Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Cornbread (2024)

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Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Cornbread—a cross between a warm corn muffin and a slice of sweet potato pie. Perfect for casual and holiday meals.

This Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Cornbread recipe has all of the components of a southern cornbread. I’ve added mashed sweet potato for a tasty twist and brown sugar for a richer sweetness. It has a tender and moist crumb with the sweetness is not too overpowering. I like to serve it hot with a generous smearing of molasses butter.

Recipes to serve with sweet potato cornbread

Cornbread of any kind deserves to be served hot on a plate withCrispy Fried Chicken,Spicy Collard Greens, maybe a bowl ofHoppin’ JohnorBaked Mac and Cheese, and a glass ofLemonade Iced Tea. It’s also an excellent choice for a brunch menu item.

What you need to make Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Cornbread

Self-rising cornmeal
All-purpose flour
Sweet potato mashed
Brown sugar
Milk
Butter
Eggs
Baking powder
Baking soda
Salt
Mixing bowl
12-inch skillet or 9×13 baking dish

Tips for preparing sweet potatoes for baking

• Bake fresh sweet potatoes at 400 degrees for 45 minutes if you can. Baking will give you a sweeter potato with more flavor. If you can’t bake them, microwave them using the potato setting but don’t boil them. I explain the reasons why baking sweet potatoes is better than boiling in mySweet Potato Pound Cakerecipe.
• Mash the sweet potato but don’t purée it. Puréed sweet potato has no hold and will act as a liquid causing the cornbread to fall apart. You want small pieces of sweet potato throughout.
• Use 2-3 small potatoes to make a cup of mashed. One large potato should do the trick but to be safe, I would make a little more.

Recipe updates

I usually mix the dry ingredients then beat the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. This time is added the brown sugar to the dry mix and it came out just fine. I’ll continue to do it that way going forward. I also added an extra egg. The feedback that I got from someone that the recipe would crumble a little. So I tested it with another egg and it didn’t negatively affect the outcome. It was pretty much the same for me. So, if you’ve tried this recipe before and had the same issue, I’ve adjusted the recipe card to include 2 eggs.

Instructions for making brown sugar sweet potato cornbread

To make this cornbread, start by adding the cornmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl. Next, beat together mashed sweet potato, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Pour the sweet potato mixture into the flour. Stir in most of the way then whisk in the milk. Beat until smooth but don’t over mix.

Pour the batter into cast-iron skillet prepared with melted butter. I heat the skillet to mealy the butter letting it brown a little for an extra flavorful crust. Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the center has set.

Whipped molasses butter recipe

Molasses butter is what it says. Whipped butter and molasses. It has a subtle unassuming sweetness that compliments the cornbread. Both distinct yet perfectly compatible. Serve this yummy spread onmy delicious Sweet Potato Biscuits, Olive Oil Banana Bread, or just about any quick bread recipe you can dream up.

To make molasses butter, whip one stick of softened salted butter until fluffy. Then add one tablespoon of molasses and beat until smooth and glossy. Refrigerate for up to one month in a sealed container.

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*This recipe was updated on 8/18/2020 for improved content and recipe correction. It was first published on 10/19/2019.*