This Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Cornbread is moist, flavorful, and warmly spiced. Made with almond flour and naturally sweetened with maple syrup! Serve this skillet cornbread with your favorite soups, stews, chilis, and entrees. Dairy-free.
Whether it is with your next bowl of chili or Thanksgiving dinner, this moist gluten-free cornbread is the perfect side dish.
A moist, tender crumb is made possible by the use of almond flour and cornmeal, cooked sweet potatoes, and maple syrup.
Jump to:
Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy homemade cornbread
- Simple ingredients
- Gluten-free and dairy-free
Ingredients and substitutions
Here are a few quick notes about the main ingredients in this recipe. You can see a complete list of ingredients and instructions in the recipe card below.
Cornmeal - Medium ground cornmeal or fine corn flour work great in this recipe.
The texture will be slightly different; yellow cornmeal has more a rustic feel. Corn flour (in the US) or fine cornmeal, is finely ground corn that has a smoother floury texture. This is not gluten-free starch.
Almond flour - Gives our gluten-free cornbread a tender crumb. This is a great gluten-free flour to always have stocked in the pantry.
Fresh sweet potatoes - This recipe uses cooked sweet potato mash. This is recommended.
If needed, canned cut whole sweet potatoes (no sugar/syrup added) can be substituted or frozen sweet potatoes that have been cooked and mashed. Canned sweet potato puree can be used as well.
Maple syrup - The flavor of pure maple syrup compliments the sweet potato flavor. This unrefined sweetener is nicely sweet, but not too sweet. No white sugar here!
Almond milk - Unsweetened almond milk or any unsweetened plant-based milk can be used.
Coconut milk, cashew milk, and soy milk will all work well. If dairy in not an issue, regular cow's milk can also be utilized.
Apple cider vinegar - A little bit of this ingredient will combine with the milk to create our dairy-free buttermilk. With the addition of the sweet potato, the buttermilk helps to create a moist crumb.
Eggs - Three large eggs act as our binder and one of our leavening agents.
Vegan butter - The use of dairy-free butter creates that buttery flavor that enhances our sweet cornbread.
If dairy is not an issue, regular cow's milk butter can be used.
Step-by-step instructions
Before you start: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put stick of butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet and place on middle rack in oven until butter is melted.
Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients, cornmeal, almond flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and ground cinnamon.
Step 2: In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat maple syrup and sweet potatoes. Beat in eggs, followed by vanilla extract.
In batches, alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk to the sweet potato mixture.
Step 3: When butter has melted in skillet, remove from oven. Pour melted butter into the cornbread batter. Mix until evenly incorporated in batter.
Step 4: Pour batter into skillet and place skillet on the middle oven rack. Bake cornbread for 25-35 minutes until golden brown.
Helpful tips
- Make sure your cooked mashed sweet potatoes have cooled before mixing with the eggs.
- Don't have apple cider vinegar to make the dairy-free buttermilk? Fresh lemon juice works great in its place.
- Allow the tender cornbread to cool in the skillet for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Equipment
Besides two mixing bowls, measuring cups, whisk, and a rubber spatula, you'll need the following kitchen tools:
- 12-inch cast iron or oven-proof skillet
- Electric mixer
Don't have an electric mixer? Stirring by hand works just fine!
Storage
To store, first let the cornbread to cool completely. Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Serving suggestions
Sweet potato cornbread pairs well with the following:
- A slather of butter, cinnamon honey butter, or maple butter. Even honey almond butter!
- Hearty chili like this seasonal pumpkin white bean chili or quinoa chili
- Soups like this potato cauliflower soup, curried broccoli soup, or creamy sweet potato soup
- Fresh, sauteed or braised greens or hearty salads
- Roast or fried chicken - it would be great alongside these Dutch oven maple peach chicken thighs!
- Barbeque
And after the meal, don't forget dessert! Use any leftover sweet potato for these vegan sweet potato brownies.
FAQs
Traditional cornbread contains gluten due to the use of wheat flour. Gluten-free cornbread can be made using a combination of cornmeal and gluten-free flour like almond flour.
Yes! Almond milk and other non-dairy milk work great as a milk substitute.
Need a vegan option as well? Check out this gluten-free vegan cornbread!
More recipes with cornmeal
Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating on the recipe card below and let me know what you think in the comments!
