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This Sweet Potato Cornbread Recipe is a simple twist on classic cornbread with the most flavorful, moist, and incredible results! Filled with delicious sweet potato flavor plus hints of warm cinnamon spice, it’s the perfect addition to savory favorites like hearty chili, BBQ meats, and rich stews!
Why Sweet Potato Belongs in Your Next Batch of Cornbread
I couldn’t think of anything better than a thick slice of buttery sweet classic cornbread. And then, I made this sweet potato cornbread.
This recipe is an irresistibly delicious fusion of my simple cornbread recipe and these cinnamon-spiced pumpkin muffins. Except, here I’m swapping the pumpkin for mashed sweet potato, and more of it. The result is shockingly moist, cozy, and warmly spiced sweet potato cornbread.
Here’s what makes this sweet potato cornbread so hard to resist:
- It’s extra moist and flavorful: Traditional cornbread can sometimes turn out dry or crumbly, but the addition of mashed sweet potato and buttermilk guarantees gloriously soft and tender cornbread. Combined with warm spices like ground cinnamon and nutmeg, each bite has layers of flavor without overwhelming the dish.
- It’s sweet, but not too sweet: This recipe has just the right amount of brown sugar and natural sweetness from the sweet potato. It’s the kind of cornbread that feels right at home next to chili, BBQ, or roasted veggies, yet satisfying enough to enjoy with a pat of butter and a drizzle of honey.
- It’s SUPER customizable: You can easily make this sweet potato cornbread your own. Swap in maple syrup for brown sugar, use pumpkin purée or mash up some roasted butternut squash instead of sweet potato. You can even toss in extras like chopped pecans, corn kernels, or shredded cheddar cheese. Prefer a little heat? Add a pinch of cayenne or diced jalapeños to the batter. Check out more substitutions in the sections below.
- Freezer-friendly: You can make a batch (or two) ahead of time and freeze leftover slices for a quick and easy side. It’s easy! Once baked and cooled, wrap each sliced in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to two months!
What You’ll Need + Substitutions
Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Sweet Potato: You’ll need one large sweet potato to make this cornbread. For quick and easy cooking, I like to peel and chop my potato into small cubes, then boil until tender. Once mashed, you’ll need one (heaping) cup of mashed sweet potato. If you have any leftovers, enjoy as a snack, save for another batch, or stir into a bowl of hot Instant Pot oatmeal or overnight oats. Substitutions include canned unsweetened sweet potato purée or squash purée, including pumpkin, butternut squash, kabocha squash, or even roasted acorn squash.
- Yellow Cornmeal: Cornmeal is the traditional base for cornbread. This recipe has a greater cornmeal to flour ratio, which is how it should be since we’re making cornbread (not cake!) I use medium grind yellow cornmeal to make my cornbread recipes, but you can also use course grind yellow cornmeal for extra gritty texture. Be sure to avoid self-rising cornmeal blends since leavening is already added.
- All-Purpose Flour: Flour adds structure and softness. Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend if needed.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda: Our leavening agents responsible for helping the cornbread rise. Baking soda reacts with the buttermilk for extra lift!
- Cinnamon + Nutmeg: Bring a cozy warmth that complements the subtle sweetness of the sweet potato. Feel free to swap with pumpkin pie spice or allspice, if that’s preferred.
- Buttermilk: Personally, cornbread needs a little buttermilk. It adds tang, moisture, and tenderness. If you don’t have any buttermilk, it’s easy to make your own: Combine 1 ½ cups milk + 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar, and let sit 5 to 10 minutes. That’s it!
- Eggs: For solid, sturdy structure.
- Brown Sugar: I highly recommend using brown sugar in this cornbread recipe. It adds sweetness with molasses undertones. Regular white sugar, maple syrup, or even honey can be substituted, but brown sugar gives the best flavor (and texture).
- Butter: We’re adding melted butter to the batter and greasing our pan with butter before adding the batter. I like to use salted butter, but feel free to use whatever you keep on hand. Ghee or coconut oil will also work, though the overall flavor will taste different.
How to Make Sweet Potato Cornbread
This sweet potato cornbread has quickly become my favorite way to make cornbread! It’s a great way to use up leftover baked sweet potato, and pairs well with everything from savory favorites to holiday classics! It’s super easy to make:
To begin, prepare and cook the sweet potato. If you have leftover plain mashed sweet potato, baked sweet potato, or even Instant Pot sweet potatoes, use it! You’ll need one full cup. Otherwise, peel and cube the sweet potato and boil it in a medium pot of water until soft enough to smash with a fork. Then drain and smash it with a fork until smooth. You can boil and mash the sweet potato up to 3 days in advance.
