Sweet Potato Biscuits From the Pantry: 1 Easy Recipe + 5 Ways to Serve Them

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There's a basket of sweet potatoes in my pantry every fall, and by mid-November I'm always looking for new ways to use them. These sweet potato biscuits are a family favorite.

They're soft and fluffy inside, golden on the outside, and just barely sweet, with a beautiful orange color that looks right at home on a Thanksgiving table. Best of all, this sweet potato biscuits recipe uses simple pantry staples you probably already have.

Quick answer: To make sweet potato biscuits, mix mashed sweet potato with flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, a little brown sugar, cold butter and buttermilk. Pat the dough out, cut into rounds and bake at 425°F for 12–15 minutes until golden.

In this post:

1. Why sweet potatoes belong in your winter pantry

2. Sweet potato biscuits recipe

3. Tips for tall, fluffy biscuits

4. 5 ways to serve sweet potato biscuits

5. How to freeze biscuit dough

6. FAQ

1. Why Sweet Potatoes Belong in Your Winter Pantry

Sweet potatoes are one of the best keepers on the homestead. Stored somewhere cool, dry and dark (not the refrigerator), they'll last for weeks. They're also packed with vitamin A and fiber, and they work in everything from breakfast to dessert.

If you grow your own, this recipe is a great way to use up the small or odd-shaped ones that aren't pretty enough for the holiday table.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Prep time: 20 minutes · Cook time: 12–15 minutes · Total time: about 35 minutes (plus time to cook the sweet potato) · Yield: about 10 biscuits

Ingredients

• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

• ½ cup (1 stick, 113 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

• ¾ cup mashed cooked sweet potato, chilled (about 1 medium sweet potato)

• ⅓ to ½ cup cold buttermilk

• 1 tablespoon melted butter, for brushing

Instructions

1. Cook the sweet potato. Pierce a medium sweet potato with a fork and bake at 400°F for 45–60 minutes, or microwave for 5–8 minutes, until very soft. Scoop out the flesh, mash until smooth, and chill completely.

2. Heat the oven. Preheat to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet.

3. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

4. Cut in the butter. Add the cold butter cubes and use a pastry blender, fork or your fingertips to work them in until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.

5. Add the wet ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the mashed sweet potato with ⅓ cup of buttermilk. Pour it into the flour mixture and stir gently with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. If it's too dry, add more buttermilk a tablespoon at a time.

6. Fold the dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Pat it into a rectangle about 1 inch thick, fold it in half like a book, and pat it out again. Repeat 3 or 4 times to build flaky layers.

7. Cut the biscuits. Pat the dough to about ¾ to 1 inch thick. Cut with a floured 2½-inch biscuit cutter, pressing straight down without twisting. Gently re-pat the scraps to cut more.

8. Bake. Place biscuits close together, with sides just touching, so they help each other rise. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until golden on top.

9. Finish. Brush the hot biscuits with melted butter and serve warm.

3. Tips for Tall, Fluffy Biscuits

• Keep everything cold. Cold butter creates steam pockets in the oven, which make flaky layers. On a warm day, chill the cut biscuits for 10 minutes before baking.

• Don't overmix. Stir just until the dough comes together. A few dry spots are fine.

• Cut straight down. Twisting the cutter seals the edges and keeps biscuits from rising as high.

• Start with thick dough. Biscuits only rise so much in the oven, so for tall biscuits, start with dough about 1 inch thick.

• Use soft Southern flour if you can. A low-protein flour like White Lily makes an extra tender biscuit, but regular all-purpose flour works well too.

• Chill the sweet potato. Warm sweet potato will melt the butter before the biscuits hit the oven.

4. 5 Ways to Serve Sweet Potato Biscuits

1. With Honey Butter

Stir together ½ cup softened butter, 2 tablespoons honey and a pinch of cinnamon. Spread it on warm biscuits and try not to eat the whole pan.

2. With Sausage Gravy

The gentle sweetness of the biscuits is perfect with salty, peppery sausage gravy. It's a cozy Saturday breakfast on a cold morning.

3. As Ham or Turkey Sliders

Split the biscuits and fill them with thin slices of ham or leftover Thanksgiving turkey, plus a little mustard or cranberry sauce. They're perfect for the day after the holiday.

4. With Apple Butter

A spoonful of homemade apple butter turns these into a fall treat. (Our fall jam recipes are coming later this month!)

5. Alongside Soup or Stew

Serve them with chili, vegetable soup or our upcoming red lentil stew for a simple, filling winter supper.

5. How to Freeze Biscuit Dough

These biscuits freeze beautifully, so you can have fresh biscuits any morning.

• To freeze unbaked biscuits: Place the cut biscuits on a parchment-lined tray and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen at 425°F, adding 3–5 minutes to the baking time.

• To freeze baked biscuits: Cool completely, wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.

6. Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use canned sweet potatoes?

Yes. Drain them well and mash until smooth. If they were packed in syrup, they'll be sweeter, so you can leave out the brown sugar.

Can I make these without buttermilk?

Yes. Stir ½ tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into ½ cup of milk, let it sit for 5 minutes, and use it in place of buttermilk.

How do I store leftover biscuits?

Keep leftover biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months.

A Simple, Cozy Pantry Bake

There's something about a pan of warm biscuits that makes a house feel like home. I hope these become a fall tradition at your table too.

Did you make these sweet potato biscuits? Tell us how they turned out in the comments, and leave a star rating!

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Hi, I’m Miss B!

Welcome to Little House in the Pines, where our family is learning to live simply and faithfully on our little homestead in the Piney Woods of East Texas. Here you’ll find what we’re growing in the garden, what’s happening in the chicken coop, what’s simmering on the stove, and what the Lord is teaching us through it all.

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Further Reading:

1. How to Make Biscuits Rise High · King Arthur Baking

2. Tips for Better Biscuits · King Arthur Baking

3. Erika Council's Fluffy Biscuits Tip · King Arthur Baking

4. How to Prevent Toppled Biscuits · King Arthur Baking

5. Sweet Potato Selection, Storage and Prep Tips · Nebraska Extension

6. Sweet Potatoes Handout · University of Illinois Extension

7. HappyHealthy Fact Sheet: Sweet Potatoes · Mississippi State University Extension

8. Sweet Potato Produce Spotlight · UMass Extension Nutrition Education Program