🍠🙌🧡 My Sweet Potato Cornbread recipe 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! Whether you’re looking for a fall-inspired comfort food recipe or a new Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish, this cornbread is EASY and will 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!
Looking for More Cornbread Recipes?
For the cornbread fans, make sure to check out my Cornbread Stuffing, Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread, and Honey Cornbread Muffins as well. All of them will help you tame your cornbread cravings!
Ingredients in Sweet Potato Cornbread
If you like to bake, you likely already have most of these ingredients in your kitchen right now:
- Fresh sweet potatoes – you’ll need 1 1/2 cups of cooked, mashed sweet potatoes for this cornbread recipe. To prepare the mashed sweet potatoes, all you need to do is wrap 2 whole sweet potatoes in foil and bake at 425°F for an hour and a half. Let them cool, remove the foil, peel them, and then mash the potatoes well to use in the cornbread recipe. (You can do this up to 3 days in advance)
- Yellow cornmeal – white corn meal may be used a well
- All-purpose flour – substitute a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour if needed
- Brown sugar – I prefer light brown sugar. this cornbread is just perfect on the sweetness meter for us. If you want it to be a bit sweeter, bump the amount up to 1/2 cup from 1/3 cup. For those who just want to rely on the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes, you can certainly try that and add less than the 1/3 cup and see how it goes. Personally, this doesn’t wouldn’t be my preference, but everyone’s taste buds with sugar vary
- Leaveners – Baking powder and baking soda help create a soft, fluffy texture. Make sure they’re fresh
- Spices – salt and pumpkin pie spice (The pumpkin pie spice is optional but highly recommended)
- Buttermilk – if you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can make homemade buttermilk with milk and vinegar
- Eggs – do not use an egg substitute
- Unsalted butter – use a plant-based butter to keep this recipe dairy-free
- Honey, optional for serving
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
Even if you’re a beginning home cook, you’ll master this recipe for sweet potato cornbread with ease. Just follow these simple steps and you’ll have your new favorite cornbread on the table in no time flat!
- 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!
Recipe FAQs
For this cornbread recipe, I do highly recommend that you use a 9-inch cast iron skillet. My two favorite types of cast iron skillets that work great for this recipe are the LeCreuset Enameled Cast Iron Skillet and the Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet.
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.
Yes, you need to use buttermilk. If you forgot to grab some at the store, don’t panic. You can very easily make your own with simple kitchen staples you likely have on hand.
Option 1: Make your own buttermilk with whole milk and vinegar. Add 1 1/2 cups of 2% or whole milk to a large measuring cup. Stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons of white vinegar. Let that mixture sit for 2 minutes before using in the cornbread batter.
Option 2: Use powdered buttermilk. You’ll mix how many ever tablespoons the package calls for, with 1 cup of water, to yield 1 cup of buttermilk. For those who bake with or use buttermilk semi-frequently, but not so frequently to keep in in your fridge, keeping a tub of powdered buttermilk in your pantry is very handy.
Storage and Reheating
At room temp: Once the cornbread cools to room temperature, it’ll keep fresh in an airtight container at room temp for up to 5 days.
In the freezer: I am sure you can freeze it and keep it airtight in the freezer for up to 3 months, although I have never tried this personally.
To reheat: I suggest zapping leftovers in the microwave for a few seconds when enjoying your leftover cornbread.
What to Serve with Sweet Potato Cornbread
Sweet Potato Cornbread
Equipment
- 1 (9-inch) Cast Iron Skillet
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.
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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!