Sweet Potato Biscuits Recipe (2024)

Sweet Potato Biscuits are a tender, flaky, fluffy, and slightly sweet Southern biscuit. This easy recipe makes the best biscuits!

This sweet potato biscuit recipe is a favorite of my grandmother’s. She would let my sister and me help her make them throughout the year, but especially during the fall and winter. They are perfect for breakfast and brunch and to serve alongside your turkey and dressing for Thanksgiving!

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Grandmother made her sweet potato biscuits with sweet potatoes that she would boil and then mash. While they were always incredibly delicious, and I make them that way from time to time, I also love to make them using baked sweet potatoes. I find that it deepens the sweet potato flavor and makes the biscuits even richer.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Quick and Easy. A quick and easy sweet potato biscuit recipe perfect for your fall table (or any time!).
  • Amazing flavor. The mashed sweet potato adds such great flavor.
  • Versatile. These biscuits are delicious for breakfast, brunch, appetizers, dinner, and even to serve with fancy holiday meals!

How to Make Sweet Potato Biscuits Recipe

Ingredients

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.

  • Sweet potato – You will need a cup of mashed sweet potato. I love to use a baked sweet potato (a great way to use leftovers!) for a deeper, sweeter flavor, while my Grandmother always used boiled sweet potatoes for her biscuits. Either works fine! See my notes below on how to use Grandmother’s method.
  • Milk – I use whole milk in this recipe.
  • Flour – This recipe uses all-purpose flour.
  • Baking powder – You’ll use baking powder as the leavening agent in these biscuits.
  • Salt – The salt helps enhance and balance this recipe’s flavors.
  • Sugar – The sugar also enhances the sweetness of the sweet potatoes without making these biscuits too sweet.
  • Butter – Mixed into the biscuit dough and then brushed on top of the biscuits for baking.

Even Easier!

Use leftover baked sweet potato to make these biscuits more quickly and easily!

Step-by-Step Instructions

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Make the sweet potato biscuit dough.Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter into chunks and add to the flour mixture. Cut into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or with a fork until the butter resembles coarse crumbs in the flour mixture. Add the sweet potato and slowly add enough of the milk to make a soft dough.

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Fold and roll the dough. Turn the biscuit dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat the dough into a rectangle. Fold each of the edges of the dough into the center and again, gently pat into a rectangle about 1/2-inch thick.

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Cut out the biscuits. Cut the dough with a floured, sharp metal cutter or bench knife. Place the cut biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the sweet potato biscuits lightly with melted butter.

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Bake the biscuits.Place into the hot oven and bake for 10-12 minutes.

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Serve. I love to serve these biscuits hot with butter and honey. For breakfast or brunch, they are also delicious with baked ham.

Fold the Dough!

Folding the biscuit dough, also called laminating, creates layers within the biscuits. You can also cut the dough into four even pieces, stack the pieces, and then cut the dough to form the layers.

Storage Tips

To store leftovers. Store biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.

To make ahead. Prepare biscuits as directed and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Reheat and serve.

To freeze. Prepare and cool the biscuits. Store in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. Thaw, reheat, and serve.

How to Boil Sweet Potato Cubes

Peel, cube, and boil a medium sweet potato over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes for 1-inch cubes. Mash the sweet potato and then measure to use the correct amount in the biscuit recipe.

More Biscuit Recipes

  • Cream Biscuits (2 Ingredients!)
  • Buttermilk Biscuits (3 Ingredients!)
  • Angel Biscuits
  • Cinnamon Roll Biscuits

Sweet Potato Biscuits Pro Tips

  • Use baked sweet potatoes for a deeper sweet potato flavor in these biscuits.
  • Fold the dough for visible, flaky, tender layers in your biscuits.
  • Butter the biscuit tops for a wonderful buttery flavor in every bite.
  • Make extras as everyone loves them.

Here’s my family’s Sweet Potato Biscuits recipe. I hope you love them as much as we do!

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Southern Sweet Potato Biscuits Recipe

Robyn Stone

5 from 2 votes

Sweet Potato Biscuits make a delicious biscuit recipe that the whole family loves. Get this heirloom sweet potato biscuits recipe that you’ll turn to again and again.

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (328 g) mashed sweet potato, from a medium cooked sweet potato
  • 1/2 cup (113.5 g) whole milk
  • 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 tablespoon (12 g) baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon (12 g) sugar
  • 1/2 cup (113 g) butter, cold, plus more melted butter for brushing the tops of the biscuits

Instructions

  • Prep. Preheat oven to 425º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

  • Make the sweet potato biscuit dough. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cut the butter into chunks and add to the flour mixture. Cut into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or with a fork until the butter resembles coarse crumbs in the flour mixture. Add the sweet potato and slowly add enough of the milk to make a soft dough.

  • Cut out the biscuits. Turn the sweet potato biscuit dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat the dough into a rectangle. Fold each of the edges of the dough into the center and again, gently pat into a rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Cut the dough with a floured, sharp metal cutter or bench knife. Place the cut biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the sweet potato biscuits lightly with melted butter.

  • Bake the biscuits. Place into hot oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. Serve hot.

Notes

Ingredient Notes

Use baked sweet potatoes for a deeper sweet potato flavor in the biscuits or peel, cube, and boil sweet potatoes until fork tender, 12 to 15 minutes for 1-inch cubes.

Storage Tips

To store leftovers. Store biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.

To make ahead. Prepare biscuits as directed and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Reheat and serve.

To freeze. Prepare and cool the biscuits. Store in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. Thaw, reheat, and serve.

Pro Tips

Use baked sweet potatoes for a deeper sweet potato flavor in these biscuits.

