This is a tweak on an Old Fashioned treat. Try sweet potato spoonbread recipe this holiday season! A savory and sweet Thanksgiving side dish we always serve alongside our Jiffy cream corn casserole every single year. Made with canned yams or from fresh mashed.
Sweet potato spoonbread 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. (affiliate links present)
Easy Recipe for Spoonbread
The base is similar to our No Egg Dairy Free Cornbread version 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.
There are many names for this tender, full of flavor Southern Dish Often Made with Buttermilk and Cornmeal y’all. You probably have a favorite one because that is what your grandma called it. Use that one my friend, it will bring back memories. 😉
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So if I have leftover Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe with Canned Yams then I would use that instead of the first ingredient. 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.
Sweet Potato Spoonbread Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
- or about 3 cups drained yams which wouldn’t require boiling
- Butter unsalted
- Eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Milk whole is best
- Yellow cornmeal
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Sugar and salt
- Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg and allspice
- Buttermilk
- 1/4 c butter melted
Now let’s talk about the texture to expect so it doesn’t over-bake. 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.
Often times if I am using fresh I will buy double to make this and our Potato Tart to serve with it. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the peeled and cubed potatoes in a large pot of boiling water and cook over medium heat until they are fork-tender, about 10-15 minutes. Drain the sweet potatoes and transfer them to a mixing bowl.
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 to Make Old Fashioned Spoonbread Recipe
- Mash cooked potatoes until they are smooth in a large bowl. Add butter and mix until melted. In a separate bowl, slowly whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla and milk.
- Slowly pour the beaten egg mixture into the sweet potato mixture, stirring continuously until everything is well incorporated. Set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the cornmeal mixture with 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. Fold butter mix into the cornmeal batter.
- Gently fold the cornmeal batter into the sweet potato mixture until incorporated. Pour into the greased baking dish, spreading out.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until it is set and golden brown. 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 corn pudding 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 drizzle of maple syrup.
How to Make Canned Yams Spoon bread
A great alternative if you want to make a dish faster, just drain the can and mash the contents of this instead. I have done this swap when making our mashed Sweet Potato Dumplings and literally the kids can’t even tell the difference. I mean as long as you want your dish to have sweetness to it those already have it, with Fall seasonings so you’re ready to mash.
Another alternative is to make this with leftovers from when you Bake a Sweet Potato at 400 and don’t eat them all. In that case save them as is in the fridge. Next day let them sit on the counter to get to room temperature. Then scoop out the middles and mash, then add the other ingredients listed below to make sweet potato spoon bread.
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. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time since it’s coming from the refrigerator and is starting off cold.
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, but it should still be delicious)
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Spoonbread Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed, or about 3 cups drained yams which wouldn't require boiling
- 1/4 c butter unsalted
- 1/2 c sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 c milk whole is best
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
Janeane Davis
Wednesday 4th of October 2023
I was glad to find this article. Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite foods so a good sweet potato recipe is always appreciated.