Sweet Potato Biscuits

A flaky and fluffy biscuit with a little sweetness
1 hour 5 minutes Total Time
40 minutes to prep
20 minutes to bake
5 minutes to cool
Comments
9 biscuits

I've been making these biscuits since 2003 when this recipe was first published in Everyday Foods. They are a great option for Thanksgiving if you have space in an oven. I have not changed the recipe much other than adjusting the salt and making square biscuits instead of round. There are two reasons for trying square biscuits. First, they are much easier to cut that way. Second, cutting with a sharp knife will help create taller biscuits with layers. Using a biscuit cutter can compress the edges of the biscuits and they do not get as tall. 

I am using two sweet medium sweet potatoes to make sure I have enough. I had enough to make this recipe two times with some leftover. You can use one large sweet potato instead. The puree can be frozen to use again in the future. You can also make the sweet potato puree ahead of time and save in the refrigerator. 

Make sure that the buttermilk and puree mixture is not still warm when you add it to the flour and butter mixture. You don't want the butter to melt. 

The cut biscuits could be put in the freezer before baking. Many people like being able to bake biscuits as needed. I prefer to bake them all at once, freeze the extras and then reheat in an oven for a short while. 

 

Ingredients

Directions

  • Gather and prep ingredients. The oven will need to be preheated to 425°, but cooking the sweet potatoes will take some time. Just make sure to start the oven before they are done cooking.
    Step 0
  • Put the cut potatoes in a saucepan, and completely cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cook until soft enough that a knife can be inserted into potatoes with ease, about 15-20 minutes.
    Step 1
  • Drain the potatoes and puree using a food processor or blender. I used a mini-processor which required doing it in two steps. You could mash by hand, but just make sure to remove all lumps completely.
    Step 2
  • Measure out 3/4 cup of puree. Let it cool a bit while mixing the dry ingredients.
    Step 3
  • Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.
    Step 4
  • Add the butter and cut into the flour. I like to use a pastry blender, but you can use two knives to cut across the butter until the butter pieces are pea-sized and smaller.
    Step 5
  • Whisk the sweet potatoes with the buttermilk together in a small bowl or measuring cup.
    Step 6
  • Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture. Stir gently. It does not need to be completely incorporated and the mixture will still look dry.
    Step 7
  • On a lightly floured counter, turn out the mixture. With clean hands, gather and knead to bring the dough together. It will still be a little bumpy and you may see pieces of butter.
    Step 8
  • Pat the dough an approximately 7" square.
    Step 9
  • With a sharp chef's knife, trim off the edges. Set them aside. Cut the dough into 9 pieces by cutting it into thirds.
    Step 10
  • Roll up the trim edges into spirals. Place the spirals and the biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 18-22 minutes. Rotate the sheet halfway through the cooking time. Biscuits are done when golden brown.
    Step 11
  • Remove biscuits and cool for a few minutes on the pan. Serve. Leftover biscuits can be frozen. The extra sweet potato puree can also be frozen and used for this recipe in the future.
    Step 12

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