14 Easy and Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes for Toddlers and Kids

If you are worried that your kid is not eating healthy foods, worry no more. There are always some foods that kids will never say no to, sweet potatoes being one of them. Sweet potatoes are a hit among kids and adults alike! Sweet potatoes are a great option when it comes to giving vital nutrients to your kids in a delicious form. They are a good source of vitamins A and C, potassium, and fibre. Sweet potatoes also make a great first food for babies because they have a soft and creamy texture and are less allergenic in nature. In this article get inspired by our sweet potato recipes for toddlers and kids!

How to Introduce Sweet Potatoes to Your Toddlers?

When introducing sweet potatoes to your toddler, try serving them in different ways to become more comfortable and to familiarise them with the sweet potato. You can serve it in different ways like chopping in small pieces, baking, cutting into finger shapes, etc.

When introducing a new food like sweet potato, always make it a point to pair it with another familiar food or your child’s favourite food.

Benefits of Sweet Potato for Your Kids

Sweet potato is a powerhouse of almost all the essential minerals your child needs, namely iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and sodium. Adding to the list of its benefits, it contains zero cholesterol. Sweet potato is rich in vitamins A, C, E, and K which are beneficial to your child’s physical and mental development. The high fibre content of sweet potato will help keep constipation at bay.

Sweet Potatoes Recipe Ideas for Your Toddler

Looking for some inspiration when it comes to serving up a sweet potato dish for your toddler? Look no further as we have some quick and easy recipes for you!

1. Sweet Potato Pancakes

Perfect variation of the humble pancake for breakfast!

Ingredients

• 3 sweet potatoes
• 1 cup atta or wholewheat flour
• 1 tbsp oil/ghee
• ½ cup water
• ½ tsp pepper
• Salt to taste

How to Prepare

1. Peel the sweet potatoes, chop them and pressure cook until soft
2. Season with pepper and salt
3. To this mixture, add the atta and water to prepare a batter
4. Let the batter sit for half an hour
5. Take a pan and once heated, add the ghee/oil to it.
6. Gently pour the batter to make tiny pancakes
7. Flip to cook on both sides
8. Serve with chutney or yoghurt

2. Sweet Potato Chaat

Another evening snack option to add to your list!

Ingredients

• 2 sweet potatoes – cleaned, peeled and steamed
• 1 cup chana/ chickpeas – kept overnight for soaking
• 1 tsp ghee or oil
• ½ cup yoghurt
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt and pepper for seasoning
• Chaat masala
• Tamarind chutney
• Roasted cumin powder

How to Prepare

1. Cut the sweet potatoes into cubes
2. Pressure cook the chickpeas till they are cooked. Do not mash them
3. In a frying pan, heat the oil and gently stir-fry the sweet potato cubes
4. In a separate vessel, add the sugar to the yoghurt to mildly sweeten it
5. In a big mixing bowl, take the sweet potato, chickpeas, salt, pepper and chaat masala.
6. Add the tamarind chutney to this mix
7. Sprinkle some sev and cumin powder on top

3. Sweet Potato Wada

A variation of this crowd favourite, and with no compromise on taste!

Ingredients

For the filling: 

• 1 large sweet potato steamed and mashed
• ½ tsp ginger paste
• 1-2 garlic cloves (crushed)
• ½ tsp cumin powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp coriander powder
• Salt as per taste

For the batter:

• ½ cup gram flour
• Water as required
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying

How to Prepare

1. Mix all the ingredients under filling in a large bowl. Make small balls out of these.
2. Prepare the batter in a separate bowl and gradually add the water to avoid lumps forming.
3. The batter should be thick enough to coat the sweet potato balls
4. Heat a kadhai and pour the oil for deep frying
5. Coat each of the sweet potato balls in the batter and fry one at a time till they turn golden brown
6. In a big mixing bowl, take the sweet potato, chickpeas, salt, pepper and chaat masala.
7. Remove the excess oil using a kitchen towel, and serve the wadas with tomato sauce or chutney

Delicious Sweet Potato Recipes for Children

Sweet potatoes can be made in many ways; they can be boiled, baked, and slow-cooked. As kids get easily bored, it is best to come up with different ways of cooking something. Here are some scrumptious kid-friendly sweet potato recipes:

1. Sweet Potato Fries

Healthy fries you won’t feel guilty feeding your kids.

