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Overhead view of finished sweet potato cornbread in cast iron skillet topped with butter.
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5 from 11 votes

Sweet Potato Cornbread Recipe

Moist sweet potato cornbread made from scratch with roasted sweet potato, yellow cornmeal, buttermilk, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, baked in a hot cast iron skillet until golden.
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Resting Time10 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Bread, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Southern
Keyword: cornbread with sweet potato, sweet potato cornbread, sweet potato cornbread recipe
Servings: 8
Calories: 269kcal
Author: LaKita Anderson

Equipment

  • 1 10-inch cast iron skillet (or 9x9-inch baking dish)
  • 1 large mixing bowl
  • 1 medium mixing bowl
  • Pastry cutter or your hands
  • 1 Whisk
  • 1 rubber spatula
  • Oven mitts

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups cooked and mashed sweet potato
  • ½ tablespoon vegetable oil (for cast iron skillet)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
  • ¼ cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt (kosher preferred)
  • ¼ cup room-temperature butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup buttermilk

Instructions

  • Prepare sweet potatoes: Clean and halve sweet potatoes lengthwise. Place cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast at 400°F for 30 minutes until fork-tender and caramelized. Scoop out flesh and mash 1½ cups.
    Overhead view of roasted potatoes on parchment lined sheet pan.
  • Preheat oven and skillet: Heat oven to 400°F. Place cast iron skillet with ½ tablespoon vegetable oil inside to heat while you prepare the batter (5-10 minutes).
  • Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, 1 cup cornmeal, ¼ cup brown sugar, 3 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon salt until evenly combined.
    Dry ingredients combined in large glass mixing bowl.
  • Cut in butter: Add room temperature ¼ cup butter to dry mixture. Use hands or pastry cutter to work it in until mixture resembles coarse meal with small butter pieces throughout.
  • Combine wet ingredients: In a medium bowl, stir together mashed sweet potato, 1 egg, and 1 cup buttermilk until smooth and fully incorporated.
    Overhead view of wet ingredients combined in white mixing bowl.
  • Make the batter: Create a well in the center of dry ingredients. Add sweet potato mixture. Stir gently with a rubber spatula until just combined, batter will be thick and lumpy. Do not overmix!
    Cornbread ingredients combined in large glass mixing bowl.
  • Bake: Carefully remove hot skillet from oven (use oven mitts!). Pour in batter and swirl skillet to coat bottom with hot oil. Spread batter evenly with spatula. Bake 35-40 minutes until golden brown, edges are lightly crisp, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
    Cornbread batter added to cast iron skillet.
  • Cool and serve: Let cool in skillet for 10 minutes to set. Serve warm with butter and honey, if desired.
    Overhead view of finished sweet potato cornbread in cast iron skillet topped with butter.

Nutrition

Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 395mg | Potassium: 377mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 3799IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 123mg | Iron: 2mg
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