Best Sweet Potato Cornbread (Amazingly Moist Recipe)
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I am a huge fan of homemade cornbread but let me tell you that this Sweet Potato Cornbread is out of this world! Like my classic cornbread recipe, it is delicious and incredibly moist, but the addition of autumn spices and loads of mashed fresh sweet potatoes make this the perfect fall side dish.
You will love the soft moist tender crumb and sweet cozy fall flavors in this sweet potato cornbread recipe! As with my classic recipe, butter or honey go great on this, but it is so moist and flavorful that you don’t need to add anything at all!
Table of contents
Once fall comes around I immediately start making loads of sweet potatoes and one of our favorite ways to make them is simply roasted with rosemary. Roasting just brings out all their natural sweetness! Anyway, this time of year, sweet potatoes become a pantry staple, so I thought about adding it to my cornbread and I am so glad I did!
Pumpkin spices put this recipe over the top. I mean cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves go so well with pumpkin pie or apple desserts like crostata or cookies, so why not add them to cornbread and dress it up for fall?
Ingredients and Substitutions
Cornmeal: I use stone ground old fashioned yellow cornmeal. It lends more corn flavor to the recipe than steel ground cornmeal.
Flour: All-purpose flour works fine. For a gluten free version, you can substitute one for one gluten free flour. It will not change the taste or texture of the recipe.
Granulated sugar: We like sweet cornbread for sure, but if you want a more traditional southern cornbread, you can leave the sugar out. You can also substitute brown sugar for white sugar in this recipe.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Both will help the cornbread rise and give it an almost cake-like texture.
Butter: I recommend using melted unsalted butter, so you control the amount of salt in the recipe.
Sweet Potato: I find that one medium to large, sweet potato provides just what you need for this recipe. You will need to cook, peel and mash it.
Sour Cream: I have used both full fat and low-fat sour cream successfully in this recipe. Both will provide the acid needed to activate the baking powder and baking soda and contribute to making the cornbread moist. Plain Greek yogurt can also be substituted.
Milk: I use whole milk at room temperature. You could substitute 2% or 1% Milk.
Large Eggs: Let the eggs come to room temperature so they will easily blend into the batter.
Ground Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Cloves: You will love the cozy flavors that these aromatic spices bring to the recipe.
Easy Step by Step Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
- In another bowl, whisk together the mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, melted butter, sour cream, milk, and eggs.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the cornmeal mixture and fold gently just until the dry ingredients are completely blended into the batter. Pour the batter into a greased 9×9 baking dish and transfer it to a preheated 350-degree F oven. Bake the cornbread in the center of the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Ways to Cook Sweet Potatoes
The easiest and fastest way to cook sweet potatoes is in the microwave. Simply wash and dry the sweet potatoes, then poke holes in them with a fork. Place the sweet potatoes in the microwave and cook them on high for 5-7 minutes. Turn them over and cook them another 5-7 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender all the way through to the center. Larger potatoes may take a little longer to cook all the way.
If you have more time, you can roast the sweet potato in 425-degree F oven for about 35 minutes or you can peel, cut, and boil them on the stovetop until they are fork tender. If you choose to boil the potatoes, just make sure to drain them well so that you don’t add extra liquid to the sweet potato cornbread batter.
Recipe Tips for Tasty Cornbread
- When mashing the sweet potato, you may find that it is a bit stringy. If this is the case, you can put it through a food processor to break it up. This will make it ultra creamy, so it blends nicely into the batter.
- Make sure the sweet potato has cooled enough so that you can handle it before peeling or mashing it.
- I find that a paring knife makes peeling very easy.
- Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature, so they mix evenly and completely.
- The batter should be a little thick and may be a little lumpy. That is okay. You want a light airy texture.
- Try not to over mix the batter or the cornbread may be dense.
Serving Suggestions
Sweet potato cornbread pairs well with just about anything that you would serve traditional cornbread with. It makes a delicious side dish for a barbecue. We love it with smoked chicken legs or smoked turkey legs. It also goes great with savory dishes like cast iron skillet chicken breast or breaded pork chops.
If you want, you can pass maple syrup, honey, or butter with the corn bread. A nice spicy hot honey is a nice twist on a traditional condiment.
Storing Leftovers
If you happen to have any leftovers, you can store them in a sealable plastic bag or an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. You can also freeze them in a freezer bag or another freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
FAQ’s
Yes, it can and the hot skillet will create some deliciously crunchy edges on the cornbread. You will need to preheat a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven for 5-10 minutes first. Add about 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and turn it so that the butter coats the bottom of the pan. Then pour the batter into the pan and return it to the oven. I recommend starting to check the cornbread for doneness between 25-30 minutes.
Apparently not! According to North vs. South: The Battle of Cornbread, by Chef’s Cornerstone, there is a marked difference between Northern and Southern cornbread. Southern cornbread is made with buttermilk, has no sugar in it and is baked in a cast-iron skillet. Northern cornbread is sweeter and more cake-like. It is made with milk, sugar and usually baked in a square pan. Given that I am from New York State, it is only appropriate that I would make a sweet cornbread recipe!
Other Easy Bread Recipes
I love homemade bread but don’t always want to do the work to make it. No Knead bread is a great way to make delicious bread with almost no hands on work. My Cranberry Walnut No Knead recipe is a popular breakfast treat in our house.
I love to get your feedback so if you tried this Sweet Potato Cornbread or any other recipes on this website, please leave me a comment below. I hope you enjoy our recipes and look forward to hearing from you!
You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for more recipes your family will love!
Sweet Potato Cornbread
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Equipment
- 1 9×9 baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 cup Flour
- 1 cup Cornmeal Stone ground
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- 1½ tsp Cinnamon ground
- ¼ tsp Cloves ground
- ½ tsp Nutmeg ground
- ⅔ cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup Butter unsalted, melted
- 1 cup Sweet Potato cooked, peeled and mashed
- ½ cup Sour Cream
- ¾ cup Milk
- 2 Eggs large
- ¼ tsp Salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350℉. Grease a baking dish and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg..
- In another bowl whisk together the mashed sweet potato, sugar, melted butter, sour cream, milk, and eggs until completely and evenly combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the cornmeal mixture and fold gently just until the dry ingredients are completely blended into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake the cornbread in the center of the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Notes
Ways to Cook Sweet Potatoes
The easiest and fastest way to cook sweet potatoes is in the microwave. Simply wash and dry the sweet potatoes, then poke holes in them with a fork. Place the sweet potatoes in the microwave and cook them on high for 5-7 minutes. Turn them over and cook them another 5-7 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender all the way through to the center. Larger potatoes may take a little longer to cook all the way. If you have more time, you can roast the sweet potato in 425-degree F oven for about 35 minutes or you can peel, cut, and boil them on the stovetop until they are fork tender. If you choose to boil the potatoes, just make sure to drain them well so that you don’t add extra liquid to the sweet potato cornbread batter.Cooking Tips
- When mashing the sweet potato, you may find that it is a bit stringy. If this is the case, you can put it through a food processor to break it up. This will make it ultra creamy, so it blends nicely into the batter.
- Make sure the sweet potato has cooled enough so that you can handle it before peeling or mashing it.
- I find that a paring knife makes peeling very easy.
- Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature, so they mix evenly and completely.
- The batter should be a little thick and may be a little lumpy. That is okay. You want a light airy texture.
- Try not to over mix the batter or the cornbread may be dense.
This is a must have for Thanksgiving. So moist with all the Fall flavors that we love!!!