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A slice of moist Sweet Potato Cornbread topped with butter and drizzled with honey on a white plate.
Daniel

Sweet Potato Cornbread

Moist, tender cornbread with natural sweetness and a gorgeous orange hue that pairs perfectly with chili or stands alone with butter and honey.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 9 pieces
Course: Bread, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Southern
Calories: 210
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Wet Ingredients
  • 1 lb sweet potato about 1 large, baked and cooled
  • 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled, plus more for pan
  • 2 large eggs room temperature, lightly beaten
  • 2 tbsp honey
Dry Ingredients
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal medium or fine grind
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.75 tsp kosher salt

Equipment

  • 9-inch square baking pan
  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • Medium mixing bowl
  • Potato Masher or Fork
  • Whisk

Method
 

Prep
  1. Bake the sweet potato at 400°F until completely tender when pierced, about 45-50 minutes. Let cool completely, then peel and mash until smooth. You need 1 cup packed mashed sweet potato. Reduce oven to 375°F and butter a 9-inch square baking pan.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed sweet potato, buttermilk, melted butter, beaten eggs, and honey until well combined. A few small lumps of sweet potato are fine.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly blended.
  4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold together with a rubber spatula just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix - the batter will be thick but pourable.
  5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread to the edges. Bake until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 22-26 minutes. The edges should pull slightly away from the pan.
  6. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before cutting into squares. Serve warm with extra butter and honey, or at room temperature.

Notes

Bake the sweet potato a day ahead and refrigerate - cold mashed sweet potato works perfectly and saves time. For extra texture, use stone-ground cornmeal and add 0.5 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels to the batter. This cornbread stays moist for 3 days wrapped tightly; rewarm in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes to revive the crust.