This is our easy sweet potato spoonbread recipe made with sweet potatoes. It is our favorite holiday side dish ever to serve for Thanksgiving with our Jiffy cream corn casserole every single year.
Spoonbread made with sweet potatoes is such a fun version of this classic dish. Made with either yams, leftover Instant Pot Sweet Mashed Potatoes or boiled from fresh it brings a bit more holiday flavors to a usually savory cornbread-like dish.
What is Spoonbread?
Spoonbread is a classic Southern dish that falls somewhere between cornbread and a souffle. It’s a soft, custard style bread made with cornmeal, milk, eggs, and butter, giving it a light, airy texture that’s spooned out rather than sliced. Often served as a comforting side dish.
You may make Southern Dish Often Made with Buttermilk and Cornmeal but this takes that dish a step further. You may have made your grandmas version over the years that was savory but this brings sweetness to it which takes it over the top!!
The base is similar to our Cream Cheese Corn Casserole but with Fall seasonings to really change the flavors to more of a sweeter side. If you love incorporating a new dish when guests come over for get togethers we have a fun corn pudding recipe for you here.
Ingredient Notes
To make this fun twist we are going to use a few sweet potatoes peeled and cubed. Now let’s talk about these for a minute. There is a slight difference between fresh yams and these but they look super similar so look at the signs at the store because this isn’t as starchy and are sweeter too which you want.
As for the Butter I prefer unsalted and I will say it again, my favorite all time brand for creaminess and flavor is Kerrygold. I have found a grass fed butter at Costco that was a close second.
Eggs act as a binder and should be added at room temperature for the ideal rich moist texture to your dish.
Milk, whole is best for a more dense moist outcome. You will want some buttermilk as well, which you can make with milk and lemon juice if need be.
Yellow cornmeal is the main dry ingredient you will use. This is the one you use to make homemade cornbread, I use Alber’s typically but there are lots of brands out there.
What you add to this dry mix is baking powder to allow it to rise a bit (but not much, it’s rather dense). You want some white granulated sugar to sweeten it a bit more. I haven’t used a sugar-free Splenda yet but that would be a good substitute if need be.
And to give it more of a Fall flavor I do like to add some cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice into the mix.
You want this to be TENDER, a cross between a thick pudding and Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Cake in a sense. Best way to test is with a toothpick and it is best when pulled out when wet crumbs are attached, not batter, but not dry either.
Spoonbread with Canned Yams
So if I have leftover Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe with Canned Yams then I would use that instead of fresh produce. I would say that equates to about 3 cups of mashed or so. Since that is already sweet I would cut the sugar a bit so it isn’t overwhelming. It is a much faster way to make this since there is NO boiling required with a can of these.
Often times if I am using fresh I will buy double to make this and our Potato Tart to serve with it. Or if you made Crockpot Sweet Potatoes the night before you can save and have them ready next day to mash and make these.
How long does it take to make spoonbread?
That depends but in this case since we are incorporating fresh sweet potatoes and you need to cook them to tender in boiling water over medium heat that in itself will take about 10-15 minutes. Then prepping all ingredients into a batter and baking would take the total cook time to about 1 hour. If you used canned yams it would be closer to 45 minutes total.
How do you know when spoonbread is done?
Ok so this is tricky, you do NOT want to overcook it as the texture should be pudding-like (but a bit more dense). The best way to check this and not take it out too early or late is to look at the surrounding edges, they should be cracking and firming up like the edges of a cake. The middle will look softer and just as it starts to crinkle and crack take it out!!
If you want to further test with a toothpick it should come out without wet batter but with moist crumbs attached (not dry, that is overdone). Cool on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes before slicing so it can solidify a bit more. It’s delicious on its own or topped with a dollop of whipped cream or drizzle of maple syrup.
Spoonbread Recipe
Equipment
- 1 9×9 pan
- 1 pot to boil unless you already have mashed sweet potatoes or are using canned yams
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
Spoonbread Batter
- 1 c cornmeal
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/2 c buttermilk
- 1/4 c butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×9-inch baking dish or a similar-sized casserole dish. Set aside. Start by preparing the sweet potato mixture. Place the peeled and cubed sweet potatoes in a large pot of boiling water and cook until they are fork-tender, about 10-15 minutes. Drain the sweet potatoes and transfer them to a mixing bowl.
- ** You would skip this step if using canned yams, in that case drain and use about 3 cups worth. Mash in a bowl and you're ready for next steps.
- 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 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 aside.
- In another bowl, combine the yellow cornmeal, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground allspice. Mix well to ensure even distribution of the dry ingredients.
- 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 incorporated. Pour 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 mostly clean with moist bits attached when it's done.
- Remove 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
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you make spoon bread with leftover mashed potatoes?
A great alternative if you want to make a dish faster, just drain a can of yams or use leftovers!! I have done both to make Sweet Potato Dumplings and literally the kids can’t even tell the difference.
When I Bake a Sweet Potato at 400 and don’t eat them all, next day let them sit on the counter then scoop out the middles and mash to make this.
1. Prepare the cornbread pudding as directed in your recipe, up to the point just before baking.
Instead of baking it immediately, cover the spoonbread with aluminum foil and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours in advance.
2. When you’re ready to serve, preheat oven to the temperature in your recipe.
3. Remove the foil from the.
4. Bake the in the preheated oven for the specified time in your recipe.
5. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center, it should come out mostly clean with wet crumbs attached.
6. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
(Keep in mind that the texture may be slightly different when reheated)
I was glad to find this article. Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite foods so a good sweet potato recipe is always appreciated.