Cinnamon-Spiced Sweet Potato Quinoa Pancakes
Part pancake, part veggie fritter—and entirely satisfying! These Cinnamon-Spiced Sweet Potato Quinoa Pancakes combine tender sweet potato, zucchini and cooked quinoa with warming cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. They’re lightly crisp around the edges, soft in the center and naturally sweet without a drop of maple syrup or honey in the batter.
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I love the thoughtful mix of ingredients here: quinoa and eggs provide protein, while sweet potato and zucchini bring fiber and colorful plant nutrients. They’re also flourless, naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, making them a wonderful option for a variety of dietary needs.
More pancake twists to flip for
I never met a pancake twist I didn’t want to try!
- Jumbo Oatmeal Pancake
- Apple Fritter Pancakes
- Flourless Sweet Potato Pancakes
- Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
- Banana Pancakes
What makes these pancakes so sweet
There’s no added sugar in the batter. Instead, sweet potato supplies natural sweetness, while cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla enhance its cozy, almost dessert-like flavor. They’re lovely with fresh berries, sliced banana, unsweetened applesauce or a creamy dollop of Greek yogurt.
A stack with plenty going for it
- Flourless by design: Cooked quinoa binds with eggs and vegetables to create hearty little pancakes without traditional flour.
- No added sugar: Sweet potato provides subtle sweetness, and warming spices help bring it forward.
- Produce-packed: Each batch contains both sweet potato and zucchini—an easy way to work colorful vegetables into breakfast.
- A smart use for leftover quinoa: Cook a little extra at dinner, then transform it into pancakes the next morning.
The most important step is squeezing as much liquid as possible from the grated sweet potato and zucchini. Removing that excess moisture helps the pancakes hold together and develop beautifully browned edges. Keep them small, flatten them gently and allow the first side to set before flipping.
Feeding a hungry crew? Try my Sheet Pan Pancakes next—one pan, plenty of portions and no standing over the stove flipping batch after batch!
Cinnamon-Spiced Sweet Potato Quinoa Pancakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups grated sweet potato, about 1 to 2 sweet potatoes, depending on the size using the largest grater hole, drained of excess moisture using paper towels
- 1 small grated zucchini or ½ large, 1 cup total, using largest grater hole, drained of excess moisture using paper towels
- 1¾ cups of cooked plain quinoa
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 egg whites
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Gently combine all ingredients in a large bowl to make batter. Be sure to drain excess water out of the sweet potatoes and zucchini first.
- Liberally coat a large skillet with oil spray. Heat skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Spoon out very scant ¼-cup scoops (about 2 tablespoons’ worth) batter onto skillet and cook for about 3 minutes on each side. While pancakes are cooking, gently flatten with spatula or back of spoon on each side.
- Be sure to spray skillet with oil spray to prevent pancakes from sticking between batches. Serve with Greek yogurt, light sour cream, natural unsweetened applesauce and/or fresh fruit.
