Sweet Potato Cornbread 🍠🧡 jazzes up classic cornbread recipes with sweet potatoes, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice! Thanks to the natural moisture from sweet potatoes and the addition of buttermilk, it’s so moist and flavorful. This EASY cornbread is perfect whether you’re looking for a fall inspired comfort food recipe or a new Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish, and it’s sure to become a new family FAVORITE!
Easy Sweet Potato Cornbread Recipe
- The texture and moisture of this homemade sweet potato cornbread are part of what makes it so downright wonderful.
- Thanks to the sweet potatoes and buttermilk in the cornbread recipe, it’s anything but dry!
- You don’t even “need” extra butter or honey on top when serving it. But I can never resist topping my cornbread with both butter and honey, no matter how moist and flavorful it is.
- With just a handful of inexpensive ingredients and easy-to-follow steps, you’ll have your new favorite side dish on the table in no time!
Ingredients in Sweet Potato Cornbread
- Fresh sweet potatoes: Cooked, mashed sweet potatoes make this cornbread extra moist and flavorful. You can bake, peel, and mash the sweet potatoes up to 3 days in advance to save time.
- Yellow cornmeal, white corn meal may be used a well, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice: These dry ingredients create the soft, fluffy cornbread base. White cornmeal can be used instead of yellow, and a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour should work if needed. Pumpkin pie spice is optional, but highly recommended for warm fall flavor.
- Buttermilk, eggs, and unsalted butter: Buttermilk is necessary for the best texture and flavor. If you do not have buttermilk, make your own with milk and vinegar or use powdered buttermilk. Do not use an egg substitute. For a dairy-free option, use plant-based butter.
- Honey: Optional for serving, but delicious drizzled over warm sweet potato cornbread.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Sweet Potato Cornbread
- Whisk all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and then make a well in the middle.
- Using a high speed blender, blend together the wet ingredients.
- Pour the wet mixture into a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Stir until combined, then add in the melted butter.
- Pour the batter into a prepared cast-iron skillet.
- Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes before serving with extra butter, honey, or as desired!
Sweet Potato Cornbread
Equipment
- 1 (9-inch) Cast Iron Skillet
- 9×9-inch baking pan If you can't get your hands on a cast iron skillet, feel free to use a 9×9 inch baking or casserole dish instead.
Ingredients
- 2 cup yellow cornmeal*
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, optional but recommended, omit if desire or add 1+ teaspoons to boost this flavor as desired
- 1 ½ cups cooked, peeled, mashed sweet potatoes**
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk***
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup unsalted butter, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons more to grease the skillet, plus optionally more for serving
- Honey, optional for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. If you're using a 9-inch cast iron skillet such as Lodge or LeCrueset (recommended), place it in the oven now. If you're using another type of pan such as a 9×9-inch pan, 9-inch deep pie plate, or 1.5 to 2-quart baking or casserole dish, you don't have to put them in the oven. However, you do need to spray them very well with cooking spray and then set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice if using, stir to combine, and then make a well in the center. Set bowl aside.
- To the canister of a high speed blender, add the sweet potatoes, buttermilk, eggs, and blend on high speed for about 30 seconds to combine well.
- Carefully. pour this wet mixture into the well you created in the dry cornmeal mixture and fold well to combine the dry and the wet ingredients; don't overmix.
- Add the melted butter and stir to just combine; don't overmix. Set aside momentarily.
- Remove the hot cast iron skillet from the oven, making sure to use a pot holder because it's very hot!
- Add about 1 to 2 tablespoons additional butter to the skillet, and swirl it around the coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Use a pastry brush to brush it on the sides to make sure the sides are well-greased.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
- Serve immediately, and if desired serve with honey/and or additional butter. Cornbread will keep airtight at room temp for up to 5 days. I have never frozen it but you can try to freeze it airtight for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
What to Serve with Sweet Potato Cornbread
More Sweet Potato Side Dishes:
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping — This is the BEST sweet potato casserole ever! The sweet potatoes are tender and creamy, while the streusel topping adds a delightful buttery crunch thanks to the pecans!
Classic Marshmallow Sweet Potatoes Casserole – An EASY recipe for the BEST sweet potato casserole with pecans! Tender and creamy sweet potatoes, the subtle crunch of a buttery pecan crumble, and gooey marshmallows make this comfort food side dish an automatic family FAVORITE!
Savory Sweet Potato Casserole with Candied Bacon – If you thought sweet potato casserole couldn’t get any better, wait until you taste it topped with candied bacon and pecans!
Roasted Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole — A HEALTHIER and DELICIOUS twist on sweet potato casserole! The potatoes and apples retain some texture with the perfect amount of crumble topping! Put it on your holiday menu!
Sweet Potato Bites – Sliced sweet potato rounds are brushed with a maple cinnamon-and-sugar mixture, baked, and then topped with marshmallows and pecans! Sweet, decadent, FAST and EASY! Great for busy weeknights especially when the weather is chilly. Or put these perfect little bites on your Thanksgiving and holiday menus!
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows – Sweet, creamy, decadent, and reminiscent of sweet potato casserole but individually portioned! FAST and EASY enough for family dinners or make them for more formal holiday celebrations! Either way, these are always the PERFECT comfort food side dish that everyone devours!
Love this
Thanks so much, Genie!