These homemade Sweet Potato Waffles are a healthy breakfast or brunch option and a great way to use up leftover sweet potatoes. These waffles come together in 30 minutes or less and can be served with sweet or savory toppings.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This sweet potato waffles recipe is very easy to make.
- These waffles are a healthier alternative to traditional waffles.
- Sweet potatoes are an affordable ingredient, and they keep in the fridge for weeks. You can also make these healthy sweet potato waffles using leftover mashed sweet potatoes.
- Adding sweet potatoes to waffles is a great way to sneak vegetables into kid-friendly food.
- With a simple swap, these waffles can be made dairy-free.
Ingredients Overview
For the Waffles:
- Sweet Potato: You can use canned sweet potato puree or cooked sweet potato. To cook sweet potato, boil, steam, or roast it until cooked through and soft enough to mash.
- Extra Virgine Coconut Oil: The oil helps achieve waffles that are moist on the inside and perfectly toasted on the outside.
- Milk: In this recipe, milk is used to loosen the batter. Dairy milk also makes the waffles more crispy.
- Eggs: Eggs help the waffles rise and become lighter and fluffier. They also add protein, making the waffles more filling.
- Maple Syrup: This popular natural sweetener adds a subtle sweetness to the waffles.
- Whole Spelt Flour: This whole grain flour is a great alternative to all-purpose flour. Keep in mind that there are two kinds of spelt flour: white spelt flour and whole spelt flour. For this recipe, you will need whole spelt flour.
- Baking Powder: This leavening agent helps the waffles rise and makes for soft fluffy waffles.
- Salt: A little bit of salt balances the flavors and enhances the warming spices.
- Nutmeg, Cloves, Allspice, Cinnamon: These warming spices enhance the flavor of sweet potatoes and add distinctive notes to the waffles.
For the Toppings:
These sweet potato waffles can be served in many different ways. Choose your favorite sweet or savory toppings or serve them as I did in the photos.
Sweet Waffle Toppings:
- maple syrup
- honey
- vanilla yogurt
- blueberry sauce
- raspberry sauce
- baked fruit
- fresh fruit such as chopped bananas, pears, apples, etc.
- fresh berries
- apple sauce
- fruit salad
- low-sugar jam
- fruit puree
- baked persimmons
- nut butter such as almond, cashew butter, etc.
- sunflower or pumpkin seed butter
- coconut butter
- chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc.
Savory Waffle Toppings
- scrambled, poached, or fried eggs
- fried chicken
- chopped bacon
- sliced avocado
- guacamole
- salsa
- Greek yogurt
- sauteed mushrooms
- caramelized onions
- blanched or steamed spinach
- goat cheese
- feta cheese
- chopped fresh herbs such as dill, parsley, basil, etc.
To Serve As Pictured in the Photos:
- avocado slices (about 1/4 of avocado per serving)
- steamed or blanched spinach (a generous handful of spinach per serving)
- fried or poached egg (1 egg per serving)
- chopped parsley (about 1 tablespoon per serving)
- pinch of sea salt
How To Make Sweet Potato Waffles
Step 1. Puree the sweet potato.
Boil, steam, or roast sweet potato until fork tender. Let cool, peel, and then use a fork or potato masher to mash the sweet potato until smooth. Alternatively, you can also use leftover mashed potatoes.
Step 2. Mix the wet ingredients.
Stir together melted coconut oil and the sweet potato puree. Then add milk, eggs, and maple syrup. Mix well to combine.
Step 3. Mix the dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, mix together whole spelt flour, baking soda, salt, and the remaining spices.
Step 4. Mix sweet potato waffle batter.
Add the dry ingredients to the sweet potato mixture. Stir well to combine but do not over mix. Let stand for about 10 minutes.
Step 5. Cook and serve.
Cook waffles according to your waffle maker manufacturer’s instructions. Let the waffles cool on a wire rack before serving with sweet or savory toppings.
Recipe Tips
- Avoid over mixing the batter as it will result in tough, chewy waffles.
- When mixing the coconut oil with the sweet potato puree, it helps if the sweet potato is warm. Otherwise, the coconut oil may solidify and become difficult to stir.
