22 Quick and Easy Recipes in 30 Minutes (or less) + 5 Chef Secrets To Make You A Better Cook!

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Tested & Perfected Recipes

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.

Perfectly fluffy with just the right touch of sweetness, these buttery sweet potato biscuits from Paula Deen are an instant favorite at any table.

Basket of sweet potato biscuits.

A few years back, when I was up to my elbows in turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving day, I realized I had forgotten to buy bread to serve with our dinner. It was way too late to send my husband to the store, so as soon as my sister walked through the door, I handed her a stack of cookbooks and said, “Quick, find an easy biscuit recipe!” Wisely, she settled on these fluffy sweet potato biscuits adapted from Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible. They were an absolute hit—so much so, my family begged me to make them again for breakfast the next day. And for a special treat, try them with the optional honey butter—it’s a heavenly match!

“Man, these were sooooo good! I make biscuits/scones all the time but the sweet potato and honey butter combo were out of this world!!”

Nora

What you’ll need to make Sweet potato biscuits

sweet potato biscuits ingredients

Step-by-step Instructions

You’ll need 1 cup of mashed sweet potatoes for this recipe. To make them, peel a medium sweet potato and chop it into cubes. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the sweet potato and cook until very tender, 13 to 15 minutes.

Pot of boiling sweet potatoes.

Drain.

draining sweet potatoes

Then mash with a fork.

mashing sweet potatoes with a fork

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed sweet potatoes and milk. Set aside.

sweet potatoes and milk in large bowl

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the flour, corn starch, sugar, baking powder and salt; process for a few seconds to mix.

blended dry ingredients in food processor

Add the chunks of cold butter.

adding chunks of cold butter to flour mixture

Pulse a few times until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size chunks of butter within. (Alternatively, this can be done by hand using a pastry cutter or your fingers.)

blended flour and butter mixture

Transfer the flour mixture to the bowl with the sweet potato mixture.

sweet potato mixture and flour/butter mixture in bowl

Fold until the mixture is just moistened and holds together; do not overwork the dough.

sweet potato biscuit dough

Sprinkle a small handful of flour on a clean work surface, and turn the dough out onto the surface.

floured dough on work surface

Knead lightly 3 or 4 times with the palm of your hand until the mixture comes together into a smooth ball.

smooth ball of dough

Pat the dough into a rectangle about ¾ inch thick.

dough patted into large rectangle

Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into thirds.

dough cut into thirds

Stack the pieces on top of one another.

Stacked dough on a floured countertop.

Pat out into a rectangle about ¾ in thick again, flouring the surface lightly as needed to prevent the dough from sticking. Cut the dough into thirds again, and stack the pieces on top of one another. Pat into a rectangle with a final thickness of about ¾ inch.

dough patted into large rectangle

Dust the blade of a sharp knife with flour and cut the dough into twelve even squares (they will seem small). Transfer the squares to the prepared baking sheet.

sweet potato biscuits ready to bake

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until the biscuits are lightly golden on top and golden on the bottom.

baked sweet potato biscuits

The biscuits are best served warm out of the oven (though a few minutes in the oven will revive slightly older biscuits).

Basket of sweet potato biscuits.

“Great easy recipe and so tasty! Love that touch of sweetness and the honey butter is a must!”

Kim

You may also like

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Perfectly fluffy with just the right touch of sweetness, these buttery sweet potato biscuits from Paula Deen are an instant favorite at any table.

Servings: Makes about 10 biscuits
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Total Time: 50 Minutes

Ingredients

For the Biscuits

  • 1 cup mashed sweet potatoes (from 1 medium sweet potato; see note)
  • ½ cup whole milk, plus 2 more tablespoons as needed
  • 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with back edge of knife
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2½ tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick (½ cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

For the Honey Butter (Optional)

  • 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

For the Biscuits

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed sweet potatoes and ½ cup milk. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the flour, corn starch, sugar, baking powder and salt; process for a few seconds to mix. Add the chunks of cold butter, then pulse a few times until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-size chunks of butter within. (Alternatively, this can be done by hand using a pastry cutter or your fingers.)
  4. Transfer the flour mixture to the bowl with the sweet potato mixture. Using a rubber spatula, fold until the mixture is just moistened and holds together, adding up to 2 more tablespoons of milk if needed; do not overwork the dough.
  5. Sprinkle a small handful of flour on a clean work surface. Turn the dough out onto the surface and knead lightly 3 or 4 times with the palm of your hand until the mixture comes together into a smooth ball. Pat the dough into a rectangle about ¾ inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into thirds. Stack the pieces on top of one another and pat out into a rectangle about ¾ in thick again, flouring the surface lightly as needed to prevent the dough from sticking. Cut the dough into thirds again, and stack the pieces on top of one another. Pat into another rectangle with a final thickness of about ¾ inch. Dust the blade of a sharp knife with flour and cut the dough into twelve even squares (they will seem small). Transfer the squares to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until the biscuits are lightly golden on top and golden on the bottom. The biscuits are best served warm out of the oven (though a few minutes in the oven will revive slightly older biscuits).

