Sweet Potato Biscuits (quick and easy)
Try these flaky and fluffy sweet potato biscuits for Thanksgiving! They are ready in 30 minutes and require only 7 ingredients. You’ll love how quick and easy this recipe is for holiday prep.

I love a good old-fashioned recipe. Classic buttermilk biscuits are typically my go-to, but with Thanksgiving around the corner I wanted to make something a little more seasonal. I added some sweet potato purรฉe to put a Southern twist on the recipe! It results in a perfectly tender texture and gorgeous orange hue (just like these waffles).
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only 7 ingredients. All you need are a few simple ingredients paired with sweet potato purรฉe.
- Ready in less than 30 minutes. These biscuits are ready to eat hot out of the oven in under half an hour!
- Sweet or savory. They taste delicious with maple syrup and fruit at breakfast or alongside comfort food for dinner.
- Perfect seasonal side. Serve these biscuits at Thanksgiving or with a cozy weeknight meal.
- Good use of leftover sweet potatoes. You probably have an abundance of them during the holiday season so use them in this recipe! You may also like my bourbon sweet potato pie.
Ingredient Notes

- Sweet potato purรฉe: Peel and cut a medium sweet potato into chunks and boil until tender. Drain, mash and cool.
- Buttermilk: Make sure the buttermilk is cold for an extra tender biscuit.
- Butter: Use cold, unsalted butter that is cut into pieces. I suggest keeping it in the fridge until ready to use.
- Brown sugar: Light brown sugar pairs well with sweet potatoes. Dark brown sugar can be used too!
- Baking powder: This leavening agent helps the biscuits rise. Check that it is not expired for best results.
Refer to the recipe card for ingredient details and measurements.
Recipe Variations
Add some spices. For a more flavorful biscuit, add 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg or ginger to the dry ingredients.
Make it savory. Add 1 teaspoon dried thyme or tarragon to the dry ingredients with 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. This is a good option if you’re making a turkey and egg sandwich!
Pair it with brown butter and sage. One of my favorite sauces, brown 4 Tablespoons butter. As soon as the butter starts to foam up, add 7 fresh sage leaves. The foam will subside and brown. Remove from the heat and brush on top of the biscuits or serve with your meal.
Double the recipe. If you’re entertaining for the holidays or want to freeze leftovers, make a large batch by simply doubling the ingredients.
How to Make Sweet Potato Biscuits

- Whisk together the dry ingredientsโflour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the cold butter pieces and cut them into the flour mixture until crumbles form.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sweet potato purรฉe and buttermilk. Add to flour mixture and stir just until moistened.
- Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Form into a disc that is 1-inch thick. Use a 3-inch biscuit cutter to cut the dough. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake biscuits at 425ยฐF for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter and serve.
Expert Tips
Use cold ingredients. In order to get a flaky texture, make sure all the ingredients are cold, particularly the butter and buttermilk.
Get the right dough consistency. You want a dough that is drier than cookie dough, but is moist enough to come together and form a disc. It shouldn’t stick to your hands. If necessary, add more flour or buttermilk to get the right consistency.
Don’t overwork the dough. Fold the dough a couple times so it comes together, then form into a disc. If it’s kneaded too much, the biscuits will turn out dense and tough.
Make sure the oven is hot! Biscuits need a high temperature to rise properly. I always wait 10 minutes after the oven has beeped before putting the biscuits in. It also helps to put the biscuits relative close to each other on the baking sheet, no more than an inch apart, so they get some height.

Make Ahead and Storage Tips
Make ahead the dough and cut into circles. Wrap them in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours or the freezer for up to 3 months. If baking from frozen, add 2 to 3 minutes onto the baking time.
Store biscuits in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keep in mind they taste best the day they are baked.
Freeze baked biscuits for up to 3 months. After they have cooled, place in a freezer bag or airtight container. For best results, wrap biscuits in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, add 1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar to a measuring cup. Pour in whole milk to the 1/2 cup measure. Stir and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes before using.
Peel and cut a sweet potato into similar size chunks. Boil some water and add the chunks. Cook until tender, then drain. Use a masher or two forks to mash potatoes. Alternatively, use a food processor.
Yes, but make sure it’s not sweet potato pie mix. There is more liquid in canned purรฉe so I suggest patting it dry with a clean towel. You may also need to add more flour to your dough.
They taste great with any type of butter (herb, maple or honey butter), but also they also complements stews, soups, chili or fried chicken. I personally love to use sweet potato biscuits to make breakfast sandwiches!

Related Recipes
Looking for more fall recipes? Try these next!
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Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Biscuits (quick and easy)
Ingredients
- 1 โ cups (208 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (38 g) light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- ยฝ cup (113 g) cold, unsalted butter, cut into ยฝ-inch pieces
- 1 cup (220 g) sweet potato purรฉe, see notes
- ยฝ cup (120 ml) cold buttermilk
- 1 Tablespoon melted butter, for brushing biscuits
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ยฐF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Use a pastry cutter to cut in the cold butter pieces until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the sweet potato and buttermilk. Stir into crumb mixture just until moistened. If the dough is too dry with flour pockets, add more buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time. If the dough is too wet, add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 3 or 4 times. Pat or roll out to 1-inch thickness and cut with a floured 3-inch biscuit cutter. Place biscuits 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake at 425ยฐF for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Melt remaining butter and brush over biscuits. Serve warm.