This Sweet Potato Cornbread Recipe is crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside, and the perfect blend of sweet and salty. It’s a delicious addition to any menu, quick to make, and packed with veggies and warming spices. Top it with butter, and a sprinkle of salt and enjoy.
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In the cooler months, there’s nothing better than freshly baked cornbread. The only thing better is our sweet potato cornbread, a recipe we’ve tested multiple times and are thrilled to share in advance of Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Packed with veggies and warm spices, and sweetened with maple syrup, our sweet potato cornbread is easy to make, quick to make, and makes for a delicious appetizer or side dish. The addition of sweet potato makes for a super moist interior and adds a slight sweetness that makes it taste very similar to carrot cake – very similar!
Related Recipes
Here are a few of our favorite recipes to serve along with our sweet potato cornbread recipe.
Ingredients
This sweet potato cornbread recipe is made almost completely from pantry staples. See the recipe card for quantities.
- All-purpose flour: Gives the cornbread structure and the bread texture.
- Cornmeal: We recommend yellow medium ground cornmeal, though any cornmeal will work, just resulting in a different texture.
- Baking powder: Provides lift and a light texture to the cornbread.
- Salt: We always recommend seasoning every dish with a little bit of salt.
- Eggs: Fresh large eggs.
- Buttermilk: Provides moisture and a little tang to the recipe.
- Maple syrup: Our preferred sweetener, plus it pairs wonderfully with sweet potatoes.
- Salted Butter: Provides fat and flavor, and makes everything better.
- Sweet Potato: The unsung hero of sweet potato cornbread, it provides moisture, a little heartiness, and subtle sweetness that makes this the perfect Thanksgiving side.
- Cinnamon: A warm spice that pairs perfectly with sweet potato.
- Nutmeg: Gives the sweet potato cornbread its holiday flavor and aroma.
Step by Step: How to Make Sweet Potato Cornbread
Our sweet potato cornbread recipe comes together quickly and simply in the following steps:
Place a 9” cast iron skillet in the middle rack of the oven and preheat to 400°F.
Step 1: Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and maple syrup. While continuing to whisk, pour in the butter.
Step 3: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and fold about 6-8 times, or until it just begins to come together.
Step 4: Add the sweet potato and fold the batter another 12-15 times until the batter is just combined.
Step 5: Using oven mitts, remove the skillet from the oven and swirl a knob of butter around in it until melted.
Step 6: Pour the cornbread batter into the skillet and spread it out into an even layer using a spatula.
Step 7: Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown or a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Substitutions
- All-purpose flour: Whole wheat flour and bread flour can both be substituted in equal amounts.
- Buttermilk: This can be substituted with plain or Greek yogurt, or by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or distilled vinegar to 1 cup of milk.
- Maple syrup: Honey, agave syrup, or granulated sugar can be substituted in equal amounts.
- Salted Butter: Unsalted butter, coconut oil, or butter substitute can be substituted in equal amounts.
- Sweet Potato: Squash, carrots, or pumpkin will all provide different but delicious flavor alternatives to this recipe.
Variations
The possibilities for additions to cornbread are endless but for sweet potato cornbread, here are a few of our favorites:
- Spicy: Add 1 cup of diced Jalapeno pepper along with the sweet potato for a spicy kick.
- Corn: Fresh or frozen corn kernels will enhance the corn flavor and it’s always fun biting into individual corn kernels.
- Sweet: This sweet potato cornbread recipe does resemble carrot cake a little bit so a little bit of cream cheese frosting turns this into a sweet treat.
Equipment
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You don’t need a lot of special tools to make this recipe but here are our top recommendations:
- Duralex glass mixing bowls
- Metal whisk
- Le Creuset spatula
- Lodge 9" cast-iron skillet
- All-clad measuring cups
- All-clad measuring spoons
- Box grater
Storage
Though we don’t imagine there will be leftovers, here are the options for storing any leftover sweet potato cornbread:
Breadbox or cupboard: Cornbread will last up to 3 days stored in a cool dark area. Wrap the cornbread in beeswax wraps or a reusable storage bag with as much air removed from the bag as possible.
Refrigerator: Wrap the sweet potato cornbread or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Freezer: Store leftovers in a freezer bag for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Chef's tip
Bake cornbread in a preheated cast iron pan. This will provide the perfect crisp to the base of this sweet potato cornbread recipe.
FAQ
Absolutely! Using the same recipe you can make sweet potato cornbread muffins. Scoop the batter into muffin liners and bake for 14-16 minutes, until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
While we certainly recommend a cast iron skillet, you can use any oven-safe pan, such as a cake pan to make our sweet potato cornbread.
This recipe is meant to be used with raw grated sweet potatoes.
Yes, the entire sweet potato is edible. Ensure to wash it well using a vegetable brush. We keep our sweet potato skin on for the recipe.
Recipe Card
Sweet Potato Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 6 tablespoon salted butter melted
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 medium sweet potato grated
Instructions
- Place cast iron skillet in the middle rack of oven and preheat to 400°F.
- Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and maple syrup. While continuing to whisk, slowly pour in the 4 tablespoons of melted butter.
- Pour the dry ingredients into wet and mix about 6-8 times until it just begins to come together.
- Add the sweet potato and fold the batter another 12-15 times until the batter is just combined.
- Using oven mitts, remove the skillet from the oven and swirl 1 tablespoon of butter to coat the pan.
- Pour the batter into the skillet and spread out into an even layer using a spatula.
- Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Brush the top with remaining butter, allow to cool for 10 minutes, and serve.
Joshua JP says
Absolutely divine. I would have never thought to put sweet potato in cornbread, but it gave it a distinct sweetness and heartiness that was so delicious. Thanks for the excellent recipe!
Philip Lago + Mystique Mattai says
Thank YOU for the comment and stopping by the blog. We're so thrilled you loved the Sweet Potato Cornbread!