When my eldest started weaning, through the traditional method of pureed food, his favourite combinations always included sweet potato. Now that my youngest is doing baby-led weaning it would seem that he shares the same love of the vegetable, just served in different ways. This newest recipe, Sweet Potato Croquettes, were a huge hit.
Easy to pick up with a soft texture they are perfect for babies and toddlers but are sure to be a hit with older kids too.
Preparing the croquettes are easy but a little time consuming. The first step is cooking the sweet potato and lentil mixture, The mixture is soft and mashes together well. I often just serve this mixture as a side dish!
Before forming the sweet potato croquettes you will need to chill the mixture to firm it up. This makes it easier to shape and coat the croquettes.
How to Shape Sweet Potato Croquettes
Use a heaped tablespoon of mixture to form each croquette and roll them into small sausage like shapes. It is easer if you form rough croquette shapes first, until all the mixture is used, them wash your hands and roll the croquettes in the breadcrumbs. You can tidy up the shape, while rolling in the breadcrumbs, until they look like the croquettes pictured.
TIP– If you find the mixture is still on the soft side then add a tablespoon of breadcrumbs to the mixture, this will soak up the excess moisture and will make the croquettes easier to form. Keep adding a tbsp at a time to get the consistency you are happy to work with.
How to Freeze Sweet Potato Croquettes
Freeze the crumbed croquettes (before baking) on a baking tray until frozen and then transfer to a ziplock bag / freezer container.
Sweet Potato Croquettes Nutrition
These little croquettes are packed full of …….
Vitamin A – essential for growth, healthy skin and for good vision.
Potassium – which helps the heart and muscles work better.
Vitamin C – needed for growth and healing of wounds. It also helps in the absorption of iron which is great because the lentils provide a source of……
Iron – needed for healthy blood and muscles.
Have you made this recipe? I’d love to here your feedback, please rate and leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram or Facebook.
Sweet Potato, Lentil and Carrot Croquettes
Sweet Potato and Lentil Croquettes. Easy to pick up with a soft texture they are perfect for babies and toddlers but are sure to be a hit with older kids too.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 Small Onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 200g (3 small) Carrot, peeled and finely diced
- 1/2 tsp Minced Garlic
- 400g (1 medium) Sweet Potato, cut into small chunks
- 100g (1/2 cup) Red split lentils
- 250ml (1 cup) Water
- 1 tbsp Chopped Coriander (cilantro) (optional)
- 50g (1/2 cup) Cheddar Cheese, grated
- 1 egg
- 75g 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs SEE NOTE 1
Instructions
Heat oil in a large sauce pan over a medium high heat. Add the onions, garlic and carrots, reduced the heat, and sauté for 5 mins.
Add the red split lentils and sweet potato and stir for a further 5 mins.
Add the water, cover and simmer on a low heat for approx. 30 mins. (making sure to check and stir mixture so it does not burn) SEE NOTE 2
Mash together and chill for 30 mins.
- Pre heat oven to 190c / 375f / gas 5
Add egg, cheese and coriander to the sweet potato and lentil mixture. Stir to combine. SEE NOTE 3
Use a heaped tablespoon of mixture to form each croquette and roll them into small sausage like shapes. It is easer if you form rough croquette shapes first, until all the mixture is used, them wash your hands and roll the croquettes in the breadcrumbs. You can tidy up the shape, while rolling in the breadcrumbs, until they look like the croquettes pictured.
Place on a greased baking tray, lightly spray with oil and cook for approx. 30 mins (until golden)
Recipe Notes
- I find panko breadcrumbs give the best crunchy coating. The original recipe used fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs and they work well to but have less of a crush. You can use any breadcrumb to coat.
- You want to make sure the mixture is soft and the water has been absorbed.
- If you find the mixture is too wet to form croquettes then you can add a couple of tbsp of breadcrumbs into the mixture. This will soak up any excess moisture. Sometimes I need to do this, other times I don't.
Nutritional Information is a rough ESTIMATE only, calculated using an online nutrition calculator.
* This recipe was first published June 1st 2015. It was updated 22nd Feb 2018 with new photos and more detailed cooking information.
These look really yum. I’m egg free though, do you think they’d work without the egg? Might have to give it a try
They might break up a little easier but as they are baked they may be ok as you don’t have to handle them as much. Maybe you could try adding a tbsp of the breadcrumbs into the mixture before coating in breadcrumbs. Hope they work for you, let me know!
If you do not use eggs add a bit of chickpea flour that will help with keeping the shape
Thanks Eleonora
These look great ! What a great idea #WeaningWednesdays
Thanks!