For the Optional Honey Butter

  1. In a small bowl, beat together the butter, honey and cinnamon. Serve at room temperature.
  2. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The biscuits can be baked and then frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. To reheat, wrap them in aluminum foil and warm in a 350°F oven until hot.
  3. Note: To prepare mashed sweet potatoes, peel one sweet potato and chop into cubes. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the sweet potato and cook until very tender, 13 to 15 minutes. Drain and mash with a fork.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Serving size: 1 biscuit
  • Calories: 157
  • Fat: 7 g
  • Saturated fat: 5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 20 g
  • Sugar: 4 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 3 g
  • Sodium: 125 mg
  • Cholesterol: 19 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

See more recipes:

Comments

  • Absolutely delicious! My dough was pretty wet using exact measurements and I only had enough for the recipe but next time I’ll make sure I have more on hand lol. Still delicious! Will be making again and again

    • — Jada on December 7, 2023
    • Reply
  • Made these for dinner tonight, and they were a big hit. While I make biscuits following your best biscuit recipe, these were a slight change and really tasty. I used whole grain Sonora flour, (that is the flour I had on hand) from Bluebird Grain Farms, and needed to add a bit more moisture but they were perfect and a bit healthier due to the whole grain flour. I have been using whole grain flour for most of my recipes , like Einkorn, Pastayen Hard Wheat and others. Love this recipe and my family loved them too.

    • — Neil on December 3, 2023
    • Reply
  • Can the dough be made ahead of time – say 2 days ahead – and stored in refrigerator?

    • — PAMELA on November 21, 2023
    • Reply
    • Yep – enjoy!

      • — Jenn on November 21, 2023
      • Reply
  • Hi Jenn-
    Wondering why you don’t have the recipe listed with the honey butter anymore? I make these biscuits every Thanksgiving and the honey butter is a highlight! I went to share with a friend and don’t see the honey butter ….

    • — Heidi on November 20, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Heidi, Here it is: In a small bowl, beat together 1 stick of softened butter, 2 tablespoons honey, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on November 21, 2023
      • Reply
  • Can you use a rolling pin to flat/roll out dough?

    • — Lynda Sun Lee on November 18, 2023
    • Reply
    • Sure 🙂

      • — Jenn on November 20, 2023
      • Reply
  • Snaps all around. The most buttery, flaky, melt-in-your-mouth biscuit I’ve ever eaten.

    • — Jill on March 2, 2023
    • Reply
    • Flakey and moist. Not too sweet. Good use of the leftover roasted sweet potatoes I froze a few weeks ago. I put the biscuits back in the fridge for the butter to chill for a few minutes. Other than that, I stuck to the recipe.

      • — Darlene on October 9, 2023
      • Reply
  • I had been wanting some Sweet Potato biscuits like my mom use to make. This recipe is amazing. I did add more sweet potato as I really like sweet potatoes and a little more sugar. Did not effect the recipe at all. Try with some Honey Butter or Country Ham or both. Made these to go with my and my husbands Valentine dinner. We had eaten half of them before dinner was even ready. With that being said, they make a good appetizer as well.

    • — Wanda on February 15, 2023
    • Reply
  • TOTALLY AWESOME & DELICIOUS!! Decided to try these on Thanksgiving. Everyone loved them and I have made them several times since. I make sure a sweet potato is on my weekly shopping list as so easy to put together! The honey butter really compliments the biscuits. A time saver is to make the biscuit dough ahead, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake. Bring the dough to room temperature and then pat the dough as directed. I use a round cookie cutter.

    • — Kathy with a K on January 7, 2023
    • Reply
    • The first time I made these I DID NOT do the stacking technique…didn’t understand exactly why… in a hurry, etc…they were good, BUT the 2nd time, I thought, OK, I can do this. Oh, my heavens! They were so good that next morning still very edible! I had one cold without butter AND another using toaster with some maple butter. SO GOOD! Thanks for the recipe!

