Sweet Potato Buttermilk Skillet Cornbread

Sweet potato gives this buttermilk cornbread a tender, golden crumb, while a hot cast-iron skillet builds those buttery edges. Brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla bring a gentle sweetness that works with a savory dinner or a holiday spread.

Start with cooked, cooled sweet potato to keep the mixing simple. Serve the cornbread warm, or brush on the optional honey butter when you want a sweeter finish.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Roasted sweet potato brings color and moisture without hiding the cornmeal flavor.
• Buttermilk adds a little tang to balance the brown sugar.
• Preheating the skillet gives the batter a hot surface for a golden crust.
• The sweet potato can be cooked ahead, and the honey-butter finish is optional.

Key Ingredients

Yellow cornmeal and all-purpose flour: Cornmeal supplies the familiar flavor and texture, while flour helps the crumb hold together. Use plain cornmeal rather than self-rising cornmeal mix so the leavening stays consistent.

Cooked sweet potato: Use plain flesh, mashed smooth and cooled. Sweet potato casserole leftovers contain extra ingredients and are not a straight substitute.

Buttermilk, eggs, and butter: These give the bread moisture, structure, and richness. Let melted butter cool slightly before mixing it with the eggs.

Brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and optional nutmeg: These add a warm flavor without making the bread heavily spiced. Break up any sugar lumps as you whisk the dry ingredients.

Useful Tools

A cast-iron skillet, oven mitts, a whisk, and a flexible spatula make the method easier. Keep a dry, heatproof spot ready for the skillet, and remember that the handle stays hot after it leaves the oven.

The Chef Knife and Silicone Basting Brush below are from my shop. I earn commissions from qualifying purchases made through the Amazon links in this post. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

• Spring Chef Measuring Cups and Spoons (paid link): Measure the ingredients before the skillet comes out of the oven.
• Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowls (paid link): Keep the wet and dry mixtures separate until the final fold.
• Riveira Wooden Utensils (paid link): Use a spoon or spatula to fold the thick batter gently.
• High Heat Resistant Silicone Basting Brush: Brush the optional honey butter across the warm top.
• Chef Knife: Portion the cooled cornbread on a stable cutting surface.

How to Make Sweet Potato Buttermilk Skillet Cornbread

1. Roast and Cool the Sweet Potato

If you have not prepared it ahead, roast the whole sweet potato at 400°F until very soft, about 45–60 minutes. Scoop out the flesh, mash it smooth, and let it cool before measuring and mixing. A smooth mash blends more evenly than firm chunks.

2. Preheat the Empty Skillet

Set the oven to 400°F and let the empty cast-iron skillet heat inside. Wait to add the butter until the batter is ready so the butter does not sit in the hot pan and burn.

3. Mix Wet and Dry Separately

Whisk the cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and optional nutmeg together. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, sweet potato, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla until combined.

4. Fold Gently

Fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture just until no dry flour remains. The batter should be thick but scoopable. If it is unusually stiff, add only the extra buttermilk allowed in the card. Do not keep stirring to chase a perfectly smooth batter.

5. Butter, Fill, and Bake

Use oven mitts to remove the skillet. Add the skillet butter, swirl to coat the bottom and sides, then immediately add and gently spread the batter. Bake for 25–30 minutes. The center should spring back lightly, and a toothpick should show a few moist crumbs with no wet batter.

6. Rest Before Slicing

Let the cornbread rest in the skillet for 10 minutes so the crumb can settle. For the optional finish, mix the softened butter and honey listed in the card and brush it over the warm bread.

Pro Tips and Troubleshooting

• Dense or tough crumb: Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears. Stirring longer develops more gluten and can make the bread tough.
• Wet center: Use the toothpick and spring-back checks rather than color alone. Oven and skillet differences can change the baking time.
• Crumbly slices: Give the bread its full rest before cutting, and measure the cornmeal and flour carefully.
• Scorched butter: Have the batter ready before buttering the hot skillet, then fill it immediately.

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Sweet Potato Buttermilk Skillet Cornbread

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By AB

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Resting Time: 10 minutes mins

Total: 55 minutes mins

Servings: 8 wedges

Tender sweet potato cornbread with buttermilk, warm cinnamon, and a buttery skillet crust, with an optional honey-butter finish.

