OMG, y’all. Stop everything. This is important. I knew I loved cornbread, but I didn’t know I could love it this much. I decided to add some sweet potato mash to my Everyday Cornbread, plus a couple of spices and sour cream for richness and… WHOA. It took everything in me not to eat the entire pan of this Sweet Potato Cornbread.
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This recipe is a hybrid between my Everyday Cornbread and these amazing Sweet Potato Corn Bread Muffins from the New York Times. The NYT’s addition of cinnamon and nutmeg was absolutely spot on and gave the cornbread an amazing aroma. Since I had already bought some sour cream to top my chili, I decided to incorporate that into the batter, like this recipe from Leite’s Culinaria. Neither of those recipes used nearly enough sweet potato for me, though, so I upped mine to 1.5 cups. I didn’t want to waste that lovely sweet potato!
What Does Sweet Potato Cornbread Taste Like?
This cornbread is definitely on the sweeter side as far as cornbread goes, but it also has a good amount of warm, aromatic spices to keep it from being too dessert-like. It pairs well with both sweet and savory flavors. The texture is rich and thick, so one piece will definitely add a lot to your meal!
What to Serve with Sweet Potato Cornbread
The subtle sweetness of this sweet potato cornbread pairs absolutely perfectly with the warm spices of a bowl of chili, pumpkin soup, chorizo stuffed bell peppers, or anything BBQ, like this BBQ Cheddar Baked Chicken, but I also have to say, it’s awesome with coffee. I’ve also been eating it for breakfast with a thick pat of butter and with a fried egg on the side.
How to Store the Leftovers
Make sure you allow the cornbread to cool completely to room temperature before placing the leftover pieces in a resealable container and storing in the refrigerator. This cornbread also freezes quite well! I suggest wrapping each piece in plastic or waxed paper, then storing all of them in an air-tight freezer bag or freezer-safe container. You can thaw them at room temperature or with a quick zap in the microwave.
Sweet Potato Cornbread
Servings 8Ingredients
- 1 lb. sweet potato ($1.56)
- 1.5 cups yellow cornmeal ($0.36)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour ($0.13)
- 1/2 cup sugar ($0.40)
- 1 Tbsp baking powder ($0.12)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg ($0.05)
- 2 large eggs ($0.52)
- 1/2 cup sour cream ($0.47)
- 3/4 cup milk ($0.23)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 1/2 Tbsp cooking oil for the skillet ($0.02)
Instructions
- Peel the sweet potato and cut it into one-inch cubes. Place the cubes in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil the potatoes until they’re tender and fall apart with pierced with a fork (about ten minutes). Drain the potatoes and set aside.
- Coat the inside of a 10" cast iron skillet with cooking oil. Place the skillet in the oven and begin to preheat the oven to 425ºF.
- In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well mixed.
- Mash the drained sweet potatoes until fairly smooth. Transfer 1.5 cups of the mashed potatoes to a large bowl. Add the sour cream, milk, and 2 Tbsp oil, and whisk until combined. Add the eggs and whisk until combined again.
- Pour the sweet potato mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir the two together just until combined and no dry mix remains on the bottom of the bowl. It’s okay if the mixture is a little lumpy, just be sure not to over mix.
- Carefully take the hot skillet out of the preheated oven and scoop the batter into the skillet. Smooth out the top of the batter until it's even, then return it to the oven. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the center is puffed, the top is golden brown, and it's slightly cracked around the edges. Remove the cornbread from the oven, cut into eight pieces, and serve (preferably with butter).
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Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Liquid Measuring Cup
Nutrition
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How to Make Sweet Potato Cornbread – Step by Step Photos
Peel a 1 lb. sweet potato and cut it into one-inch cubes. Place the cubes in a pot, cover them with water, and bring the pot up to a boil over high heat. Let the sweet potatoes boil until they’re soft and fall apart when pierced with a fork (about 10 minutes). Drain the sweet potatoes and set them aside.
Once the sweet potatoes are done boiling, get the skillet ready and begin to preheat the oven. Rub about 1/2 Tbsp of oil inside a 10″ cast iron skillet, place it in the oven, then set it to preheat to 425ºF.
While the potatoes are boiling (or after they’ve drained), combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together 1.5 cups yellow cornmeal, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp nutmeg. Stir them together until they are very well combined.
Mash the sweet potatoes until they’re fairly smooth. Transfer 1.5 cups of the sweet potato mash to a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup sour cream, 3/4 cup milk, 2 large eggs, and 2 Tbsp cooking oil.
Whisk the ingredients together until fairly smooth. You may still have a few small chunks of sweet potato, but that’s okay.
Pour the sweet potato mixture into the bowl with the mixed dry ingredients and stir them together just until mixed. It’s okay if it’s a bit lumpy, just don’t over mix it. The sweet potato cornbread batter will be fairly thick.
Carefully take the preheated skillet out of the oven, scoop the batter into it, then spread it around until it’s smooth on top. Return it to the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes.
Or until it’s puffed in the center, golden brown on top, and cracked around the edges. Cut the sweet potato cornbread into eight pieces and enjoy!
A little melted butter takes sweet potato cornbread to the next level.
Yes. Just yes.
Am I a colossal weirdo for adding blueberries to this? I really like roasted blueberries so these days I am adding them to anything I can get away with?
I think that would be delightful! I guess it depends on what you’re serving it with, but if you’re just enjoying it on its own it sounds good to me!
I fix it a week ago in the iron pan, it turned out great,l put the left over in the fridge l ate off it the whole week,it takes better over time, my husband enjoy it as well,
Look yummy never made cornbread with sweet potato but I will bake it thank you for recipe
Good morning…How bout using Corn Bread mix and just adding the extras?Has anyone tried?If so I would love to know the outcome.Blessings
I used 2 boxes of Jiffy brand cornbread (since each box called for 1 egg and the recipe called for 2 eggs) and it turned out perfectly!!
