Save These sweet potato buttermilk biscuits bring together the creamy richness of mashed sweet potato and a little tang from buttermilk to create unbelievably tender biscuits. Warm from the oven with a slather of honey butter melting into every flaky layer, these are my go-to comfort food for fall weekends and holiday mornings.
My family fell in love with these biscuits one chilly Thanksgiving weekend. Ever since then, they have been the star at every brunch we host in autumn.
Ingredients
- Mashed sweet potatoes: Bring moisture natural sweetness and a lovely orange hue. Choose firm sweet potatoes with tight skin and no soft spots for best flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Gives structure to the biscuit while keeping them fluffy. Look for unbleached flour for a subtle nutty note.
- Granulated sugar: Balances the buttermilk tang and deepens the golden color of the crust.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Crucial for lift and tender crumb. Always use fresh leaveners so your biscuits rise sky high.
- Fine sea salt: Enhances every subtle flavor and keeps the sweetness in check.
- Cold unsalted butter: The secret to flaky layers. Cube it right from the fridge and try to keep everything as cool as possible until baking.
- Cold buttermilk: Adds acidity for that classic Southern biscuit texture. Shake your buttermilk before using and opt for full fat if you can.
- Unsalted butter, honey, and a pinch of salt: For making the quick honey butter. Use local honey for extra floral flavor.
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven:
- Heat your oven to four twenty five degrees Fahrenheit two twenty Celsius and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to ensure the bottoms turn golden and never stick.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients:
- In a large mixing bowl vigorously whisk together the all-purpose flour sugar baking powder baking soda and fine sea salt for at least forty five seconds so everything is evenly distributed. This step guarantees even rise and seasoning.
- Cut in the Butter:
- Add cold cubed butter. Either use a pastry cutter or two forks or work quickly with your fingertips pinching and rubbing the butter into the flour until it forms rough pea-sized lumps. The trick is to keep those bits of butter cold and solid so they create steam pockets in the dough during baking.
- Combine Wet Ingredients:
- In a separate bowl whisk the mashed sweet potatoes with cold buttermilk until completely smooth and even in color. Take your time so no lumps remain for the softest biscuits.
- Form the Dough:
- Add sweet potato mixture to the flour mixture. Gently stir with a fork or rubber spatula until just combined. The dough should look a little shaggy and it is fine if some dry flour remains. Overmixing leads to tough biscuits so stop mixing as soon as possible.
- Shape and Cut Biscuits:
- On a lightly floured surface pat or gently roll the dough to about one inch thickness. Use a two and a half inch biscuit cutter or a floured glass to cut out rounds. Try not to twist the cutter lift straight up to avoid sealing the edges which can prevent good rise.
- Prepare for Baking:
- Place biscuits on the prepared sheet so they are nearly touching for soft sides. Gather any scraps and gently pat them together to cut more biscuits without overhandling the dough.
- Brush and Bake:
- Use a pastry brush to sweep a little extra buttermilk over the tops of the biscuits to help them achieve a deep golden color. Bake for eighteen to twenty minutes until the tops are golden and the biscuits feel set and puffed.
- Make the Honey Butter:
- While biscuits are baking blend softened unsalted butter with honey and a good pinch of sea salt until light and fluffy. This only takes a minute by hand and makes the biscuits extra special.
- Serve Warm:
- Split biscuits open and serve while still steaming. Generously slather with honey butter for the ultimate treat. The biscuits are best enjoyed within an hour of baking.
Save I always look forward to mixing in the mashed sweet potato by hand and seeing that gorgeous color streak through the dough. My kids love sneaking bites of warm biscuits straight from the baking sheet and it has become one of our coziest rituals.
Storage Tips
Store leftover biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. You can gently reheat them in a low oven uncovered for about ten minutes to restore fluffiness. For longer storage wrap them well in foil and freeze for up to three months.
Ingredient Substitutions
If you do not have buttermilk add one tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to regular milk and let it sit for five minutes first. For more wholesome biscuits try swapping in half whole wheat flour. If you need the recipe dairy-free use vegan butter and non-dairy milk combined with a splash of apple cider vinegar.
Serving Suggestions
They are perfect with honey butter or try them split and filled with scrambled eggs for a breakfast sandwich. Serve alongside chili or squash soup or offer at the Thanksgiving table instead of rolls. Drizzle with maple syrup for brunch.
Cultural Context
Sweet potato biscuits have roots in Southern American cooking where sweet potatoes were always plentiful in fall and winter. Using sweet potato in biscuits was a way to stretch the flour and add nutrition. Serving with honey is tradition as both ingredients are important in regional foodways.
Seasonal Adaptations
In spring stir in chopped fresh chives or parsley For a holiday twist add a pinch each of cinnamon and nutmeg Late summer swap some sweet potato for roasted pumpkin puree
Success Stories
A friend told me these biscuits made her weekend breakfast feel like a celebration. Another reader wrote in to say she made them with her kids as a snow day project and they vanished in minutes. I love knowing a simple biscuit can become a family memory.
Freezer Meal Conversion
To freeze biscuits before baking pat and cut them out then freeze on a tray. Once solid transfer to a bag or container. Bake straight from frozen at four twenty five adding two to three minutes to the baking time.
Save The scent of these biscuits always reminds me of crisp mornings and warm kitchens. They are a family favorite for good reason.