Fluffy and Moist Sweet Potato Cornbread
Sweet potato cornbread with a honey butter glaze is perfectly fluffy and moist, with a tender crumb. In under 1 hour, you can have this mouthwatering soul food side dish on the table for Sunday dinners and holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
For more delicious sweet potato recipes try my Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows, Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries, and this Baked Microwave Sweet Potato recipe.
Sweet potato cornbread is enhanced with ingredients like honey, vanilla, and pumpkin spice so it tastes more sweet than savory. And there is not a dry crumb in sight! If you love rich, buttery cornbread that nearly tastes like dessert, then this cakey, moist sweet potato cornbread recipe is perfect for you!
Why you will love Sweet Potato Cornbread:
Better Than Boxed Cornbread! Skip the box of Jiffy. This homemade cornbread tastes MUCH better and it is incredibly easy to make.
A Great Holiday Side Dish! This is essential for any holiday feast; right along with roasted turkey, mac and cheese, and collard greens. It has warm spices that pair well with other rich dishes.
Ultimate Soul Food Dish! This recipe combines two beloved southern side dishes: sweet potatoes and cornbread. It has the creamy sweetness of roasted sweet potatoes and the rich, buttery goodness that is traditional cornbread.
Sweet Potato Cornbread Ingredients
To make sweet potato cornbread, you will need the following ingredients:
- All-purpose flour: This is an essential ingredient for the structure of the cornbread.
- Yellow cornmeal: This recipe is incomplete without coarse cornmeal for that familiar texture.
- Granulated sugar: Add this for sweetness. You can also use brown sugar.
- Baking powder & baking soda: These leavening agents help the cornbread rise and achieve a fluffy texture.
- Seasoning: Balance the sweetness with a bit of salt and add a warm spiced quality by using pumpkin pie spice. This also adds to the fall flavors.
- Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature.
- Honey: Add this natural sweetener for some extra sweetness. Or use maple syrup instead.
- Vanilla extract: This gives the cornbread a vanilla flavor that makes it taste like cake.
- Butter: Use unsalted, melted butter.
- Buttermilk: To achieve that tender crumb, you need to use buttermilk.
- Sweet potato: You can not achieve sweet potato flavor without this! Mashed and cooled.
- Orange food coloring: This is an optional ingredient but highly recommended. It makes the orange color more vibrant. It adds to the fall flair.
Honey Butter Glaze
- Butter: Use melted, unsalted butter.
- Honey: This gives the cornbread a beautiful gloss, and also imparts a sticky sweet flavor.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Alternatively, use ½ teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon nutmeg.
How to Make Sweet Potato Cornbread
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Once the oven is preheated, place a 10-inch cast iron skillet into the oven and heat it up for 5 minutes. Alternatively, use a 9×9 square baking pan, or a 12-cup muffin pan instead.
Boil, Cool, Peel, and Mash Sweet Potatoes
Boil the sweet potatoes whole until they are fork-tender.
Once they cool, remove their skins and use a potato masher (or an electric mixer) in order to mash them.
Alternatively, you can peel them and cut them into chunks, then boil and mash. Allow them to cool completely after mashing.
Then add your flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt to a large mixing bowl and whisk it to combine. Set it aside.
In a separate bowl, add your eggs, honey, vanilla extract, melted butter, buttermilk, mashed sweet potatoes, and food coloring. Use a high-speed mixer or a whisk, and mix it until the sweet potato mash is fully incorporated.
Once everything is combined, pour your dry ingredients into the large bowl with the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold everything together until it is combined, careful not to over-mix the sweet potato mixture.
Bake Sweet Potato Cornbread
Rub your hot cast iron skillet down with a pad of butter, then pour the sweet potato cornbread batter directly into it.
Place it in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until it is completely set. Insert a toothpick in the middle of the cornbread, if it comes out clean (dry), then it is done. Remove the hot skillet from the oven. Do not overbake the cornbread or it will be dry!
Combine the butter, honey, and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl and heat it up in the microwave for about 30 seconds so that the butter can melt. Stir until combined.
