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This sweet potato flatbread recipe uses just TWO ingredients and is gluten-free, yeast-free, no-knead, and paleo! Plus, this recipe triples up as sweet potato flatbread, tortillas, and pita (with a pocket!) with an oven and Air Fryer cooking method!
Having already posted recipes for garlic naan, traditional pita bread, and even Turkish pide bread, I received multiple messages asking for a gluten-free option. I’d had the idea of using potato anyway, and with a little bit of experimentation, I discovered this sweet potato flatbread.
What’s so special about this gluten-free potato bread is that it can be cooked as a flatbread sweet potato tortilla, but will also bake up amazingly as a gluten-free pita – impressive pocket and all. The sweet potato pita is perfect for stuffing with fillings like baked falafel and creamy hummus. And all without any gluten, yeast, or kneading!
All you need is just two ingredients too: sweet potato and oat flour! So as long as you have a sweet potato and some oats in your kitchen right now, then you’re ready to go. There’s no special equipment or tools needed either – just a bowl, baking paper, something to use as a rolling pin, and a baking tray!
You can even use leftover baked sweet potatoes, boiled, or steamed sweet potato too – this sweet potato bread is a great way to use up those leftovers.
Unfortunately, this method won’t work the same with regular potatoes (or at least not with my current experiments), so if you want a potato flatbread – why not try this ONE ingredient potato flatbread (yup – ONE ingredient only!).
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The ingredients
Sweet potato: You can use leftover sweet potato (boiled, baked, steamed, etc.) or make it specifically for this sweet potato flatbread recipe. I have yet to find another potato variety that works in the same way in creating a pocket, though if you want a simple flatbread then regular potato should work fine.
Oat flour: You can make this easily at home using rolled oats in a blender or coffee/spice grinder into a fine powder. Check the FAQs for substitutes and notes on my experiment using no flour.
How to make sweet potato flatbread
Step 1: Prepare the potato
If you aren’t using leftover cooked sweet potato, then cook it now. I prefer to use baked sweet potato as there’s no additional water added during the cooking process.
You can bake the sweet potato in the oven or microwave (for quick results).
Once cooked, allow the potato to cool and then mash with a potato ricer or potato masher.
Step 2: Mix the sweet potato dough
Mix the mashed sweet potato with half of the oat flour, mixing well. Then, continue to add more oat flour in, a little at a time, until you achieve a soft, but not sticky, dough.
You may need to slightly adjust the amount of oats added to the potato, based on those potatoes’ liquid content and the method used to cook them.
Step 3: Roll out the dough
At this point, the way you deal with the sweet potato bread dough will change depending on what you want to make.
First, lay the dough in between two pieces on parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll it out into the correct shape/thickness.
For sweet potato roti/flatbread:
When making sweet potato flatbread, the dough can be a little thicker 4-6mm. Feel free to make 1-2 larger flatbreads or multiple ‘mini’ ones.
For Sweet Potato Pita bread:
For pita, you’ll want to roll the dough very thin; this will help it form a nice pocket without being ‘doughy.’ I suggest trying to roll it out to around 3mm.
Feel free to shape them fairly rustically. Alternatively, use a bowl to cut out perfectly round sweet potato pita/flatbread.
Step 4: Cook the sweet potato bread
For flatbread:
Bake the sweet potato flatbread in the oven for between 5-10 minutes at 400ºF/200ºC. This time will vary somewhat based on how thick the dough is and how big the flatbreads are.
It’s best to keep an eye on the sweet potato quick bread at 5 minutes to avoid burning.
For Sweet Potato Pita Pockets:
Turn the oven to its highest possible temperature (for me, that’s 500ºF/260ºC) and place an inverted baking tray in the oven while it pre-heats, the same way we do for regular pita.
Once the oven is preheated (and the tray is nice and hot), transfer the sweet potato pita onto the hot tray and bake for between 5-7 minutes.
You’ll see the dough puff up in front of your eyes!
To Use An Air Fryer
Cook the small pita pockets in the air fryer for around 5 minutes at 415ºF/210ºC. The pockets puffed up almost immediately for me.
Once cooked, enjoy while warm, for the best results.
How to store
I usually only make enough of these sweet potato flatbreads for a single day. However, you can store any leftovers in an airtight container or bag for 3-4 days at room temperature.
You can also freeze the sweet potato bread across a large tray (so they don’t stick together) and then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag/container for between 3-4 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator before using/reheating.
How to serve
Serve your homemade sweet potato flatbread/roti/pita in several ways.
When using it as a flatbread or roti, you can use it for mopping up sauces in stews and curries, like this:
You can also use the thicker flatbreads to create a quick sweet potato pizza, top with tomato puree, your favorite melty cheese, and the toppings of your choice. Then broil until melted. Or, use as a sweet treat, topped with some melting butter, cinnamon, and sugar.
The pita can be used in all the ways regular pita are – stuffed with Rainbow Vegan Falafels 5-ways or Perfectly Baked Falafel, salad, and creamy hummus.
This 2-ingredient flatbread is also great for dipping: hummus, baba ganoush, Gluten-free Muhammara Dip (Roasted Red Pepper Dip), Moutabal dip, or Spinach Yogurt Dip (Borani).
FAQs
Yes, you can do this in the microwave (flicked with a little water), stove-top, or oven until just warmed through. Be careful not to over-cook the dough though, as it will become hard.
Yes, but with a caveat. Technically this recipe should work with all-purpose flour – whole wheat flour, cassava flour, and gluten-free all-purpose flour when making the sweet potato flatbread.
You could also use cornstarch, though the amount needed may affect the flavor in a negative way.
However, I haven’t experimented with any other than oat flour when trying to make the pita pockets, so they might not work as well, depending on which flour you use.
