Sweet Potato Cornbread

A rich, moist, and naturally sweet cornbread recipe featuring roasted sweet potatoes, brown butter, and a hint of warm spices. Perfect for cozy dinners.

Why This Recipe Works:

• Roasting instead of boiling sweet potatoes concentrates their natural sugars and minimizes water content.
• Brown butter adds a nutty depth that complements the earthy sweetness of the potato.
• Using a hot cast-iron skillet creates a beautifully crispy, caramelized bottom crust.

I still remember the chilly October afternoon my a tad clumsy cast-iron skillet slipped from my oven mitt, chipping my kitchen tile and spilling a soggy, dense sweet potato mess all over the floor.

I cried a little, then ate the salvageable edges with a spoon.

Bear with me here, because the physics of this is fascinating. The problem with adding sweet potato puree to a standard cornbread batter is simple water content. Canned purees failed every single test because they are basically sweet water, which disrupts the starch gelatinization of the cornmeal and leaves you with a gummy, heavy center that refuses to bake through.

If you have leftover sweet potatoes, you might want to try making Stuffed Sweet Potato Boats later, but today we are focusing on mastering this batter.

To fix this, we roast fresh sweet potatoes until their natural sugars caramelize, then we vigorously whisk the flesh—until our forearms ache a tad—to break up the fibrous strands before folding it into a browned butter base. If you prefer a smaller portion, you could make Golden Crispy Cornbread Biscuits, but a giant skillet slice is unmatched.

Trust me, this extra step is absolutely perfect.

We also swap standard table salt for Diamond Crystal kosher salt (use 1.5 teaspoons, or 1 teaspoon of Morton's) to ensure the seasoning distributes evenly without any harsh, metallic pockets.

Sweet Potato Cornbread

• Publisher Storied Skillet
• Cuisine American
• Category Bread, Side Dish
• Prep Time 20 mins
• Cook Time 35 mins
• Servings 8 servings
• Calories 280 calories
• Rating 4.8 5387
• Tags sweet potato cornbread, cast iron cornbread, southern side dish

Ingredients

• 1 cup (140g) yellow cornmeal
• 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 1 tsp Morton's)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup mashed roasted sweet potato (about 1 medium sweet potato)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, browned and cooled slightly
• 3/4 cup (180ml) buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 tbsp honey

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Place a 9-inch cast-iron skillet inside the oven to heat up.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, kosher salt, baking powder, and ground cinnamon.
3. In a separate medium bowl, vigorously whisk the mashed sweet potato, eggs, buttermilk, and honey until completely smooth.
4. Slowly pour the browned butter into the wet ingredients while whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula just until combined; do not overmix.
6. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven using heavy mitts. Grease it with a tablespoon of butter or oil, then pour the batter in.
7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool slightly before slicing.

Notes

• Always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt (1.5 teaspoons). If you only have Morton's kosher salt, scale it down to 1 teaspoon to avoid over-salting.
• Roasting the sweet potatoes at high heat triggers the Maillard reaction, converting starches into maltose, which naturally sweetens the bread without needing cups of refined sugar.
• Do not pour hot browned butter directly onto raw eggs. Whisk the buttermilk and sweet potato first to buffer the temperature, or you will end up with sweet potato scrambled eggs.
• After a day in the fridge, the cornmeal will continue to absorb moisture from the sweet potato, making the cornbread even fudgier and more cohesive.
• If you don't have a cast-iron skillet, you can use an 8x8-inch metal baking pan, but you'll miss out on that ultra-crispy edge.

Serving Suggestions

This sweet potato cornbread is best enjoyed warm from the oven, but you can easily elevate the experience with a few simple pairings and toppings.

• Serve warm with a generous smear of maple honey butter.
• Pair it with a cozy bowl of Spinach and Lentil Soup for a comforting autumn lunch.
• Crumble a slice over a hot bowl of chili or stew.
• Serve alongside our Honey Butter Skillet Corn for a double-corn summer feast.
• Top with a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of molasses for a rustic dessert.

Storage and Reheating

Store any leftover cornbread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. If you want it to last longer, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for up to five days.

To reheat, avoid the microwave if you want to preserve the texture. It makes the cornmeal soggy and sad.

Instead, warm a slice in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for a couple of minutes on each side. This revives the crispy edges beautifully.

You can also wrap slices in aluminum foil and warm them in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about 10 minutes.

Ingredient Substitutes

If you find yourself missing an ingredient, here are some reliable swaps that won't ruin your bake:

1. Buttermilk: Mix 3/4 cup of whole milk with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes.
2. Sweet Potato: Canned pumpkin puree works as a quick swap, though it has a slightly higher water content and a less sweet profile.
3. All-Purpose Flour: For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend.
4. Brown Butter: Standard melted butter works fine, but you will lose that signature nutty aroma.

I hope this recipe brings as much warmth to your kitchen as it does to mine. Just remember to hold onto your skillet tightly!