Use a toothpick to poke small holes in the top of the cornbread, then pour your honey butter all over the top. Finally, enjoy!
Tips and Variations for the Best Sweet Potato Cornbread
- Cool the sweet potatoes completely before adding them to the eggs. Otherwise, the eggs will begin to cook.
- Do not overmix the cornbread batter or it will come out tough and dry. Mix only until the ingredients are combined.
- Use this recipe to make sweet potato cornbread muffins. Just use a muffin pan instead of a skillet. They should take about 25-30 minutes to cook max. Check them after 20 minutes.
- Once the cornbread has cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, place it in the fridge for up to 1 week.
FAQ
Is cornbread considered a sweet bread?
Cornbread is incredibly versatile. It can lean more toward sweet or savory, depending on the recipe.
What is the difference between northern cornbread and southern cornbread?
Traditional southern cornbread does not contain sugar. Alternatively, northern cornbread usually includes sugar and tends to be more cake-like than its southern counterpart.
What keeps cornbread moist?
Using oil in the cornbread batter results in moist cornbread. But other ingredients (like the sweet potatoes and buttermilk used in this recipe) can also contribute. Keep your cornbread moist for longer by immediately covering it with either foil or a towel. If it is exposed to air for an extended amount of time, it will dry out much quicker.
More holiday side dishes you’ll love
Ingredients
- 1 cup All purpose flour
- 1 cup Yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup Sugar granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin pie spice (substitute ½ teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon nutmeg)
- 2 large Eggs room temperature
- 2 tablespoons Honey
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 stick Butter unsalted and melted
- 1 ½ cups Buttermilk
- 1 cup Sweet potato mashed and cooled
- ½ tablespoon Orange food coloring optional but recommended
Honey Butter Glaze
- 1 tablespoon Butter unsalted, melted
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin pie spice or ½ teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Once the oven preheats, place a 10 inch cast iron skillet into the oven and heat it up for 5 minutes. You can also use a 9×9 square baking pan, or 12 cup muffin pan instead.
- Boil your sweet potatoes whole until they are fork tender. Once they cool, remove the skins from them and use a potato masher (or an electric mixer) to get them mashed. Alternatively, you can peel them and cut them into chunks, then boil and mash. Allow them to cool completely after mashing.
- Now add your flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt to a bowl and whisk it to combine. Then set this aside.
- In another large bowl, add your eggs, honey, vanilla extract, melted butter, buttermilk, mashed sweet potatoes, and food coloring. Use a high speed mixer or a whisk, and mix it until everything is fully incorporated.
- Once everything is combined, pour your dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold everything together until it is combined, careful not to over mix.
- Rub your hot cast iron skillet down with a pad of butter, then pour the sweet potato cornbread batter directly into it.
- Place it in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until it is completely set. Insert a toothpick in the middle of the cornbread, if it comes out clean (dry), then it is done. Do not over bake the cornbread or it will be dry!
- In a small bowl combine the butter, honey, and pumpkin pie spice and heat it up in the microwave for about 30 seconds so that the butter can melt. Stir it up to make sure everything is combined.
- Use a toothpick to poke small holes in the top of the cornbread, then pour your honey butter all over the top. And Enjoy!
Amazing
I would like to pin the Sweet Potato Cornbread but I can’t find the
red Pin tab to do so. Can you please tell me where it is so that I can add it to my Pinterest boards? Thank you
Hi Donna! I will add a pin feature. Thanks for inquiring about that!
So good
Made this last night after seeing your video on IG. It was so good! I’ll be making it all the time now. Thanks for the recipe.
Oh yay! Thank you for leaving a review.
OH MY GOODNESS! I just cut this and did a taste test. It is so delicious and moist. I don’t think I’ll be making regular corn bread again.
Yes girl! It’s def a family fave! Thanks for the review 🙂
So good
I tried your sweet potato cornbread recipe last night and it was ate up so fast! I’m definitely going to be making this again! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
I’m glad you enjoyed it as much as we do!