I absolutely love this Jiffy sweet potato cornbread recipe not only because it's delicious but also because it's so easy to make. The sweet potato adds sweetness and a gorgeous orange color to the skillet cornbread as well as makes it ultra moist and tender. It's a great way to add a unique twist to a semi-homemade recipe.

When the weather turns a little colder, there's nothing more comforting than a bowl of chili or soup served with a hunk of delicious cornbread. To me, it's the perfect fall or winter dinner. This homemade sweet potato cornbread is great with just about every soup or stew. And, you can serve it right out of the skillet too.
If you've never used Jiffy corn muffin mix before, you'll want to know that it's a sweeter cornbread than Southern traditional cornbread that has no sugar (or just a little sugar.)
I grew up eating both types--my dad would always add a can of creamed corn to a box of Jiffy corn muffin mix, so this recipe reminds me a lot of his version. If you prefer a more savory cornbread, you can totally use a savory mix in this recipe.
Wondering what soup to serve this homemade cornbread with? I really love it with Brunswick stew and my vegetable and sausage stew. As a true Southerner, it's also the perfect side dish to serve for our New Year's good luck meal of collard greens, black-eyed peas, and my tomato rice pilaf.
But that's not all--it's also a great way to sop up the pan juices from my New Orleans BBQ shrimp recipe. Convinced to make this yummy cornbread yet? Let's do it!
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Ingredients
Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this recipe:

- mashed sweet potatoes
- Jiffy corn muffin mix
- eggs
- milk
- sour cream
- salted butter
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Instructions
Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get baking!

- First, preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a large cast-iron skillet in the oven while it preheats. Meanwhile, mix the batter in a bowl.

- Then, remove the hot skillet from the oven and add the remaining butter. Let the butter melt and swirl to coat the bottom of the skillet.

- Next, pour the batter into the hot skillet.

- Finally, spread the batter in an even layer. Bake the cornbread until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Hint: To get mashed sweet potatoes (if you don't use canned), bake 3 medium to large whole sweet potatoes at 400°F for 40 to 45 minutes or until fork tender. Let cool until the potatoes are easy to handle and then remove the skins. Mash in a medium bowl with a fork.
Substitutions
Need to make some ingredient swaps? Here are some ideas:
- Jiffy brand corn muffin mix - Oops! Do you need to make your own mix? For the amount this recipe calls for (2 boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix), mix together: 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup plain yellow cornmeal, ⅔ cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Sweet potatoes - Look for canned sweet potatoes if you don't use fresh sweet potatoes. Just be sure to buy sweet potato puree or canned yams without any additional sugar syrup added. The syrup would make this cornbread way too sweet.
- Salted butter - For this recipe, salted butter is ideal to balance the sweetness of the sweet potatoes and the sugar in the mix. If you only have unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon of salt to the batter.
- Milk - Use 2% or skim milk instead of whole milk if you prefer.
- Sour cream - Instead of sour cream, feel free to use plain yogurt. (Full-fat is best.)
Variations
Check out these other ways to change up this easy cornbread recipe:
- Spicy - Are you fan of recipes with a little spice? Stir in minced jalapeño or serrano peppers to the batter to give it a kick.
- Pumpkin Cornbread - Instead of sweet potatoes, use pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix) for a fun fall recipe.
- Cheese and Green Onion - Stir in shredded Cheddar cheese and sliced green onions for a delicious twist.
Equipment
Here's the equipment you'll need for this Jiffy cornbread recipe:
- liquid measuring cup
- dry measuring cups
- paring knife
- large cast-iron skillet
- rubber spatula
- large mixing bowl
Storage
Store leftover cornbread in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
This sweet potato cornbread freezes really well. Wrap slices in plastic wrap or aluminum foil before freezing in an airtight container for freezer-safe zip-top plastic bag.
Tasty Tip
One of the most delicious things I've eaten recently is a warm slice of this cornbread topped with my favorite cinnamon whipped honey from Savannah Bee Company. They also have a pumpkin spice whipped honey that would be equally as yummy. I highly recommend this amazing fall-inspired snack!

