Description

These Crispy Sweet Potato Cakes are a delicious and comforting dish featuring tender baked sweet potatoes combined with almond flour, herbs, and garlic, coated in crunchy panko breadcrumbs, and pan-fried to golden perfection. Served with a tangy lemon cilantro yogurt sauce, they’re perfect as a snack, side dish, or light meal.

Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients

1 ½ lb sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons minced chives (can substitute green onions)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
½ cup panko breadcrumbs (more as needed)
4 tablespoons butter (for frying)

Yogurt Sauce

½ cup thick, plain yogurt
½ lemon (zest and juice)
1 tablespoon minced cilantro
1 pinch sea salt
1 pinch pepper

Instructions

Bake sweet potatoes: Preheat your oven to 425°F (if you want, but recipe states to place potatoes in cold oven). Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and rub with olive oil all over. Place on a baking sheet and put into the oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes until soft when pierced with a fork.
Make the sauce: While the sweet potatoes bake, whisk together the thick plain yogurt, lemon zest and juice, minced cilantro, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
Prepare sweet potato mixture: Once cool enough to handle, peel the sweet potatoes and place the flesh in a large bowl. Add almond flour, minced chives, salt, pepper, and finely minced garlic. Mix everything together until well combined.
Coat with panko: Place the panko breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, scoop portions of the sweet potato mixture and gently drop each into the panko, carefully coating each cake as they will be soft and delicate.
Cook the cakes: Melt butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Working in batches, cook the cakes for about 5 minutes on each side or until they develop a golden brown and crispy crust. Add more butter as needed between batches to keep the cooking surface well-greased. Transfer cooked cakes to paper towels to drain excess butter.
Serve: Serve the crispy sweet potato cakes warm, accompanied by the prepared lemon cilantro yogurt sauce on the side for dipping.

Notes

Using almond flour adds a nutty flavor and helps bind the cakes while keeping them gluten-free.
Panko breadcrumbs give a lighter, crispier crust compared to regular breadcrumbs—adjust quantity as needed for better coating.
Butter adds richness and flavor for frying, but olive oil can be used for a dairy-free alternative.
Be gentle when coating and flipping the cakes as they are quite soft before cooking.
The yogurt sauce can be customized with herbs like dill or parsley for different flavor profiles.
Sweet potatoes can be baked ahead of time and stored in the fridge for easier assembly later.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Category: Side Dish
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: sweet potato cakes, crispy sweet potatoes, baked sweet potato recipes, gluten free side dish, almond flour cakes, panko crust, yogurt sauce, lemon cilantro sauce