Sweet potato waffles are an ideal homemade holiday breakfast and a smart way to use leftover sweet potatoes or sweet potato casserole. These Belgian-style waffles, cooked in a waffle iron, are both fluffy inside and crisp on the outside. Lightly spiced with cinnamon and vanilla, the sweet potato flavor remains the star.
These waffles use mashed or pureed sweet potatoes, making them a great option for using leftovers. If you don’t have cooked sweet potatoes on hand, roast or microwave them until completely soft before mashing.
Serve them for breakfast or as a snack with maple syrup, cinnamon butter, or fresh fruit. You can make them with any variety or color of sweet potato, and pumpkin puree can be used as a substitute.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Sweet Potatoes – They add moisture, natural sweetness, and a rich flavor that suits holiday mornings like Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Textures – These waffles are tender and airy inside while crisp and golden on the outside—an excellent balance.
Simple – The recipe uses everyday ingredients and straightforward techniques. No lengthy rising or complex steps required.
Ingredients
- Milk. Whole milk works well, but any dairy or plant-based milk is fine.
- Cornstarch. Helps absorb excess moisture from the sweet potato and crisps the waffles.
- Sweet potato. Use any cooked sweet potato—roasted, steamed, canned, or frozen—mashed or pureed until smooth.
- Baking powder. Adds lift so the waffles stay light despite the sweet potato.
- Eggs. Separating the eggs and whipping the whites to stiff peaks lightens the batter for airier waffles.
See the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Make the waffles gluten-free with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Use leftover sweet potato casserole in place of plain mashed sweet potatoes.
- Top with pecans, sliced bananas, or blueberries for extra flavor and texture.
- Steamed, roasted, canned, or thawed frozen sweet potatoes all work.
- Any variety of sweet potato—including purple—can be used. Purple sweet potatoes make striking waffles.
- Swap in pumpkin puree if desired; press excess moisture from the puree with a paper towel first.
Serving Suggestions
Top these Belgian waffles however you like: honey cinnamon butter and maple syrup, buttered pecans and syrup, banana or blueberries, almond butter and bananas, or Greek yogurt and honey are all excellent choices.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Mash or puree the cooked sweet potato until very smooth.
Two: Whisk the dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt—until evenly combined.
Three: Separate the eggs and whip the egg whites to stiff peaks with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
Four: Whisk together the sweet potato, egg yolks, sugar, and melted butter until smooth.
Five: Add the milk and whisk gently to combine.
Six: Fold in the dry ingredients using a rubber spatula—do not overmix.
Seven: Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter until no white streaks remain.
Eight: Spoon batter into a preheated waffle iron and close the lid.
Nine: Cook until steam stops escaping and the waffle is deep golden brown and crisp.
Ten: Mix very soft butter with cinnamon and honey to make a spreadable compound butter for serving.
Hot tip! Keep finished waffles warm by placing them on an oven-safe rack over a sheet pan in a 300°F oven. This also helps crisp the edges while you finish cooking the rest.
Expert Tips
- Let the batter rest for 10 minutes before folding in the egg whites and cooking.
- Don’t overfill the waffle iron—leave about ½ inch around the edges for safe spreading.
- Puree the sweet potatoes thoroughly; pass through a sieve if any fibers remain for the smoothest batter.
- Heat the waffle iron completely before adding batter and grease it if your machine’s instructions recommend it.
Recipe FAQs
They likely need more cook time. Finish them on a wire rack in a warm oven to help crisp each side and the edges.
Belgian waffles are thicker, fluffier, and have deeper pockets, and they usually require a Belgian-style waffle iron.
Sufficient cook time, incorporating whipped egg whites, and a bit of cornstarch help achieve extra crispiness.
Storage
Store leftover waffles wrapped or covered in the refrigerator for up to two days. Reheat in a toaster, 350°F oven, or waffle iron until hot and crisp.
For longer storage, freeze waffles in a zip-top bag for up to two months and reheat directly from frozen using the same methods.
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📖Recipe
Sweet Potato Belgian Waffles
Callan Wenner
Equipment
- Waffle iron
- Stand mixer with whisk attachment or hand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
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 (for compound butter)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Preheat the waffle iron to high heat.
- Mash or puree the cooked sweet potatoes until very smooth (½ cup).
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt; set aside.
- Separate the eggs. Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks (2–3 minutes).
- Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, melted unsalted butter, and sweet potato until smooth. Add the milk and combine.
- Stir in the flour mixture by hand and let the batter rest 10 minutes. Then gently fold in the whipped egg whites until fully incorporated.
- Spoon batter into the preheated and greased waffle iron and cook according to your iron’s instructions until steaming subsides and waffles are golden brown.
- Keep cooked waffles on an oven-safe rack in a 300°F oven while finishing the rest to maintain warmth and crispness.
- Mix soft salted butter with cinnamon and honey to form a compound butter and spread on the waffles. Add any additional toppings and drizzle with maple syrup.
Notes
The sweet potato adds moisture to the batter, so ensure each waffle is cooked until it stops steaming and has a deep golden color. They will crisp further in the warm oven as you finish cooking the batch.
Topping ideas: sliced bananas, blueberries, powdered sugar, whipped cream, almond butter, pecans.
Store leftovers wrapped in the fridge for up to two days and reheat in a waffle iron, toaster, or 350°F oven. Freeze up to two months and reheat from frozen.
Nutrition (estimate per serving)
Calories: 440 kcal | Carbohydrates: 55 g | Protein: 10 g | Fat: 20 g | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 13 g
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