Frequently asked questions
You sure can! Use water or non-dairy milk instead of regular milk in this recipe.
The great thing about Jiffy mix is that it is really versatile. Add your favorite stir-ins to make your cornbread really special. Check out the "Variations" section above for some ideas.
You know how I have you melt butter in the preheated cast-iron skillet? That helps prevent the cornbread from sticking.
You can let it cool or serve it straight from the skillet. Either way, I recommend letting it sit for about 5 minutes before slicing and scooping it out.
The batter should be thick but still pourable.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this Jiffy mix sweet potato cornbread:
🍽Get the recipe

Sweet Potato Cornbread
Equipment
- liquid measuring cup
- dry measuring cups
- paring knife
- large cast-iron skillet
- rubber spatula
- large bowl
Ingredients
- 2 (8.5-ounce) packages Jiffy corn muffin mix
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup milk (I used whole milk)
- 1 ½ cups mashed sweet potato
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup salted butter, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a large cast-iron skillet in the oven while it preheats.
- Mix the batter: Combine the muffin mix, eggs, milk, mashed sweet potato, and sour cream in a large bowl. Melt half of the butter (¼ cup) in the microwave. Add the melted butter to the mixture in the bowl and stir just until the ingredients are combined and moistened.
- Remove the hot skillet from the oven. Cut the remaining ¼ cup butter into slices and add to the skillet. Let the butter melt and tilt the pan to coat the bottom with melted butter.
- Pour the batter into the hot skillet and spread to an even layer. Bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cornbread cool for about 5 to 15 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.
Recipe Guidelines and Test Kitchen Tips
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Food safety
Finally, don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe:
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat or eggs.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat or eggs.
- Don't leave leftovers sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
Amy Lynn says
These are really delicious. I used my leftover sweet potato casserole that already had butter, marshmallows and brown sugar so i just added the corn mixture, some sour cream, an egg, some almond milk and a little salt.i made mine as muffins. They almost remind me of a carrot cake or pumpkin bread. They are moist with a crunchy crust and are perfect for breakfast, as a snack or accompanying a nice dinner. These are definitely going to be my go to for left over sweet potato casserole!
AshleyFreeman says
Hi Amy! Thank you so much for sharing! That sounds delicious!
Traci says
So excited to try this for Thanksgiving. If I wanted to do muffins could I and what would be the cooking time? Thank you 🙏🏼
AshleyFreeman says
Hi Traci! You can definitely do muffins instead of a whole cornbread. Bake at 400 and check around 15 minutes. It may take up to 20 minutes, but you're looking for a toothpick to come out clean when you insert it in the center.
Julia Valentine says
Absolutely wonderful!!!! making this for Thanksgiving for sure !! Thank you for sharing!!!
AshleyFreeman says
Hooray! Thanks so much for your note Julia!
Kanesha says
I can’t find the recipe card on the site? I’m trying to make this today .
AshleyFreeman says
Hi Kanesha! I just sent you an email with how to find the recipe, but in case you see this first, scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post. Or, find the "Jump To" section at the top of the post and scroll down to "Get the recipe" in the table of contents. Hope this helps! And thanks for giving the recipe a try! Can't wait to hear what you think!
Genevieve says
Cornbread is so good and we love using jiffy corn muffin mix. Can't wait to make this recipe for Thanksgiving!
AshleyFreeman says
It's perfect for Thanksgiving!
Amy says
Genius idea! This was so delicious!
AshleyFreeman says
Thanks Amy! Glad you liked it!
Elizabeth says
I loved how sweet this was as I have a bit of a sweet tooth! The cornbread was fluffy and delicious - I would definitely make again.
AshleyFreeman says
Yay! You're right--the sweet potato does add just the right amount of sweetness.
nancy says
wow what a tasty and fluffy cornbread. This was so easy to make.
AshleyFreeman says
Thanks for giving this recipe a try. Glad you enjoyed it!
Nicole Kendrick says
I love this fall take on cornbread! The sweet potato adds so much amazing flavor to the traditional cornbread. It's really good!
AshleyFreeman says
Thanks for your note Nicole! So glad you liked it!