waffles with pear and peanut butter on white plate

Packed with good-for-you ingredients like sweet potato, oats and flax, these vegan sweet potato waffles are breakfast perfection! Moist and tender inside and lightly sweet, they come together quickly too!

I LOVE waffles. I resisted getting a waffle maker for years (#smallkitchenproblems) but now all I wanna do is WAFFLE. And yet somehow, these homemade sweet potato waffles are my very first waffle recipe, and I’m a wee bit obsessed with them!

How to make sweet potato waffles

Making waffles is much like making pancakes; you need roughly equivalent amounts of dry ingredients and wet ingredients, some leavening and something to give it structure… but otherwise, you’re bound only by your imagination!

I find waffles need a little more oil than pancakes so they stay moist and crisp up well. Because they need to hold a stronger structure then a pancake, you’ve also got to get the gluten free flour mix correct. In all my years of experiments, I have had some epic waffle fails!

But never fear, sweet potatoes make incredible waffles because:

  • They’re both starch and liquid
  • They’ve got their own built in sweetness
  • They help hold moisture so you don’t end up with a dried out waffle

You can use leftover roasted, baked, steamed or boiled sweet potato – or you can even used canned sweet potato (the unsweetened, plain variety). I’ve used ground flax to replace the eggs for extra structure. Oats contain soluble fibre that is good for your gut and helps to bind the mixture while brown rice flour helps lighten things up and give a bit of crispness to the outside of the waffle. Remember that not all oats are gluten free, look for certified gluten free oats such as Bob’s Red Mill.

Sweet Potato Benefits

Not only are sweet potatoes delicious in this recipe, but it’s a genius way to sneak in a serving of veggies! The sweet potato in just two of these waffles offers:

  • 1.5 g of fibre
  • 4.8 mg of vitamin A
  • 9.8 mg of vitamin C
  • 165 mg of potassium
  • 0.25 mg of manganese
  • 0.45 mg of vitamin B5

Ways to enjoy these vegan sweet potato waffles

Something else I love about these homemade sweet potato waffles is how versatile it is. Try it savoury, or sweet. For breakfast, or dinner! Here are a few ways to enjoy them…

  • Topped with natural peanut butter or almond butter for extra protein and healthy fat to keep you fuller longer! My go-to topping, for sure.
  • Mix up some room temperature vegan butter with a bit of cinnamon and maple syrup to taste and then slather it over the waffles.
  • I loved these waffles with ripe sliced pear, but berries or sliced apples would be delicious too!
  • Try them for dinner, topped with sliced vegan sausages pan fried with kale, garlic and chile flakes.
  • They would also be delicious topped with a garlicky white bean dip and roasted broccoli.

And because waffles take time, I highly recommend that you make a double batch and freeze the rest so you have the luxury of mid-week waffles. Just heat up in the toaster!

More Vegan Breakfast Ideas

waffles with pear and peanut butter on white plate

Homemade Sweet Potato Waffles

8 4 inch waffles
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
I never met a waffle I didn't like…but these vegan, gluten free sweet potato waffles are definitely my new fave. Moist and tender inside and lightly sweet, they are delicious with any sweet or savoury topping you can add! Be sure to make a double batch so you can freeze them for later.
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked sweet potato, or canned sweet potato
  • 1 cup rolled oats, (learn about the benefits of oats!)
  • 1 cup brown rice flour
  • 1 cup hemp milk, or your favourite unsweetened plant milk
  • ¼ cup naturally refined avocado oil
  • 2 tablespoons ground flax
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

Equipment

  • waffle iron
  • food processor or high-speed blender

Instructions 

  • Preheat waffle iron to medium-high (I set it to just less than 4 out of 5). Preheat oven to 200° Fahrenheit (100° Celsius).
  • In a small bowl, mix ground flax with 4 tablespoons warm water and let sit for five minutes to gel – this is a flax 'egg'.
  • In a food processor or blender, add sweet potato, oats, rice flour, soy milk, avocado oil, flax egg, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and cardamom. Blend for 1-2 minutes or until mixture is smooth and well blended.
  • Brush waffle iron with avocado oil if necessary so waffles don't stick, then fill iron according to manufacturer's directions and cook. For my iron, it takes about 1/2 cup of batter for a 4 inch (10 cm) waffle.
  • Cook until crisp and golden brown on outside. When waffles are done, transfer them to a cookie sheet in the oven to keep warm. Serve with your favourite toppings!

Notes

These waffles will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days and in the freezer for a month. To reheat, simply toast in the toaster.
Cuisine: American
Course: Breakfast
Author: Desiree Nielsen, RD

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