Love this recipe! I usually use a can of pumpkin puree instead of going through the fuss with the sweet potatoes. I like to stock up for that when pumpkin puree is on sale, since it lasts forever. I make them into muffins and they’re a big hit!
Yum! Tried to use ingredients on hand so substituted puréed butternut squash for sweet potato, whole wheat flour for regular flour, reduced sugar to 1/8 cup, and used 1 cup buttermilk/1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream & milk. Baked at 425 in square pan (and made a few muffins too), and it is moist and tastes wonderful! The cinnamon/ nutmeg definitely works well.
can i use self rising corn meal and self rising flour instead
HI, Javelin! Since we haven’t tested the recipe using self-rising products, I can’t promise you will have equally successful results. In theory, they should work just fine — and you can also omit the baking powder. ~Marion :)
Thanks for the suggest my mother who’s a retired baker states that using the self-rising would work perfect as well. We are trying to make corn muffin with your recipe. Will let you know how it goes.
I made this last year for Thanksgiving and it was delicious! Making again this year. Only change I made was cut sugar to 1/4 cup.
Easy to follow instructions. Turned out so yummy. I served it with a bit of maple syrup. Oh, wow. Next time, and there will definitely be a next time, I will substitute the sugar for maple syrup. Can’t wait to see how that goes. Thank you for the post, the work involved, the budgeting, and the pictures!
Really tasty cornbread! love the addition of the sweet potatoes and the subtle fall spices. Texture was light and moist. I have made it many times already and it works in a regular pan too- just add the oil to your pan and heat it in the oven. When you add the batter, it will sizzle and make a nice crusty bottom! I also made one version dairy free by subbing in almond milk for the cow’s milk and for the sour cream. No difference in flavor or texture!
Is the bread supposed to be crumbly or not
If the bread is dry and crumbles, it was overcooked. It might be the oven temperature. Use an oven thermometer when baking, as most ovens are not calibrated. XOXO -Monti
I needed a recipe to use up some sweet potatoes. This was easy and delicious, and used ingredients I had on hand. It was a hit with the family. I will definitely be making it again.
This was absolutely delish and easy.
This was so delicious! I subbed 1/2 cup of maple syrup for the sugar, otherwise followed the recipe as written. It was so tasty! Paired with the black-eyed peas recipes for New Year’s Day. Thank you for sharing this!
I didnt have any sweet potatoes on hand so I tried using cooked carrots I put through my potato ricer. Wasn’t the same but not bad either. I would continue to use the carrots if I didnt have any sweet potatoes on hand again.
You can just use cornbread mix and add the sweet potato turned out perfectly fine for me.. Yummy!
Beth, I am definitely going to try this. I have a question. I bake my cornbread in a cast iron skillet following the recipe I learned from my mom. I notice most cornbread recipes tell you to preheat your skillet to where it should be hot enough for the batter to sizzle when you pour it in. I preheat my skillet but my batter never sizzles. Can you give me a general rule of thumb for preheating your cast iron skillet? Thanks
Hmm, I don’t think I have any general advice for that. The amount of time needed is going to vary a lot depending on the size of the dish and the temperature that you’re preheating the oven to. I think as long as the skillet is pretty hot that should be good enough. The problem you’re trying to prevent is that cast iron can take a while to heat up, so if you put the cornbread in the oven with a room-temp cast iron skillet it will take forever to get hot and actually cook the bread. So the top of the bread, which is exposed to the hot air, will cook a lot faster than the sides and center. I hope that makes sense!
Would this work with masa instead of all purpose flour?
I’d need to test it to know how much that would affect the outcome.
Hi, big time lover of your recipes! I’ve recently made your chipotle sweet potato mash recipe and have leftovers. How much of that would you swap in to use with this recipe?
We made this into muffins rather than cooking it in a skillet, and it was delicious! The only adjustment we had to make was reducing cooking time by about 5 minutes. Will definitely make again!
This was sooo good. I used almond milk, light sour cream, and 2 tbsp applesauce instead of oil in the batter. I served with sautéed collard greens and bacon to balance out the sweetness.
My wife can’t have dairy. What should I use as a substitute for the milk and sour cream? I usually use oat milk and coconut milk or cream in recipes, but don’t know how those flavours would fare in cornbread.
Unfortunately, baking can be very finicky because it can rely on some pretty precise chemical reactions, so making two major swaps like that is a bit unpredictable. I’d need to do some testing to see if there are any adequate non-dairy substitutions before making any recommendations.
Ive had success with dairy free sour creams like kite hill and Forager and oat milk has also worked great as substitutions.
Can I make this the night before, put it in the fridge, and reheat it in the oven the next day? I love this recipe and want to make it for Thanksgiving this week.
I’ve never actually tried to reheat the whole thing in the oven. My only concern is that it would dry out or get too brown with the amount of time it would need to heat through. It might be possible, but I don’t think I can guess without actually trying it.
Okay – thanks for your expertise! I didn’t think about the drying out part. I’ll make it early, and then put foil over it to keep it warm for a long as possible.
This is SO good!! The spices are absolutely perfect, enough to get the flavor, but not overpowering at all. As another commenter suggested I did half the amount of sugar to roughly 1/4 C simply because I didn’t want it to be too sweet. I personally really enjoyed the sweetness level, but I think if you’re someone who enjoys a sweeter cornbread using the full 1/2 C would be great too. I used plain Greek yogurt with a high fat content instead of sour cream, because I always have that on hand. Also, I baked it in a round 9″ cake pan because I don’t have a cast iron skillet and it still turned out great.
