Sweet Potato Fritters (Vegan, Gluten Free)

These spiced sweet potato fritters are soft and moist on the inside and crispy on the outside.  They do not contain any eggs or dairy, are ready in under 15 minutes and make a delicious snack or side dish.

You might also like sweet potato burgers!

Making sweet potato fritters is a delicious and easy way to enjoy this vegetable. They are made using raw sweet potato, a spice blend for added flavour and binding ingredients to make sure they hold their shape.  Because the sweet potato  is finely grated it cooks very quickly so this recipe is ready in minutes!

Ingredients for making sweet potato fritters

• Sweet potato: Weigh after peeling.
• Onion: Adds flavour and moisture.
• Seasoning: The recommended amount of cajun seasoning produces moderately spiced fritters. Add more seasoning or cayenne pepper for extra heat if desired.
• Cornstarch/UK cornflour: Absorbs excess moisture and gives the fritters a light crispy finish.
• Flaxseed: Binds the mixture.
• Fine sea salt.

How to prepare the sweet potato

For this recipe the sweet potato needs to be peeled then finely grated.  If you grate it coarsely the mixture will not bind as well and your fritters will be a little disjointed (as there is very little flour and no eggs in this recipe).  Finely grating the sweet potato and combining it with a small amount of binding ingredients creates a sticky batter and produces a soft, delicious, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Top tip

Do NOT squeeze the moisture from the sweet potato.

Can I prepare the batter ahead

I do not recommend it.  The sweet potato is likely to start releasing moisture and the batter will be trickier to work with (I also do not recommend preparing the sweet potato itself in advance for the same reason).  Once you’ve combined all the ingredients it’s best to use the mixture right away.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1.Peel and finely grate the sweet potato.

2. Combine it with the rest of the ingredients (not the oil) and stir thoroughly using a fork.  Stir until all the ingredients have been thoroughly incorporated and the mixture is sticky.

3. Form small balls (use approx. 1.5 tbsp of the batter for each fritter) then flatten to form round cakes (approx. ½ inch thick).

4. Using a non-stick pan heat up 1-1.5 tbsp of oil and fry the fritters over a medium-high heat for about 2 minutes on each side or until nicely browned.  Add a little more oil after turning them over.

5. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Can I use cooking spray for frying

You can, if that’s what you prefer, but your fritters won’t be as crispy.  I also think the oil enhances the flavour of these sweet potato cakes and you don’t need to use very much to get great results. 1.5-2 tablespoons per batch should be sufficient.

Serving suggestions

These sweet potato fritters are delicious with a refreshing, yogurt based dip such as ranch, guacamole, simple salad or crispy coleslaw.  They can also be served as a side with chicken or fish.

Other flavours you can use

These sweet potato fritters are extremely versatile and work with a variety of flavour combinations.  If you want to use flavours other than cajun try the following:

• Chipotle spice blend
• BBQ seasoning
• Harissa spice blend
• Curry powder (or use equal amounts of cumin, coriander and turmeric powders)
• Jerk seasoning

Top tips

• Weigh the sweet potato after you’ve peeled it.
• The batter will be moist but do not add any more flour or flaxseed or your fritters might turn out a little dry.
• Make sure all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed together (I find it helpful to stir and smash the mixture with a fork).
• My cajun seasoning blend contained salt but I found the fritters still needed a little extra salt. You may, however, prefer to omit the salt and just use your seasoning blend.
• I recommend using a non-stick pan for frying these sweet potato fritters. Fry in batches to avoid overcrowding it.
• Make sure your fritters aren’t pale. They are tastier if you let them caramelise and crisp up on both sides, but be careful not to burn them. Fry over a fairly high heat.
• Best served immediately.
• Not suitable for freezing.

Related recipes

• Crispy Polish Potato Pancakes (Placki Ziemniaczane)
• Sweet Potato Salmon Fish Cakes with Herbs
• Cauliflower Cheese Patties
• Healthy Broccoli Cheese Patties
• Potato Zucchini Fritters (No Flour)

Keep in touch!

If you make these sweet potato fritters I'd love to know how they turned out for you. Did you use a different spice blend? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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