Sweet Potato Cobbler is an easy fall cobbler recipe made with sweet potato puree, pecans, pumpkin pie spices, brown sugar, and butter.
Move over Sweet Potato Pie, this old fashioned Sweet Potato Pie Cobbler is about to be your new favorite Thanksgiving dessert. It’s got the same pie flavors but in a gooey, warm cobbler recipe. Plus you don’t have to roll out any pie crusts or wait hours for this easy yet fabulous dessert to set before serving to hungry guests.
Table of Contents
About our Sweet Potato Cobbler Recipe
A warm baked fruit dessert like Peach Cobbler is a must during the summer, but this delicious fall flavored cobbler recipe is the perfect dessert when the weather starts to cool. It is so unbelievably easy, it practically makes itself. You assemble this Sweet Potato Cobbler in three distinct layers and let the magic of baking do the heavy lifting. The butter bubbles up around the sweet potato filling creating a gooey cake-like topping, and the brown sugar cinnamon topping makes a sweet caramelized crust.
Now when you think of fruit cobblers, you might be thinking of a biscuit topping. Instead, this is more like a ridiculously easy souffle crossed with Lava Cake. The canned sweet potato puree is mixed right into the batter so it bakes puffy and full of warm fall flavor, with a gooey center. If you prefer chunks of sweet potato, check out the alternative cooking method section.
Sweet Potato Cobbler Ingredients
- Sweet Potato: To make this easy cobbler recipe even easier, you use a can of pureed sweet potatoes! No need to boil or roast or peel or chop, just dump the canned puree into the bowl and mix it up with the other batter ingredients. If you do want to use homemade puree, check out the Alternative Cooking Methods section for instructions.
- Pecans: The chopped pecans add a little crunch and texture to the gooey cobbler. You can use salted pecans for a little flavor booster or use Candied Pecans for some extra sweetness!
- Sugar: This delicious cobbler is made with both brown sugar and white sugar. The white sugar is to make the filling and the brown sugar is for the topping.
- