Southern Sweet Potato Biscuits

These sweet potato biscuits are a perfect combination of a buttery, tender, flaky savory southern biscuit with a slight earthy sweetness of roasted sweet potatoes.

Baked sweet potato biscuits stacked in a bread basket, lined with a cloth napkin on a dark surface.

Why You’ll Love These

  • Flavor – A perfect balance between the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes and the comforting savory notes of biscuits, creating a unique and pleasing flavor profile.
  • Versatile – They perfectly accompany breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. Slap a piece of country ham or sausage in the middle of a sweet potato biscuit and you have a meal.
  • Quick and Easy – This is a quick and easy sweet potato biscuit recipe anyone can prepare. And it’s a great way to use leftover sweet potatoes.
  • Holidays and Special Occasions – These fall delights go great with Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.

Some of our other favorite bread recipes to make all year are Better Than Starbucks Pumpkin Bread, Easy Crescent Roll Recipe, Italian Bread Recipe, and Overnight Focaccia.

Sweet potato biscuits ingredients on a dark surface.

Key Ingredients

Please see the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients, instructions, and notes.

  • Sweet Potato – I always used mashed baked sweet potatoes (sweet potato puree). They add a sweeter, deeper flavor to the biscuits than boiled sweet potatoes.
  • Dry Ingredients – All-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt is the base of any biscuit recipe.
  • Unsalted Butter – Cold butter is crucial for achieving the biscuits’ flaky texture. As the biscuits bake, the cold butter melts and creates pockets of air, resulting in their signature layers and tenderness. I grate frozen butter and toss it with the flour mixture. But you can also cube the butter and use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture until the pieces are pea-sized.
  • Buttermilk – Buttermilk provides moisture, tenderness, and a slightly tangy flavor to the biscuits. It also reacts with the baking powder to help the biscuits rise.

How to Make Sweet Potato Biscuits

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Use a cast iron skillet or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Grate the butter and place it in the freezer while you prepare the other ingredients.
  • In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the grated butter and toss to coat with the flour mixture. In a medium bowl whisk together the cold buttermilk and mashed sweet potatoes.
The grated butter tossed with the flour mixture for sweet potato biscuits in a glass bowl on a dark surface.
Buttermilk and sweet potato puree whisked together in a metal mixing bowl on a dark surface.
  • Add the sweet potato mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula just until the mixture starts to come together in a ball.
Sweet potato mixture added to the flour and butter mixture for sweet potato biscuits in a glass mixing bowl on a dark surface.
Sweet potato biscuit dough mixed in a glass mixing bowl on a dark surface.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently fold to bring the dough together and create layers. Pat the biscuit dough out into a 1-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2″ floured round cutter, cut out the biscuits and place them in the skillet. Gather and pat out the scraps; try doing this just once.
Sweet potato biscuit dough formed into a rectangle on a floured wooden board.
Sweet potato biscuit dough cut out into rounds on a floured wooden board.
  • Freeze the biscuits for about 5 minutes. Bake the sweet potato biscuits for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. You can brush melted butter on the tops after baking if desired.
Unbaked sweet potato biscuits in a cast iron skillet on a dark surface.
Baked sweet potato biscuits in a cast iron skillet on a dark surface.

Serving

Sweet potato biscuits are served best fresh from the oven. Try them with a little extra butter and honey or maple syrup.

Or serve them as sandwiches with baked ham or breakfast sausage.

They make a great addition to any meal! Try it with thick chili or a hearty beef stew.

Baked sweet potato biscuits stacked in a cast iron skillet on a dark surface.

Tips

  • Ensure the butter, buttermilk, and mashed sweet potatoes are cold. Cold ingredients help create flaky biscuits.
  • I grate my butter and place it in the freezer while I prepare my other ingredients. You can also cut the butter in with a pastry blender or two knives.
  • Measure the flour properly. Aearate, spoon, and swoop level.
  • Make sure the sweet potato puree is well-drained and without excess liquid. It should be smooth and add moisture without making the dough too wet.
  • Once you add the buttermilk and sweet potato puree to the dry ingredients, mix only until just combined. Overmixing can lead to tough biscuits.
  • When folding the dough or laminating, do this about 4 or 5 times. This creates flaky layers in the biscuits. But don’t overdo it, or you will end up with tough biscuits.
  • Use a sharp, floured biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits. Press straight down without twisting. Twisting will seal the edges, and they won’t rise evenly or as high.
  • Be sure the biscuits are touching if using a baking sheet. This creates tall, flaky sweet potato biscuits.
  • Chilling the biscuits after cutting helps to keep the butter cold.

Variations

  • This recipe is how we like our sweet potato biscuits, but some recipes include warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, or pumpkin pie spice.
  • Add some cooked, crumbled bacon for a little salty bite.
  • If you like a sweeter biscuit, add more sugar.

FAQs

How to bake sweet potatoes

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Prick the potatoes in several places with the tip of a paring knife or the tines of a fork. Bake the sweet potatoes for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserts easily into the center. This will depend on the size of the sweet potatoes. Peel the potatoes or scoop of the sweet potato flesh with a spoon, place in the bowl of a food processor, and process until the sweet potatoes are smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Can I use canned sweet potato puree instead of roasted sweet potatoes?

Yes, you can, but the deeper, sweeter flavor will not be the same. Be sure to drain them well and pat them dry with paper towels. You don’t want extra moisture.

Can these be made ahead?

Yes! Prepare the dough and cut out the biscuits ahead of time, cover them tightly with plastic wrap, and then refrigerate them until ready to bake. Or flash freeze the cut-out biscuits on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, place them in a freezer-safe bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. This allows for fresh, warm biscuits whenever you need them.

Storing

These biscuits are best served warm from the oven. If you have leftovers, let them cool completely, place them in an airtight bag or container, and store them at room temperature for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 300-degree oven on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes or until heated through.

Freezing

Allow the biscuits to cool completely, place them in a freezer-safe container, and freeze them for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

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Baked sweet potato biscuits stacked in a bread basket, lined with a cloth napkin on a dark surface.

Southern Sweet Potato Biscuits Recipe

These sweet potato biscuits are heavenly combination of flaky, tender southern biscuits infused with the earthy sweetness of sweet potatoes.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Freezing Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 10
Calories: 292kcal
Author: Leigh Harris

Ingredients
 

  • 3 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp Baking powder
  • 2 tbsp Granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 cup Mashed sweet potatoes cold
  • 3/4 cup Unsalted butter cold, grated
  • 3/4 cup Buttermilk full-fat, cold

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a cast iron skillet.
  • In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add the grated butter and toss to coat.
    3 cups All-purpose flour, 1 tbsp Baking powder, 2 tbsp Granulated sugar, 1 tsp Kosher salt, 3/4 cup Unsalted butter
  • In a medium-size bowl whisk together the sweet potato puree and buttermilk.
    1 cup Mashed sweet potatoes, 3/4 cup Buttermilk
  • Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until it starts to come together in a ball.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently start folding the dough over onto itself 4-6 times. Pat it out into a 1-inch thick circle. Flour a 2-inch cutter, cut out the biscuits, and place them in the skillet. Gather the scraps and repeat.
  • Freeze the biscuits for at least 5 minutes. Bake for 15-20 or until golden brown.

Notes

  • Ensure your sweet potato puree, buttermilk, and butter are cold.
  • Don’t overwork the dough, it will be crumbly when first mixed in the bowl. It will come together in the folding process.
  • I highly recommend grating the butter! Since incorporating this step in my biscuit making I get much flakier and tall biscuits.
  • DO NOT TWIST the biscuit cutter. Cut straight down. Twisting will seal the edges and prevent the biscuits from rising evenly and tall.
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing – See the faq section.

Nutrition

Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 262mg | Potassium: 235mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2342IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 2mg

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