Sweet Potato Biscuits Recipe

Southern Living Sweet Potato Biscuits after baking ready to serve — Photo:
Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Active Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 10 mins

Servings:

Sweet potato biscuits can be a finicky business. If the butter isn't cold enough and if the liquid ingredients aren't right, the biscuits will come out dense and flat. This is sadly the pitfall of many biscuit recipes. In sweet potato biscuits, while the sweet potato flavors these biscuits, many recipes don't account for the added moisture which weighs down the biscuit, preventing it from becoming fluffy and thick.

Our recipe is different—we mix mashed sweet potato into buttermilk so it absorbs easily into the biscuit dough as it's coming together. We also freeze the biscuits once they've been cut and placed in the pan, allowing the butter in the dough to become firm again before baking. This step gives the butter the opportunity to create steam inside the dough when it's introduced to the high temperature of the oven, causing the inside of the biscuit to lift and become fluffy.

A simple egg wash gives the outside of each biscuit a golden brown top while the light orange of the quick bread hints at the cooked sweet potato inside. With only a slight touch of sweet potato flavor, these biscuits are incredible when eaten with butter and honey. But don't let that suggestion limit you. We promise these biscuits are just as good served with eggs, bacon, cheese, and any other breakfast biscuit topping you can find.

Learn how to make sweet potato biscuits, and thrill your family with an all-new breakfast bread.

Ingredients for Sweet Potato Biscuits

Just nine ingredients, including water, are needed to whip up these sweet and savory biscuits. To make them, you'll need:

All-purpose flour: The base of the biscuits, providing a tender but hearty crumb.
Baking powder: Gives the biscuits their rise.
Granulated sugar: Helps bring out the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes.
Kosher salt: Enhances the overall flavor.
Cold unsalted butter: Cut into the dough for flakiness and flavor.
Buttermilk: Adds a tanginess and moisture to the biscuits.
Mashed sweet potato: Adds sweetness, moisture, and color.
Egg yolk: Whisked with water for an egg wash to give the biscuits a shine and deep golden brown color.
Water: Thins the egg wash to brush easily over the biscuits.

Southern Living Sweet Potato Biscuits ingredients — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

How To Make Sweet Potato Biscuits

Mashed sweet potato adds moisture and color to the biscuits for an easy-to-work-with dough that bakes up vibrant and tender. Full instructions are below, but here's a brief recap before you get started:

Step 1. Prepare oven and baking sheet: Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2: Cut butter into dry ingredients: In a large bowl, stir to combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until only a few pea-size pieces remain.
Step 3: Add sweet potato mixture: Stir together buttermilk and sweet potato. Add to dry ingredients and stir until a shaggy dough forms.
Step 4. Press dough: Press dough together with floured hands until combined.
Step 5. Roll and cut biscuits: Transfer dough to a floured surface and roll to a 3/4-inch thickness. Cut out 2 1/2-inch rounds; transfer to the baking sheet. Repeat with scraps to yield 8 rounds. Freeze until firm, 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 6. Apply egg wash and bake: Whisk together egg yolk and water. Brush over biscuits. Bake until golden brown, 13 to 14 minutes, rotating after 10 minutes.

Tips for the Best Sweet Potato Biscuits

Making biscuits can require a gentle hand—overworking or overbaking can lead to a rubbery or dry result. For the best sweet potato biscuits, keep these tips in mind:

Be patient with the sweet potatoes: Cook as directed for a caramelized flavor and extra-velvety texture.
Measure accurately: Spoon and level (or weigh) your dry ingredients for precise measurements.
Consider grating your butter: If cutting in butter makes you nervous, or you just can't do it fast enough to keep the butter bits cold, opt for grating frozen butter instead for consistent results.
Don't overwork it: Avoid kneading the dough, which would cause tough, rubbery results.
Flour your cutter: For the best rise, flour your cutter and press into the dough straight down. Avoid twisting, which can keep the biscuits from rising properly.
Freeze: Don't skip freezing the biscuits. This keeps the fat in the dough cold and helps the biscuits to keep their shape while baking for the flakiest and best results.
Egg wash: While it may be an extra step, the egg wash gives the biscuits a shine and helps them achieve a golden brown top. Brush with cream, whole milk, or buttermilk if needed in the place of egg wash.