That was really helpful because I don’t have cast iron either and prefer yogurt Thanks
Made this for supper last night. It was a big hit! I substituted gluten free flour and used plain yogurt instead of sour cream. I have almost the same cast iron pan which I love to make cornbread in. Love this site and recipes. Thank you!
Truly delicious. I made this recipe pretty much as written, except I used a bit of pumpkin pie spice instead of pure nutmeg (I didn’t have any). Turned out great!!
This is delicious! I served it with a white bean and vegetable soup tonight. The house smelled amazing while it was baking. I wound up using half yellow and half white cornmeal – the grocery I was in this morning did not have yellow, and I didn’t have enough yellow cornmeal on hand. I also reduced the sugar to 1/4 cup. I am from Georgia and sugar in cornbread is an abomination!! ;-) I was willing to let this cornbread be sweet but I didn’t want it to be overly sweet. I felt like I tasted the spices and the sweet potato more than ‘sweet’. My son just told me the recipe was a keeper and I agree. PS – I also cooked my sweet potatoes in the instant pot to save myself the trouble of peeling and cubing – I just scooped out what I needed from the skin.
I’m glad to see your comment, because your tweaks are exactly what came to mind after I read the recipe. Steaming the sweet potatoes in an Instant Pot will produce great results without boiling away nutrients. I might even reduce the sugar even more than you did, given how sweet the sweet potatoes are. I usually add yogurt to my cornbread, and I already have plain yogurt on hand, so will sub that for the sour cream. I might add chopped jalapeños to increase the savoriness.
I tried it with white cornmeal and it just didn’t taste right.
I am so excited to try this and then maybe use it to make a cornbread stuffing! Thank you for posting!
Could you use greek yogurt to substitute the sour cream in this recipe?
I would need to test it with that ingredient to know for sure. Baking can be very finicky, so if the moisture level or fat/protein/sugar level is different it can often times really change the outcome.
I usually use regular plain yogurt (not Greek) in this and it turns out great.
Delicious! Easy! So satisfying for any meal! I doubled the recipe and made some in a cast-iron pan and some in a 9×9 pan. Exceptional! I can imagine how good it would be when crumbled and used as a casserole topping, maybe with a little melted butter added, like a Cracker Barrel recipe that I make. Thanks, Beth! And the kitchen smells so good!
This is a great way for me to use up some pureed sweet potato left over from when my daughter was starting on solid foods. I have a whole ice cube tray of frozen sweet potato that I wasn’t sure how I was going to use up.
Any suggestions on how to make this recipe non-dairy? Think I could substitute soy or almond milk for the milk, but not sure about the sour cream.
I’m not sure, I think I’d need to do a considerable amount of testing to find what makes it work. The chemistry of baking is so precise that when you change one ingredient it can totally throw the entire recipe off.
I don’t use cornmeal or white flour. What could I use instead?
Unfortunately those are the two base ingredients for this recipe, so they can not be replaced. Without them, it won’t be cornbread.
Could I use buttermilk instead of milk in this recipe?
Yes you can! Enjoy!
Can I use canned sweet potato?
Yes Curt I think that would be fine to skip a step there by using canned.
I would like to know if a round pan could be used instead of a cast iron pan? I don’t own casccfffffff
Yes you could use a round cake pan.
Fyi i used a heavier muffin tin filled oretty full to the top and baked for 14 minutes for nice full muffins. I thought 1/2 tsp of nutmeg was a bit much so i maybe used 1/3 tsp freshly ground nutmeg but it was stiil too strong for my taste. Very happy with thd result.
I love this recipe! For simplicity, we use canned pumpkin in place of the baked sweet potato. The perfect accompaniment to my favorite lentil chili recipe. Thanks!!
Also cook them in muffin tins. :)
Yes!
Great swap! Thanks for sharing!
I used cooked, mashed butternut squash and greek yogurt and reduced the eggs to 1. Its so moist and rich. I love this recipe.
Could you omit the sugar from this recipe?
Yes you certainly could. You could use honey instead or a different sugar substitute like monkfruit sweetener.
Can you use Jiffy?
In substitute for which ingredient?
My guess would be for the cornmeal.
I suppose you could, but Jiffy mix is already premade so you wouldn’t need this recipe at all.
This was really good. Apparently you can leave out the eggs completely and it’ll still taste good and be a reasonable texture, because I spaced out and forgot them. I did have to bake it a lot longer, but I don’t know whether that was partly the lack of eggs, or just that I used a 9-inch Pyrex pie plate (non-preheated) instead of something 10-inch, cast-iron, and preheated.
Ha! Whoops! Good to know though.
Beat Cornbread recipe I have ever used!!!
Thank you William!
GREAT!!!!!!
I used fig preserves instead of sugar ( aka – cleaned out my fridge) and it was life-affirming good. Good job, Beth!
Will this cook up okay in an enameled cast iron dutch oven without the lid?
That sounds like it would work, but I’ve never tried it myself. :)
It does! Tried it and perfect!
Great with chili! Also delicious toasted/broiled and topped with butter and maple syrup.
Cut back the sugar a bit (to about 1/3c). I make it in an 8” or 9” cast iron and it takes quite a bit more time because of the smaller size – up to 45min – or the centre is underbaked.
Do you think I can substitute the milk with unsweetened almond milk and vegan sour cream for sour cream?
That’s really tough to say without testing, unfortunately. Baking involves a lot of complex chemical reactions and both of those ingredients are quite different in composition than the original ingredients, so it will likely change the outcome.
I want to try this it is great
This is the beeessssttt corn bread. I always get asked for the recipe when I make it for a group. The only change I make is to cut back on the nutmeg (personal preference). I usually have a container of “pumpkin pie spice” mix on hand so I use 1 tsp of that instead of the individual spices.
