Mains are important, but a good side makes ALL the difference in a meal. And these sweet potato biscuits are crazy good y’all! They’re usually seen as a fall or holiday thing, but I make them whenever I have too many sweet potatoes sitting around… Which is often. It’s a Southern thing. Anyways boos, these sweet potato biscuits come out super fluffy and tasty!
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How to Make Sweet Potato Biscuits

Step 1: Combine the sweet potato, sugar, egg, and melted butter in a medium bowl. Beat the mixture with a fork until smooth. Add the milk, stir to combine, and then set the mixture aside.

Step 2: Stir together the self-rising flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl.
PRO TIP: Use fresh sweet potatoes, boos. I bake mine at 400°F (pierced, oiled, and wrapped in foil) until tender, about an hour. Let them cool, mash them up, and you’re golden. Need more help? Check out how to bake sweet potatoes!

Step 3: Cut in the shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs. Once you’ve achieved the right texture, make a well in the center of the mixture.

Step 4: Add the sweet potato mixture and stir just until combined.

Step 5: Turn the biscuit dough onto a floured surface and gently knead just until it comes together. Pat it out to about a half-inch thick, then cut with a floured biscuit cutter.

Step 6: Place the biscuits on a baking sheet spaced apart, bake until golden brown, then transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving.

Sweet Potato Biscuit Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup sweet potato cooked, mashed and cooled
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 tbsp butter melted
- 1 cup milk
- 3 cups self-rising flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- Pinch nutmeg
- ½ cup shortening
Instructions
- Start by combining sweet potato, sugar, egg and melted butter. Beat with a fork until smooth then stir in milk. Set mixture aside.
- Stir together self rising flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Cut in shortening until it resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of dry mixture. Add spiced sweet-potato mixture and stir just until combined.
- Turn out the biscuit mixture onto a well-floured surface. Knead gently for 10 to 12 strokes. Don't overdo it. Pat dough to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-inch biscuit cutter. Place biscuits 1 inch apart on a large baking sheet.
- Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the biscuits are lightly browned.
Notes
- Room Temp: Keep them wrapped up or in an airtight container on the counter for 1-2 days.
- Fridge: Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just make sure they’re sealed up tight so they don’t dry out.
- Freezer: Pop them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Perfect for when that biscuit craving hits outta nowhere!
- Reheating: Wrap in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave for 15-20 seconds, or warm in the oven wrapped in foil at 350°F for 10-15 minutes.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Start with cold ingredients. Cold sweet potato and cold shortening keep the dough light, tender, and flaky.
- If your kitchen is running warm, chill the dough before baking. You can pop the whole thing in the fridge after mixing, or cut the biscuits first and chill them on the baking sheet.
- Use two butter knives or your fingertips to cut the shortening into the flour. Move the knives like scissors or gently rub the shortening in until it looks like coarse crumbs. That’s if you don’t have a pastry blender!
- Don’t overwork the dough. You can either roll it out or just pat it out with your hands once it comes together. I personally like to pat mine out with floured hands.
- Keep an eye on the oven! These fluffy sweet potato biscuits bake up tall and golden, but a few extra minutes can burn them real quick.

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Serving Suggestions
- Breakfast: They are great for breakfast with a little spread of apple butter, lemon curd, strawberry preserves, or simply with butter and honey or syrup.
- Southern Dinner: Old fashioned sweet potato biscuits also make a nice addition to your favorite southern dinner meal! Serve them up with buttermilk fried chicken, fried chicken gizzards, or chicken fried steak.
- Soup: I love them with a hot steaming bowl of this creamy chicken noodle soup or this easy jambalaya soup.
- Holidays: Add them to your menu along with turkey gravy, sour cream mashed potatoes, and cornbread stuffing.
Recipe Help
Fresh is always best boos, but yes, you can use it. Just strain it through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to get rid of the extra liquid. Give it a light squeeze if needed, and make sure it’s 100% pure with no added stuff!
Yep. You can mix the dough and keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days before baking.
This takes me back to the dinner table when I was literally SHOVING biscuits in my mouth with that dang Kerry Gold butter!!
Gosh shoving biscuits is my new favorite pastime!
I used my BHG cookbook so much through the years that it literally fell apart. It was a sad day, indeed. A new one would be past awesome, for sure! As to what I want to learn to cook/bake? Not sure. I’m sure that there is something I haven’t made before.
Amazing! I hope you can get a new one! This edition is great!
Those biscuits look to die for!
Thanks so much Christina!
Jocelyn, these biscuits are like the platonic ideal of what biscuits should be! I love the pretty orange color the sweet potatoes give them. I remember a version of that cookbook sitting in our cupboard growing up but have yet to own it as an adult!
Oh gosh! I totally have that memory too girl! Biscuits are just the best aren’t they?
Sweet potato whattt? I’m totally sold! I love sweet potato to the fact that I go straight to sweet potato marshmallow on Thanksgiving. Yum!
Nice! A woman after my own heart!
Ohhh, these biscuits look amazing. Can’t wait to give ’em a whirl since I adore biscuits and sweet potatoes 😉
Yes, give your biscuit making a whirl!
Cheese souffles!
Nice answer!
These biscuits look amazing girl! U know I’ve never made them at home. But that needs to change.
Yep girl get on the biscuit train!
I need to buy that book ASAP! Those biscuits and nachos look AHmazing. 🙂
Hooray thanks hon!
These look amazing! I’d love to have this cookbook!!!
Hooray thanks so much Carrie!