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Equipment

• Cast Iron Skillet
• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Spatula
• Oven mitts

Ingredients  

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Cornbread

• ▢ 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato cooled; about 1 large sweet potato
• ▢ 3/4 cup buttermilk at room temperature; plus 1–2 tablespoons more only if the batter is unusually stiff
• ▢ 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Skillet

• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Optional Honey-Butter Finish

• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 1 tablespoon honey

Instructions 

• If starting with a raw sweet potato, roast it whole at 400°F until very soft, about 45–60 minutes. Scoop out the flesh, mash until smooth, and measure 1 cup. Let cool before mixing. This can be done ahead. The card’s 55-minute time begins with cooked, cooled sweet potato; add roasting and cooling time when starting raw.
• Set the oven to 400°F. Place the empty cast-iron skillet inside while the oven preheats.
• Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and optional nutmeg.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, mashed sweet potato, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla until combined.
• Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until no dry flour remains. The batter should be thick but scoopable. If unusually stiff, fold in another 1–2 tablespoons of buttermilk.
• Carefully remove the hot skillet using oven mitts. Add the 2 tablespoons of skillet butter and swirl to coat the bottom and sides. Immediately pour in the batter and gently spread it evenly. The handle stays hot.
• Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the center springs back lightly and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter.
• Let cool in the skillet for 10 minutes before slicing. Cut into 8 wedges for the serving and nutrition estimate.
• Mix 2 tablespoons softened butter with 1 tablespoon honey and brush over the warm cornbread.

Notes

• Use plain, smooth mashed sweet potato and let it cool before adding the eggs.
• Fold only until the dry flour disappears to keep the crumb tender.
• Keep the batter thick but scoopable; add the extra buttermilk only if needed.

Estimated nutrition is for one of 8 equal wedges, using low-fat buttermilk, table salt, and all of the skillet butter. Optional nutmeg, extra buttermilk, and honey butter are excluded. Brands and portion sizes change the estimate.

Prep and total times are estimates beginning with cooked, cooled sweet potato. Starting with a raw sweet potato adds 45–60 minutes of roasting plus cooling time.

Nutrition

Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 44.5g | Protein: 6.1g | Fat: 12.5g | Saturated Fat: 7.3g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 413mg | Fiber: 2.3g | Sugar: 13g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

Make ahead: Roast and mash the sweet potato in advance. Refrigerate it in a covered container within 2 hours and use within 3–4 days. Cool it before mixing the batter. For the best rise, combine the wet and dry mixtures just before baking.

Store: Let the cornbread stop steaming, then wrap it or transfer it to an airtight container. Refrigerate within 2 hours and use within 3–4 days. Remove leftovers from the skillet rather than leaving the bread sitting in it.

Freeze: Wrap individual portions well and freeze for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw in the refrigerator.

Reheat: Wrap loosely in foil and warm at 350°F, beginning to check after about 10 minutes. Reheat refrigerated leftovers until the center reaches 165°F. Add honey butter after warming if you want to refresh the finish.

What to Serve With Sweet Potato Cornbread

The bread’s gentle sweetness works well with savory gravies, smoky greens, and a hearty bowl of chili. Choose a main and a vegetable side to build the meal.

• Southern Fried Chicken brings a crisp, savory centerpiece to a Southern-style supper.
• Southern Style Smothered Chicken gives you a rich gravy to serve alongside a warm wedge.
• Seafood Gumbo makes a hearty bowl-and-bread meal.
• Perfectly Roasted Chicken keeps the main simple for Sunday dinner.
• Oven Roasted Cornish Hens suit a smaller holiday spread.
• Cajun Chili adds a spicy, savory contrast to the sweet potato.
• Southern Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey Legs bring smoky flavor and pot liquor to the plate.
• Southern Style Green Beans add a savory vegetable side.

Variations and Substitutions

Leave out the optional nutmeg for a simpler cinnamon-and-vanilla flavor. Keep the honey butter separate so each person can choose a sweeter finish. For canned sweet potato, use plain, unsweetened sweet potato, drain well if needed, and mash before measuring; avoid syrup-packed pieces or prepared pie filling.

For a different bread, try Southern Cornbread or Honey Butter Cornbread. Those are separate recipes, rather than ingredient swaps in this batter.

If you want a sweet-potato side instead of bread, make Honey Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes or Sweet Potato Casserole with Butter Pecan Crumble.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is This a Savory or Sweet Cornbread?

It is gently sweet from sweet potato and brown sugar, with a light cinnamon flavor. The optional honey butter makes it sweeter. Serve it with savory dishes to balance the meal.

Can I Mix the Batter in a Stand Mixer?

A mixer is not needed. Whisk the separate mixtures, then fold them together by hand. That makes it easier to stop before the batter is overmixed.

Can I Use Baking Soda Instead of Baking Powder?

Do not swap them directly. This recipe is written for baking powder; changing the leavener can affect both the rise and flavor.

More AB Recipes

Round Out a Holiday Table

• Creamy Smoked Mac and Cheese adds a creamy, cheesy side.
• Crockpot Glazed Carrots free the oven for the cornbread and main dish.
• Ultimate Green Bean Casserole brings a classic holiday vegetable dish.

Finish With Something Sweet

• Southern Pumpkin Pie fits a fall or Thanksgiving menu.
• Brown Butter Pecan Cookies work well on a holiday cookie tray.
• Chessmen Banana Pudding is a chilled Southern dessert.
• Million Dollar Pound Cake with Vanilla Butter Glaze gives you an easy-to-portion dessert.
• Southern Peach Cobbler finishes a comfort-food supper.

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Save this sweet potato cornbread recipe for your next chili night, Sunday supper, or holiday dinner.