Golden Sweet Potato Cornbread

My Sweet Potato Cornbread recipe combines a traditional cornbread recipe with some mashed sweet potato, ground cinnamon, and sweet brown sugar, for a deliciously moist and tender bread full of the flavors of Fall.

 

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Full Recipe Ingredients/Instructions are available in the 
recipe card at the bottom of the post. 
You can find important tips/tricks in the
blog post.

Cornbread is quick and easy to prepare, a simple case of gently combining dry ingredients with wet ingredients, to form a smooth bread batter. A quick bake in the oven produces a light and fluffy cornbread with a buttery golden crust.

I like to prepare the sweet potato in advance, cooling it down before adding it to the cornbread mixture. The sweet potato give this bread a sweet/savory taste, which is why I like to add a touch of warming cinnamon to the bread batter too.

If you love serving cornbread alongside dishes at home, then try some of these other great tasting cornbread recipes. My Cornbread Dressing and Classic Southern Cornbread Recipe are more traditionally savory breads, whereas my Easy Cornbread Muffins are a sweeter option.

What is cornbread?

Southern cornbread combines cornmeal, flour, eggs, buttermilk and butter to form a cake like batter, which is then baked in the oven.

In this recipe I have adapted a traditional cornbread recipe adding mashed sweet potato, cinnamon, and brown sugar to to bread batter to produce a sweeter style of cornbread.

Ingredients

You can find these simple ingredients in your local grocery store. Here is what you will need for this recipe.  

• Sweet potato – I like to bake or air fry a whole sweet potato first. Once it’s cooled, I peel and mash it for this recipe. You could also purchase mashed sweet potatoes in a can in most grocery stores.
• Cornmeal – the main ingredient in cornbread. I prefer fine or medium grain cornbread.
• All-purpose flour – this will lighten the texture of the cornbread. Without it, your cornbread may be too heavy.
• Baking powder, baking soda – Both of these leaveners are added to allow your cornbread to rise in the oven.
• Ground cinnamon, kosher salt – added to enhance the flavor of this baked good.
• Buttermilk – I love adding buttermilk to baked goods like cornbread in order to keep the crumb tender.
• Brown sugar – this cornbread is sweet. Brown sugar and sweet potatoes make the perfect flavor combination.
• Eggs, unsalted butter – the basis of this recipe that provide structure.

How to make my Sweet Potato Cornbread recipe 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8×8 baking dish and set aside. 

Combine cornmeal, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl and stir to combine. 

In another bowl, whisk buttermilk, brown sugar, eggs, and melted butter together. Add mashed sweet potatoes and stir until combined. 

Add wet mixture to dry mixture and whisk until smooth.

Pour into the prepared baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes, until the cornbread is golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Place the dish onto a wire rack and allow the cornbread to cool a little before slicing and serving.

Expert Tips

These tips will help you make the best sweet potato cornbread you’ve ever tasted. 

• Have all your ingredients at room temperature and take everything out of the fridge 30 minutes before you start baking. This will result in a smoother batter and a lighter, fluffier cornbread.
• Don’t be heavy handed when mixing the bread batter. Use a light touch when combining the wet and dry ingredients together.
• If you are making the mashed sweet potato first, allow it to cool completely before adding it to the other ingredients, otherwise you risk curdling the eggs.
• This cornbread can also be made in a 10-inch cast iron skillet if you want a deeper golden brown crust. 

Variations 

This cornbread recipe is full of flavor but here are some suggestions if you want to mix things up.

• I’ve added ground cinnamon to the bread batter, but you could add a pinch of nutmeg or allspice too, just don’t be too heavy handed.
• Swap the mashed sweet potato for mashed pumpkin and add a pinch of pumpkin pie spice blend instead.
• For a sweeter twist, serve the cornbread warm with the melted butter and a drizzle of runny honey or maple syrup.

How to adjust this sweet potato cornbread recipe  

This recipe serves 12 portions of cornbread but can be easily adapted to make a bigger or smaller batch. Here are the best ways to do this. 

Double: To make a larger batch, double all the ingredients. But rather than making one large cornbread, I suggest splitting the mixture in two and making two smaller cornbread. This allows for a more even cook when it comes to baking the bread.

Halve: For a smaller cornbread, you can cut the ingredients in half. Keep an eye on the cooking time as a smaller bread will bake faster. As it freezes really well I prefer to bake a whole cornbread and freeze what I don’t use for another day.

What do you serve cornbread with?

This deliciously moist cornbread can be served as an appetizer, side dish or warm it up to make a tasty snack any time of the day. With it’s savory/sweet flavor, it works with so many dishes. I love to serve it with soups, stews and chilis, so why not try it with some of these dishes:

• Creamy Carrot & Lentil Soup
• Brown Stew Chicken
• Beef & Bean Stew
• Instant Pot Chili
• Turkey Chili Recipe
• Air Fryer Fried Chicken
• Smothered Pork Chops

How to store sweet potato cornbread

On the counter top: Once baked and cooled, place the cornbread in an airtight container and it will keep for up to 2 days at room temperature.

To refrigerate: If you want it to last a little longer, place the cornbread in an airtight container and store for up to a week in the fridge.

To freeze: To freeze, wrap the bread in foil or plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. It will keep frozen for up to 6 months and can be thawed at room temperature.

FAQs:

If you have tried this Sweet Potato Cornbread recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!