Ham & sweet potato biscuits are a delicious Southern treat served for brunch entertaining, family breakfast, or party appetizers. Make them for a Kentucky Derby viewing party or serve them for a Southern Style dinner party. They’re a classic Southern dish. Wash them down with mint juleps or iced tea!

This southern classic recipe never goes out of style

With Derby viewing parties on deck, I thought these ham & sweet potato biscuits would make an excellent addition. I’m sharing my sweet potato biscuit recipe and it’s one I’ve struggled to perfect ever since my grandmother made them for us as kids. After all, ham and sweet potato biscuits is the quintessential Southern snack, appetizer, or brunch option.

When I was little, my grandmother made the BEST sweet potato biscuits, bar none. She was a Southern farm woman who didn’t follow recipes, but cooked everything with love. I’ve never been able to replicate her biscuits, or had anyone else’s that could compare. But alas, these turned out pretty well. They have a dominant sweet potato flavor, which is what I usually miss in other recipes. And a slight sweetness that goes beautifully with salty ham. They don’t really rise like a classic biscuits, and they are a bit denser, so be aware of that.

One thing I have learned with a little trial and error is that you can’t cheat on the fresh sweet potatoes. I tried using canned sweet potatoes once, and it was an epic fail! They just tasted too much like a can.

Serve Sweet Potato biscuits for Entertaining at home

Add them to a Southern style dinner party menu
Pack these ham biscuits up and take them tailgating
These are terrific for brunch entertaining alongside a brunch cheese board
Wash these down with a glass of iced tea, peach mint juleps, or Kentucky iced tea “mule” cocktail
Round out your party menu with bourbon infused meatballs and vegetable platter

If you want to try something totally unique here’s a recipe for bacon & dill biscuits.

Ham & Sweet Potato Biscuits

Yield: 16 biscuits

These tasty ham & sweet potato biscuits are a delicious treat served for brunch, snacks, or party appetizers. Make them for a Kentucky Derby party or serve them for family breakfast. They're a classic Southern dish.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, softened at room temperature

Instructions

Clean the sweet potatoes and pierce them with a fork 3 times each. Place them directly on the middle oven rack with a sheet of aluminum foil placed on the rack below it to catch any drippings.
Turn oven on 375 degrees and begin cooking for 45 minutes. At the end of the 45 minutes, turn off the oven but DO NOT open the oven door. Let potatoes continue to sit inside for 15 minutes.
Remove and let cool completely.
Peel and mash potatoes. Measure 2 cups mashed potatoes into a mixing bowl; add sugar, softened butter, and salt, and mix together. Set aside.
Sift flour, baking powder, and cinnamon together. Add to potato mixture and knead into a dough. It will be wet and sticky but DO NOT OVER-HANDLE the dough.
Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees; spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Roll dough onto a lightly floured surface, about 1/2-inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter or rim of a glass, cut out rounds (dip the cutter in flour first so it doesn’t stick). DO NOT TWIST THE BISCUIT CUTTER when cutting through the dough.
Place rounds onto baking sheet 2-inches apart and cook for 15-17 minutes.
Cool slightly, cut open, and insert slices of cooked ham.