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? Well you can't go wrong with a bowl of chili, especially my ultimate beef chili and instant pot white turkey chili.
I also really love it with my Brunswick stew, vegetable and sausage stew, or lentil soup with pancetta. As a true Southerner, it's also the perfect side dish to serve for our New Year's good luck meal of collard greens with ham hock, 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.
Rebecca says
this is honestly a flawless recipe. i just made it for the third time, and it's so delicious.
I had to sub sour cream with plain Greek yogurt, and it still turned out the same taste & texture.
only thing I add is topping it with honey butter when it comes out of the oven.
AshleyFreeman says
Thank you so much for your note, Rebecca! I love your suggestion for the yogurt and honey butter!
Rose says
How much cheese and green onions would you suggest?
AshleyFreeman says
Hi Rose! 1 to 2 cups of cheese and 2 green onions, chopped should do it!
Marie says
Can you mix the batter the day before cooking. I want to use in my restaurant for Thanksgiving but will need to increase the ingredients to serve 300
AshleyFreeman says
Hi Marie! I don't recommend mixing the day before--it won't rise properly during baking. What you can do though is mix the wet ingredients together the day before so all you have to do is mix in the corn muffin mix and melted butter the day of. Hope this helps!
Melanie says
Looks absolutely scrumptious! Ashley, have you tested this recipe using gluten free ingredients? Thanks.
Ashley Freeman says
Hi Melanie! I haven't tried this particular recipe with gluten-free ingredients, but I do know that there's a decent Martha White sweet cornbread mix that could work. My only concern is the package size is slightly smaller.
Peggy Barker says
can I make this the day before and if so how would I store it
AshleyFreeman says
Hi Peggy! Yes, you can absolutely make this the day before. Here are the storage instructions:
-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 also freezes really well. Wrap slices in plastic wrap or aluminum foil before freezing in an airtight container for freezer-safe zip-top plastic bag.
To reheat, I recommend wrapping the cornbread (either whole or slices) with aluminum foil and warming gently in the oven. You can also wrap it in damp paper towels and microwave in 30-second intervals.
Joyce says
I haven’t made this yet but want to soooo bad , I don’t have a cast iron skillet what would be the next best thing ??
AshleyFreeman says
Hi Joyce! Yes, you can use a metal baking pan instead of a cast-iron skillet. I recommend a 13x9-inch pan. Preheat the pan as you would the cast-iron skillet and add the butter just before adding the batter. The baking time may be a little different so just check the center with a toothpick and bake until it comes out clean.