Looks good…Will make it soon…
I forgot to buy milk and ended up using Greek yogurt and water instead of sour cream and milk as that’s what I had. Still super delicious and very easy to make!
This was amazing, thanks. And I made all kinds of careless mistakes. (Made it in a toaster oven and had left it on broil for the first 8 minutes, then set the temperature to 350 instead of 425 for another 10 minutes, and used an 8 inch skillet instead of 10 so the center never got completely done). To correct the last issue I sliced the top half off, cut each half into pieces, and heated it in the toaster before serving. Still fabulous!! I’m looking forward to making this again and following the directions.
Would it work if you baked the sweet potato first (rather than boiling)? Is there any reason not to do it that way?
They are a little more moist when you boil them, so it might change the texture of the bread just slightly if you bake them. That can always be adjusted by adding a splash more milk, though.
I added a splash more milk and it was perfect… more than perfect. Absolutely great recipe from you as always! Trying not to go back for thirds now.
I want to bake this in a muffin pan! What are your thoughts on that? Do you think it’ll work?
I think it will work, but the baking time will be shorter for sure. I don’t know exactly how long without trying it, but I’m sure you can just keep an eye on them and take them out when they are puffed up and cracked open on top, or use a toothpick to make sure the inside is baked (it should come out clean).
I’ve made this recipe 3 times and I am making it a 4th time for thanksgiving. I love cornbread and this is like the perfect recipe. Its crusty and I don’t feel like I’m eating cake, which is how cornbread should be. I do add 6 tbsp of melted butter instead of cooking oil.
You add 6 tablespoons of butter to the mix instead of the 2 tablespoons of oil that’s called for? I’m amazed that much more works well.
Thank you for the suggestion!
Could you cook this in a bread pan rather than a cast iron skillet?
I would opt for something wider and shallower than a bread pan, like a 9×9 inch casserole dish or pie plate. Because bread pans are narrow and deep, it might not bake properly.
I’m always looking for new recipes that help us cut back on the processed alternatives. Thanks for putting all of these in one place.
Hello Beth,
I am hoping to make this recipe for thanksgiving (Canadian!), do you (or anyone) know if it’s possible to make this ahead of time (2 days before)? Great recipe!
This bread does hold up quite well as leftovers. :) Obviously it’s best on the first day, so try to make it as close to the big day as possible.
Made this last night, had been craving corn bread and had a good amount of sweet potatoes to use from my weekly farm share. I don’t have a cast iron skillet at the moment, so I used a dark 8×8 baking/cake pan and these turned out well but needed a few more minutes to set.
Delicious and easy, thanks, Beth!
My daughter made this for dinner tonight. Wanted to try something different. I baked my sweet potato {the flavor is deeper, so I avoid boiling veggies whenever possible}. Really moist, too. When it came out of the oven, I poured a stick {yup, a whole stick lol} of melted butter over the top. Really good!
55 mins. Not Bad.
I’ve been loving your recipes for a long time Beth. So many blogs out there but few that I enjoy as much as your recipes, so thank you.
Have you tried (or can you suggest how ) to make this without flour? Corn meal, sweet potatoes and more eggs maybe? I would welcome any suggestions.
I haven’t tried a flour-less cornbread yet, unfortunately. If I was able to get a plain version down, it would probably be a bit easier to figure out the sweet potato version.
I made this last night to go with bean soup. It was a huge hit! My partner isn’t a big fan of cornbread, but he loved this. I reduced the sugar because I prefer less sweet cornbread and nutmeg isn’t available here, but it was still delicious.
This was wonderful! I didn’t have sour cream so I added a bit extra sweet potatoes and milk and it turned out great! Thanks Beth!!!
I’ve made this several times now and each time it is a huge hit. Thank you!
I have this recipe in the oven right now! super excited!
My wife loves cornbread and sweet potatoes. I made this, but changed it quite a bit. She is Chinese and does not really like the nutmeg and cinnamon combination in food, so I left that out. Then I forgot sour cream at the store. So, made without cinnamon, nutmeg or sour cream and it is great, putting in a little extra milk to compensate. Awesome flavor and it had good texture as well.
Do I have to use sour cream and if yes is there a substitute for it?
Yes, it is integral to creating the correct texture and moisture content of the bread. Unfortunately I haven’t tested the recipe with any substitutions for the sour cream.
I’ve used it with greek yogurt and it turned out well!
I wanna try this but, without using the sugar. Personally, I don’t like corn bread cake! I’m wierd like that, i guess.
*weird
This looks heavenly!! I have a couple questions though:
I don’t own a cast iron skillet (I know, I know…..), can I just bake this in a regular 9X9?
Do you think canned pumpkin would work in a pinch instead of the mashed sweet potatoes?
Yes to the canned pumpkin and you can definitely do a rectangular dish. :) 9×9 might make a slightly thinner bread, so you may want to keep an eye on the baking time (it will bake faster if spread out into a larger dish).
I made this a couple weeks ago from my Sweetie, a born and raised Souhern man! He loved it!
I had never made any cornbread before, this was my first and it was AMAZING!
Tonight I am getting the recipe again so I can make it again for him.
Thanks so much!
had this dish first time in my life at the Sweet Potatoes restaurant, in Winston-Salem NC yesterday. it was served in a cast iron small skillet as an appetizer with ginger butter, and it could well have passed for a desert, man O man was it good. My first time ever to this gem of a restaurant and I WILL be going back.
I made it with baked sweet potatoes and butter because my kids used the sour cream. I also switched the cornmeal and flour amounts. It was yummy! Everyone at church loved it.
I have made this twice and it wonderful. Nice change from normal cornbread. I did use one small can, drained and rinsed the liquid off instead of fresh sweet potato.
Can this be made with bread flour instead of all purpose?