Ingredients

• 2 sweet potatoes
• Salt and pepper
• Oil

How to Prepare

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
2. Boil the potatoes until they are half done.
3. Peel them and slice them.
4. Sprinkle salt and pepper and place them on a baking tray lined with aluminium foil.
5. Sprinkle some oil over the potato slices and bake for five minutes.
6. Turn the fries over, do the same and let them cool.
7. Serve with tomato sauce.

2. Sweet Potato Paratha

A sweeter version of Aloo Paratha.

Ingredients 

• Atta dough
• Sweet potato
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cumin powder
• Corriander
• Oil or ghee

How to Prepare 

1. Mash the sweet potato until there are no lumps.
2. Add salt, pepper, and cumin.
3. Add chopped coriander.
4. Take a small ball of atta and flatten it, place some sweet potato in the centre, then pull the dough up and around on the sides in order to cover everything.
5. Gently roll out this ball and make sure the stuffing doesn’t come out.
6. On a hot pan or tawa, fry the sweet potato roti.

3. Sweet Potato Salad

This salad is healthy and easy to make.

Ingredients 

• 2 boiled and peeled sweet potatoes
• 1 peeled cucumber
• 1 tomato
• 1 cube cheese
• 1 lime
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil

How to Prepare 

1. Chop the sweet potatoes, cucumbers, and tomatoes into cubes.
2. Mix them in a bowl.
3. Add olive oil, salt, and pepper to it and sprinkle the juice of half a lemon for dressing.
4. Toss the salad well and it is ready!

4. Sweet Potato Dosa

This is one of the best sweet potato Indian recipes for toddlers.

Ingredients 

• 1 cup dosa batter
• 1/2 a cup of grated sweet potato
• 1/4 cup organic jaggery powder
• 1 tablespoon grated jaggery powder
• 1 cardamom
• Pinch of salt
• Water as needed
• Sesame oil/ghee

How to Prepare 

1. Grind together scrapped coconut, jaggery, cardamom, salt and grated sweet potatoes. Add water as required. Ensure the batter is as thick as the regular dosa batter.
2. Heat the tawa and add a ladleful of batter. Spread it into a circle.
3. Sprinkle oil or ghee onto the dosa and allow it to cook for a while, then flip it over onto the other and allow it to cook.
4. Repeat the same with the remaining batter.

5. Savoury Sweet Potato Dosa

A more savoury dosa with sweet potato.

Ingredients 

• 1 cup dosa batter
• 1/2 cup grated sweet potato
• 2 to 3 red chillies
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida/hing
• Water as needed
• Salt to taste
• Sesame Oil/Ghee

How to Prepare 

1. Grind together the dosa batter, red chillies, cumin seeds, asafoetida, salt, and grated sweet potatoes. Add water as required. The batter must be as thick as regular dosa batter.
2. Heat the tawa and add a ladleful of batter. Spread it into a circle.
3. Sprinkle oil or ghee onto the dosa and allow it to cook for a while, then flip it over onto the other.
4. Repeat the same with the remaining batter.

6. Sweet Potato Carrot Soup

This soup recipe is great for a rainy day.

Ingredients 

• 2 small carrots
• 1 small sweet potato
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
• 4 cloves finely chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon of butter/olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper powder
• 7 almonds (soaked for ten minutes)
• Coriander leaves
• Water as required
• Pinch of salt

How to Prepare 

1. Wash and peel the carrots and sweet potatoes. Chop them into cubes.
2. In a pressure cooker, heat olive oil/butter and add ginger and garlic. Sauté for two minutes.
3. Add carrots and sweet potatoes and stir.
4. Pressure cook everything with a cup of water for three whistles on a medium flame until the vegetables are soft.
5. Once the mixture cools, put it in the blender and blend well.
6. Take some olive oil/butter in the pan and add vegetables of your choice.
7. Add the sweet potato mix, salt, pepper, and water to the soup if you find it too thick.
8. Boil it and then add the coriander leaves for garnish.

7. Sweet Potato Mash

One of the best ways of giving sweet potatoes to little ones is by giving them sweet potato mash.

Ingredients 

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup full-fat milk

How to Prepare 

1. Steam or pressure-cook sweet potatoes until very soft.
2. In a saucepan, add cream, milk, butter, and brown sugar and let it simmer, stirring well.
3. Take it off the heat and add potatoes to the mix, mashing everything well together until it turns smooth.
4. Season with salt and pepper.

8. Sweet Potato Poha

Easy and healthy, this sweet potato poha can be made in a matter of minutes.

