If you love the warm, comforting taste of classic cornbread, you need to give sweet potato cornbread a try. Regular cornbread tastes delicious with honey on top, and this variation has the extra sweetness baked right in. The mashed root vegetable also adds the cozy factor you crave in fall baking recipes. Best of all, the cornbread is quick and easy enough to make any night of the week.
Ingredients for Sweet Potato Cornbread
- Cornmeal: Slightly gritty and full of flavor, cornmeal is the key ingredient that makes cornbread so corn-y. We like a medium or fine milled cornmeal; coarse cornmeal is quite crunchy and is best for polenta.
- Sweet potatoes: Cooked, mashed sweet potatoes—not to be confused with yams—add moisture and flavor to the cornbread, making it slightly denser and so satisfying.
- Baking powder: Our sweet potato cornbread recipe calls for a bit more of this rising agent than some recipes. The density of the potatoes, eggs and cornmeal needs that extra lift.
Directions
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients
Preheat the oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir together until the color is uniform.
Editor’s Tip: Using a whisk for this step ensures that the salt and baking powder mix evenly into the flour.
Step 2: Combine the wet ingredients
In a small bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, oil and mashed sweet potatoes. Stir until the egg is completely blended in.
Step 3: Create the batter
Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until the batter is just moistened. Stirring too vigorously can make the cornbread tough.
Step 4: Bake the cornbread
Pour the batter into a greased 13×9-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 5: Cut and serve
Cut into squares, and serve warm. Butter and honey are always a good idea.
Sweet Potato Cornbread Recipe Variations
- Add spices: Cozy, autumnal spices are a good match with the flavors of this bread. Think cinnamon, cardamom, allspice or Chinese five spice.
- Boost the flavor: Add a dose of maple syrup or rum for extra sweetness and flavor. These liquid ingredients will make the batter thinner, so you may need to add a spoonful of extra flour.
- Gluten-free sweet potato cornbread: It’s easy to convert this recipe to gluten-free. Simply swap in one of the best gluten-free flour blends for the all-purpose flour.
- Make cornbread croutons: Learn how to make croutons, and use your leftover cornbread in there!
How to Store Sweet Potato Cornbread
Store leftover sweet potato cornbread at room temperature, tightly covered, for up to three days. Plain cornbread tends to dry out after a day or two, but the sweet potato in this recipe will keep the bread moist. Gently reheat in the microwave before serving.
How to Freeze Sweet Potato Cornbread
Cornbread, like all quick bread recipes, freezes quite well. This sweet potato cornbread recipe is especially amenable to freezing since the sweet potatoes add moisture to the bread. This ensures that the bread is still tender and tasty after thawing. After baking, allow the bread to cool completely, then wrap tightly, and freeze for up to three months.
Sweet Potato Cornbread Tips
How should you cook the sweet potatoes?
It’s easy to cook sweet potatoes! Use your favorite method, whether that’s roasting, boiling or steaming, on the stovetop or in the microwave. The only method that won’t work well is roasting sliced or chopped sweet potatoes. The crispy-edged pieces won’t mash as smoothly. Roast whole potatoes, and scoop out the insides for the smoothest bread.
What do you serve with sweet potato cornbread?
Anything that tastes good with regular cornbread will taste great with sweet potato cornbread! Think any chili recipes, of course, but also any cozy stew recipes or fall soups. Sweet potato cornbread is a flavorful alternate to plain dinner rolls: Serve it alongside a roast dinner or your best Thanksgiving recipes.
Can I omit the sweet potatoes?
The sweet potatoes add flavor, moisture and richness to the cornbread, so you can’t skip them without throwing off the final dish. Instead, try one of our classic cornbread recipes.