Yes, bread flour is just ground finer.
I think you could “bake” the sweet potato in the microwave. When done, scrape cooked potato into the large bowl and mash. This would eliminate peeling the sweet potato, cutting into cubes and cooking in a pan. What can I say?–always looking for less dishes to wash. ;-)
What a great idea! I make this cornbread at least once a month during the fall/winter season, can’t believe I never thought to use the microwave.
I made mine gluten free by substituting the exact same amount of GF flour (my own mix). I did add 1/2 teaspoon more baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. I didn’t have sour cream so I used Greek plain yogurt. I used a 12 inch cast iron skillet ( what I had) and baked it 20 minutes. I followed the rest of the recipe. This came out awesome. My son, who was very skeptical about this, went back for seconds! Served it with honey butter with a touch of cinnamon. Yummy!
What about using canned sweet potatoes? Just wondering. The recipe sounds delicious!! Gotta try it!
You can do that, just make sure they don’t have any added sugar and if there is any liquid in the can make sure to drain off as much as that as possible.
I would like to make this gluten free. Please advise and send the advice to samymom2002@gmail.com as checking back is impossible at this time.
Does it really need the sugar (sweet potatoes are already so sweet), and can whole wheat flour be used? Or chickpea flour?
This bread is quite sweet, so I think you could safely reduce the sugar by half, or maybe more if you prefer savory cornbread. I don’t think this would be very good with whole wheat or chickpea flour, though. It would change the texture and density too much.
its easier to bake the sweet potato and use Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix………. I bet it turns out just as good.
I was thinking the same thing.
So in case anyone had the same questions as me:
I used #400 corn meal and it turned out with an acceptable texture
I do not have a cast iron skillet so I used my 8×8 aluminum one at the same temp for 30 minutes and it baked through with no problems.
I switched coconut oil for the vegetable oil.
Does it have to be baked in a skillet? I don’t have one. How about a glass or metal baking dish, Corning ware? Temp and time the same?
You can bake this in a glass, ceramic, or metal baking dish, but I don’t have exact cooking times because it will depend on many factors. Just keep an eye on it starting at around 20 minutes and look for the top of the bread to be golden brown and cracked around the edges.
Will it mess with the recipe to omit the sour cream? Is there something else non dairy that could be used?How about just using coconut milk?
Yes, the sour cream is very critical to the texture and moisture level of the bread, so it definitely can’t just be left out. Unfortunately I haven’t tested the recipe with a non-dairy substitute, so I’m not sure how they would affect this.
My lady wife has lactose intolerance rather badly. She was able to eat this on both occasions I fixed it using both buttermilk and 1% milk. The first time I did not use sour cream, but instead made my “normal” cornbread and carefully mixed in the hand mashed microwaved sweet potatoes. At first no one at church seemed to pick any up, then word got around and it disappeared.
Im going to make this. I can eat everything but the sugar. So ill use a sugar substitute. It sounds so good.
What sugar sub & how much
Wonder how I could make this Gluten free omitting the flour somehow?
Me too Linda…I was wondering if you could use gluten free cornbread mix and omit the flower, cornmeal, etc above…let me know what you think…or anyone else. (Probably have to play with it and bit)
I guess no one received a reply to the gluten free question. I’m going to give it a go sometime this week with all purpose gluten flour and increase to one more egg. My hubby has celiac disease and seeing all these wonderful recipes is sometimes frustrating because im not sure how they’ll turn out without the wheat flour….pray for me!
Couldn’t you substitute gluten-free flour for the regular flour? Our local grocery store carries a GF “all purpose” flour that is a great substitute.
do you think I can substitute 2 1/2 c self rising cornmeal for flour/cornmeal/baking powder/salt ?
thanks for sharing some great recipies
Unfortunately I’ve never worked with self rising cornmeal, so I’m not sure.
I just did this by accident! Realized after the sweet potatoes were already boiling that all I had was self-rising cornmeal. After frantic googling to try to figure out the flour-to-cornmeal ratio in Washington self-rising cornmeal, I threw my hands in the air, said a prayer to the kitchen deities, and gave it a shot. It turned out fine! Granted, it was my first time trying this recipe and I don’t have a reference point, but it’s totally edible.
I did 2 1/2 c self-rising cornmeal and added 1/2 c flour because the batter looked a little thin. I omitted the salt, but I did add almost the full amount of baking powder since my cornmeal was on the older side (then again, so was my baking powder — but whatever, it all turned out fine!).
How big is the pan that you use? I’m going to try this. Looks so good.
This is a 10″ Lodge cast iron skillet. :)
I’m going to revamp this into a paleo almond flour bread. I’ll use coconut milk and sugar instead. Yum
My husband loves cornbread. I need to pick up sweet potatoes and nutmeg today to make this great recipe.
This sounds heavenly. I can hardly wait to try it. To the lady asking about cooking it something other than cast iron. You can cook it in any oven proof pan but us Southern cooks think cornbread should be cooked in cast iron because it has a nice crisp crust in it then. 🙃
You answered my question about the cast iron as well, thank you! I’m not living in the states currently and don’t have access to cast iron. I look forward to trying this in cast iron, but it will have to wait!
Can you used canned sweet potato?
Yes, as long as it’s drained and mashed, and doesn’t contain any other sugars or seasonings.
micro wave them ! easier,quicker ?
I want to reduce the amount of sugar by half – I know it would be less sweet, but would the proportions be thrown off for baking purposes? Thank you!!
I think it would still work pretty well. I haven’t tried it, but this cornbread already has a lot of moisture, so I don’t think reducing the sugar would cause it to dry out.
Is there a way to make this without the cast iron skillet?
Yes, you can bake it in a casserole dish, if needed. :)
Same time & temp if using a casserole dish?