Yes, you can. I prefer to use a dry pan and cook the flatbread over medium heat for 1-2 minutes (it will bubble up slightly on top), then flip over and cook for a further minute.
When using gluten-free flour, the flatbread will be very fragile. To combat this, make sure to roll the dough out on the parchment paper, you can then lift the paper and flip it over into the pan, peeling the paper away. Alternatively, you can use a flexible cutting mat/silicone mat to transfer the rolled-out dough to the skillet.
I tested a version using only the sweet potato mash. You can still obtain a flatbread but it’s not very stable and is flimsy (you can’t use it to wrap things and make a wrap sandwich). Using oat flour (or the other flour options) allows the sweet potato flatbread to be actually more like pita bread and further adds stability to the dough.
Other recipe notes
- You’ll have softer bread if you make sure to prepare the dough quickly after the sweet potato is cooked, while it’s still warm.
- If you plan to cook the flatbread in a pan, be careful when transferring them to the skillet. If any cracks appear then you can use a little extra dough to ‘patchwork’ them back together (but be careful as the pan is hot).
- Feel free to season the pre-cooked dough if preferred; garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper, etc.
More potato recipes
If you try this sweet potato bread recipe, then let me know your thoughts and questions in the comments. I’d also really appreciate a recipe rating and would love to see your recreations – just tag @AlphaFoodie.
Sweet Potato Flatbread
Ingredients
- 12 oz mashed sweet potato I used 3 small potatoes, or 1.5 cups when mashed. Baked, boiled, or steamed also work
- 6 oz oat flour more or less needed, depending on potato moisture
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the potato
- If you aren't using leftover cooked sweet potato, then cook it now. I prefer to use baked sweet potato as there's no additional water added in the cooking process.You can bake the sweet potato in the oven or microwave (for quick results).
- Once cooked, allow the potato to cool and then mash with a potato ricer or potato masher.
Step 2: Mix the sweet potato dough
- Mix the mashed sweet potato with half of the oat flour, mixing well. Then, continue to add more oat flour in, a little at a time, until you achieve a soft, but not sticky, dough.You may need to slightly adjust the amount of oat flour added to the potato, based on those potatoes' liquid content and the method used to cook them.
Step 3: Roll out the dough
- At this point, the way you deal with the sweet potato bread dough will change depending on what you want to make.First, lay the dough in between two pieces on parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll it out into the correct shape/thickness.
- For sweet potato roti/flatbread:When making sweet potato flatbread, the dough can be a little thicker 4-6mm. Feel free to make 1-2 larger flatbreads or multiple 'mini' ones.
- For Sweet Potato Pita bread:For pita, you'll want to roll the dough very thin; this will help it form a nice pocket without being 'doughy.' I suggest trying to roll it out to around 3mm.Feel free to shape them fairly rustically. Alternatively, use a bowl to cut out perfectly round sweet potato pita/flatbread.
Step 4: Cook the sweet potato bread
- For flatbread:Bake the sweet potato flatbread in the oven for between 5-10 minutes at 400ºF/200ºC. This time will vary somewhat based on how thick the dough is and how big the flatbread/s are.It's best to keep an eye on the sweet potato quick bread at 5 minutes to avoid burning.
- For Sweet Potato Pita Pockets:Turn the oven to its highest possible temperature (for me, that's 500ºF/260ºC) and place an inverted baking tray in the oven while it pre-heats, the same way we do for regular pita.Once the oven is preheated (and the tray is nice and hot), transfer the sweet potato pita onto the hot tray and bake for between 5-7 minutes.You'll see the dough puff up in front of your eyes!
To use an Air Fryer
- Cook the small pita pockets in the air fryer for around 5 minutes at 415ºF/210ºC. The pockets puffed up almost immediately for me.Once cooked, enjoy while warm, for the best results.
How To Store
- I usually only make enough of these sweet potato flatbreads for a single day. However, you can store any leftovers in an airtight container or bag for 3-4 days at room temperature.You can also freeze the sweet potato bread across a large tray (so they don't stick together) and then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag/container for between 3-4 months.Thaw in the refrigerator before using/reheating.
Video
Notes
- You’ll have softer bread if you make sure to prepare the dough quickly after the sweet potato is cooked, while it’s still warm.
- If you plan to cook the flatbread in a pan, be careful when transferring them to the skillet. If any cracks appear then you can use a little extra dough to ‘patchwork’ them back together (but be careful as the pan is hot).
- Feel free to season the pre-cooked dough if preferred: garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper, etc.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve never made pita before. After heating the inverted baking pan, do you put the dough on top of it still inverted or turn it right side up first and put the dough in the interior of the pan? Tyvm!
Hi Melissa,
The dough goes on the still inverted pan, no need to turn it around. I hope this helps.
*** my ovens highest temp is 475 and these still turned out perfectly! I used a mix of chickpea flour and cassava flour and it worked like a charm!!! Thank you or this awesome recipe!!
Thanks for the tip – this combo sounds delicious 🙂
By far the best recipe I’ve tried when making GF pita/tortillas! Love this version so much, they are easy to make and freeze perfectly for future use!
Thank you for your comment, Rachel. Glad you’ve enjoyed this recipe.
Hi! Great recipe – can’t wait to try it. Can I use any other kind of flour with it?
Hi,
Yes, this recipe should work with all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and gluten-free all-purpose flour.
I love your recipes!
I made pita bread with sweet potatoes, but it didin”t swell 🙁
Hi Anah,
Did you add oat flour to the sweet potato? Also, was the oven to its highest temperature? For the bread to puff, the temperature needs to be very high (around 500ºF/260ºC) and it’s best that the flatbread is rolled very thinly. I hope this helps and you give the recipe another try.