Sweet Potato Cornbread Recipe
This sweet potato cornbread recipe combines roasted sweet potato puree, warm spices, and buttermilk for tender, flavorful cornbread baked in a cast iron skillet. Made from scratch with simple ingredients!
Servings: 8
Calories: 269kcal
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 sweet potato, cooked and mashed (about 2 medium sweet potatoes)
- ½ tablespoon vegetable oil (for cast iron skillet)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal (fine grind)
- 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 butter, room temperature
- 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.
- 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 tablespoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon salt until evenly combined.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- Cool and serve: Let cool in skillet for 10 minutes to set. Serve warm with butter and honey, if desired.
Notes
- No cast iron? Use a 9x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Omit the oil and don't preheat the dish.
- Don't overmix the batter, stir just until combined. Lumpy batter = tender cornbread.
- Buttermilk is essential for the best texture and moisture. See FAQ for a substitute.
- Either salted or unsalted butter works. Light or dark brown sugar both work too.
- Check doneness at 35 minutes to avoid overbaking, which causes dryness.
- Serve warm with additional butter for best results.
- Roasting sweet potatoes gives better flavor than boiling or using canned. Make extra and refrigerate for up to 5 days to speed up the recipe next time.
Storage
Room temp: Cover and store 2 days | Refrigerator: Airtight container up to 4 days | Freezer: Wrap slices individually, freeze up to 1 monthNutrition
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
