Sweet Potato Nuggets
These sweet potato nuggets are made with just 7 simple ingredients, can be baked or pan-fried, and are packed with fiber and plant-based protein.
Even though these sweet potato nuggets take a little time because the sweet potato needs to roast first, the actual work involved is minimal. Once the sweet potato is soft, simply blend the flesh with lentils, oats, garlic powder, and fresh herbs, shape into nuggets or tots, coat in breadcrumbs, and bake or pan-fry until golden and crispy.
They're freezer-friendly too, making them perfect for meal prep.
If you're just getting started with feeding solids, I'd recommend having a quick read through these guides first:
- Baby-Led Weaning First Foods- a simple guide to help you get started
- BLW vs. Purées- walks you through both approaches
- Baby-Led Weaning Essentials- my favorite beginner-friendly feeding tools
Jump to:
Ingredients you'll need
- Sweet potato: Roasting brings out its natural sweetness and creates a thicker puree than boiling. You can use store-bought sweet potato puree- just make sure it's unsweetened and not too watery.
- Lentils: Add protein and help bind the nuggets. Chickpeas or white beans can be used instead.
- Oats: Help absorb moisture and hold everything together.
- Breadcrumbs: You can either make your own or I recommend using a brand with as minimal ingredients as possible such as 365 Whole Foods Market Original Breadcrumbs.
- Salt: Optional. Leave out for babies and toddlers.
Step-by-step instructions
Here's a quick step-by-step with photos so you can see exactly how it comes together. You'll find the full printable recipe card down below.
Step 1: Cut sweet potato in half then roast until soft for about 50 minutes.
Step 2: Blend oats into a course flour.
Step 3: Add all the other remaining ingredients and blend until combined. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes (or overnight).
Step 4: Shape into nuggets and pan-fry or bake until golden brown.
Picky eaters tip
- Let your child help shape the nuggets before baking- kids are often more excited to try foods they've helped make.
- If fresh herbs are a hard sell in your house, you can simply leave them out. I like to finely chop them before blending so they get fully incorporated into the mixture and aren't very noticeable, but for particularly picky eaters, skipping them altogether is absolutely fine.
Serving suggestions by age
- 6+ months (BLW): Shape into larger tots that are easy to grasp and serve without added salt. You can skip the breadcrumb coating if preferred.
- 9+ months: Serve as nuggets or tots alongside plain Greek yogurt, mashed avocado, or hummus for dipping.
Storage
- Fridge: Store leftover sweet potato nuggets in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze cooked nuggets in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Reheat in the oven, air fryer, or a lightly oiled pan until warmed through and crispy again. Avoid microwaving if you want to keep the crispy coating.
More nourishing dinner ideas
Sweet Potato Nuggets
Crispy on the outside, soft and savory in the middle, and made with simple wholesome ingredients.
Print
Pin
Rate
Servings: nuggets
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup (210 g) sweet potato *about 1 large sweet potato
- ⅔ cup (140 g) canned brown lentils *or sub chickpeas or white beans
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped *optional
- ½ cup (70 g) breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon salt (optional) *see notes
- ½-1 cup oats *depending on preferred cooking method, see instructions
You can find detailed step-by step-photos above the recipe card.
Instructions
- Give the sweet potato a good wash, then cut lengthwise in half. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush with olive oil, and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 45-60 minutes or until very soft. Let cool completely.
- Scoop out the sweet potato flesh and measure out 1 cup (or 220g). In a small food processor, blend oats into a coarse flour (for baked nuggets I recommend using ½ cup oats, for pan-fried nuggets I recommend ¾ - 1 cup for a firmer texture).
- Add the measured sweet potato, lentils, garlic powder and fresh herbs to the oats and blend until combined. Chill the mixture for at least 30 minutes.
- Shape into nuggets or tots, roll in breadcrumbs, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly brush or spray with olive oil if desired.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 22-24 minutes until golden, or pan-fry in olive oil over medium-high heat until crispy. Let cool for a bit and serve warm on their own or dipped into Greek yogurt.
Equipment
- 1 cutting board + knife
- 1 baking tray + parchment paper
- 1 food processor or stick blender
Notes
- Salt: This recipe is intentionally unsalted for little ones. If serving adults only, you can add about ½ teaspoon salt to the mixture. If sharing with toddlers and adults, keep the nuggets unsalted and brush the adult portions with salted olive oil before baking.
- Breadcrumbs: I made my own breadcrumbs using only bread, but if buying them, I highly recommend choosing whole wheat breadcrumbs with a short, simple ingredient list and no unnecessary additives or preservatives (which can honestly be harder to find than you'd think). A simple option like 365 Whole Foods Market Original Breadcrumbs is the kind I'd look for.
- Picky eaters tip: If your child isn't a fan of herbs, simply leave them out. I finely chop them before blending so they're barely noticeable, but the nuggets are still delicious without them.
- Storage: Store leftover sweet potato nuggets in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1nugget. | Calories: 86kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 47mg | Potassium: 105mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1888IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates.
Tried this recipe?Leave a rating and comment telling us how you liked it!
