This sweet potato cornbread is moist, tender, and full of flavor. Roasted sweet potatoes lend natural sweetness and extra moisture, making this a cozy side for chilly days and holiday meals.
This easy sweet potato cornbread is perfect for fall, Thanksgiving, or any time you want something warm and comforting. It pairs beautifully with chili, stew, soup, or pot pie, and it’s equally delicious for breakfast with butter and a drizzle of honey.
Featured 5-star reviews:
Readers loved this recipe — here are a few of their comments:
- “Yum!! This cornbread was delicious. I loved the addition of the sweet potato. I used canned sweet potatoes that I drained well and it worked out great!” – Holly
- “SO good. Super moist and flavorful cornbread. Can’t wait to make this again for Thanksgiving!” – Nicole
For more fall baking ideas, try ginger pear muffins or apple cinnamon baked oatmeal for breakfast. If you want a sweet treat, chocolate chip pecan pie, gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies, or maple biscotti are all excellent options for holiday baking.
Why You’ll Love This Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Cornbread
This cornbread leans slightly sweet thanks to roasted sweet potatoes and brown sugar. A touch of cinnamon enhances the autumnal flavors. If you prefer, you can substitute honey or pure maple syrup for some or all of the sugar.
How To Roast Sweet Potatoes
Roasting sweet potatoes concentrates their sweetness and adds moisture, which improves the cornbread’s texture and flavor. Fresh roasted potatoes are preferred, but canned sweet potatoes can be used in a pinch.
To roast sweet potatoes:
- Line a baking sheet with foil.
- Prick whole sweet potatoes with a fork, place on the foil, and drizzle lightly with oil.
- Wrap each potato in foil and place on the baking sheet.
- Roast until the skins are wrinkled and a fork slides in easily.
- Let cool before removing the skins and mashing the flesh.
How To Make Cornbread in a Cast Iron Skillet
A 10″ cast iron skillet works wonderfully for this recipe: it creates a crisp outer crust and gives a nice presentation for serving. If you don’t have cast iron, use a greased casserole dish or baking pan.
Tips & Tricks
- Roasting: Leave the skin on while roasting to lock in moisture; foil and a baking sheet catch any drips.
- Cornmeal: Use finely ground cornmeal for a tender crumb. If you only have coarse cornmeal, pulse it briefly in a blender to refine the texture.
- Canned sweet potatoes: If using canned sweet potatoes or yams, be sure to drain well and mash before adding to the batter.
Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes (roasted and mashed)
- Eggs
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Milk (your choice)
- Neutral oil (such as vegetable or light olive oil)
- Butter (salted, melted)
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Fine yellow cornmeal
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt (kosher)
- Cinnamon
Frequently Asked Questions:
This recipe was not tested with Jiffy Mix, so a direct substitution isn’t recommended. Use fine yellow cornmeal for best results.
No—this recipe calls for milk. If all you have is buttermilk, it should still work fine as a substitute.
Yes—drain them thoroughly and mash before adding. Roasted fresh sweet potatoes provide more depth of flavor, but canned will work in a pinch.
Yes. While not formally tested, bake at the same temperature and start checking at 10–15 minutes at 400°F. Watch closely to avoid overbaking, which can dry muffins out.
Yes—substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Results may vary by brand; Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 is a reliable option.
More Fall Recipes:
- Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Apple Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Waffles
- Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust
If you make this sweet potato cornbread, tag #bakedabundance on Instagram and consider leaving a rating or comment. Enjoy!
Recipe
Easy Sweet Potato Cornbread
This sweet potato cornbread is incredibly moist, tender and delicious. Roasted sweet potato adds a natural sweetness to this savory side dish.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 8–12 servings
- Category: Breads
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 small to medium sweet potatoes, roasted (about 1 cup mashed)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup milk of choice
- ¼ cup neutral oil (I used olive oil)
- ¼ cup salted butter, melted
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ cups fine yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap sweet potatoes in foil, drizzle with a little oil, and roast until tender. Let cool before peeling and mashing.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, milk, oil, and melted butter. Stir in the brown and granulated sugars, then add the cooled mashed sweet potatoes.
- Add the dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon) to the wet mixture. Gently fold until just combined—batter should be slightly lumpy. Do not overmix.
- Place a 10″ cast iron skillet in the oven for a few minutes to heat. Remove the skillet, oil it if needed, and carefully pour in the batter, smoothing the top.
- Bake at 400°F for 20–25 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs and the edges are lightly golden. Avoid overbaking to keep the cornbread moist.
- Serve warm with butter, or let cool and store. Cornbread keeps up to 3 days at room temperature or up to a week refrigerated.
Notes
You can substitute 1 cup canned sweet potatoes or yams for the roasted sweet potatoes—drain and mash well. Fresh roasted sweet potatoes provide better flavor.
For richer flavor and moistness, you can use ½ cup oil or ½ cup butter instead of ¼ cup of each. Using only butter may yield a slightly drier texture.
To reduce sugar, replace ¼ cup brown sugar with ¼ cup pure maple syrup or honey, or try coconut sugar.