It really depends on the size and shape, but the difference shouldn’t be dramatic. Just keep an eye on it starting at around 15 minutes and it is done when the top is golden brown and cracked around the edges.
You can use an oven proof fry pan. I use my all stainless steel.
This stupid good. Beth, how do you do it? Your recipes are amazing. I was nervous about the seasonings (nutmeg? in cornbread?), but I should have trusted that you know what you’re doing. Another winner,
I have a butternut on the counter. Would that work in lieu of the potato?
I think that would work! I haven’t tested it, but I would think that butternut squash or even pumpkin would work very similarly.
I can see corn bread in my future along with a bone in pork chop and some pinto beans. Thanks for your great recipes.sal
So I got here via Buzzfeed. I’m gonna have to try this recipe! I really wanted to comment on the quality of your blog though. It’s so clean and easy to follow without annoying ads. Also, I love that you keep the condensed recipe near the top of the page so your readers don’t have to scroll through the long version to get to the simplified one. Thank you!
Thank you for noticing! :D I hope you enjoy the cornbread!
I 2nd what she said!
I 2nd what she said! Would butternut work in lieu of the potato?
Love this idea! Do you feel that substituting flax eggs, vegan sour cream and cashew milk would produce a similar product in the cast iron? I’d love to make this but it needs to be vegan.
Thank you!
Honestly I’ve never cooked with any of those ingredients, so it’s hard to say. :) If you give it a shot, let me know how it works out, though!
I made this cornbread tonight with dinner and it was absolutely delicious!! Even the very picky 7 year old loved it and wanted seconds! Thank you for such a great recipe! It’s definitely going into the dinner rotation
I made this for a potluck and it got rave reviews! I will definitely be making it again in the future!
I had Sweet Potato muffins at a soul food restaurant I went to and their sweet potato muffins are to die for lol!
FYI…Sweet potatoes can be hard to cut & peel sometimes…so to save you some time throw the sweet potatoes in water & boil. When they are done the skin peels off SUPER EASY!
Wow, I never knew that!
Oh, I forgot to mention that I used vanilla almond milk instead of regular dairy milk and it turned out fine regarding texture and flavor. I like a sweeter, cakey cornbread anyway so the extra bit of sweetness from the milk was a bonus.
This was SO very good. Only thing, I felt that some of the cornmeal grains were pretty hard but maybe that’s a function of the brand of cornmeal I used? I wonder if there’s any way to soften it a bit more so my teeth aren’t grinding on little grains. That’s a minor complaint though. The RECIPE was great and I will be committing it to memory to make forever!
Yikes, yeah, you shouldn’t feel like your teeth are grinding. :) The brand you have may have been a coarser grind than what I used. If the grind is more coarse, they take longer to soften, so that’s probably why they were still hard.
Can I leave out the sour cream for a dairy-free version? Or substitute soy milk?
I think soy milk would be too runny to do an even swap here and you’ll be missing that creamy/tangy flavor. So, I’d try for a dairy-free sour cream first, although I’ve never baked with them so I’m not sure if they react the same.
Loved this recipe! Made these as cornbread muffins today with turkey white bean pumpkin chili and it went together great. Definitely made a nice fall meal!
I made this today to go with the Northern Bean Soup I also made. I tried a piece and was very pleased. I didn’t use milk as I don’t drink Milk. I use Almond Milk as a replacement. I have issues with my hands and have learned shortcuts for cooking . I cleaned the Sweet Potatoes and cut in slices about 1/2 inch thick with skins on and boiled. The skins peel right off. Other than that followed the recipe and will make again.
My husband and I liked it ok, but would have preferred no nutmeg or cinnamon (and I even reduced them some!).
Maybe we’ll try again without those spices…
When you tried making the bread as muffins did you cook them at the same temp? And how long did you bake them for? TIA!
Yep, same temperature and they took about the same time to bake. Just keep an eye on them from about five minutes earlier than normal and take them out of the oven when they’re golden on top.
Had to try it and I’m in love! I decided to bake the potatoes in foil with the skin on and refrigerate a couple of days to retain the nutrients and flavor. Like Lays chips, you just can’t eat one slice! Thanks for sharing your passion for food.
Hey! I was going to try this, but I don’t have a cast iron skillet! Do you think this will still work in a casserole dish? And how should I adjust the time/temp so it comes out ok? Thanks :)
You can skip preheating the casserole dish and you might need to add five minutes or so to the cooking time. Just keep an eye on it and take it out when it’s cracked a little on top and golden brown around the edges. :)
I baked mine in a glass Pyrex dish and it turned out great. You can place it in the oven beforehand just like the skillet.
Will this freeze well?
Yep, this one should freeze really well.
Has anyone tried to increase the recipe for a 9×13 pan? Wondering if just doubling it would do the trick. I made it per the recipe above a few weeks ago – delicious! – but need a batch for a larger crowd.
Really really enjoyed this! I’ve made cornbread only 2 times before and this time I had a finer grit corn meal and I think it worked very well. I prefer my cornbread on the sweeter side so this was perfect. I’m just a little wary of how many calories are hiding in this one as I’m on a better eating trend and am trying to count them. Oh and I didn’t have any sour cream or yogurt so I just used more milk, seemed to be an ok substitute. Will for sure make this again!
Hi there!
I don’t like sour cream and absolutely never have it on hand. Is there something I can substitute for it so that I don’t have to buy a tub that will go to waste? Thanks!
You can try greek yogurt, but I’m not sure if that will change the flavor.
Very tasty and seasonal! My family prefers less sweet cornbread so the second time I made it, I cut the sugar to about half the recipe. Still turned out great but a little more balanced in terms of pairing with a savory soup.
I don’t have a cast iron skillet….what can I use instead?
