Grated sweet potato has to be one of my most favorite additions to the breakfast line-up. I was recently introduced to the concept of using them to make hash browns, which is amazing because the whole family loves and veggies for breakfast = win-win. The other day, I decided to take it one step further and created these savory sweet potato cakes for breakfast:
But they’re not just for breakfast actually. Don’t be fooled and pigeonholed. One of my best friends made them for dinner recently and served with pork tenderloin and homemade apple chutney. Another friend made them and used them as the base for a twist on eggs Benedict. And I love topping them with sliced avocado and over-easy egg. So go crazy and you do you!
Because you have to grate the sweet potato and there is the step of sautéing before forming into patties, these probably aren’t your quick out the door breakfast. BUT if you make the “batter” the night before or on a weekend and double the recipe, you can store it in the fridge for up to three days and then all you would need to do in the morning is cook a patty 3 minutes per side (plus an egg if you want to throw one on there).
I use a box grater to finely grate the sweet potato – similar to this one. If you don’t have one, you can easily find at most stores or even your grocery for $10 or so. (I also sometimes use it for cheese since it’s usually cheaper to buy it in block form versus pre-shredded.) This is kind of an annoying step, but you’ll be surprised how much you’ll get from one large sweet potato! If you’ve got it in you, go ahead and grate up a second potato so you can easily double this and have it for a few days.
These are gluten-free as printed below, since I use almond flour, but feel free to sub whole wheat or regular flour if you don’t feel like buying almond flour. (Bags of almond flour can be pricey, but if you look in the bulk section at many groceries, you can get just a small amount for a recipe. Or use regular like I said. Will still be good.) Either way, you don’t need much flour and it’s just a small amount to help hold them together.
Here’s a quick video if you need more inspiration to give them a try!

With just 5 ingredients, these (gluten free) savory sweet potato cakes make it easy to start your day with veggies! But they're not just for breakfast - see more ideas in the post!
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and finely grated (I use a box grater)
- 1 Tbsp butter (or olive oil)
- 2 egg whites (or 1 egg)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp almond flour
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Peel and grate the sweet potato. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium. Add the grated sweet potato and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. (I taste it to make sure its cooked/softened.)
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Remove from the heat and transfer the sweet potato to a bowl. Add the egg whites, seasonings, and almond flour.
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Wipe out the skillet and heat over medium. Add a little butter or olive oil for cooking, then form the mixture into patties and add to the skillet. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes per side, flipping halfway through.
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Remove from the skillet and serve. I like to top with an egg or avocado (or both!)
Note: You can double this recipe to have breakfast ready for a few days. The mixture will store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and can be cooked when ready to eat.
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