Oooh these look yummy for big people too! Will have to give them a go. 🙂
Thanks Emily, hope you enjoy x
Wow, these look delicious! As Emily^ said they look great for big people too.
I NEED to try some of your recipes, they are just fantastic. Thank you so much for sharing!
xx
#weaningwednesdays
Thanks for your kind comment Stacie, I hope you enjoy x
Ooh, these look lovely! No little people in our home, but they certainly do appeal to hubby & I! I’m definitely going to try these (though without the coriander, Mr E has an aversion to it for some reason!)! #foodpornthursdays
I’m sure they will taste just as nice without the coriander. I love coriander and like to add it to most things, Mr E would struggle in my house!
Although my children are all well passed weaning (youngest is 8!) I think they’d love these, rather fancy them myself, and so I’m going to have a go at making them gluten free with our bread, thank you for sharing, #foodpornthursdays Lupin Girl x
Oh yes, they are definitely not just for the little ones. We loved them too! Amyx
So doing this, for my husband foremost, great idea #foodpornthursdays
I hope he enjoys it!
My little man would love these! I love the little chubby arm in the photo, so cute 🙂 #foodpornthursdays
Ha ha! Love a chubby arm!
These look scrummy! Love the pics of the little baby hands grabbing the food too. He he
Thanks Carly
Oh how much I wish I had started blogging before my minis were toddlers! I have found out so much useful information and recipes! Although these sound so good that I think they would eat them as a snack. I love the picture of your little one with one in his hand! We just planted some fresh cilantro in our garden over the weekend…nothing like fresh ingredients and knowing exactly where it came from. Thanks so much for linking up with #foodpornthursdays.
Thanks! I know what you mean about blogging and finding so much more on the web than you ever would have if you didn’t blog yourself. Thanks for hosting #foodpornthursdays
Ooh these sound yummy and I bet LM would love them! Will have to try them 🙂 xx
Let me know if they are a success! x
these look delicious.
Can you freeze them?
X
Hi Joanna, I froze some of these when I made them but I haven’t tried them yet. I have frozen similar croquettes with no issues so I’m presuming these will be the same.
perfect for BLW! Do you think they’d freeze well? i’m guessing before baking
Hi Jemma, I froze the left overs after I cooked them. I froze them on a tray lined with parchment paper and then transferred them to a bag so they wouldn’t stick together. Amy
Hi what lentils do you use?
Hi Margaret, I used red split lentils. Sorry for not detailing that!
Its ok thanks, do you have soak them or anything? Thanks
Nope, just rinse them 🙂 Thanks
Wow these look great, might have a fiddle with the recipe so that Ava could eat them. Thanks so much for linking up and hope to see you again #weaningwednesdays x
Thanks Eilidh, it must be so hard to work around allergies. Hope you can adjust the recipe ok. See you tomorrow at #weaningwednesdays!
Hi!
Are the lentils cooked or raw? Also, do you think these would freeze well?
Thanks!
Hi Jen, I used uncooked red split lentils (sorry should have detailed that). They freeze well 🙂
Thanks for the response!!
Hi again!
Could you possibly convert this recipe into cups (US)?
I’m trying, but maybe my coffee hasn’t set in yet : )
Thanks!!
Hi Jen,
I’m not sure of the cup measurements for the carrot or the sweet potato as I guess it depends how small you chop them. 450g is around 15.8oz (sweet potato) and 200g is around 7oz (carrots). 50g of grated cheddar is approx. 1/2 cup and 75g breadcrumbs is around 1 cup. Hope this helps you!
I love your recipes and blog!
Our nearly-two toddler has started refusing vegetables but loves these. She has an egg allergy so I mixed in a bit of Philadelphia instead of egg and they worked perfectly. Thank you. Will send you a picture!
Thanks Caroline, I’m glad you like it and that your 2 yr old loves the croquettes!good tip using cream cheese to replace the egg!
Hello there!
Do you reckon these will be ok to freeze :)?
Hi Nat, yes you can freeze them 🙂
Massive hit with my one year old twins and their 30something Daddy tonight. (Daddy is fussiest of all so quite excited that he liked them, too!) Thanks for the ideas. ☺
Glad they were a success and that they were both kid and Daddy approved! Thanks for commenting 🙂
Hi!
What age would these be suitable to start at??
Thanks!
Hi Jessica, are you doing baby-led weaning? If so then these are suitable from 6 months. If you are doing purees then once your baby is onto textured purees then these should be suitable. They are very soft inside. I hope this helps 🙂
Hi,
Did you use fresh breadcrumbs? What type of breadcrumbs should we use?