Sweet Potato Biscuit Variations

These seasonal biscuits are delicious as-is, but if you want to take them up a notch, consider these additions:

Spices: Ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, black pepper, and more can be added for additional flavor.
Herbs: Dried or fresh thyme, rosemary, chives, or sage can add a pleasant herbal note.
Cheese: Mix grated Cheddar or Parmesan cheese into the dough for a cheesy touch.
Nuts: Fold in chopped pecans or walnuts for a nutty crunch.
Citrus zest: Mix in lemon or orange zest for a citrusy flavor.
Bacon bits: Add bacon bits into the dough for a salty, meaty kick.
Toppings: Brush with honey or maple butter for a sweet touch.

Can I Make Sweet Potato Biscuits Ahead?

To make these biscuits ahead, prepare and cut out as directed. Wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Brush and bake as directed, adding a few minutes to the baking time if baking from frozen.

How To Store Leftover Sweet Potato Biscuits

Leftover biscuits can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Freeze for longer storage (up to 3 months). Warm in a preheated oven, toaster oven, or microwave before serving if desired.

More Flavorful Biscuit Recipes You'll Love

If unique biscuits are your jam (pun intended), these pumpkin, cinnamon-raisin, berry, and Parmesan-herb variations may be the recipes you're looking for:

Editorial contributions by Katie Rosenhouse.

Recipe Note

This recipe was retested and updated in December 2023.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups (9 1/2 oz.) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
6 Tbsp. (3 oz.) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3/4 cup cold buttermilk
3/4 cup cold mashed sweet potato*
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. water

Directions

Prepare oven and baking sheet:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Combine dry ingredients, and cut in butter:

In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt until well combined.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Using a pastry cutter or your hands, cut butter into flour until only a few pea-size pieces remain.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Make sweet potato mixture, and add to dry ingredients:

In a separate bowl, stir together buttermilk and sweet potato until homogenous.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Add to dry ingredients and use a spoon to mix ingredients together until a shaggy dough forms.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Press dough:

Flour your hands and press the dough together until all of the dry ingredients in the bowl are incorporated into 1 large dough mass.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
Roll out dough, and cut biscuits:

Transfer dough to a well-floured surface and sprinkle top of dough with flour. Press the dough down and pat use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to a 3/4-inch thickness.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Using a 2 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out biscuits and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet. Press scraps together and pat to a ¾-inch thickness again and cut out more biscuits until you have a total of 8 rounds; discard any remaining dough scraps.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Transfer to the freezer until firm, 5 to 10 minutes.
Apply egg wash, and bake:

Whisk together the egg yolk and water in a small bowl. Brush the surface of each biscuit evenly with egg wash.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Bake in preheated oven until the tops have become golden brown and the biscuits have baked all the way through, 13 to 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheet back to front after 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

How To Make Mashed Sweet Potato for Sweet Potato Biscuits

To make the mashed sweet potato, wrap sweet potatoes in aluminum foil and roast in a 425°F oven for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven and allow the sweet potatoes to cool in the oven for 2 hours. This allows more of the starches in the sweet potato to transform into complex sugars, making the sweet potato flesh both sweeter and softer. Peel and mash the sweet potatoes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use canned sweet potatoes for sweet potato biscuits?

While canned sweet potatoes can be used in the place of baked sweet potatoes, we do recommend going with the homemade version for the best flavor. If you do opt for canned, drain and mash before using as directed. Note you may need to leave out the additional sugar called for if the sweet potatoes are stored in syrup.
Can I substitute the buttermilk in sweet potato biscuits?

For a good buttermilk substitute, opt for Greek yogurt or sour cream, thinned with whole milk until thick but pourable.
What can I serve sweet potato biscuits with?

This seasonal twist on a classic biscuit can be served with a variety of dishes. Incorporate them into brunch favorites like biscuits with sausage gravy, to eggs Benedict, sliders and sandwiches, or just serving simply with cream cheese and jam, pimiento cheese, Cheddar cheese and apple butter, drizzled with maple syrup, or slathered with honey butter.
Do I need to brush the biscuits with egg before baking?

While brushing with egg wash isn't required, it's recommended to give the biscuits their shine and evenly browned tops. You can brush with cream, milk, or buttermilk if needed instead.