Sweet Potato Silver Dollars – For Little and Big Kids Alike
These sweet potato silver dollars are one of those simple little recipes that quietly become favourites. Made mostly from mashed sweet potato and lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, they cook into soft, small pancakes that are just as appealing to adults as they are to children.
They’re lovely served warm with a little butter and honey or maple syrup, but they’re also delicious just as they are. Because they’re small and naturally sweet, they work beautifully as a snack, tucked into lunch boxes, or enjoyed fresh from the pan.
They freeze very well too, which makes them handy to have on hand for snacks. Whether you serve them warm as a treat or pop a few into a lunch box, they’re a gentle, unfussy recipe that suits all ages.
And if you’re looking for another family favourite that both little and big kids love, you might also enjoy my Classic Australian Sausage Rolls – A Family Recipe.
Sweet Potato Silver Dollars
Ingredients
- 250 g mashed sweet potato, from about 400 g raw sweet potato
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 45 g butter melted and cooled slightly
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 30 g plain flour (gluten-free works well)
- 1 tablespoon sugar (omit if on a sugar-free diet)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Neutral flavoured oil or butter for cooking
Instructions
Cook the sweet potato
- Peel and chop the sweet potato. Place in a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil, then simmer until very tender.
- Drain well and leave in a sieve to steam-dry until completely cool. Mash until smooth. Weigh 250g needed for this recipe.
Make the batter
- In a large bowl, crack in the eggs. Add the salt, baking powder, flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Add the mashed sweet potato, melted butter and milk.
- Whisk until smooth and well combined. The batter will be quite thin — this is correct.
Heat the pan
- Heat a non-stick or cast-iron pan over a moderate heat. The pan is ready when a drop of water forms beads and dances on the surface.
- Lightly brush with oil or butter.
Cook the silver dollars
- Drop tablespoons of batter into the pan to form small pancakes.
- Cook for about 2½ minutes, until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip and cook the other side for about 1 minute, until golden.
- Continue cooking the remaining batter, lightly oiling the pan between batches as needed.These are best served fresh from the pan. If you’re cooking the whole batch to serve at once, you can keep them warm in a very low oven until ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
- Place 8 little silver dollars in a stack. Serve warm with a little butter and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey. They’re also delicious on their own and perfect for snacks or lunch boxes.
Video
Notes
- Keeping them warm in a low oven is only necessary if you’re cooking and serving the whole batch at once.
- The batter is meant to be thin and may have small lumps from the sweet potato.
- Gluten-free flour works perfectly in this recipe.
- The original recipe includes 1 teaspoon of grated ginger, but I prefer them without it.
- These freeze very well — reheat gently before serving.
- One serve is about 8 silver dollars.
