Sweet Potato and Bacon Cornbread
Perfectly sweet and savory this sweet potato and bacon cornbread recipe will win your heart and fill your belly! Baked to perfection in a cast-iron skillet this recipe features mashed sweet potatoes, hickory smoked bacon and a hint of cinnamon making this a comforting take on the classic cornbread recipe an instant hit!
Cornbread can often garner criticism when it comes to presentation. Some folks like it sweet and soft like a cake, while others prefer it more savory adding in onions, peppers or cheese. I’ve always considered myself a bit of a cornbread centrist loving the sugary sweet notes, with a hint of warm spices or salty ingredients. When creating my own version of this iconic dish I wanted to have the best of both worlds. Folding in both mashed sweet potato and chopped hickory smoked bacon means you’ll get a little bit of sweet and savory in every single bite! This recipe also includes a touch of cinnamon for added sweetness and is made with buttermilk which keeps the cornbread moist and at the same time adds a little tanginess.
You can have this sweet potato and bacon cornbread as a one pour breakfast or as an accompaniment to your favorite winter stews or chili. If you’re extra fancy you can even drizzle it with a little bit a honey and have it as a dessert or midday snack. It can even serve as an alternative to cornbread stuffing during the holidays.
Grab the recipe for my sweet potato and bacon cornbread below.
Sweet Potato & Bacon Cornbread
Servings: 8 – 10 | Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 2 Cups Mashed or Pureéd Sweet Potatoes (alternatively a 16 oz can)
- 8-10 Slices of Thick Cut Bacon (Hickory Smoked preferred)
- 2 Cups Yellow Cornmeal
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
- 2 Cups Buttermilk
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup Melted Unsalted Butter
- 4 Large Eggs
- 1 Can Whole Corn Kernels (16 oz)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Wash and peel 1-2 large sweet potatoes and boil in water for roughly 10 minutes until soft. Drain and mash with a potato masher or hand mixer until smooth. No large chunks should exist. Set aside to cool.
- While the mashed sweet potatoes cools, prepare the bacon in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet until brown. You may need to work in batches. Remove bacon from skillet and chop. Reserve half of the bacon as a mix-in and the other half as garnish. Leave roughly two tablespoons of bacon drippings in the skillet ensuring the drippings are coated evenly on all sides of the skillet.
- Whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl until well combined. Add buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, eggs, and mashed sweet potatoes to the bowl and whisk until a batter forms. Fold in half of the chopped bacon and the whole corn kernels.
- Pour batter into the skillet with the bacon drippings and bake for 40 minutes until golden brown.
- Top with melted butter and garnish with remaining chopped bacon.
Sweet Potato Bacon Cornbread
Baked to perfection in a cast-iron skillet this cornbread recipe features mashed sweet potatoes, hickory smoked bacon and a hint of cinnamon making this a comforting take on the classic cornbread recipe an instant hit!
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Mashed or Pureéd Sweet Potatoes (alternatively a 16 oz can)
- 8-10 Slices of Thick Cut Bacon (Hickory Smoked preferred)
- 2 Cups Yellow Cornmeal
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
- 2 Cups Buttermilk
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup Melted Unsalted Butter
- 4 Large Eggs
- 1 16 Ounce Can Whole Corn Kernels
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Wash and peel 1-2 large sweet potatoes and boil in water for roughly 10 minutes until soft. Drain and mash with a potato masher or hand mixer until smooth. No large chunks should exist. Set aside to cool.
- While the mashed sweet potatoes cools, prepare the bacon in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet until brown. You may need to work in batches. Remove bacon from skillet and chop. Reserve half of the bacon as a mix-in and the other half as garnish. Leave roughly two tablespoons of bacon drippings in the skillet ensuring the drippings are coated evenly on all sides of the skillet.
- Whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl until well combined. Add buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, eggs, and mashed sweet potatoes to the bowl and whisk until a batter forms. Fold in half of the chopped bacon and the whole corn kernels.
- Pour batter into the skillet with the bacon drippings and bake for 40 minutes until golden brown.
- Top with melted butter and garnish with remaining chopped bacon.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 592Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 137mgSodium: 780mgCarbohydrates: 76gFiber: 5gSugar: 27gProtein: 15g