Description
This Sweet Potato Cornbread is a moist, flavorful twist on traditional cornbread, incorporating pureed sweet potatoes and warm spices for a perfect balance of sweet and savory. Baked to golden perfection and topped with a honey-butter glaze, it’s an ideal side dish or snack for any season.
Ingredients
Scale
Cornbread
- 1¼ cups yellow cornmeal
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛–¼ teaspoon clove
- ⅛–¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup cooked sweet potatoes (pureed)
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup butter, melted
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- orange food coloring (optional)
Glaze
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons honey
- pinch of salt
- pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare Sweet Potato Puree: Cook sweet potatoes until soft and mash into a smooth puree. (Note: You can boil, steam, or roast the sweet potatoes before mashing.)
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C). Lightly butter an 8-inch glass baking dish and set it aside for the batter.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the yellow cornmeal, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar until well combined. Set this mixture aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In another large bowl, combine the pureed sweet potatoes, eggs, egg yolk, melted butter, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and buttermilk. If desired, add orange food coloring (about four drops) to enhance the color and stir to blend.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cornbread tender.
- Pour Batter into Pan: Evenly pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, smoothing the surface with a spatula if needed.
- Bake the Cornbread: Place the dish on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Then tent the top with foil to prevent excessive browning and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Prepare Glaze: While the cornbread bakes, stir together the melted butter, light brown sugar, honey, pinch of salt, and pinch of cinnamon. Make sure to mix the brown sugar into the hot butter thoroughly so it dissolves completely.
- Glaze the Cornbread: Once the cornbread is removed from the oven and still hot, brush the glaze generously over the top a few times for a glossy, flavorful finish. You may not need to use all of the glaze.
- Serve: Cut the cornbread into squares and serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy as a side dish or a sweet snack.
Notes
- To prepare sweet potato puree, you can boil, steam, or roast sweet potatoes until soft, then mash or blend them until smooth.
- Orange food coloring is optional but enhances the cornbread’s appearance.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter to maintain a light texture.
- Tenting with foil prevents the top from over-browning while the inside finishes baking.
- This cornbread pairs wonderfully with soups, chili, or as a sweet side for holiday meals.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: sweet potato cornbread, cornbread recipe, baked cornbread, sweet potato recipes, fall side dishes, honey butter glaze