Many thanks,
HI Amber, I used wholemeal breadcrumbs but any kind will work 🙂
Hi Amy,
I tried making these but the mixture was too soft and sticky, I wasn’t even able to roll into shape. Had to bin the whole mixture ? Where did I go wrong?
Thanks,
Hi Amber, sorry you didn’t have any success with the recipe. My only thought is that your lentil / sweet potato mixture was too wet and maybe needed to be cooked out longer. Also, did you chill it? it makes it easier to form. Did you try the mixture before adding the egg? If you liked it and want to give it another try then you could add a little more sweet potato or some breadcrumbs to the mixture to dry it out a bit. Thanks for your feedback.
Can they be frozen?
HI Aimee, yes they can be frozen.
can i leave out the cheese? my baby has a milk protein allergy.
Would parsley work instead of coriander do you think?
Yes, it would totally work. Hope you enjoy ?
Hi! I’m excited to try this for my 8 month old! How do you prepare the sweet potato?
Hi Caitlin, sorry I should have said to cut the sweet potato into small cubes. Add them, raw, where the recipe states. Thanks for the feedback, hope you enjoy ?
Heya, just starting this BLW process and my bubba LOVED your pea fritters, thanks! I’m going to try these, but was wondering did you use lentils from a can or dried lentils?
Cheers
Jane
Hi Jane, I’m glad the pea fritters were a success and hopefully these will go down a treat too. I used dried red split lentils. x
Hi. How do you reheat them after defrosting?
Hi Andrea, I’d keep the same cooking temp and time if defrosted. Did you cook them before freezing? If so you might want to check on them after 15 mins
Found these a wee bit sloppy. Had to add breadcrumbs to the mix so I could form fingers. Kids loved them though!
Thanks for the feedback Sylvia, did you pop in the fridge before forming the fingers? I haven’t made these in ages but I do remember needing to chill the mixture before forming the fingers. Glad the breadcrumbs worked though and that the kids approved ??
I made the mistake of using far too much water to cook the veggies & lentils (didn’t see the 250ml til it was too late) I just about managed to form the croquettes & once baked they were ok. My 7 month old absolutely loved his first try of them tonight. Hoping to get the 3 year old on board too by calling them potato fish fingers!!
Hi Clare, thanks for your comment. I’m so glad you got there in the end and that you got approval from your 7 month old. How did you get on with your 3 year old?
Hello! Lovely recipe but I think it’s a mistake to ask for the oven to be preheated from the start, as there’s 39 mins of cooking time for the vegetables followed by chilling time in the fridge? Depending on how long you recommend chilling it might make more sense to preheat the oven at this stage.
Thanks!
Hi Helen, thanks for your input and I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. You are so right, it would be an awfully long time to pre heat an oven! Will edit the recipe!
Are these freezer friendly?
Yes, they freeze well ??
Do you soak the lentils first?
Hi Donna, no I didn’t. I used red split lentils.
Do you have the conversion for cups instead of grams?
Hi Lesley, sorry, this is a really old recipe and at the time I wasn’t doing conversions. I now try to include grams and cups in all my recipes.
This recipe is fab! We’re vegan so I used egg replacer powder and nutritional yeast instead of egg and cheese, and my 9 month old little boy absolutely demolished them! I added broccoli into the mix too for some greens, excited to experiment with loads of other hidden veg in them 🙂
Thanks Jess, so glad you liked them and that your changes worked well. Love the sound of added broccoli!
How many does this recipe make? Cooking for twins!
Hi Marissa, I’m sorry but I can’t remember how many this recipe makes. I’m actually going through my old recipes to update the pictures, fill out the missing information and answer commonly asked questions. This is on my list to do soon. The recipe does make a lot and I know others have frozen left overs.
Hi, I’m the Nana to a 3 1/2 year old, and a 6 month old. I would like to make this for the girls I think they would enjoy it. My question is kind of silly, and I think I already know the answer, but what is Baby-Led Weaning?
Hi Kim, Baby-led weaning is when you bypass purees and simply let your baby feed themselves. I have written a post about my experience of baby-led weaning vs traditional weaning if you are interested in reading more. https://www.healthylittlefoodies.com/traditional-weaning-or-baby-led/
Amazing recipe, so glad I came across your page. Have made up a batch today for my 15 month old, can’t wait to try them out for dinner with a side of greens, hopefully she loves them! (She is a sweet potato queen)
Thanks Victori, how did they go? Hope she liked them!
I’ve isn’t made up a batch of these, cannot wait to try them! Half have gone in the freezer. Wondering if I can cook them straight from frozen or if I have to defrost them first? If straight from frozen how long would you add on? Thank-you!
