Sweet Potato Fritters For Babies & Toddlers
Sweet potato fritters for babies 8 months+ toddlers and older kids. Simple to make ahead, fried or baked – they make the perfect snack or finger food for babies as well as for baby led weaning feeding.
These sweet potato fritters are sweet and soft on the inside, and slightly crispy on the outside. These little veggie patties perfectly cooked until golden-brown can be made ahead and the leftovers stored for later – perfect for lunch boxes too!
Sweet potatoes for babies make a great finger food in any form, it’s such a versatile veggie. You can make a nutritious sweet potato puree, use them for baby led weaning approach or combine with other ingredients to form little sweet potato fritters (patties).
My child enjoys them so much that I decided to adopt the same recipe technique and try another veggie snack idea: Beet Fritters.
Why Sweet Potato Fritters Make a Perfect Baby Finger Food
- Sweet potatoes are one of the babies’ favorite food, they are great for them as young as 6 months.
- Flavor Introduction: It’s a tasty way to introduce your baby to new flavors and textures, encouraging a diverse and healthy palate from an early age.
- Nutritious and Delicious: Sweet potato fritters are packed with essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin A and fiber, supporting your baby’s growth and healthy digestion.
- Easy to Handle: Their soft texture and small size make them perfect for little hands to grasp and chew, promoting fine motor skills and self-feeding.
Ingredients You Need
- Sweet potatoes – peeled and shredded (grated).
- Egg – as a binding agent.
- Flour – helps the fritters to hold together better.
- Salt and spices – optional for flavor.
How To Make Sweet Potato Fritters For Baby / Toddler
Step 1. Place shredded sweet potato in a medium bowl and stir with egg, flour, garlic, onion powder and salt until just combined.
Step 2. You can divide the mixture with a spoon in 8 parts, or use one at a time (about 1.5 tbsp) to form small patties. Shape with your hands into desired size. Keep them more flat for faster even cooking. Make sure to keep the edges round and even.
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Step 3. Heat 1/2 cup tbsp of olive oil or avocado oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. If you’re using a ceramic skillet, you can cook the fritters without oil, they won’t stick (the color will be less golden though).
Step 4. When ready, reduce the heat to medium and pan-fry the sweet potato fritters in batches until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Let them cool on a rack before serving.
Tip For Perfectly Cooked Sweet Potato Patties
- Sweet potatoes have a higher sugar content when compared to regular white potatoes and they tend to burn more quickly. Keep an eye and lower the heat if the edges darken very quickly.
- Make them more crispy: once the sweet potato is shredded place it in a cheese cloth and squeeze as much liquid as possible before adding the rest of ingredients.
Variations (Change The Flavor)
Mix shredded sweet potatoes with shredded white potatoes, cabbage, any squash, zucchini, carrots, beets or any other root vegetable. Combine 2 ore more ingredients as you like.
Make It Gluten Free Or Grain Free
Swap the all purpose flour with any gluten free flour (sorghum, buckwheat, rice flour works well) or grain free flour (arrowroot, cassava, tapioca, green banana flour or tigernut).
How To Store (When You Make Ahead)
- Store leftovers for 3-4 days covered (to seal the moisture) in the refrigerator.
- Freeze up to 3 months in an airtight container.
- Thaw / Reheat – just pop them out of the freezer and place in a toaster. You can easily pack in a lunchbox as well if you want.
Serving Suggestions for Babies and Toddlers
- Bite-Sized Pieces: Cut the sweet potato fritters into small, manageable pieces perfect for tiny fingers, encouraging self-feeding and developing fine motor skills.
- Dip and Enjoy: Serve the fritters with a side of plain yogurt or unsweetened applesauce for dipping, adding a fun and tasty element to mealtime.
- Balanced Meal: Pair the fritters with soft steamed veggies like peas or carrot sticks to offer a variety of textures and additional nutrients in one meal.
FAQs
These sweet potato fritters are suitable for babies who learned how to chew (approx. 6–8 months+) including baby led weaning – they are soft inside but some small bits of shreds might be a problem for some babies, so make sure you monitor when trying the first time.
To make them healthier, remove the salt, and the oil. Use a ceramic skillet which is (non-stick) or the oven, if you want them oil free. Alternatively use ghee, or animal fat for frying, these are more heat resistant and don’t degrade chemically.
Yes, you can freeze cooked sweet potato fritters. Let them cool completely, then store them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months.
Yes, you can substitute the egg with mashed banana, applesauce, or a flaxseed “egg” (mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water) to bind the fritters, making them safe for babies with egg allergies. This method will not guarantee the same texture and result though.
Need more finger food recipes? Check out the finger food category for more ideas!
More Sweet Potato Recipes
- Sweet Potato Baby Led Weaning: Ways To Serve
- Sweet Potato Apple Broccoli Puree For Baby Stage 2 (6 month +)
- Sweet Potato Pancakes For Baby/Toddler/Kids
Sweet Potato Fritters Recipe For Babies | Toddlers | BLW
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato (shredded ~ 1 to 1¼ cups )
- 1 large egg
- pinch of salt (omit for babies younger than 9 months)
- 1.5 tbsp flour (see notes for alternatives)
- pinch of onion powder (or use shredded onion)
Optional
- pinch of garlic powder (optional)
- 2 tbsp avocado oil or ghee for frying (or animal fat)
Instructions
- Place shredded sweet potato in a medium bowl and stir with egg, flour, garlic, onion powder and salt until just combined.
- You can divide the mixture with a spoon in 8 parts, or use one at a time (about 1.5 tbsp) to form small patties. Shape with your hands.
Fried in a skillet
- Heat 1/2 cup tbsp of avocado oil in a large non-tick skillet over medium-high heat. If you're using a ceramic skillet, you can cook the fritters without oil, they won't stick (the color will be less golden though).
- When ready, reduce the heat to medium and pan-fry the sweet potato fritters in batches until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
- Let them cool on a rack before serving.
Or Baked in The Oven
- Preheat your oven to 425-450F with a cookie sheet inside just to to heat it through (you may need to adjust the temperature during baking). Once ready to bake, take the sheet out of the oven (it should be really hot) line it with a parchment paper and quickly place all of the sweet potato latkes at once, shape and flatten with a spatula.
- Get them in the oven and bake until they look cooked through (about 15-20 minutes at 425 F). Use the broiler for the last 2 minutes of baking, if you want a more crispy crust on top. Optional: spray the parchment paper with oil before placing the fritters (the oil will yield a more golden crispy color).
Notes
Variations (Change The Flavor)
Mix shredded sweet potatoes with shredded white potatoes, cabbage, any squash, zucchini, carrots, beets or any other root vegetable. Combine 2 ore more ingredients as you like. Make the fritters more crispy: once the sweet potato is shredded place it in a cheese cloth and squeeze as much liquid as possible before adding the rest of ingredients.Make Them Gluten Free Or Grain Free
Swap the all purpose flour with any gluten free flour (sorghum, buckwheat, rice flour works well) or grain free flours (arrowroot, cassava, green banana flour, tapioca or tigernut). Use one or a blend to achieve a similar texture of regular all-purpose flour.Nutrition
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Do you use the large side or small holes side of the box grater?
Large holes.
Can I use almond flour if I don’t have any of the other types of flour u had mentioned?
I’m not sure what texture this will bring. Usually starchy fine flours work better.
I see these can be frozen for 3 months… this may sound silly but do you cook them first, let them cool then freeze or just prepare, freeze then cook when needed?
Best way is to freeze cooked, otherwise they will tend to separate and get soggy