Curried Sweet Potato Pancakes

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A flavorful twist on potato pancakes that works for Hanukah and everyday dinners alike.

sweet potato pancakes

If you’ve been cooking along with me for a while, you know I don’t shy away from comfort food when it’s worth it. And for Hanukkah, it definitely is. Fried food is the tradition, after all—and while I’ll always love a classic latke, these sweet potato pancakes deserve a place on the table too. They’re spiced with curry, cumin, ginger, and cayenne, crisp on the outside, tender on the inside, and full of flavor. Perfect for Hanukkah, but just as good as a fall or winter side dish any time of year.

How to make curried sweet potato pancakes

Making them is simple: You start by grating a large sweet potato in your food processor (you can also use a hand grater). One potato might not seem like enough but it goes a long way.

Shredded sweet potatoes in a food processor.

Next, make the batter by combining your spices with flour, baking powder, salt, eggs and milk; then stir in your grated sweet potatoes and sliced scallions.

Spatula stirring sweet potato mixture.

Drop heaping spoonfuls in hot oil and pan fry until crisp and golden, then drain on paper towels and serve immediately. You can also make them smaller and serve as hors d’oeuvres. Couldn’t be easier and so delicious…Enjoy! This recipe is adapted from Jewish Cooking in America by Joan Nathan.

Spatula grabbing a curried sweet potato pancake from a lined baking sheet.
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Curried Sweet Potato Pancakes

sweet potato pancakes
Adapted from Jewish Cooking in America by Joan Nathan
A warmly spiced twist on a familiar favorite—perfect when you want something a little different on the table.
Servings: 16 (3-in) pancakes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Scant ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, use less if you don't like heat
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 scallions
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • Approximately 4 tablespoons milk
  • Peanut oil, for frying
  • Applesauce (optional), for serving

Instructions

  • Coarsely grate sweet potatoes in a food processor (you can also use a hand grater). Set aside.
  • Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cayenne, curry powder, cumin, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl and mix well. Add scallions, eggs, 4 tablespoons (60 ml) milk, and sweet potatoes and stir to combine. Batter should be moist but not runny; if too stiff, add a tablespoon more milk at a time until consistency is right.
  • Line a baking sheet with several paper towels and set next to stove. Heat ¼-in (6-mm) of oil in a large nonstick skillet until barely smoking. Drop heaping tablespoons (about ⅛ cup) in oil and flatten with back of spoon. Fry over medium-high heat several minutes on each side until golden. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately. Serve with applesauce if desired.

Notes

  • Nutritional information was calculated assuming that approximately 2 tablespoons of the oil are absorbed into the pancakes when frying.
  • Make-Ahead Instructions: Ideally, these sweet potato pancakes should be served right away, but if you have leftovers, place them on a rack over a baking sheet and reheat in 350°F/175°C oven until hot and crisp.

Nutrition Information

Per serving (8 servings)Calories: 139kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 4gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 219mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4g

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Comments

  • 5 stars
    Fantastic! Delectable. They were OK when I used Land-O-Lakes GF flour.
    Is it an issue to produce this batter a day ahead of time?

    • — Flick Mares on August 24, 2025
    • Reply
    • Glad you liked them! I don’t recommend making the batter ahead of time; I think the potatoes will give off water and make the batter too wet.

  • 5 stars
    Simplicity at it’s finest! If you like sweet potatoes and warming spices, this is the recipe for you. At Jenn’s suggestion to another reviewer, I served them with cucumber raita sauce she linked in her reply. It was so delicious with the cool creamy sauce against the warm fried sweet potato pancake. We had them as an appetizer before enjoying a bowl of Mulligatawny soup, which btw was another home run here! I shared with neighbors and they went crazy for it, as Indian food is their favorite cuisine. This is the first place I come to when I want to try something different, because well…Jenn is just amazing and never disappoints! Thanks for sharing your talents with us all Jenn, you rock!!

  • 5 stars
    These were amazing, thank you! The whole family really enjoyed them.

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