      • — Taffy on August 27, 2023
      • Reply
  • Love the recipe! Slightly sweet, light, fluffy, easy to make, and complimented my after Christmas meals of soup and breakfast sandwiches. I’ve made a few times now, both the square cut shown in the recipe and round 2 1/2” biscuits. Thank you!

    • — Susan Coats on December 30, 2022
    • Reply
  • I may have missed this answer, but if you freeze the unbaked biscuits, should you bake them frozen or thaw them?

    • — Wendy Fasen on December 6, 2022
    • Reply
    • No need to thaw them before baking — they may just take a few extra minutes in the oven. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on December 6, 2022
      • Reply
  • A friend makes a very similar recipe every year for Thanksgiving – they are delicious & freeze well raw so you can just bake last minute- she sprinkles hers with sesame seeds!

    • — Jill on December 6, 2022
    • Reply
  • I’ve searched for and couldn’t find the honey butter recipe that goes with these biscuits. Help Please!

    • — MIM on November 23, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi MIM, In a small bowl, beat together 1 stick of softened butter, 2 tablespoons honey, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Hope that helps!

      • — Jenn on November 23, 2022
      • Reply
  • I haven’t made these yet because I need to know if I can freeze them after I bake them. Can you answer? Thanks!

    • — Susan on November 20, 2022
    • Reply
    • Yes, you can also freeze them raw and bake them directly from the freezer. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on November 20, 2022
      • Reply
      • you made my day. thanks for the info!

        • — Susan on November 21, 2022
        • Reply
  • These are delicious. A great way to use up am extra sweet potato too!

    • — Allie on October 4, 2022
    • Reply
  • These are by far my favourite biscuits – I make them all the time!! I’m planning to try and make them for my friend with celiac disease, and wondering if gluten-free flour would work or be a total flop? 🙂

    • So glad you like them, Amber! I’ve never made a gluten-free version of them, but one reader commented that she did and was happy with how they came out. A number of readers have commented that they have good luck with King Arthur gluten-free flour and Cup4Cup gluten-free flour. Please LMK how they turn out if you try it!

  • turned out great thanks for recipe,will make again

  • Jen-

    Could I substitute full fat coconut milk for the whole milk? I just realized that I’m out of milk and am trying to avoid another run to the grocery store.

    • Hi Tracy, I think it will work. Enjoy!

  • Good morning let me tell you the sweet potato biscuits are the bomb they were great nice and brown rise just as I like the just butter on them was enough thank you Aug.13,2021. Evangeline Pinkney. Queen Anne County Md.

    • — Evangeline Pinkney
    • Reply
  • Hi Jenn!

    My family and I love all of your recipes 🙂 I was just wondering if you would be able to add the metric measurements to this one. The little toggle doesn’t seem to be working. Thanks so much!

    • So glad you like the recipes! I just added the metric conversions for these. Enjoy!

  • I made these because I had some extra sweet potatoes lying around and they were delicious just like all of your other recipes I’ve tried! I usually make square biscuits and I accidentally made 8 instead of 10. They just needed a little extra time in the oven, but so good!

  • This recipe was so perfect that I made these biscuits several nights in a row! The flavor that the sweet potatoes add is amazing. They are the perfect balance of sweet/savory, so they are great to use with honey butter or regular salted butter as well. These were such a hit at home, and really easy to whip up quickly to compliment any dinner. Absolutely LOVE these!

  • Excellent. I am from Savannah and love my biscuits, and the honey butter is so good.

  • Best sweet potato biscuits ever! I made recipe as instructed except used buttermilk instead of milk. As a baking practice, I measure everything in metric. Biscuits fluffy and tender! Served with the honey butter (cut that recipe in half). Even won over husband who isn’t a big sweet potato fan. Served with NC hickory bacon, fried eggs and tomato slices.

  • These are absolutely delicious! I made these along with Honey/Cinnamon butter which was also amazing! We have friends coming over for dinner and the lady is GF and dairy free. I made the biscuits with KA gluten free flour (Measure for Measure) and Earth Balance butter subsitute. We had to taste them – Wow!!! I also made a butter substitute for our friend. Love them! Love your website! Thank you!!! Cheryl

    • — Cheryl Johnsen
    • Reply
  • Delicious and a great way to use the last of Jenn’s maple mashed sweet potatoes (adjusted the recipe slightly because the maple mash is very sweet). Served with Jenn’s coconut shrimp and her Asian slaw. As always with Jenn’s recipes, everyone raved!

