Sweet Potato Biscuits are a delicious change from regular buttermilk biscuits
These biscuits are especially good when paired with a holiday ham, or Sunday brunch. The sweet potato flavor is far from overwhelming, but the added moistness of the sweet potato is divine!
Sweet Potato Biscuits are Moist
Back in the day when I first learned how to bake, vegetable shortening was the golden standard in our home kitchen. Considered “healthier” than butter or lard, that big blue can of fluffy white fat could always be found in our pantry. These days, I find it curious that factory made fats were touted as “heathy.” However, I watch my fat intake. But, I always opt for European style butter when I bake, preferably from grass fed cows.
The hubs and I both enjoy making biscuits for our kids when they are home visiting. Usually we will clobber a full batch in one meal, so making a double batch is always a good idea. Also, we freeze biscuits once they are baked and cooled. Later we heat them up in the toaster oven. The best biscuits are always homemade and Sweet Potato Biscuits are some of the best biscuits around.
Bigger Biscuits are Better
Also, I prefer to cut these biscuits larger than required in other recipes. Don’t be afraid to cut your biscuits thick either – anywhere from ½ inch-1 inch – (1.25cm-2.5cm.) Thicker biscuits need to be baked a little longer – about 5 minutes more. I love big heroic biscuits – if you limit yourself to one biscuit, make it count!
Sweet Potato Biscuits are excellent when they are split in half, toasted and served under hearty stews. You can serve them up with onion jam alongside steak. Aslo, you can pan grill them with garlic butter for a delicious oversized crouton for your Caesar salad. In my first cookbook, I serve Sweet Potato Biscuits under a shrimp curry for a savory “shortcake”. Even though you can enjoy them for breakfast, they work wonderfully well for lunch and dinner also!
Sweet Potato Biscuits
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 12 biscuits 1x
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
1 tsp. baking soda (6g)
1/2 tsp. salt (2g)
1 tbsp. sugar (12.5g)
1/4 cup butter or shortening, cut into cubes (55g)
1/2 cup cooked mashed sweet potato (75g)
3/4 cup buttermilk (180ml)
Instructions
Heat oven to 450°F (232°C). In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, baking soda, salt and sugar, pulsing once or twice to combine well. Add the butter or shortening, and sweet potato and pulse for approximately 15 seconds until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour in the buttermilk a little at a time between pulses, just enough to form a cohesive dough that is not too soft. (If you overdo the buttermilk, just try to knead in a little extra flour in the next step.)
On a floured surface, knead the dough about 10 times. Roll out to 1/2 inch (1.25cm) thickness, and cut with a biscuit cutter or a glass, about 2 1/2 inches (6.35cm) in diameter. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10 – 12 minutes.
For me, these biscuits are unique, as I do not recall seeing biscuits made with sweet potatoes. Since I like sweet potatoes, I think I would like to try the recipe, though I do not bake too often these days. That said, recently I baked one of your recipes that I had been wanting to try for some time–cornbread with nopales and corn. It was excellent and I am still eating it for breakfast and lunch. I used jarred nopales.
hey Chris! You caught me while I was working on the website! The Sweet Potato Biscuits are not strongly flavored but are extra moist – they seem to stay fresher longer as well. I love them with extra extra butter…my fave! thanks for trying my recipes! Hugs! MG