My sister and I would hop off of the school bus at the end of the driveway to see Grandmother standing at the top of the drive waving to us. We didn’t have huge backpacks like the kids now have, so we’d shift our books around as we raced each other up the driveway to see which one would be the first to get our afternoon hugs. Like she always did though, she’d tuck one of us under one arm and the other one under the other arm and give us a great big hug at the same time. Then, as we went in and put our things down, we each got another big hug as we started telling her all about our day.
We would sit at her long wooden kitchen table as we did our homework, but I admit I had a hard time concentrating as I watched her move about in her kitchen. Moving from one part of the kitchen to another, lifting a lid here, stirring the pot there, and doing it all as quietly and gracefully as if she were a butterfly. She was amazing to watch.
She would save a few things for us to help her do when we finished our homework – clearing and setting the table, putting the ice in the glasses, and helping her cut the biscuits to put in the oven. Somehow, she was always able to make a way for my sister and I to both be involved in the biscuit making.
As the weather started to get cooler for fall, she’d begin to make her sweet potato biscuits. Their orange coloring and slightly sweet taste was always welcome and we’d get excited knowing that Halloween, Thanksgiving and then Christmas were near.
Whenever I make sweet potato biscuits now for my family, it’s hard not to remember those afternoons with her in her kitchen. Sharing the stories with Little Buddy of those afternoons together make them even more special.
Here’s my family Sweet Potato Biscuits recipe. I hope you love them as much as we do!
Southern Sweet Potato Biscuits Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475º F. Lightly spray baking sheet with nonstick baking spray.
- Sift together self-rising flour, salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Cut in the shortening and butter into the flour mixture. Add the sweet potato and slowly add enough of the milk to make a soft dough.
- Pour dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat into a round disc about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the dough with a floured, sharp metal or glass cutter. Place the cut biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the sweet potato biscuits lightly with melted butter.
- Place into hot oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. Serve hot.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Wow, sweet potato biscuits never occurred to me but they sound MAGICAL. Perfect for the holidays.
Do you have to use shortening or can you use cold butter or cold stick margarine. I have never bought shortening before.
Thank you,
By the way I love your recipes and stories thank you.
Hi Melanie,
You can use all butter if you prefer. I’ve always used part butter, part shortening for my biscuits – most likely because that’s what my grandmother taught me. 🙂
These look great! i will be making these for thanksgiving. What a beautiful story too!
When do you add the melted butter? It’s not included in the instructions.
I’m sorry, Perry, that step was omitted in the recipe. You should brush the biscuits lightly with the melted butter just before placing in the oven.
I love sweet potato biscuits. There is a restaurant here in a small town called Smithfield,Virginia. It’s the ham capital of the world! My friend and i love to meet for lunch at The Taste of Smithfield for a bowl of soup and their yummy sweet potato biscuits stuffed with country ham. Hmmm hmmmm GOOD!!
I was wondering if I could use buttermilk instead of milk. The restaurant’s biscuits are oh So moist and seem to have a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg in them. Oh and for hefty price you can take a container of the biscuits home for the freezer. Id rather make my own!
Sweet potato biscuits are amazing! I hope you enjoy these! I always use whole milk, Muffin, so I can’t say how they would taste with buttermilk as I don’t use it in this recipe.
I hope you enjoy them! Thanks! xo
I see that you have butter and melted butter in the ingredients list but in the recipe it only says to use the cold butter. What do we do with the melted butter? I can’t wait to make these, all your biscuit recipes are delicious!
The melted butter is to brush on the hot biscuits when you take them out of the oven. Thanks for asking about it! I hope you enjoy them – I’m so happy you like the other biscuits! Thanks Karima! xo
Thank you so much for answering. I will be making them this weekend and I can’t wait!
Hello Robyn,
I’ve never heard of sweet potato biscuits until my dad asked about them after listening to them being mentioned in a talking book. He’s blind and gets ready material from the National Library for the Blind and Disabled. I’d love to make them. After reading your recipe and the terrific memory you shared. My problem with making them for me is that I’m dairy intolerant. I use soy milk in place of milk so I’m hoping it will work for the sweet potato biscuits but I don’t know what to use in place of the butter. I have a feeling that margarine would be a poor substitute. Due to the water content in it I don’t even know if it’s possible to use margarine in place of butter. Do you have any suggestions as a substitute that would work?
Hi Robin,
I would replace the amount of butter with the same amount of shortening, like Crisco, for the biscuits. I have members of my family who are dairy intolerant, too so I know what a problem it can be. Hope your dad enjoys these biscuits! xo
You have to really know what our folks were putting in those sweet potato biscuits and get it right.
You must add baking powder as I only saw one person add.
Other than that they’re perfect.
Roland, the self-rising flour already has baking powder added.