Sweet Potato Biscuits

Recipe by Sheri Castle
18 Reviews 4.3 out of 5 stars

Southern food writer Sheri Castle says this is her favorite biscuit. She comes from the land of biscuits, so that's saying something! Among their many charms is that they can, and should be, made ahead of time and served at room temperature. The flavors get even better after the first day. Another wonderful thing about these biscuits is that the dough is far more forgiving of handling, re-rolling, and multiple cuttings than traditional biscuits. If you've never had much luck with biscuit making, these will change your fortunes.

Prep
25 mins
Bake
20 mins
Total
45 mins
Yield
15 medium (2 1/2") biscuits
Save Recipe
Sweet Potato Biscuits - select to zoom
Sweet Potato Biscuits - select to zoom
Sweet Potato Biscuits - select to zoom
Sweet Potato Biscuits - select to zoom

Instructions

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

  2. To make the dough: Mix together the flour, baking powder, sea salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and mace in a large bowl. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips to work in the shortening until the mixture is crumbly.

  3. Stir in the sweet potato with a fork. Slowly add the cream, starting with 1/2 cup, and stir until the dough comes together and pulls in all of the dry ingredients. Add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary.

  4. To shape and cut: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth and supple, about 8 turns. Roll or pat the dough 3/4" thick.

  5. Cut out the biscuits with a round cutter. If the cutter sticks, dip it into some flour between cuts. Push the cutter straight down without twisting so that the biscuits can rise to their full potential. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet.

  6. To bake: Bake until the biscuits are firm and spring back when lightly touched on top, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool to room temperature. Store at room temperature in an airtight container overnight before serving.

Tips from our Bakers

  • Want to use fresh pumpkin purée rather than canned? It’s simple to make your own; see how it’s done.

Baker’s Resources