Flaky Southern Sweet Potato Biscuits Recipe

There’s nothing like a warm, homemade biscuit, and these sweet potato biscuits take that comfort to the next level. Light, tender and full of fall flavor, they’re a wonderful addition to any autumn meal. Serve them as a festive holiday side, dunk them into a bowl of soup or chili, or enjoy one with butter and jam for breakfast.

I use sweet potatoes year-round, but there’s something especially comforting about them in the cooler months. Their natural sweetness and vibrant color add instant seasonal charm to breads and sides.

My Instant Pot mashed sweet potatoes and rosemary-parmesan roasted sweet potatoes are regulars at our table, but I love changing things up by folding sweet potato purée into biscuit dough for a slightly sweet, extra-tender result.

These biscuits are still flaky and buttery, but the sweet potato brings a soft texture, lovely color and a hint of natural sweetness that pairs beautifully with savory mains and breakfast spreads alike.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• Light, fluffy biscuits with tangy buttermilk and subtle sweet potato flavor—perfect for fall menus.
• Quick and simple: from start to finish these take about 45 minutes.
• Make ahead friendly: the biscuits freeze well and can be stored for later use.
• Versatile: enjoy them for breakfast, as a holiday side, as sliders, or for dunking in soups and stews.

Recipe ingredients

Between the butter, buttermilk and sweet potato purée, these biscuits come out tender and flaky every time.

Ingredient notes

• All-purpose flour: If the dough feels sticky, add a tablespoon more flour at a time while handling the dough gently—avoid overworking it.
• Brown sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness and depth; omit it if you prefer a savory biscuit. You can also add fresh herbs or warm spices to suit your menu.
• Sweet potato purée: Canned sweet potato purée is a convenient shortcut, but you can easily make your own by baking or microwaving whole sweet potatoes and puréeing the flesh until smooth.
• Buttermilk: If you don’t have buttermilk, stir 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice into 1 cup milk and let it sit 10–15 minutes to thicken slightly.

How to make this recipe

This sweet potato biscuit recipe is straightforward and delivers tender, buttery biscuits every time.

Pro tip: Canned sweet potato purée saves time, but homemade purée works great—just cool it before using.

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender, fork or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse, pea-sized crumbs.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the sweet potato purée with the buttermilk until smooth.
5. Gently fold the sweet potato mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined. If the dough seems sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time, taking care not to overwork the dough.
6. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a 1″ thick circle. Use a 2″ biscuit cutter to cut rounds; re-form scraps and cut again until all dough is used.
7. Place biscuits about 1″ apart on the prepared baking sheet and bake on the middle rack for 10–15 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool briefly and serve warm.

FAQs

Recipe variations

• Omit the sugar and add savory spices like chili powder, smoked paprika or cayenne.
• Fold in fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary or sage for a savory twist.
• Add warm spices—cinnamon, cardamom or pumpkin pie spice—if you want sweeter, autumn-forward biscuits.
• Swap the sweet potato purée for pumpkin or butternut squash to change the flavor profile.

Serving suggestions

• Serve warm for breakfast with jam and butter or alongside a breakfast casserole or frittata.
• Split and fill with pulled chicken or pulled pork for hearty game-day sliders.
• Pair with roasted chicken, turkey breast or pork chops as a seasonal side.
• These biscuits are excellent for dunking into vegetable soup, chili, or stews.
• Bring them to holiday gatherings—They make an appealing addition to Thanksgiving or Christmas menus.

Recipe notes

• To make homemade sweet potato purée: Pierce whole sweet potatoes with a fork, microwave or roast until tender, scoop out the flesh, cool slightly and purée until smooth. Chill before using.
• If dough is sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time and be gentle—overworking will make the biscuits dense.
• No buttermilk? Mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice with 1 cup milk and let sit 10 minutes.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days.

More easy bread recipes you’ll love:

• Blueberry maple skillet cornbread
• Homemade flaky biscuits
• Honey cornbread muffins
• Apricot orange Irish soda bread
• One-hour rosemary focaccia
• Buttery maple skillet cornbread

Did you try this recipe? If so, please leave a review below and tag @flavorthemoments on social so I can see what you made!

This recipe was originally published in September 2014. Photos and step-by-step images have been updated and the text revised to provide more recipe details.