Ingredients 

• 1 cup poha
• 1 cup sweet potatoes (Chopped into cubes)
• 1 small onion (chopped)
• 1 green chilli (chopped)
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Some coriander leaves for garnish (chopped)
• Salt to taste
• Water as needed
• Hing
• Cumin seeds
• 1 tsp oil

How to Prepare 

1. Wash and then soak poha until it becomes soft enough to mash.
2. Squeeze water from the poha.
3. Heat some oil in the pan and add hing and cumin seeds.
4. Once the cumin seeds start crackling, put some onions and green chillies to the pan and sauté until onions are translucent.
5. Add chopped sweet potatoes and toss well. Allow them to cook until the potatoes turn soft.
6. Then add poha and mix well. Also, add sugar and salt to taste and mix again.
7. Cook again for two or three minutes and then switch off the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves.

9. Sweet Potato Tikki

Sweet potato tikkis are perfect for an after-school snack.

Ingredients 

• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1 medium-sized potato
• 2 slices of brown bread
• 1 teaspoon chopped coriander
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder

How to Prepare 

1. Mash potatoes and sweet potatoes together.
2. Add chopped coriander, salt, pepper and cumin powder and mix well.
3. Slightly wet the bread pieces if your mixture is too dry and then add it to the rest, mixing it in well.
4. Make small 1-inch tikkis with the mixture.
5. Fry in a pan and serve with ketchup.

10. Sweet Potato Kheer

This delicious sweet dish is made with all healthy foods – sweet potatoes, milk, and nuts.

Ingredients 

• 1 sweet potato
• 2 ½ cups milk
• 10 dates
• 1 cardamom
• 5 almonds
• 2 teaspoons ghee
• 5 cashews
• 1 teaspoon raisins

How to Prepare 

1. Peel, chop, and pressure cook the sweet potato until soft.
2. Mash the pressure-cooked potato and put it in a saucepan and heat it on a low flame.
3. Soak the dates and almonds for ten minutes.
4. Peel the almonds.
5. Grind dates and almonds, adding water to make a paste.
6. Add cardamom to the sweet potato mash and mix well.
7. Also, add date and almond paste.
8. Cook everything on a low flame until the mixture becomes of kheer consistency.
9. Stir occasionally to prevent it from burning.
10. Add fried cashews and raisins.
11. Let it cook and then serve warm.

11. Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potato

A quick 10-minute recipe that is flavourful, easy and perfect for your little one!

Ingredients

• 4 sweet potatoes
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon powder
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 1 tsp salt

How to Prepare

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F / 200° C
2. Thoroughly rinse and clean the sweet potatoes, peel and chop them into bite-size cubes
3. Mix all the spices and olive oil into the sweet potatoes so that they are nicely and evenly coated
4. Now spread the potato pieces in a single layer on the baking tray so that they get cooked well and turn crispy
5. Bake for 25 minutes. Check to see if they need to be baked for longer to turn crispier.

As you can see, there are many ways to use sweet potatoes, so don’t shy away from experimenting. Try these recipes for a start and get those important vitamins in your kid’s meals in ways that will delight him.

References/Resources:

1. Mohanraj. R, Sivasankar. S; Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam) – A Valuable Medicinal Food: A Review; Research Gate; https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263096030_Sweet_Potato_Ipomoea_batatas_L_Lam_-_A_Valuable_Medicinal_Food_A_Review; June 2014

2. Amagloh. F, Yada. B, et al.; The Potential of Sweetpotato as a Functional Food in Sub-Saharan Africa and Its Implications for Health: A Review; PubMed Central; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8156662/; May 2021

3. Aweke. A; Roba. B; Evaluation of proximate composition of sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] for better utilization through agro-food processing chain; Global Science Research Journals; https://www.globalscienceresearchjournals.org/articles/evaluation-of-proximate-composition-of-sweet-potato-ipomoea-batatas-l-lam-for-better-utilization-through-agrofood-proces.pdf ; April 2016

4. Truong. V, Avula. R; Sweet Potato Purees and Powders for Functional Food Ingredients; United States Department of Agriculture; https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/60701000/Sweetpotato%20Publications/S134.pdf; July 1998

5. Vegetable of the month: Sweet potatoes; Harvard Health Publishing; https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/vegetable-of-the-month-sweet-potatoes

6. Bellows. L, Clarke. A, Moore. R; Introducing Solid Foods to Infants; Colorado State University; https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/nutrition-food-safety-health/introducing-solid-foods-to-infants-9-358/

Also Read: 

Healthy Potato Recipes for Kids
Broccoli Recipes for Toddler and Kids
Healthy and Delicious Vegan Recipes for Children