Sweet Potato Biscuits Recipe

Prep

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it. If you haven't already cooked the sweet potato, roast or microwave one medium sweet potato until tender, scoop out flesh, and mash until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

Combine dry ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and granulated sugar until evenly distributed.

Cut in butter

Cut the very cold unsalted butter into small cubes. Using a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized bits of butter remaining. Work quickly to keep butter cold.

Mix wet ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the mashed sweet potato, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.

Form dough

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the sweet potato mixture. Stir gently with a wooden spoon or spatula just until the dough comes together and no large streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix; the dough should be slightly sticky but manageable. If too wet, add up to 2 tablespoons more flour; if too dry, add a tablespoon of buttermilk.

Turn out and fold

Lightly flour a work surface and turn the dough out. With floured hands, gently pat the dough into a rectangle about 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick. Fold the dough over onto itself 2-3 times to create layers, then gently pat again to 1-inch thickness. This folding creates flakiness.

Cut biscuits

Using a 2.5-inch round biscuit cutter or a floured glass, press straight down without twisting to cut rounds. Gather scraps, gently re-pat to 1-inch thickness, and cut additional rounds. You should have about 8–10 biscuits depending on cutter size.

Bake

Place biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart for slightly crisper sides or touching for taller biscuits. Brush tops lightly with a little buttermilk or melted butter if desired. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 12–16 minutes, rotating the pan once at 8 minutes, until golden brown on top and cooked through. An inserted toothpick should come out clean and bottoms should be lightly browned.

Cool

Remove baking sheet from the oven and transfer biscuits to a wire rack. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving to set the crumb.

While biscuits bake, make the cinnamon honey butter. In a small bowl, combine the softened unsalted butter, honey, ground cinnamon, and salt. Use a fork or small spatula to mash and stir until smooth and fully incorporated. Taste and adjust honey or cinnamon if desired. Stir in the optional lemon zest for a bright note.

Transfer the butter to a small serving dish. For a smoother presentation, whip the mixture 20–30 seconds with a handheld mixer or whisk until light and fluffy. Keep at room temperature until ready to serve; if making ahead, refrigerate and bring to room temperature before serving.

Serve: Split warm sweet potato biscuits and spread with generous amounts of cinnamon honey butter. Store leftover biscuits in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month; thaw and warm before serving. Store butter covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.