Crispy Sweet Potato Cakes

5 stars (35 ratings)

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These sweet potato cakes are soft on the inside and perfectly crunchy on the outside. Serve them with a tangy lemon yogurt sauce as a delicious vegetarian appetizer or part of the main meal. They're easy to make, and they're ready in an hour!

Turn these sweet potato patties into a complete meal with a hearty salad like our arugula and wild rice salad, crispy kale salad with beets, or roasted broccoli salad with lemons and almonds.

Here's a recipe for a savory-sweet side dish or appetizer that everyone, not just vegetarians, will love! These sweet potato patties are sweet, crunchy, and full of flavor.

We make them with roasted sweet potatoes, almond flour, chives, and panko. Panko is our go-to breading ingredient for a perfectly crunchy exterior every time.

We pan fry them until golden using real butter, because butter makes everything better. We can't exactly call these healthy, but with only real ingredients, it's a great way to eat more vegetables. And they taste way better than any store-bought alternative.

They’re also packable, kid-friendly, and great for snacking, sandwiches, breakfast, or in bowls.

Sweet Potato Cakes on a dinner plate with sauce

Ingredients for making sweet potato patties

Here's what you'll need to make sweet potato patties:

Sweet potatoes – the sweet taste of yams make up the base of these patties. Just make sure not to overcook them or they will be too mushy to form into patties.
Olive oil – lightly coating the sweet potatoes before baking them helps to lock in moisture.
Almond flour – almond flour is nutritious and completely gluten-free!
Chives – for a mild onion flavor.
Sea salt + black pepper – for seasoning.
Garlic – adds its distinct pungent flavor and balances out the sweetness.
Panko – we love panko in place of traditional breadcrumbs because it never fails at giving everything it touches a perfectly crunchy texture.
Butter – using butter for frying adds lots of flavor.

Here's what you'll need for the lemon sauce:

Yogurt – a thick, plain Greek yogurt makes the base of this creamy sauce.
Lemon – both lemon juice and zest add lots of bright citrusy flavor.
Cilantro – for a pop of green and fresh flavor.
Sea salt + black pepper – for seasoning.

How to make sweet potato cakes

These sweet potato patties are quick and easy to make. Let's break down how to make them:

Start by roasting the sweet potatoes. Cut them in half, rub them with oil, then pop them into your oven for about 45 minutes.
The lemony sauce is made simply by whisking the ingredients together. Easy!
Once the sweet potatoes are soft and you've let them cool down a bit, scoop them out of their skins then mash them with almond flour, chives, salt, pepper, and garlic.
The only slightly tricky part of this recipe is breading the patties in panko as they'll be quite soft. Use a gentle hand!
Now it's time to fry! Make the patties crispy and tasty by pan-frying them in butter. When you're done, serve them with the lemony sauce on the side.

Full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.

FAQS

How long do they keep?

Although these patties are best enjoyed right away, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.

Can I use regular potatoes instead of sweet potatoes?

Regular potatoes will have a slightly different texture, and while we haven't tried it, we think it would be delicious, too!

Where can I buy panko?

Panko breadcrumbs are a fixture of Japanese cuisine. They can be found at most well-stocked grocery stores in the Asian section. If you happen to have a Japanese market nearby, you're likely to find them there as well.

How do I make these vegan?

There are no eggs in this recipe so the only ingredients you need to swap are the butter and yogurt. Use a neutral cooking oil or a non-dairy butter alternative for frying and a thick dairy-free plain yogurt for the lemon sauce.

How do I reheat them?

Reheat these patties on the stovetop over medium heat, or in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven. If frozen, thaw them before reheating.

What to serve with sweet potato patties

Enjoy these savory-sweet patties warm or cold, with the tangy lemon sauce in this recipe, or topped with greek yogurt, sour cream, creamy avocado sauce, or hummus.

They're also the perfect side dish to almost any main like our salmon with lemon dill sauce, herbs de provence chicken, or strawberry avocado grilled balsamic chicken salad.