Sweet Potato Cobbler
Filled with traditional baking spices, this Sweet Potato Cobbler is a cozy and delicious sweet treat for chilly evenings!
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It’s funny how food brings us together. I don’t just mean literally – although of course, food is often involved whenever we gather around the dinner table with family and friends. In this case, I am referring to the more abstract way that food brings us together.
Over the years, a number of readers have shared favorite family recipes with me. Years ago, Dorothy shared her Bishop’s Bread recipe, and that has become a holiday favorite in our own house. Similarly, Ron (from Lost in a Pot) shared his version of Glögg, the Swedish Mulled Wine that is so popular around the holiday season. This list continues on and on…and I’ve loved discovering new recipes from readers!
A year or two ago (it all blurs together), a reader left a comment asking if I had a recipe for Sweet Potato Cobbler. I stopped and thought about it. Nope. I didn’t recall anything for Sweet Potato Cobbler. On a slight whim, I decided to dig out my grandmother’s old recipe box and see if she had a recipe for this treat. This sounded like an ‘old-timey’ Southern recipe, so I thought she just might have something. Sure enough. There it was!
Sweet Potato Cobbler
I’m not going to sit here and say I remember my grandmother making this recipe whenever I visited. That would be a lie. I’m sure she made this recipe, but I honestly don’t know if it was ever served when we were there. I don’t remember it. However, I decided to pull that recipe out and give it a try.
At first thought, sweet potatoes seemed like an odd base for a cobbler. I’m more used to seeing apples, peaches or berries. But then I realized that sweet potato casseroles (often seen around Thanksgiving time) are quite sweet. The flavor of sweet potatoes goes well with cinnamon and nutmeg – so maybe this cobbler idea would be good after all!
Fast forward to the end: It’s good! Thinly sliced sweet potatoes are cooked until soft and then they go into a casserole dish with sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Oh, and then the whole thing gets topped with a flaky layer of pie dough. I’ve used my recipe for an all-butter pie crust – it’s my go-to whenever I need pie dough. (The secret to the flaky layers? Vodka. Yes, vodka. Don’t worry – the alcohol bakes off in the oven!)
All together, this cobbler turned out quite well. The combination of classic baking spices in this recipe really gives this Sweet Potato Cobbler a fall or winter feel. Laura pointed out that this would be really tasty with ½-sweet potatoes and ½-apples. I might have to try that next time. In the meantime, though, I hope you enjoy this treat. Happy Baking!
Did you bake this Sweet Potato Cobbler at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Sweet Potato Cobbler
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter cold
- 2 Tbsp vodka see note
- 2-4 Tbsp cold water
For the Filling
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes ~4 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter cut into ½” cubes
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 Tbsp coarse sugar i.e. turbinado, sparkling, etc.
- {for serving} vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream
Instructions
For the Dough
- Using a food processor, add flour, brown sugar and salt; pulse until well combined.
- Cut butter into small cubes and add to the food processor; pulse until a crumbly mixture forms.
- Add vodka and 2 Tbsp of water; pulse until well combined. Continue adding water 1 Tbsp at a time (and pulsing) until dough comes together in a ball.
- Shape dough into a disc and wrap with plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (Note: Dough can be made the day before and refrigerated overnight.)
For the Filling
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Spray a 9”x13” baking dish with nonstick baking spray; set dish aside.
- Peel sweet potatoes and slice into ¼” slices. Cut each slice in half to create half-moon shapes.
- Place sweet potatoes in a large pot and add enough water to cover (~3-4 cups).
- Place pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until potatoes are firm, but tender.
- Meanwhile, using a medium bowl, combine the sugar, brown sugar, flour, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt; stir until well combined.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes into the prepared baking dish. (Note: Do not drain cooking liquid from the pot.)
- Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly on top of the potatoes.
- Pour 1½ cups of cooking liquid evenly on top.
- Sprinkle the cubed butter evenly on top.
- Working on a lightly-floured surface, roll the dough from the refrigerator and roll into a 9”x13” rectangle.
- Place dough on top of the cobbler filling, pressing the dough up to the edges of the pan.
- Whisk the egg yolk together with 1 Tbsp of water and brush this mixture evenly on top of the dough. Sprinkle coarse sugar on the top of the dough.
- Cut 4 slits into the top of the dough and then bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the top of the cobbler is golden brown in color and most of the liquid has been absorbed. (Note: Check the cobbler after 35 minutes. If the top is browning too quickly, tent the top of the dish with foil.)
- Remove cobbler from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream.
Notes
Looking for more tasty cobbler recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Cant wait to make this soon for me for the dough and filling can i use vegan butter i never had sweet potato cobbler before perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Yes! I would think vegan butter would work just fine in this recipe, Ramya. Let me know what you think!
I remember back in college a friend said he made a great sweet potato pie, and man, I could not wrap my head around that!!! I’ve since gained knowledge and some cooking experience, and now know how great sweet potatoes are in desserts! This looks wonderful. But I’m sorry, I still can’t handle sweet potatoes with marshmallows….
I’m with ya, Mimi – sweet potatoes in a dessert!? What the what? Haha. Like you, I can’t get on board with the classic sweet potatoes + marshmallow casserole that often appears at Thanksgiving. It’s just not my thing. But this cobbler? Delicious!