- If the coconut oil hardens, warm up the sweet potato in the microwave.
- Make sure the waffle iron is HOT before adding the batter. The waffle iron must be hot to get the waffles crispy on the outside and moist and fluffy on the inside.
- Brush the waffle iron with coconut oil (or butter) before pouring in the batter.
Storing & Freezing
- Storing: Store waffles wrapped tightly or in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Place cooled waffles on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze solid (about 2 hours). Move frozen waffles to a freezer-safe bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat waffles in toaster or microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Serve Sweet Potato Waffles for Dinner?
Why not? Top the waffles with your favorite savory toppings and serve them with this Raw Beet Salad, and you will have a perfect light dinner.
Can I Make This Recipe Dairy Free?
Yes! For dairy-free sweet potato waffles, use any dairy-free milk you like. Just keep in mind the results will be slightly less crispy.
Can I Reheat Sweet Potato Waffles in a Toaster?
Yes, these waffles can be reheated in a toaster.
Healthy Sweet Potato Waffles
Ingredients
- 1 (350 grams) large sweet potato (or about 1¼ cups sweet potato puree)
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)
- 1 cup milk
- 2 eggs (beaten)
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1¼ cup whole spelt flour
- ½ Tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp cinnamon
To serve it as in the photo (for 1 serving):
- ½ avocado
- ½ cup steamed or blanched spinach
- 1 fried or poached egg
- chopped parsley
- sea salt
Instructions
- If you already have the sweet potato puree on hand, place it in a bowl and go to step # 2. Otherwise, cut the sweet potato into three pieces. Place it in a saucepan. Add water, making sure that the sweet potato is covered by about 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat until the sweet potato can be easily pierced with a knife. Alternatively, you can also steam or roast the sweet potato instead of boiling it. Let it cool. Once the sweet potato is cool enough to handle, peel it and place in a bowl. Using a fork, mash the sweet potato until smooth.1 large sweet potato
- Add the melted coconut oil to the sweet potato puree and mix. It helps when the sweet potato is slightly warm because if it's too cold, the coconut oil might harden, making it difficult to stir. If this happens, warm up the puree slightly in the microwave oven.2 Tbsp coconut oil
- Add the milk, eggs, and maple syrup and mix well to combine.1 cup milk, 2 eggs, 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- In a separate bowl, add the whole spelt flour, baking soda, salt, and the spices. Mix to combine.1¼ cup whole spelt flour, ½ Tbsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt, ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg, ⅛ tsp ground cloves, ¼ tsp ground allspice, ½ tsp cinnamon
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Do not over mix. Let the batter stand for about 10 minutes and then follow the instructions of your waffle maker to make the waffles. Cool the waffles on a cookie rack.
- To serve the waffles as in the photo, place a waffle on a plate, spread spinach on one side of the waffle and place the fried or poached egg on top of the spinach. Place 1/2 of a sliced avocado on the other side of the waffle. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and season with sea salt.½ avocado, ½ cup steamed or blanched spinach, 1 fried or poached egg, chopped parsley, sea salt
Recipe Notes
- Dairy-free milk works as well but results in slightly less crispy waffles
- Nutrition information is a rough estimate for one waffle without any toppings.
The nutrition facts are an estimate. Variations in ingredient brands, portion sizes, or substitutions can affect the final nutritional values. For the most accurate information, please use a nutrition calculator or consult with a healthcare provider. Always ensure that each of the ingredients is allowed in your diet.
Meet Maria
Maria Ushakova is a holistic nutritionist and food blogger. She focuses on developing easy recipes using real food ingredients. She believes that healthy food is delicious and anyone can learn how to cook it. Maria’s work has appeared on numerous popular websites as well as in print.
Could I substitute almond flour for spelt flour?
@Tori, I only tested this recipe with spelt flour.
Ohh it’s been too long since I’ve had breakfast for dinner. These waffles look super tasty, especially with that egg!
I love this way to use sweet potatoes Maria! Your gorgeous photos really make me want a waffle maker! Happy Holidays 🙂
Hi Anne! I am loving my waffle maker even though it’s very old and ugly 🙂 Happy Holidays to your too 🙂