Fold the dough for visible, flaky, tender layers in your biscuits.

Butter the biscuit tops for a wonderful buttery flavor in every bite.

Make extras as everyone loves them.

Nutrition

Calories: 164kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 266mg | Potassium: 178mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1825IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Enjoy!
Robyn xo

Originally shared in October 2011. Updated with step-by-step photographs and clearer instructions.

Categorized as:30 Minutes or Less Recipes, All Recipes, Bakery, biscuits, Bread Recipes, Breakfast Recipes, By Cooking Style, Christmas Recipes, Cooking, Freezer Friendly Recipes, Game Day Recipes, Halloween Recipes, Holiday and Occasion Recipes, Make-ahead Recipes, Potatoes, Recipes, Simple Recipes, Southern Favorites, Thanksgiving Recipes

Welcome to Add A Pinch

About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

Read more about Robyn

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Sweet Potato Biscuits Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to an excellent biscuit? ›

The secret to the best biscuits is using very cold butter and baking powder. We've made a lot of biscuits, but this easy biscuits recipe is the one we turn to the most!

Why are my homemade biscuits not fluffy? ›

Cold butter is key to making your biscuits fluffy. Warm butter will be absorbed into the flour and prevent them becoming all fluffy. Its similar to making pie crust. Cold butter will not be fully absorbed by the flour which means you will have small chunks visible in the dough.

Why are my homemade biscuits falling apart? ›

If your biscuits are falling apart…

If this sounds familiar, you could be adding too much flour to your dough without knowing it, disrupting the ratio of dry to wet ingredients.

What enhances the flavor of sweet potatoes? ›

Dice the sweet potato, and leave the skins on. Then toss the chunks in a splash of tamari, oil, and maple syrup, and then dust heavily with chili powder, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Roast at 400 Fahrenheit for about 30-50 minutes, or until the potatoes begin to crisp up.

What's the best flour for biscuits? ›

White wheat in general is around 9-12% protein, while the hard reds are 11-15%. As far as brands of flour, White Lily “all-purpose” flour has been my go-to for biscuit making. It's a soft red winter wheat, and the low protein and low gluten content keep biscuits from becoming too dense.

Should you chill biscuit dough before baking? ›

And the longer it takes the butter to melt as the biscuits bake, the more chance they have to rise high and maintain their shape. So, chill... and chill.

What is the secret to high rising biscuits? ›

Cut off uneven edges and put these scraps to the side; clean cuts on all sides will encourage rise. Pat scraps together to make 1 odd-shaped ninth biscuit. Place biscuits close together in a 9-inch square pan and brush with melted salted butter. Place pan on top of the warm stove for 10 to 15 minutes to rise.

Are biscuits better with butter or shortening? ›

Crisco may be beneficial for other baking applications, but for biscuit making, butter is the ultimate champion!

How to make biscuits rise better? ›

Buttermilk or sweet milk soured for 5 minutes with a Tablespoon of white vinegar always gives me a higher rise in baking powder biscuits or pancakes. I also agree with the light handling and folding technique for your dough, and the straight down, no twisting advice.

What makes biscuits rise higher? ›

Conclusion: More baking powder makes the biscuit rise more (imagine that!). About 1 tablespoon of baking powder per 2 cups of flour seems to be about the right amount, but even halving or doubling this amount should not ruin your biscuits.

What is the best temperature for baking biscuits? ›

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Mix together the flour, baking soda and baking powder in a food processor. Add your ice-cold butter and pulse a few times. You want some pieces to be reduced to flakes and others to be pebbly and about the size of peas.

Why do biscuits rise better when touching? ›

Whether using a cast iron skillet or a baking tray, lay your biscuits so they are touching sides and all connected. This helps them rise higher, as they provide support for one another as they bake – kind of like a doughy shoulder to lean on!

What are the tastiest sweet potatoes? ›

The most versatile and sweetest variation of sweet potatoes is the Beauregard. Throughout the United States, you will see this species stacked high in the grocery stores during the holiday season. Beauregard's have a bit of a stringy texture, but they stay soft: this is what makes them so popular.

Why does my sweet potato not taste sweet? ›

So if you want a sweet, sweet potato, you have to cook it until it reaches 135–170°F (57–77°C). And you want to keep sweet potatoes in that range for as long as possible. That will maximize how sweet the potatoes taste.

Should I boil or bake my sweet potatoes? ›

Baking can also cause an 80% drop in vitamin A levels, twice as much as boiling. Therefore, from a nutritional standpoint, boiling rather than baking should be recommended for cooking sweet potato.

What makes a good biscuit and why? ›

A word of advice: Start with good ingredients. Biscuits, like many breads, only use a few ingredients so you'll really taste each one. Choosing good-quality butter, milk, and flour will pay off in the flavor of the end result. Most of our recipes can be easily adapted to accommodate mix-ins.

What is the king of biscuit? ›

Pillai became known in India as the 'Biscuit King' or 'Biscuit Baron'. He took over Nabisco's other Asian subsidiaries. Pillai then established links with Boussois-Souchon-Neuvesel (BSN), the French food company, and by 1989 controlled six Asian companies worth over US$400 million.

What are the two most important steps in biscuit making? ›

The two keys to success in making the best biscuits are handling the dough as little as possible as well as using very cold solid fat (butter, shortening, or lard) and cold liquid. When the biscuits hit the oven, the cold liquid will start to evaporate creating steam which will help our biscuits get very tall.

What is the most important step in biscuit making? ›

Mixing. The multi-stage mixing method is preferred for its ability to produce consistent doughs which are not fully developed. Blending all dry ingredients to rub or cut the shortening into the flour until fat is fully distributed and pea-sized lumps are visible.

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