    • It looks like you changed this recipe from what you had previously posted. That recipe was amazing! Why did you change it? Also, can you link to the old recipe?

      • — Caron Della Flora on August 27, 2023
      • Reply
      • Hi Caron, I took new pictures of the biscuits a while back, and I believe the only thing I changed in the recipe was making the measurements for the sweet potato more concise. There were no other significant changes.

        • — Jenn on August 29, 2023
        • Reply
        • Usually do not review but this was a first for sweet potato biscuits… very tasty and family loves it with the honey butter. Also added a taste of brown sugar in the honey butter and it gave the perfect bite! I’ll be making again. Thanks for the recipe!

          • — Audrey on January 14, 2024
          • Reply
  • These are to die for! So tender and flavorful. (I just use the traditional biscuit method rather than a food processor.)

  • Fabulous recipe with good instructions. They turned out perfectly using my home grown sweet potatoes.

  • These were so easy to make and delicious. My dough was pretty sticky so I did not roll it out and made drop biscuits. I cooked them for 15 minutes and they were perfect! Thank you, Jenn.

  • Oh my word. These are fantastic. Just in case anyone is wondering, these can be made with great results using Japanese yellow sweet potato. They were pale yellow, not orange but absolutely delicious!

  • Do you think, in a time crunch, the sweet potato could be substituted for canned pumpkin puree?

    • Definitely!

  • These biscuits are delicious…a special treat with the honey butter!
    Using a sharp biscuit or cookie cutter rather than a glass allows them to rise higher as the glass kind of compresses and seals the edges making them stick together and not allowing the full rise to happen. With that much baking powder they get nice and fluffy and you can see the flaky layers if using a thin metal cutter.
    They also worked well but molding the dough into a circle and cutting into triangles with a sharp knife.
    Thank you for another fantastic recipe Jenn!!!!

  • Man, these were sooooo good! I make biscuits/scones all the time but the sweet potato and honey butter combo were out of this world!!

  • Delicious!

  • Some of the best!!! I’m a foodie and love to cook. I will definitely use this biscuit and honey recipe over and over again.

  • Pretty good biscuit. A good use for leftover sweet potato, but probably not worth mashing some sweet potato for it. It was tender, but generally didn’t have the rise or fluffiness I expect from a biscuit. It’d be nice if the recipe specified kosher or table salt. Likewise if it specified cassia or verum cinnamon, I strongly suspect it’s cassia.

  • HI Jenn,
    I made these tonight because I had a sweet potato and wanted to use it with my fish dinner. I used a large one and the dough came out really sticky. I kept adding flour until I could work with the dough..probably a cup or more extra flour. After they were cooked they tasted like too much flour. I probably should have measured the sweet potato, correct? I liked the honey butter!

    • — Theresa Benson
    • Reply
    • Yes, Theresa, because the ratios are so important to getting good results when baking, I would suggest measuring the sweet potato if you try these again. 🙂

      • These sweet potato biscuits are the bomb. Serious Question, Have you ever really eaten a biscuit in your life? How do you stay so fit making all theses amazing recipes?!?Asking for a friend.

        • LOL — glad you like them! Yes, I do eat biscuits periodically. 🙂

          On days that I am testing recipes, I really don’t eat regular meals. That part is actually not that hard…you know how when you’re cooking all day for a holiday or something, and you lose your appetite by the time you sit down to eat? That’s exactly how I feel when I’m working in the kitchen all day.

          On all other days, I do have regular meals but I try to have small portions and do my best to avoid refined carbs and sweets unless it’s a special occasion.

  • Delicious! I made the biscuits and froze the dough and baked them at a later time per the directions. They turned out perfect! Thanks for the recipe.

    • I’m thinking of freezing them ahead of time too for Thanksgiving. Did you thaw them before baking them off or put them in frozen? Thanks!

  • I’m always nervous when making biscuits or any recipe with a dough really so I was quite surprised that these worked out so nicely! I made them to serve with your chicken chili with white beans & my hubby couldn’t get enough of them or the honey butter. He was still talking about them the next day so definitely a winner in my house! Thanks for making it so easy with the pictures & step by step…helped a lot! I purchased your book….just waiting to receive it….can’t wait!!!!

    • So glad you and your hubby enjoyed these – I hope you enjoy the cookbook just a much! ❤️

  • Great easy recipe and so tasty! Love that touch of sweetness and the honey butter is a must! Thanks Jennifer!

Add a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.