I made a second batch in a muffin tin and they were great. You can use a pie dish, or a square casserole dish, but baking time might be slightly longer since those aren’t preheated in the oven like the cast iron.
Sounds amazing! Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
It would probably taste fine, but I wouldn’t use a really low fat yogurt. The fat in the sour cream is what helps make this bread so tender and moist. :)
I used fat free Greek yogurt when I made it for the first time today and it turned out incredibly moist and tender. Since I haven’t tried it with sour cream, I’m not sure if it changed the flavor. It was delicious! I used baked sweet potatoes that I had in the fridge and that made the recipe go together really fast!
I made this to go along with some cowboy steak chili I had a brewing in the crock pot for a good 8 hours. I gave my guests the option to make this or regular cornbread. We came to pick this because we had never had it before. I’m kind of on the fence with it just because of a few things… I think I will make this again however I will probably 86 the cinnamon and nutmeg. I prefer my sweet potato savory vs sweet and full of spices. Also, this stuff is heavy! I bet if I threw a wedge it would knock someone out! haha. But it is also heavy in calories. I watch my calories and I cut my wedges in half so I do not get many calories esp if i’m eating a heavy calorie rich meal. But it is good. and I can not wait to alter it a bit to the point where I love it!
I may never make plain cornbread again. It is THAT good. I had some for lunch today with my Sweet Potato Chorizo Chili from the freezer, and the entire office hovered around me wondering what smelled so good.
This recipe would make amazing waffles! I have it in the oven now as muffins and had a little left over batter so I heated up my cast iron grill and fried it up. Oh my, delicious! I love to make cornmeal waffles using cornbread batter and that’s what I’ll be doing soon with this recipe.
FYI – I used a leftover baked sweet potato and it mashed down to a little over a cup. I added a little applesauce to make it 1.5 cups. Also used an all-purpose gluten free flour I had on hand. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Great idea!!
Made this with potato soup, five stars.
I made this on Halloween night for my husband and 4 kids (ages 8,7,5, and 13 months), along with the Budget Bytes slow cooker black bean soup (it was a black and orange dinner for Halloween). Let me just say, WOW! It was delicious! The two dishes were perfect together. I have never made cornbread before, and I can’t believe how easy this was. I used canned sweet potatoes for a shortcut, and a glass Casserole dish because I don’t have a cast iron skillet, and it came out perfectly. The kids especially loved it (they even asked to have it for Thanksgiving). I’ll definitely be using this one again!
My cast iron skillet is 12″. I would imagine I just have to adjust the baking time?
Yes, it might bake a little faster, since it’s going to not be quite as thick.
SO GOOD! This tastes amazing with the chunky lentil soup! I used 1/2 cup of 0% Greek Yogurt instead of sour cream.
Really tasty . I usually make a savory cornbread with fresh corn , garlic, cilantro, and currents. I served it with a spicy black bean and butternut squash chili and it was just the thing to temper the heat.
Could you even bake the sweet potato? I would think those sugars would add an intense flavor hard to get with boiling. And I probably would you Stokes purples for this. Something different. Thanks..
Yep, you sure could! Any way that you can get the sweet potato to be mashable will work. ;)
If I wanted to replace the sour cream with plain greek yogurt, the regular milk with unsweetened almond milk, and the vegetable oil with coconut oil (things I already have in my pantry) would that be okay?
It will probably taste different, but it might still be good. I can’t say for sure because I haven’t tried it, but it will probably “work”. :)
I would love to make this for my family, but unfortunately I can’t eat wheat flour. Is it possible to make this with cornmeal only? Or another gluten free flour substitute? Thanks!
I don’t think it will work with cornmeal only and unfortunately I’m just not experienced with gluten free flours. Baking is kind of a delicate chemistry, and switching out all the flour for cornmeal would be a big change that would probably require other modifications to make work. :(
This was delish! I didn’t have sour cream but I used plain yogurt instead and it turned out great. I love the sweetness of it and enjoyed it with chili as well as for just a snack with a warm drink. So tasty!
Would think work as muffins?
It should. Baking time will probably be shorter, though. I’m going to try it soon myself because I want to eat this again! :D
This was SO GOOD! Very moist and filling. I used an extra egg in the mix instead of the oil, and substituted the baking powder for 1/3 teaspoon bicarbonate soda (or baking soda as you call in the US). The acidity in the sour cream activates the bicarb soda so it acts the same as baking powder.
This sweet potato cornbread sounds so good! I wanted to make it, but I didn’t have sour cream, milk, or 2 eggs, so I ended up making my own recipe: http://foodparsed.com/sweet-potato-cornbread/. I do agree that sweet potato cornbread is lovely served with butter.
I took a look at your recipe, I really like the way you did a breakdown of what all the ingredients do and mentioned a vegan option.
I also love the step-by-step, I’ll be sure to keep an eye on your blog!
Absolutely delicious and perfect for fall! Almost tastes like sweet potato pie :)
I used a glass pie plate because I don’t have a cast iron skillet (yet). It took only 18 minutes to bake and puffed up HUGE! At first I was disappointed in how high calorie this is (roughly 290), but the serving size is very, very generous and you could easily make 12 servings instead for a lower calorie count.
Thank you Beth!
Seriously, this was amazing! I did the same thing you did, with a 10″ glass pie plate and it did puff up very tall. It was a huge hit at my house and I will be making it again.
I think the extra veggies and fiber in the bread contribute to my reduced guilt about the calorie count :) What a great recipe!
This just did not work for me. I followed the directions exactly and I am by no means a novice baker. Even after 45 minutes in the oven this was gummy. The flavor was good but it never firmed up like a cornbread.