Next, preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) and whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, brown sugar, butter, and 1 cup of mashed sweet potato.
Before combining the wet and dry ingredients together, transfer a
5×8 or 9×13 inch baking pan to your preheated oven. Heat for 3-5 minutes, or long enough to get the pan nice and hot.
As the pan heats, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Avoid over-mixing.
Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter to the center. Use a silicone spatula to spread the melted butter over the entire surface of the baking pan, then immediately pour the batter into the pan.
Pour the batter into the prepare baking pan and bake for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Serve warm or cold!
Pro Tips
- The eggs and buttermilk should be brought to room temperature. This is important for several reasons. Most importantly, cold eggs or buttermilk can cause the melted butter to seize and form small clumps in the batter. Room temperature ingredients blend more smoothly which also helps avoid over mixing. Room-temperature batter also bakes more evenly, for a proper rise. If you’re in a hurry, submerge the eggs in lukewarm to warm (not hot) water for 5-10 minutes and gently warm the buttermilk by microwaving in short 5-10 second bursts, stirring between each.
- Mash until smooth. Some sweet potatoes contain more stringy fibers than others. Use a fork or potato masher to mash your potato really well. Better yet, use a hand mixer or blender to process the sweet potato into a smooth and creamy puree.
- Resist over-mixing. Over mixing activates the gluten in the flour, which can make the cornbread tough and dense, rather than soft and tender. Don’t worry, this is a super common mistake in baking that’s easily fixed. Stir just until the batter is incorporated. If there’s a few small streaks of flour in the batter, that’s perfectly ok.
- Preheat the pan. Placing your baking pan in the oven helps create a golden and slightly crisp crust on the bottom and edges of your cornbread. Carefully swirl the melted butter to the sides and bottom of the pan before pouring in the batter.
Serving Suggestions
This cornbread pairs perfectly with the same meals that you’d normally serve with cornbread. Since it’s sweet with hints of ground cinnamon and nutmeg, I recommend serving it with a bowl of beef or turkey chili or hearty stews like Brunswick stew, classic beef stew, or this Dutch oven pot roast. You can also serve it with Southern classics like buttermilk fried chicken, collard greens, or creamy coleslaw. Honestly, it goes with goes with so much and it also makes a great addition to your holiday table.
Storage and Freezing
I will usually make a double batch of this sweet potato cornbread. It keeps for several days and freezes really well.
- Storage: Allow the cornbread to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. It can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Freezing: If you want to freeze cornbread, I recommend wrapping individual slices (rather than the whole pan) tightly in plastic wrap, then placing them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Store in the freezer for about 2 months.
More Cornbread Recipes
Sweet Potato Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, see notes
- 1¾ cup yellow cornmeal, fine to medium grind
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg, optional
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup melted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
Instructions
- Bring to room temperature: Remove the eggs and buttermilk from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature while you prepare the sweet potatoes.
- Cook the sweet potatoes: Add the cubed sweet potatoes to a medium saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until fork-tender.
- Drain and mash: Drain the water and mash the sweet potatoes in the pot until smooth. If the sweet potatoes are extra stringy, transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Measure 1 cup of mashed sweet potato and set aside to cool slightly.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, brown sugar, melted butter, and 1 cup of mashed sweet potato until smooth and well combined.
- Heat the baking pan: Place a 5×8-inch or 9×13-inch baking pan in the preheated oven for 3–5 minutes, or until the pan is hot.
- Combine: As the pan heats, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold gently until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Grease the baking pan: Carefully remove the pan from the oven and add the 1-2 tablespoons of butter. Carefully swirl to coat the bottom of the pan with the butter as it melts. Once the pan is coated, pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (If using a 9×13-inch pan, begin checking for doneness around 30–35 minutes.)
- Cool and serve: Let the cornbread rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with whipped honey butter, if desired.
Notes
- Link to my whipped honey butter.
- This recipe can be made with canned sweet potato purée or squash purée, including pumpkin, butternut squash, kabocha squash, or even roasted acorn squash.
- If you don’t have any buttermilk, it’s easy to make your own: Combine 1 ½ cups milk + 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar, and let sit 5 to 10 minutes.
- Brown sugar can be substituted for white sugar, maple syrup, or even honey
- You can make this in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Bake for 35-40 minutes.
- Storage: Store room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to one week, or freeze for up to two month. Cool and wrap in plastic wrap, then transfer to an airtight container.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
