Sweet Potato Spoonbread
This traditional bread is made with corn meal instead of flour and makes a dense, moist pudding like texture that is so soft it can be eaten with a spoon, hence the name.
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History of Spoonbread
Spoonbread is a very unique dish with Native American origins. The recipe first appeared in The Carolina Housewife Cookbook in 1847. Spoonbread is mainly known and served in the southeastern part of the US, being most popular in Kentucky and Virginia.
Although bread is in the name, it’s more of a souffle or pudding than an actual bread. Spoonbread is a batter made with cornmeal and milk that produces a dense, moist texture that is so soft, it can be eaten with a spoon.
Southern Sweet Potato Spoonbread
I love this version of Spoonbread because it combines the use of corn, which is native to North America and sweet potato, which is native to South America. When Columbus arrived in North America, the natives were already growing sweet potatoes, making it a traditional food in the Americas.
The addition of mashed sweet potato to a traditional spoonbread makes a sweeter product with a ton of delicious flavor and a higher nutritional value. It can be serve alongside veggies and meat as a more savory dish or topped with maple syrup and whipped cream as a dessert. If you want more homemade desserts, be sure to click on the recipe photos below and I hope you enjoy the recipe friends.
Additional Homemade Dessert Bread Recipes:
Ingredients for Sweet Potato Spoonbread:
- sweet potatoes
- butter
- sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- whole milk
- yellow cornmeal
- baking powder
- salt
- ground cinnamon
- ground nutmeg
- ground allspice
- buttermilk
How to Make Sweet Potato Spoonbread:
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×9-inch (23×23 cm) baking dish. Set aside.
You will need to make mashed sweet potato by placing peeled and cubed sweet potatoes in a large pot of boiling water and cooking until they are fork-tender, about 10-15 minutes. (Alternatively, you can bake a whole sweet potato in the oven or slow cooker until fork tender, then remove the skin and mash.)
Drain the sweet potatoes and transfer them to a mixing bowl.
Mash the cooked sweet potatoes until they are smooth and free of lumps. You can use a potato masher or a hand mixer for this step.
Add 1/4 cup of unsalted butter to the mashed sweet potatoes and mix until the butter is completely melted and incorporated.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and milk until well combined.
Slowly pour the egg mixture into the sweet potato mixture, stirring continuously until everything is well incorporated. Set this sweet potato mixture aside.
In another bowl, combine the yellow cornmeal, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground allspice.
Gradually add the buttermilk to the dry ingredients and stir until you have a smooth batter.
Now, fold the melted butter into the cornmeal batter, making sure it’s well combined.
Gently fold the cornmeal batter into the sweet potato mixture until you have a uniform batter with no streaks of either mixture.
Pour the spoonbread batter into the greased baking dish, spreading it evenly.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until the spoonbread is set and the top is golden brown. You can test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean when it’s done.
Remove the spoonbread from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving.
Serve your Sweet Potato Spoonbread warm as a side dish or a dessert. It’s delicious on its own or topped with a dollop of whipped cream or a drizzle of maple syrup.
Sweet Potato Spoonbread
Equipment
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Mixture:
- 2 large sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk
Spoonbread Batter:
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×9-inch (23×23 cm) baking dish. Set aside.
- You will need to make mashed sweet potato by placing peeled and cubed sweet potatoes in a large pot of boiling water and cooking until they are fork-tender, about 10-15 minutes. (Alternatively, you can bake a whole sweet potato in the oven or slow cooker until fork tender, then remove the skin and mash.)
- Drain the sweet potatoes and transfer them to a mixing bowl.
- Mash the cooked sweet potatoes until they are smooth and free of lumps. You can use a potato masher or a hand mixer for this step.
- Add 1/4 cup of unsalted butter to the mashed sweet potatoes and mix until the butter is completely melted and incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and milk until well combined.
- Slowly pour the egg mixture into the sweet potato mixture, stirring continuously until everything is well incorporated. Set this sweet potato mixture aside.
- In another bowl, combine the yellow cornmeal, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground allspice.
- Gradually add the buttermilk to the dry ingredients and stir until you have a smooth batter.
- Now, fold the melted butter into the cornmeal batter, making sure it’s well combined.
- Gently fold the cornmeal batter into the sweet potato mixture until you have a uniform batter with no streaks of either mixture.
- Pour the spoonbread batter into the greased baking dish, spreading it evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until the spoonbread is set and the top is golden brown. You can test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean when it’s done.
- Remove the spoonbread from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving.
- Serve your Sweet Potato Spoonbread warm as a side dish or a dessert. It’s delicious on its own or topped with a dollop of whipped cream or a drizzle of maple syrup.