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Cornbread
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (or vegan butter) 1 stick
- 1 ½ cups corn flour or medium grind cornmeal
- 1 ½ cups almond flour/meal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 ½ cups cooked sweet potato about 2 medium, skins discarded
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup non-dairy buttermilk I used almond, room temperature *see note
- pepitas for sprinkling optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put stick of butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet and place on middle rack in oven until butter is melted.
- In a medium bowl, combine corn flour, almond flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and ground cinnamon. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat maple syrup and sweet potatoes until combined. Beat in eggs, followed by vanilla extract. In batches, alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk until well combined.
- When butter has melted in skillet, carefully remove from oven with mitts. Making sure skillet is evenly coated, pour excess butter into batter. Mix until evenly incorporated in batter.
- Pour batter into skillet, sprinkle top with pepitas if using, and place skillet on middle oven rack. Bake for 25-35 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cornbread to cool in skillet for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Don't have apple cider vinegar? Fresh lemon juice works great in its place.
Nutrition
CGL
I made this a few months back when I went gluten free for 30 days. It was an amazing cornbread! I did make just a couple slight changes. Instead of 1.5 cups almond flour I used 1 cup almond and 1/2 cup tapioca flour (its what I had) and instead of buttermilk I substituted 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt mixed into enough water to make one cup. And I didn't use the pepitas. This will be made again!
Rima
Hi,
Can I use fine cornmeal?
Tessa
Hi Rima! Fine cornmeal should work just fine. You might find that you need a couple extra tablespoons of non-dairy milk, but it should work well.
Sue
Made this last night to go with my turkey chili. By far, the best corn bread I've ever had. Thanks for the great recipe!
Tessa
Thank you, Sue!! I am so happy to hear that. It is a staple for us during stew and soup season!
traci | VanillaAndBean
Oh My! Tessa. I love cornbread, but throw a sweet potato in there and you've just amped up this recipe! Love so much about it.. I can imagine a big ole' bowl of chili with this. Delicious... so glad you brought this out of the archives! xo
Sarah @ SnixyKitchen
I am very sentimental with the things I keep, but lately it's been antique bowls passed on from my great grandma that have been the things I've been cherishing.
Skillet cornbread is the way to go and I love that you added sweet potatoes to this version - it sounds heavenly.
Tessa
Thanks, Sarah! I love that - antique bowls!! What a very special thing to keep!
Abbie @ Needs Salt
I've never paired sweet potato and cornbread before - it seems like perfect. I'd say that they're definitely made for each other. This looks so amazing. Pinning!
Tessa
Thanks, Abbie! It was my first time pairing the two and I am now sold on the combo!
Lee S.
This looks delicious. I wish I could try it, but no grains at all, so cornmeal is out. Thank you for sharing your recipes. I appreciate it, especially being new to gluten, sugar (and more) free.
jaime : the briny
hi lee, i wanted to poke my head in and tell you that i recall seeing a recipe for grain-free cornbread-style bread made from coconut flour, possibly among other flours like almond. that might be worth trying! (and i bet this sweet potato deal with coconut flour would be so tasty!)
Tessa
Thank you, Lee! I wish this was one you could try!
Karishma
Mm, this looks like such a perfect Thanksgiving/fall cornbread!! Interesting that you're using almond meal, I've never tried that but it sounds good!
Tessa
Thanks, Karishma! I really like the texture and flavor almond meal adds to the cornbread. Hope you enjoy!
Laura
This looks so good - I'll have to try it!
Tessa
Thanks so much, Laura!
jaime : the briny
yum! i've had almond meal cornbread on the mind lately and this one sounds awesome. i've never thought to put sweet potato in cornbread but i love the idea.
Tessa
Thanks, Jaime! The sweet potato adds an extra subtle sweetness that is really nice.
jaime : the briny
i'm going to veganize this tonight. wish me luck ;)
Tessa
Ohh nice!! Let me know how it goes!
jaime : the briny
LAWD. this recipe's a keeper, for sure. thanks so much for sharing it!
i debated doing flax eggs to replace the hen's eggs in the recipe, but ended up just omitting the eggs and it came out fine! it's super moist. my corn meal was a finer grind that i wanted it, so i beefed it up with a little bit of coarse ground polenta. i skipped cinnamon + vanilla because we're serving it with smoky campfire tempeh. next time i'll cut down on the maple and maybe add some pepper or garlic for fun savory vibes.
thanks again. i don't know if i can wait till breakfast saturday morning to dig in!
jaime : the briny
oh, and in place of butter i used refined coconut oil. chuh-check.
Tessa
Yay! That is awesome. I really like the savory idea, too. Have fun this weekend!