Sweet potato cornbread with canned yams recipe can use leftover Instant Pot mashed sweet potatoes after the holidays, or make from fresh for the holidays. Year round this pairs well with a bowl of chili as a sweet honey side dish. Mashed yams are a great option too.

Cornbread with mashed potato makes it sweeter and really moist. Whether it is after Christmas and you have leftovers to make something new, or want to try something different with dinner this is a must do sometime soon. (affiliate links present)
Cornbread with Canned Yams Recipe
If you use canned just make sure you drain the juice. Then use the back of a fork to mash until pretty smooth but personally I like a little chunk in there. Just like when I make fork tender Banana Cornbread I do the same thing with my ripe fruit. That way you get a bit of an extra moist bite here and there.
Yes there is a difference between yams and sweet potatoes except when you are putting them in with other items, then you can’t differentiate. If I don’t have leftovers I will make Pressure Cooker Sweet Potatoes to make this. That way you could make 1 just for this recipe or a few to make for dinner too.
Ingredients
- 1 c cornmeal flour
- All purpose flour
- 5 tbsp brown sugar
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- 1 3/4 c buttermilk
- Sweet potato mashed, or use drained yams
- Butter melted
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch nutmeg
I wouldn’t always make this for Beans and Cornbread, but sometimes. Just depends on what I have on hand and what I am craving at the time. It will raise eyebrows though if I serve it to guests for dinner and don’t tell them how it is an out of the box version.
If you make this with 5 Ingredient Chili I wouldn’t add the nutmeg at all on that go around. In the Fall I might opt to use pumpkin pie spice instead, you get the idea of how you can change it up just a bit here and there as far as that goes.
Sweet Potato Cornbread using Jiffy
I would make these into muffins. You would still add the same 1/3 cup of milk and 1 egg that is directed on the back. Into that you would add 1 cup mashed yams or taters + 2 tbsp honey and a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg if you wanted. Bake at 400 for 16-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
How to Make Homemade Sweet Potato Cornbread
- Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl, set aside.
- In another bowl whisk together the wet ingredients like eggs with the buttermilk. Add mashed sweet potatoes or yams.
- Mix in dry ingredients slowly, mixing together.
- Then add melted butter and incorporate into the cornbread batter to make smooth.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Spray inside of a 9×9″ pan with non stick spray and pour in batter. Bake for about 35 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out mostly clean with moist crumbs attached, no longer.
- Cool for 5 minutes, slice and feel free to enjoy with butter or sour cream on top of each slice.
How Long to Bake Sweet Potato Cornbread Muffins
We have made Sweet Potato Muffin Recipe with Canned Yams this way substituting 1/2 of the milk for mashed taters. Added moisture does typically mean that the result comes out a bit more dense. That means that they won’t rise as much as a type of cake or something.
Just bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. With a little dollop of frosting or glaze on the top you can almost call them cupcakes really, just not as fluffy as others. Here’s brief step by step below.
Same thing goes with thinner Cornbread Cookies too. You can even bake this savory Cornbread in Cast Iron Skillet on the stove.
If you wanted to make it spicy I would add a can of diced chiles or finely diced jalapenos into the batter. Cheese is always a great add in or sprinkle it on the top the last 5 minutes in the oven so it can melt. Other popular choices would be a bit of canned corn kernels, honey or buttermilk.
1. Add a can of creamed corn to the batter can increase moisture and sweetness.
2. Stir in a tablespoon or two of peanut butter, almond butter, or another nut butter can lend a rich, nutty flavor.
3. Chop up sun-dried tomatoes and dried herbs like rosemary or thyme can give each slice a Mediterranean twist.
4. Pecans, walnuts, or other chopped nuts can add a satisfying crunch and nutty flavor.
5. Add crispy bacon bits add a smoky and savory flavor to cornbread. Simply cook and crumble the bacon before adding it to the batter.
6. Fold in diced fresh herbs like chopped chives, cilantro, or dried spices like paprika, cumin, or garlic powder can impart extra flavor.
7. Add fresh or canned sweet corn kernels for a burst of sweetness and texture.
8. Add diced and sautéed bell peppers (red, green, or yellow) can provide color and a slightly sweet taste.
The most popular choices would be a drizzle of honey or a pat of cowboy butter that has fresh herbs incorporated inside. Of course the list goes on and on.
Sautéed onions, either caramelized or diced finely and cooked until translucent, can add a mild, sweet onion flavor. Cook and then cool to room temperature before adding into batter. Jump to recipe card below and get started!
Sweet Potato Cornbread
Equipment
- 1 9×9 pan
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 c corn flour
- 3/4 c all purpose flour
- 5 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- 1 3/4 c buttermilk
- 3/4 c sweet potato, mashed, or use drained yams
- 5 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch nutmeg
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, set aside. In another bowl whisk together the eggs with the buttermilk. Add mashed sweet potatoes or yams.
- Mix in dry ingredients slowly, mixing together. Then add melted butter and incorporate into a batter that is smooth.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray inside of a 9×9" pan with non stick spray and pour in batter. Bake for about 35 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out mostly clean with moist crumbs attached, no longer.
- Cool for 5 minutes, slice and enjoy with butter on top of slice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.