Hi Mariam, Did you cook them before freezing? If so I’d reheat for 20 mins. If you froze before cooking I’d check after the 30 mins and add another 5 mins if needed. Enjoy!
I can’t wait to try making these. Question about the lentils….pre-cooked before adding them? Or will the 30 minutes be sufficient cooking time. I’ve never mastered lentils but love them!
Hi Chris, no need to pre-cook them. The 30 mins is enough. Please note that recipe uses red split lentils, I’m not sure how other varieties would work in this recipe as they hold their shape more.
I’m in LOVE! Made these croquettes tonight and couldn’t resist trying them straight out of the oven…afterall, I needed to taste test them and make sure my 11.5mo old daughter will approve ;-). Followed the recipe and instructions exactly as written…did end up using more Panko crumbs to soak up extra moisture. Appreciated the cooking tips. Thank you for sharing and can’t wait to make more of your recipes for my baby (and her mama!)
Hi Michelle, thank you for your lovely comments! I’m delighted that you and your daughter are enjoying the recipes. Thanks for taking the time to rate and comment, it really does mean a lot to me 🙂
So I added an extra sweet potato to the mix and looks really wet, should I add another egg, panko breadcrumbs and cheese to the mix, please help me. My hubby mix the most x when was still warm , I just placed it in the fridge! I’m very excited about the recipe, I’m pretty sure my picky toddler will love it!
Hi Daniela, I’d add a tablespoon of breadcrumbs at a time until you get a mixture that is firm enough to hold together and form the croquettes. I wouldn’t say it would need another egg. Cheese is just there for flavour. Let me know how it goes. 🙂
I made these last night and they were a great success. I used finely chopped rosemary instead of coriander as we have loads in our garden, and I thickened the slightly-too-wet mix with some porridge oats briefly blitzed in the food processor to make a chunky oat-flour. My 9mo ate a bowl of the mix (before I’d added the egg) for his supper, then I made the rest into croquettes, most of which I have frozen – except the ones my husband and I ate for our supper dipped in sweet chilli sauce! Your tip of toasting the breadcrumbs before use worked brilliantly.
I’ve made several recipes from your blog now and they’ve all been great, thanks so much!
Brilliant, thanks Kate! So glad you all like them. Great tip about adding in some oat flour if the mixture is too wet.
I made these for my preschool age kiddos and they loved them with plain yogurt to dip. I added a dash of siracha to my yogurt for a spicy kick!
Great! I used to add so many chillies to my meals but have had to calm down since the kiddos arrive so I often take out the sriracha too! Delicious!
Hi there. This sounds lovely. Quick question though, will it work the same way with plain white potatoes? (Little one isn’t so keen on Sweet Potatoes!)
Hi Selen, thank you! I have never tried with white potato but I’m sure they would work great. Enjoy! 🙂
Hi Amy,
These are super recipes – thank you! Just a quick food safety question – can you bake them from frozen or do you need to defrost in the fridge first before baking?
Thank you Victoria, Yes, you can cook from frozen.
Hi, these look great. Can you freeze them
Hi Luisa, for the delay in getting back to you. Yes you can freeze them 🙂
Hi Amy, I would like to say thank you for a great recipe! My little one just loves them. I’m going to try with pumpkin next time! Thanks again!
Thanks, Lam! Glad they were a success and loving the sound of a pumpkin version 🙂
Hi – could you use green lentils instead of the red split pea lentils?
Red split lentils cook quicker and go very soft. Green lentils will give the croquettes more texture but you could blend if you wanted a smoother texture. As I haven’t tried it I can’t say for sure how they would turn out. Sorry!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! I made it today and they turned out quite well for a first attempt. My 4 year old had a few with regular ketchup and my nearly 1 year old had them without any dips.. all the leftovers will be heated up and had as lunch tomorrow – hubby is taking them for his packed lunch alongside a quinoa salad! Your detailed instructions were really helpful so thanks again!
My main issue was the mixture was still a little wet after cooking so added breadcrumbs to the mix as suggested – I’d made my own using normal slices of loaf that I’d flavoured with dried herbs. It still wasn’t as firm as I think they should have been but that didn’t matter much once they went into the oven.
Thanks again!
Hi Priya, I’m so glad you all enjoyed the flavour and thanks for taking the time to let me know. Sorry that the texture wasn’t quite right for you but I’m glad you got them to work in the end. 🙂
Made them today and they were delicious!!! A little bit long time for preparation but the batch is big so you can freeze a lot! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Hi Natalia, yes they are a little time consuming! Glad you have a freezer stash now though!