Does your oven run a little cool, perhaps? I’m just trying to think of things that may have caused it to not work out for you. I suppose there’s also the possibility that you messed up somewhere in the ingredients… we all make mistakes :)
Hmmm. I’m not sure what might have happened there. With baking it’s tough to troubleshoot without seeing every step because there are so many factors. Sorry it didn’t work out for you!
What can I use instead of sour cream? Also can I just cook the sweet potato in the microwave?
You can cook the sweet potato in the microwave. Instead of sour cream you can use plain yogurt or buttermilk.
I made this last night except I used canned pumpkin (instead of sweet potato), brown sugar (in place of regular) and 1 Tbsp of butter (instead of oil). My 10 year-old son that doesn’t like cornbread, LOVED this. Oh and in addition to butter on top, I drizzled some honey – delicious!
Do you think I could substitute greek yogurt for the sour cream?
Yes, I think that would probably work. Regular yogurt might even work better since it has a bit more moisture, but I guess it depends on the brand and just how strained it is.
Can we poke the sweet potato with a fork a few times and microwave it in lieu of the skinning, chopping, and boiling? They’re pretty easy to scoop out, and quite soft. I think I recall using that method in a previous recipe (chipotle sweet potato burgers maybe?).
I think you probably could. I find them a little easier to mash when boiled and I don’t own a potato masher (why, I do not know!), so I went with the “easiest to mash” route. :)
I have a question….would a box of Jiff work instead of making the cornmeal by hand. (I have a box on hand and want to use it up)
I’m not sure if the ingredients in the mix are in the right proportion to work with the sweet potato thrown in there. :(
Oh my goodness. This was outstanding. I followed the recipe exactly, and it turned out perfect. It was soooo moist and not crumbly at all. Definitely slab a little butter on top!
Oh my gosh, Beth – this might be grandson Jack’s and my next culinary venture. Thanks!
Anybody try to make this dairy free? What could I use instead of sour cream?
Are there any stores near you that carry vegan sour cream, or vegan yogurt? Those are the only thick, “creamy”, non-dairy things I can think of.
I made this tonight and it came out great, although I made a few substitutions. I used white whole wheat flour and substituted the sugar for an equal amount of honey. Also I only had coarse ground cornmeal and I suspect it would be a bit lighter with finer ground cornmeal. Either way, this tasted wonderful. I had made pumpkin cornbread before but never sweet potato, and I love it!
My husband’s family tops their cornbread with butter and maple syrup…..I bet it would be absolutely delicious with your recipe! Thanks for posting.
I had to add more milk toward the end. It was too powdery still. It just came out of the oven and looks amazing. This is my first time using my cast iron skillet. Living in Hungary, it was almost impossible to find. This recipe will get good use out of it.
I did not add the extra oil- I just made sure the skillet was well coated, and mine turned out perfectly. So it may be possible!
Would a can of sweet potato puree work instead of the sweet potatoes? I like shortcuts. =)
Yes, absolutely! :) Pumpkin, too!
Eating it right now with honey and butter and a cup of tea. Yum! (But, mine took longer than 25 minutes in the oven and got a bit more golden brown.)
And can you freeze cornbread and/or chili?
Yes to both! :)
Beth, do you think a thick pumpkin puree would work all right in place of the sweet potato mash?
Yep, absolutely! :)
This didn’t turn out well…I think that missing 2tbsp oil might have been important!
I do not have a cast iron skillet, but I do have several stainless steel skillets. Would that still work?
I think you’re better off using a glass or ceramic casserole dish. It can be a square 8×8 or 9×9 inch size.
Used a glass 4×9″. Coated it with coconut oil. Worked out great! So yummy! Would add 1 additional tbsp of oil so it stays moist for next day. Can you use corn flour instead of corn meal?
I’m not sure. I’ve never tried to use regular corn flour in cornbread instead of corn meal. You may need to decrease the quantity a bit since it’s milled more and therefore is probably more dense and may absorb moisture more readily.
I have this in the oven right now. I too missed where the 2 Tbls. of oil are in the recipe. I put it in with the wet ingredients. Is it necessary to the recipe?
Thanks for catching that! I just fixed it. Without the oil the bread will be just a bit more dry and crumbly, but it should still work fine. There is a good amount of fat in the sour cream and eggs to help keep the bread moist.
I have a vintage cast iron skillet that is my “go-to” skillet. It heats very evenly, and cooks foods perfectly when I use it on top of the stove, and I can pop it into the oven with no worries–such as when I make Apple Upside-Down Skillet Cake.
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, can you use a non-stick cake pan?
Yes, that should work, but the baking time may be slightly different because the walls of the baking pan are much more thin. Just keep an eye on it and take it out when it’s puffed in the center and golden brown on top. :)
Yes, definitely with butter! This looks amazing. I bet it would freeze well too (if I somehow end up with leftovers, which is unlikely). :)
Looks great – question though, the recipe calls for 2.5 tbsp of oil, but I only see use of .5? Is that a typo or am I missing something?
Thanks for catching that! I just fixed it. :P The other 2 Tbsp goes in with the milk and sour cream. :) Sorry about that!
What a fabulous way to get veggies for breakfast! A WW leader once challenged us to have veggies at every meal not sure this was what she had in mind, though. ;)
Ok, I have no cast iron skillet but I am NOT waiting to get one. I am making this today.
Regular or low-fat sour cream?
And the only cast-iron skillet here is an abomination with a no-stick lining. Would I be asking for trouble using it in the oven?
I’d use regular sour cream because the fat helps keep the cornbread tender and moist. And yes, I’d avoid using that non-stick skillet in the oven if you’re not completely sure it’s oven safe. :) If you have a glass or ceramic casserole dish, you can use that instead.
I ended up being brave and using the non-stick skillet. I also figured maybe the mystery 2 tbsp of oil were to go into the mix, so I fudged it with more like 1 tbsp. It came out great.