Golden Sweet Potato Cornbread is easy to make, vegan friendly, and perfect for your next bowl of chili! This healthy cornbread also features whole grains and no added sugar, but comes out so moist and fluffy, no one will ever know!
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While any time is the right time for cornbread, this version is practically made for fall! It's warm and inviting, with all the fall flavors. This would make a great addition to your Thanksgiving dinner, too!
Our version of cornbread will be perfect alongside your favorite bowl of chili. Try our Low Sodium Mushroom Chili, Three Bean Chili, or White Bean Veggie Chili.
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Heart Health Benefits of Sweet Potato Cornbread
We made a deliberate effort to make a delicious and heart healthy cornbread recipe. This recipe has no added sugar, and is low in saturated fat and sodium, and naturally cholesterol free.
Our ingredients make up a recipe rich in phytonutrients from whole grains, fiber, carotenoids, and soy isoflavones, all of which are associated with lower heart diseases risk.
Macronutrients
Sweet potato cornbread low in saturated fat, and because we use olive oil instead of butter, it is a good source of monounsaturated fats. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats like olive oil can increase HDL (the "good" cholesterol), lower triglycerides, and lower blood pressure (1, 2).
We use naturally sweet sweet potatoes in this recipe, so there is no added sugar, in addition to being low in total sugar. Added sugar is a known contributor to heart disease, so reducing the amount of added sugar we consume is a good step in cardiovascular disease prevention/treatment (3). It is also a good source of fiber, which helps to control blood sugar, satiety, and blood cholesterol!
Micronutrients, Phytonutrients, and Antioxidants
Using sweet potatoes makes this cornbread a good source of vitamin A and other carotenoids that help reduce oxidative stress (inflammation) (4).
Of note, corn has the highest antioxidant activity among commonly used grains, like rice, wheat, and oats (5)!
Other major phytonutrients and antioxidants at play in this recipe are:
- Lutein and zeaxanthin - (in whole grain cornmeal) reduced inflammation and may help prevent cognitive decline (6, 7);
- Ferulic acid - (in whole grain cornmeal and whole wheat flour) a phenolic acid with strong antioxidant activity, it's one of the most well studied and most abundant phenolic acid in whole grains (8); and
- Genistein and daidzein - (in soy milk) soy isoflavones that can help lower LDL cholesterol and improve heart health markers (9, 10).
Ingredients
We use a mix of whole grains to maximize the healthfulness of the recipe, while using sweet potatoes as both a binder and a sweetener! Here's what you'll need:
- Whole grain cornmeal
- Whole wheat flour
- Mashed sweet potato
- Unsweetened soy milk (or dairy/non dairy milk of choice)
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Baking soda
- Salt
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
The steps for this recipe are easy, and similar to most other cornbread recipes. Here's how!
- Step 1: Pour the lemon juice into the soy milk, and stir. Set aside.
- Step 2: Combine the dry ingredients with a whisk.
- Step 3: Add the soy milk/lemon juice mixture and the sweet potato mash to a blender, and blend on high until uniform.
- Step 4: Pour in the olive oil and pulse to combine.
- Step 5: Pour the sweet potato mixture into the dry ingredients.
- Step 6: Stir to bring together into a batter until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Step 7: Transfer the batter to a greased baking pan.
- Step 8: Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Hint: Do not overmix the batter! The cornbread can end up flat and chewy.
Substitutions
Here are a few substitutions for this recipe!
- Milk - use cow's milk or any dairy free milk substitute you like
- Sweet potato - pumpkin, butternut squash or even carrot puree will work, but you may want to add a sweetener since these aren't as sweet as sweet potatoes
- Whole wheat flour - you can use an all purpose gluten free flour with a 1-to-1 substitution ratio instead, but this may not be whole grain
- Oil - good oils to sub here are avocado oil, grapeseed oil or peanut oil
Equipment
For this recipe, you will need some basic kitchen tools, like measuring cups and spoons, a mixing bowl, and a spoon. The cornbread bakes in an 8x8 pan (brownie pan size), so you will need one of similar size.
A blender is also used here. A high speed blender is not needed for this particular recipe, so use whatever you have. You could also whisk the milk and sweet potato together as long as the sweet potato is mashed very well and not stringy.
Storage
Cool the cornbread completely and store in an airtight container or zipper bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. It will last up to 5 days stored in the refrigerator.
I have not tried freezing this sweet potato cornbread, but I don't see why you couldn't. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and then aluminum foil. Freeze solid for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature and eat within a day. Warming it gently in the oven or a toaster oven will help with any "off" freezer flavors.
Pro tip
If you have forgotten to bake the sweet potatoes, they can be cooked quickly in the microwave or on the stove.
For microwave: scrub the sweet potatoes and pierce with a fork multiple times. Place on a microwave safe dish, and cook on high for 5-10 minutes. Add time as needed until the sweet potatoes are soft. Handle with care! They are HOT!
For the stove: scrub, peel, and chop the sweet potatoes. Put them in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until they are soft. Drain.
FAQ
Don't go any coarser than medium grind, or your cornbread will end up too gritty and may not hold together. Most people will probably enjoy sweet potato cornbread made with finely ground cornmeal best, but medium grind will also work well (and is what I used in the photos).
I really don't recommend a substitute for that, since it's a main ingredient. If you really wanted to, I think you could use applesauce instead. Technically, you could use another mashed veggie, like carrots, butternut squash, or pumpkin, but those are not quite as sweet, so you might want to add some sweetener to your batter.
My goal was to make a lightly sweet, added sugar free cornbread. But if you have your added sugar intake under control, and really like a sweeter cornbread, you can add about ¼ - ½ cup sugar to this recipe. I don't recommend using honey or maple syrup in the batter, since it's already quite moist.
Related
Looking for more healthy bread recipes? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this vegan sweet potato cornbread:
📖 Recipe
Sweet Potato Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsweetened Soy Milk
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 cup Whole Grain Cornmeal
- 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Mashed Sweet Potato
- ⅓ cup Olive Oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F.
- Pour the lemon juice into the soy milk, and stir. Set aside. It will become lumpy and curdled while the acid in the lemon juice denatures the protein in the milk; this is normal.
- Lightly spray an 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray (or oil).
- Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
- Using a blender, blend the sweet potato and milk until very smooth. Without a blender, you could use a whisk, and vigorously beat the mixture until smooth.
- Add the oil to the blender and pulse a few times until it is incorporated into the mixture.
- Pour the sweet potato mixture into the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Bake 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool about 10 minutes in the pan, before removing to a cooling rack. Slice when completely cooled.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate, and will change based on the brand and individual ingredients and amounts you use. This is provided for your convenience only.
Food safety
These are important safety tips for sweet potato cornbread:
- Wash hands before beginning, whenever they are soiled, and after touching face, hair, pets, etc.
- Cook foods completely through
- Do not taste the raw batter. Even without raw eggs in it, raw flour is not a ready-to-eat product and can harbor illness-causing bacteria.
- Never leave cooking food unattended
nellbergmann says
Hi Laura,
Made your Sweet Potato Cornbread. It came out really well.
However, the next day it was dry but the "good news" is that I placed it in the micro-wave for about 12 seconds and it came out as moist as when it came out of the oven.
Have a wonderful and Merry Christmas.
. Nilda
Laura Yautz says
Thanks so much Nilda! Glad you liked the cornbread, and a quick zap in the microwave sounds like a great fix to add moisture. Appreciate you coming back to review!