Healthy Vegan Sweet Potato Cakes

Soft on the inside, crispy on the outside! These Healthy Vegan Sweet Potato Cakes are easy to make and super delicious. A mixture of oven-roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, spices and fresh herbs, shaped into cakes and pan-fried until golden brown. Delicious as a snack, side-dish or served with quinoa and veggies. They also go really well with our Lemon Tahini Yogurt Sauce.

Vegan sweet potato cakes stacked on top of each other on a black plate finished with fresh cilantro and jalapeño pepper.

Sweet potatoes are super versatile, which is one of the reasons we love them. They are the perfect base for a healthy and delicious meal, and they are the star in this Health Vegan Sweet Potato Cakes recipe. While it might seem a bit daunting at first to make cakes with sweet potatoes, it’s actually super easy to make. Just toss all of the ingredients into a food processor, shape into patties/cakes and pan-fry until golden and bob’s your uncle.

The Ingredients

The ingredients for the healthy vegan sweet potato cakes on a wooden table.
  • Sweet potatoes – roasted in the oven until soft and tender.
  • Black beans – provide for some extra texture and taste. They are also a great source of plant-based protein.
  • Jalapeño pepper – for a bit of kick/heat. Jalapeño peppers are relatively mild, so no need to worry about this recipe being really spicy.
  • Chickpea flour – helps to create that crispy layer on the outside and makes sure that the cakes/patties are easily shaped.
A hand places a raw vegan sweet potato cake on a plate with more raw vegan sweet potato cakes.

Cooking Tips

  • You can wet your hands before shaping the patties in order to make it a little easier and less messy. However, you don’t really need it as these are already easy to shape.
  • For patties with more texture, pulse the mixture a couple of times but don’t overmix. You can also blend until it’s an entirely smooth mixture, if you prefer it that way.
  • If you like it spicy, don’t get rid of the seeds in the jalapeño pepper. If you don’t like it spicy, it is probably best to remove the seeds.
  • When pan-frying the cakes, don’t start moving and flipping them around straight away. Be patient and give them a couple of minutes before you flip them, this will ensure a golden-brown and crispy outside.
Four pan fried healthy vegan sweet potato cakes.

Substitutions and Variations

  • Corn – you can add some (canned) corn to the mixture, which is a delicious addition to the recipe.
  • Ground cumin – you can also use ground coriander.
  • Cilantro – we recommend using cilantro, but if you really dislike cilantro you can also use fresh mint or parsley.
  • Jalapeño pepper – you can basically use any type of chili you like.
  • Black beans – you can switch things up here and use any other type of beans, such as chickpeas or kidney beans.
Healthy vegan sweet potato cakes on a black plate with a lemon tahini yogurt sauce on the side.

FAQ

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Vegan sweet potato cakes stacked on top of each other on a black plate finished with fresh cilantro and jalapeño pepper.

Healthy Vegan Sweet Potato Cakes


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  • Author: Sjors
  • Total Time: 45 min
  • Yield: 1214 cakes 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Soft on the inside, crispy on the outside! These Healthy Vegan Sweet Potato Cakes are easy to make and super delicious. A mixture of oven-roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, spices and fresh herbs, shaped into cakes and pan-fried until golden brown.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 small (400 grams) sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 2 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, roughly chopped
  •  1/5 cup (10 grams) fresh cilantro
  • 14 oz (400 grams) canned black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • A pinch of freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 tbsp chickpea flour

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven on 190 degrees Celsius (374 Fahrenheit).
  2. Arrange the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and mix in 1/2 tbsp of the oil.
  3. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until soft and tender.
  4. Add the garlic, jalapeno and cilantro to a food processor and mix. Add black beans, roasted sweet potatoes, spices, salt and a pinch of black pepper and blend until it reaches the desired consistency. We prefer a bit more texture, so a couple of pulses is enough. If you like it more smooth, blend until smooth.
  5. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl. Add chickpea flour and stir until incorporated. 
  6. Shape into cakes/patties, roughly 5,5cm (2 inch) diameter and 1,5cm (0,5 inch) thick. You should be able to make about 12-14. 
  7. Over medium heat, place a non-stick frying pan/skillet and add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil. Add the cakes and fry for 2/3 minutes on each side until golden and crispy. Repeat until all of the cakes are done. 
  8. Serving tip: serve with our delicious yogurt tahini sauce recipe!

Notes

Nutritional facts are estimates. If you want to be sure about the nutritional facts, be sure to check your product labels.

  • Prep Time: 15 min
  • Cook Time: 30 min
  • Category: Snack, Dinner
  • Method: Pan-fried
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cake
  • Calories: 81kcal
  • Sugar: 2,2g
  • Sodium: 0,18g
  • Fat: 2,6g
  • Saturated Fat: 0,4g
  • Carbohydrates: 10,6g
  • Fiber: 2,7g
  • Protein: 2,5g

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