apples
How to store
Make ahead: Make the waffle batter earlier in the day or the night before, then store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook the waffles.
To refrigerate: Although best eaten fresh, leftover waffles can be stored. Once cooked and cooled, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. When ready to enjoy, place in the microwave for 30 seconds to warm through.
To freeze: Once cooked and cooled, place the waffles into a Ziploc bag or airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost before reheating in the microwave.
FAQs
If your waffles are dense, you have probably been too heavy-handed when mixing the batter. Mix the batter until it comes together, then set aside to rest.
You may also have used too much flour, and as a result, the batter will be too thick.
If your waffles are soggy you’ve either added too much liquid to the batter. Or, the waffle iron wasn’t up to temperature when you added the batter. It’s important to heat the iron properly before making the waffles.
These waffles are sweetened with sweet potato, so I use less maple syrup in the waffle batter. Also, maple syrup is an unrefined sugar. However, the recipe can be adapted, and you can leave the maple syrup out entirely if you prefer a lower-sugar waffle.
To further reduce sugar, watch the toppings you add and opt for Greek yogurt and fresh berries.
Yes, leftover waffles can be reheated in the toaster.
If you have tried this sweet potato waffle recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Sweet Potato Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup mashed sweet potato puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- oil or butter for waffle iron
Instructions
- Combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and kosher salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk these dry ingredients until well mixed. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, melted unsalted butter, and maple syrup until smooth.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined.
- Gently fold in the mashed sweet potato puree until it's incorporated into the batter.
- Preheat your waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions and lightly coat it with oil or butter.
- Pour enough batter into the waffle iron to just cover the waffle grid.
- Close the waffle iron and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions, usually for about 5 minutes, until the waffle is golden brown.
- Carefully remove the waffle and serve immediately with your choice of toppings, such as powdered sugar and additional maple syrup.
- Repeat with the remaining batter.
Suggested Tools
Notes
- Don’t over-mix the waffle batter; mix only enough to bring the batter together and smooth out any lumps. Over mix, and you will have dense waffles.
- While you can cook the batter immediately, I like to allow the waffle batter to rest while the waffle iron heats up. This helps the waffles become airy and fluffy.