Description
Warm homemade sweet potato cornbread combines Southern comfort with rustic charm. Rich golden slices pair perfectly with chili, stews, or enjoyed alone, inviting you to savor each hearty, wholesome bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (240g / 8 oz) mashed cooked sweet potato
- 1 cup (240 ml / 8 fl oz) buttermilk
- 1 cup (120g / 4.2 oz) cornmeal
- 1 cup (125g / 4.4 oz) all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (115g / 4 oz) unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup (50g / 1.8 oz) brown sugar, packed
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Potato Preparation: Peel and cube sweet potato, then boil or steam until fork-tender. Mash thoroughly and allow to cool slightly to prevent egg scrambling.
- Oven Preparation: Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Grease a 9-inch square baking dish or cast-iron skillet with a generous coating of butter or oil.
- Wet Ingredient Fusion: Whisk sweet potato mash with buttermilk, melted butter, brown sugar, and eggs until achieving a smooth, homogeneous blend with vibrant color and consistent texture.
- Dry Ingredient Combination: In a separate bowl, sift together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, ensuring no lumps remain through careful whisking.
- Batter Assembly: Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, mixing minimally to prevent toughening. Stop stirring the moment ingredients are just incorporated, maintaining a light, airy consistency.
- Baking Process: Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the surface evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes until edges turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.
- Serving Suggestion: Remove from oven and let rest briefly. Slice into wedges and serve warm, accompanied by butter or honey for enhanced flavor profile.
Notes
- Prevent Overmixing: Gently fold dry ingredients into wet mixture to maintain a light, tender texture. Overmixing develops gluten, resulting in tough, dense cornbread.
- Sweet Potato Mashing Technique: Cool mashed sweet potato slightly before mixing to prevent accidentally scrambling eggs when combining ingredients.
- Customize Dietary Needs: Swap all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour blend for a celiac-friendly version. Use dairy-free milk and vegan butter for plant-based alternatives.
- Perfect Baking Indicator: Look for golden-brown edges and perform toothpick test – insert into center, and if it comes out clean, cornbread is perfectly baked.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Southern American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 240 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg