Dry cornbread has ruined enough dinners. That's exactly this sweet potato honey cornbread will get you right. The sweet potatoes keep the cornbread soft, moist, and packed with flavor without making it overly sweet.
Here's the Tea From Brandi
I've shared over a thousand recipes online and helped millions of folks get reliable results in their own kitchens. This recipe was tested to be simple and nearly impossible to mess up, even if homemade cornbread hasn't always been your thing.
Sweet Potato Cornbread Ingredients
- Yellow Cornmeal: Yellow cornmeal is my go-to for cornbread muffins because it gives them that classic cornbread flavor and beautiful golden color. It's a staple when making Southern-style cornbread.
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Brown Sugar or Sweetener
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg
- Eggs
- Buttermilk
- Sour Cream or Plain Greek Yogurt
- Honey
- Butter
How to Make Sweet Potato Cornbread
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prep the Oven and Pan: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin pan with liners or spray it with butter or cooking oil.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the yellow cornmeal, flour, baking powder, brown sugar or sweetener, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the pureed sweet potatoes, eggs, buttermilk, sour cream or Greek yogurt, honey, and melted butter until smooth.
- Make the Batter: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fill the Muffin Pan: Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
- Bake: Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Serve warm with butter and an extra drizzle of honey if desired.
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Sweet Potato Honey Cornbread Recipe
Want to save this recipe for later?
I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also grab your FREE ebook with my best 30-minute one-pot meals! Dinner stress stops here.
Ingredients
- 2 cups yellow cornmeal
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup brown sugar or sweetener
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups sweet potatoes Cooked, mashed (or pureed), and cooled. See notes.
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk See notes for substitution.
- ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Melted measured solid.
- butter to grease the pan
Honey Butter Topping
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease the muffin tin with butter or oil.butter to grease the pan
- In a large mixing bowl, add the yellow cornmeal, flour, baking powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir until combined.2 cups yellow cornmeal, 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, 1 cup brown sugar or sweetener, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), sweet potatoes, honey, and melted butter until smooth.2 eggs, 1 ½ cups buttermilk , ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, ½ cup honey, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , 1 ½ cups sweet potatoes
- Pour the mixture into the muffin cups (I like to use a cup with a spout for an easy pour), filling each about three-quarters full. (I have also tested filling them to the top and that worked just fine with my muffin tin.) The batter will produce enough muffins with only a small amount remaining and left over.Be sure not to over-mix the batter. Over-mixing will lead to muffins that are tough and will crumble. Only mix well enough to combine the ingredients.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes. Check in on the muffins. If the tops have browned, place a piece of foil over the pan. Don't seal the pan completely. Use the foil to tint the heat from the oven so the tops of the muffins don't overbrown, but the inside continues to bake.Bake for an additional 7-10 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and return clean. Mine were ready at 17 minutes.
- Combine 2 tablespoons of melted butter and 2 tablespoons of honey. While the muffins are still warm, brush the honey butter over the muffins.2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Frequently Asked Questions and Recipe Pro Tips
Yes. If you don't have buttermilk, add 1 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 ½ cups of milk and let it sit for about 5 minutes. It works great in this recipe.
The most common cause is overbaking. Pull them from the oven as soon as a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Measuring too much flour can also dry them out.
Absolutely. They're great for meal prep and can be made a day or two in advance. Store them tightly covered at room temperature or in the fridge. I like to wrap them in plastic wrap, and then foil.
Don't overmix the batter and avoid baking them too long. The honey, butter, and sour cream (or Greek yogurt) help keep them soft and tender.
Yes. Let the muffins cool completely, then store them in a freezer-safe bag or container. For best results, wrap them in plastic wrap first, then foil and place them in a resealable bag. Plastic wrap will help them retain their texture and foil helps prevent ice crystals. They will keep for up to 3-4 months.
A few seconds in the microwave works great. You can also warm them in a 300-degree oven or air fryer for several minutes if you're reheating a larger batch.
You can reduce the honey or sugar if you prefer a more traditional Southern-style cornbread flavor. Keep in mind the muffins won't have the same sweet finish.
Yes. Yellow cornmeal gives the muffins a richer color and slightly heartier corn flavor, but white cornmeal works just fine.
This usually happens when the batter is overmixed or the oven door is opened too early while they're baking.
Yes, an 8x8 baking dish or 10 inch cast iron skillet will work best.
Add your cornbread batter to a piping hot pan. You can heat the pan in the oven for 5-10 minutes first.
Fill them about ¾ of the way full. That gives them enough room to rise without overflowing. I will admit, I sometimes fill them all of the way up and they still turn out fine for me.
Variations and Add-ins
- Chopped Pecans
- Chopped Walnuts
- Dried Cranberries
- Raisins
- White Chocolate Chips
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Dark Chocolate Chips
- Cinnamon Chips
- Butterscotch Chips
- Orange Zest
- Maple Syrup (replace part of the honey)
- Brown Butter
- Cheese
- Bacon
What to Serve with Sweet Potato Cornbread
Classic staples will always do the trick. Serve this cornbread with collard greens with smoked turkey, Southern mac and cheese, baked turkey wings, baked chicken thighs and legs, or Southern green beans and potatoes.
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