Sweet Potato Cornbread

5 from 1 vote

Savor the holidays and elevate weeknight meals with this Sweet Potato Cornbread recipe, a delicious blend of warm spices and sweet potato. Perfect for festive gatherings, it's a tasty twist on a classic side, that's easy to make and sure to impress!

Prep Time25

Cook Time35

Total Time1

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 277kcal

Author: Briana

Equipment

9x9-inch square baking dish
stockpot or dutch oven
skimmer or strainer
Whisk
mixing bowls
Rubber Spatula
offset spatula

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into pieces (about 315 grams of potato or 1 & ¼ cups when mashed)
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1- 2 teaspoons cinnamon (to taste, we used 2 teaspoons)
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
1 ¾ cups milk, room temperature (14 ounces)
2 large eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (for greasing the pan and serving)
more butter, honey, flaky salt for serving to taste (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 9x9 inch pan very well with butter.
Add the sweet potatoes to a large pot of water and boil until soft enough to stick a fork through, about 15 minutes. Remove from the pot and drain. Mash in a bowl until very well mashed. Set aside to cool off. It can be warm, just not hot, or you risk scrambling the eggs.
Meanwhile, while the sweet potatoes cool, mix up the dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, combine 1 and ¼ cups of flour, 1 cup of cornmeal, ½ cup of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon of cloves. Whisk to incorporate the ingredients well. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl, once the sweet potatoes have cooled, combine the sweet potato mash with 1 and ¾ cups of milk, 3 tablespoons of vinegar, 6 tablespoons of melted butter, and 2 eggs. Whisk until well combined. The mixture will be a little lumpy, but that's okay, it will all come together in the end.
Add in the dry ingredients about ⅓ at a time, mixing to incorporate before adding more dry ingredients. Switch to a rubber spatula to continue folding in the rest of the ingredients really gently, being sure to scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl. Once everything is incorporated, stop mixing!
Transfer to the greased baking dish, and use a rubber spatula to spread the batter in an even layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean with a few crumbs.
Immediately add some pats of butter over top to let it melt into the hot cornbread. Cut into squares, and serve with more butter, flaky salt, and honey if desired. Enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. It can then be transferred to the fridge for an additional 3 days.

Notes

- Use a food scale to measure ingredients. It's much less messy - and more accurate than using cups! If you end up with too much flour in your cornbread, it can make it dense and dry. Nobody wants that!
- Use fresh baking powder and baking soda. Test your baking powder before using it if it's more than 30 days old. To make sure it's fresh, add boiling water to about 1 teaspoon of baking powder. For baking soda, add something acidic like lemon juice or vinegar. If they bubble a lot, it's good to go. If it doesn't, toss it and use a new one!
- Use room temperature ingredients. Make sure the eggs, milk, and apple cider vinegar are at room temperature so that they blend smoothly in the batter. On that note - make sure that the sweet potato and melted butter have enough time to cool down - or they can scramble your eggs!
- Don't overwork the batter. You want to stir until everything is combined, and then stop mixing! Overmixing can lead to dry, dense cornbread - YUCK!
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time. This helps ensure the cornmeal mixture gets completely incorporated without overmixing.
- Bake immediately. Once the batter is mixed, bake it immediately. Letting the batter sit can cause the baking powder to lose its effectiveness, resulting in less rise.
- Check for doneness. Insert a toothpick or a knife in the center of the cornbread towards the end of the baking time. It should come out clean or with a few crumbs attached.
- Avoid overbaking. Overbaked cornbread can be dry. Keep an eye on it as it nears the end of the recommended baking time.
- Rest before serving. Let the cornbread cool in the pan for a few minutes before slicing. This helps it set and makes for cleaner cuts.
- To freeze. Allow the cornbread to cool completely, then wrap pieces tightly in plastic wrap. Store inside a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost on the countertop for a couple of hours, or gently reheat in the microwave.

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