Sustainable Recipe Corner: Sweet Potato Pancakes w/ Caramel Sauce
Oria Aponte, ALANYC Vice President

Sweet potatoes are available all year round and are highly nutritious.  Here’s a fun way to enjoy them.  This vegan recipe results in light and fluffy pancakes that will be sure to please you and your family for either breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Ingredients for pancakes:

• 1 ½ cups flour
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 and ¼ cup non-dairy milk
• 1/3 cup packed cooked sweet potato
• 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (for binding)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the dry ingredients (flour up to cinnamon) in a bowl and mix.  Combine the rest of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour mixture into dry ingredients and blend by hand until the flour has been incorporated – do not over blend.  Let the batter rest while you make the caramel sauce.

Ingredients for caramel sauce:

• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• ½ cup packed cooked sweet potato
• 2 to 4 tablespoons non-dairy milk
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a small saucepan add the sugar and water and heat over medium heat until it is liquid.  In a blender add the almond butter, sweet potato, half the milk, and cinnamon.  Add milk to desired consistency.  Heat in pan before serving over the pancakes.

Heat a nonstick pan on medium low.  Scoop batter and let cook until edges are firm and the top bubbles, then flip.  Cook them slow, do not rush them.

Heat caramel sauce and drizzle over pancakes.  You can sprinkle some chopped walnuts over sauce if desired.