What's more comforting than a warm, fluffy biscuit? A warm, fluffy biscuit with a hint of sweetness and a touch of spice. These Southern Sweet Potato Biscuits are a delicious twist on a classic, adding the natural sweetness and beautiful color of sweet potatoes to a flaky, tender biscuit. They are the perfect side dish for a holiday meal, a Sunday brunch, or a comforting snack with a cup of coffee.

The secret to their incredible fluffiness is a simple technique: cold butter and a gentle hand. The sweet potato puree adds a wonderful depth of flavor and moisture, while a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg gives them a warm, aromatic finish. They're a true taste of the South, and they're so easy to make, you'll want to bake them all year long.

Southern Sweet Potato Biscuits with Cinnamon Spice

So Fluffy!

Yields: 8-10 biscuits

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 12-15 minutes

Ingredients

  • For the Biscuits:

    • 2 cups all-purpose flour1

    • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

    • 2 teaspoons baking powder

    • ½ teaspoon baking soda

    • ½ teaspoon salt

    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

    • ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

    • ¾ cup buttermilk, cold

    • ¾ cup sweet potato puree (from 1 medium sweet potato, baked and mashed)

  • For the Topping:

    • 2 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

1. Prepare the Sweet Potato

  1. Bake the Sweet Potato: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Pierce a medium sweet potato a few times with a fork and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until it is very tender.

  2. Make Puree: Let the potato cool slightly, then scoop the flesh into a bowl and mash until it is smooth. Measure out ¾ cup of the puree and let it cool completely.

2. Make the Biscuit Dough

  1. Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

  2. Cut in Butter: Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.

  3. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the cold buttermilk and the cooled sweet potato puree.

  4. Fold In: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to gently fold until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix.

3. Form and Bake the Biscuits

  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).2

  2. Shape Dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press or roll the dough to about a 1-inch thickness.

  3. Fold: Fold the dough over onto itself a few times. This creates flaky layers. Gently pat or roll the dough back to a 1-inch thickness.

  4. Cut: Use a 2-3 inch biscuit cutter to cut out the biscuits. Do not twist the cutter. Rework the scraps and cut the remaining biscuits.

  5. Bake: Place the biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet, with the sides touching if you want soft sides, or a little space if you prefer a crispier edge.

  6. Brush with Butter: Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter before baking.

  7. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the biscuits are puffed up.

Pro-Tips for a Perfect Biscuit

  • Keep It Cold: The key to flaky biscuits is cold butter and cold buttermilk. This creates steam pockets in the dough, which makes them fluffy.

  • Don't Overwork the Dough: Handle the dough as little as possible. Overworking the gluten will make your biscuits tough.

  • A Good Puree: Make sure your sweet potato puree is completely cool. Using a warm puree will melt the butter and ruin the texture.

  • No Twisting: When you cut the biscuits, press the cutter straight down and lift it up. Twisting the cutter can seal the edges and prevent the biscuits from rising.3

  • Serve Warm: These biscuits are best served fresh out of the oven with a little extra butter or a drizzle of honey.4