This is such a fantastic twist on the classic cobbler… mmm! Never thought to use sweet potato, but it totally makes sense! A hearty winter dessert 🙂
Sweet potatoes are a surprising…but delicious…base for cobblers! I do think Laura was onto something with her idea to combine sweet potatoes with apples. The seasonings are similar, and the apples would add another layer of flavor. Either way, this is a fun one for winter desserts!
David, I’ve had sweet potatoes in pie, bread, candied, mashed, and souffled. I’ve had sweet potato cake, tempura sweet potatoes, and yes sweet potatoes on pizza, but never in a cobbler. What a brilliant concept.
I’m glad to see you guys are still enjoying the Swedish glögg tradition. We officially start ours on the first of Advent, but one must test the batch prior to then. Thanks for the shoutout and link…
Wow – you sound a bit like Bubba talking about his shrimp there, Ron. “There’s, uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo…” 🙂 But you make a great point – sweet potatoes are a versatile ingredient. (I’ve never had them on a pizza, though – that sounds crazy!) And that glog has become a holiday tradition here in our house. I’m looking forward to making our batch soon…and maybe I need to make a “test batch” for Thanksgiving. I like that idea!
I’m a bit sceptical when it comes to sweet potato recipes. I do love savoury recipes, but desserts? Hmm, I’m not so sure! And I’m not kidding – I’ve never tasted a sweet potato pie or casserole with cinnamon and brown sugar. I’ll use thyme and smoked paprika instead 🙂
So I can’t tell that I LOVE this cobbler idea, but I can’t say I hate it either. It looks quite appealing. That’s the start, right? And hey – maybe I should come up with a savoury sweet potato cobbler!
Haha – as long as you don’t use thyme and smoked paprika, I think sweet potatoes make for a great dessert! (If you’re roasting it, then pull out the thyme and smoked paprika!) A cobbler is one of my favorite desserts, and this one was fun with the sweet potato instead of fruit. Good dessert for fall!
This Sweet Potato Cobbler sounds and looks DELICIOUS David! I’ve never heard of sweet potato cobbler and you’ve completely sold me. That flaky crust, the sweet potatoes, and those warm spices are a winning combo. Can’t wait to try this! 😋
Sweet potatoes in a cobbler are certainly different. I’m familiar with fruit cobblers, but this one threw me for a loop. I don’t remember my grandma making this, but the recipe was right there in her recipe box. I gotta say – grandma knew how to bake! This cobbler was fun and tasty, and it was perfect for a fall dessert!
I love that you found this recipe in your grandmother’s recipe box – how cool! I love sweet potatoes & would gladly give this a try!
I have her old recipes, but I haven’t looked through them in a few years. There’s some real treasures in there! (And there are also some that look…uh…rather suspicious. Haha!) Hope you guys are doing well!!
aww…I miss Dorothy! I haven’t heard from her in ages – what a lovely woman and wonderful resource for great recipes.
I’ve had lots of delicious cobblers, but never with sweet potato! This is a genius idea David!
Yes! I miss Dorothy, too – I tried googling her the other day but I couldn’t find much. She was always so much fun to chat with! I hope you get a chance to try this sweet potato cobbler, Marissa – it’s unique…and delicious!
I love old recipe boxes filled with handwritten recipes. How neat that you have your grandma’s! At first glance this sweet potato cobbler looks like a peach cobbler! What a fun dessert to make and serve.
Sadly my grandmother’s recipes aren’t handwritten – although I think my mom has her actual handwritten ones. My mother typed them all up years ago so she could email them to everyone. I still call it her “recipe box” even though it’s just a huge word file on my computer! 🙂
I have never heard of sweet potato cobbler, but I must say I’m so intrigued now. It makes total sense if you think it through. The sugar, the spices and a flaky crust. What a great idea for a new dessert for the Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks so much David for sharing!
Exactly! This dessert is unique in that sweet potatoes aren’t normally the first choice for cobblers. But it works. The baking spices really bring this together, and it makes for a fun fall (or Thanksgiving) dessert option!
i remember having sweet potato pies (with marshmallows?) and (very sweet) pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving when staying in the US with friends. Oh my! how weird for us Aussies who eat pumpkin as a roasted vegetable! Your cobbler sounds interesting david.
Yeah…sweet potato pies with marshmallows are a thing here. They’re not my favorite at all. I always avoided those at family holiday gatherings when we were younger! This version is quite tasty, though. It’s packed with traditional holiday baking spices…and no marshmallows! Haha!
Not gonna lie – my brain kept reading the title of this post as “Sweet Peach Cobbler” – yup, definitely a new one in the cobbler fam – and perfect for the holidays! Also – dude, your photos of this simple take on your grandma’s recupe and stunning! I can see EVERYTHING so well I feel I can taste it!
Haha – I totally get that, Shashi. I mean peaches are much more common in cobblers than sweet potatoes! But peach season is sadly over for the year. Sweet potatoes? They’re everywhere! This is a fun way to mix things up, and the classic baking spices in this one make it perfect for fall baking season!
Ohhh never thought of this or even occured to my mind, most cobbler that I know of are sweet and tangy but this one is totally different, creamy and earthy, definitely something different, something I should try
This cobbler is definitely still on the sweet side thanks to the spices and sugar, but it’s not the same as a fruit cobbler. It’s quite tasty for sure! Give it a try!