Sweet potato waffles make the perfect homemade holiday breakfast and can use up leftover sweet potatoes (or sweet potato casserole)! These Belgian waffles are made in a waffle maker and turn out fluffy and crispy - the best of both worlds. They are lightly spiced with cinnamon and vanilla, and the sweet potato flavor really shines through.
These sweet potato waffles use mashed or pureed sweet potatoes, so it's a great way to use up leftovers from dinner earlier in the week.
But, if you don't have leftover sweet potatoes, simply roast them or microwave them until soft all the way through. This easy waffle recipe is great for breakfast or a snack, topped with maple syrup, cinnamon butter, or fruit.
These Belgian waffles can be made with any type or color sweet potato, or even with pumpkin puree! Have an excess of sweet potatoes or pumpkin? Try some of these recipes:
- Purple Sweet Potato Pie
- Pumpkin Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Sweet Potato Bars with Cinnamon Whipped Cream
- Pumpkin Sour Cream Muffins
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Sweet Potatoes - Sweet potatoes add moisture, sweetness, and delicious flavor to these waffles. To me, sweet potatoes are a holiday staple, so these are perfect on Thanksgiving or Christmas morning!
Textures - These waffles are magical because they are both super fluffy in the middle and crispy on the outside. To me, this is the best of both worlds and will please everyone at the breakfast table.
Simple - You'll only need a handful of ingredients to make these delicious waffles, and no crazy techniques or long proofing time required.
Ingredients
- Milk. I used whole milk in this recipe, but any dairy or non-dairy milk can be used based on your preference.
- Cornstarch. This helps to absorb some of the extra liquid from the sweet potatoes and help crisp up the waffles.
- Sweet potato. Any cooked sweet potato (roasted, steamed, canned, frozen, etc) can be used. Additionally, any color sweet potato will work here.
- Baking powder. This is used to help the waffles rise and give them a bit of lift, as the sweet potatoes can add density to the final product.
- Eggs. These get separated, and the egg whites get whipped to fluffy stiff peaks and folded into the batter. This also helps to lighten the waffles from the density of the sweet potato.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use Bob's Red Mill 1-1 gluten free flour to make these waffles gluten free.
- Use leftover sweet potato casserole in place of the baked or mashed sweet potatoes.
- Add pecans, sliced bananas, and blueberries on top.
- Steamed, roasted, or canned and drained sweet potatoes will all work here.
- Any color or variety of sweet potato can be used in this recipe. If you can find purple sweet potato, it will make beautiful and surprising waffles!
- Any variety of milk, dairy and non dairy, will work in this recipe.
- Use pumpkin puree in place of the sweet potatoes. Pat away some of the moisture of the pumpkin puree with a paper towel before mixing in.
Serving Suggestions
The topping choices for these belgian waffles are endless - so play around with flavors you love! Some of my favorites are topping the waffles with honey cinnamon butter and maple syrup, butter pecans and syrup, banana or blueberries, almond butter and bananas, or greek yogurt and honey.
How to Make This Recipe
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One: Mash or puree the sweet potato until very smooth.
Two: Whisk together the dry ingredients to combine.
Three: Separate the eggs and whip the egg whites to stiff peaks.
Four: Add the sweet potato, egg yolks, sugar, and butter until combined.
Five: Add the milk and carefully whisk to combine.
Six: Use a rubber spatula to fold in the dry ingredients (don't over mix).
Seven: Fold the egg whites into the batter, gently folding until no streaks of white remain.
Eight: Fill the preheated waffle iron with batter and close.
Nine: Cook until no more steam is escaping from the iron and the waffle is very golden brown.
Ten: While making the waffles, mix together the very soft butter, cinnamon, and honey to use to slather onto the waffles.
Hot tip! Add cooked waffles to a 300℉ oven to stay warm and continue crisping the edges while you make the remaining waffles. Place an oven-safe rack on a sheet pan and add the waffles to the rack.
Expert Tips
- Allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes before folding in the egg whites and cooking.
- Don't overfill the waffle iron - the batter will spread as soon as you close it. Leave about a ½ inch around the edges before closing.
- Puree the sweet potatoes until they are very smooth. Pass the puree through a sieve if desired to get rid of any pesky fibers.
- Heat the waffle maker thoroughly before adding batter.
- Grease the waffle iron if your machine instructions say to do so.
Recipe FAQs
It's likely that they weren't cooked for quite long enough. The waffles can also be finished in the oven on a wire rack to help finish crisping each side and the edges.
Belgian waffles are thicker and fluffier with deeper pockets and typically use a different type of waffle iron.
Proper cook time, egg whites, and a bit of cornstarch makes belgian waffles extra crispy.
Storage
Store leftover sweet potato waffles wrapped or covered in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat in the waffle iron, a 350℉ oven, or toaster until hot and crispy.
Alternatively, freeze the waffles in a zip-top bag for up two months. Reheat directly from frozen in one of the methods listed above.
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📖Recipe
Sweet Potato Belgian Waffles
Equipment
- Waffle iron
- Stand mixer with whisk attachment or hand mixer
- Whisk
Ingredients
- ½ cup cooked sweet potato mashed or pureed until very smooth
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs separated
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 ¾ cups milk room temperature
- ¼ cup salted butter very soft
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Preheat a waffle iron to high heat.
- Mash the sweet potatoes with a fork or potato masher until very smooth. Alternatively, blend the sweet potatoes.½ cup cooked sweet potato
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt and set aside.2½ cups all-purpose flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Separate the eggs, and use a hand mixer or stand mixer (fitted with the whisk attachment) to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks, about 2-3 minutes.2 large eggs
- Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, butter, sweet potatoes until smooth. Add the milk and mix to combine.¼ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 ¾ cups milk
- Add the flour mixture and stir to combine (by hand). Allow the batter to sit for 10 minutes. Then, fold the egg whites into the batter, being sure not to leave any chunks or streaks of egg white.
- Spoon the batter into the preheated and greased waffle iron and cook according to the waffle iron instructions, until no more steam is escaping and the waffle has turned golden brown.
- Note: add the waffles to an oven-safe wire rack and keep in a warm 300℉ oven as you prepare the other waffles.
- Mix together the butter, cinnamon and honey until a smooth paste forms.¼ cup salted butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon honey
- Slather the cooked waffles with the compound butter, any additional toppings, and drizzle with maple syrup.
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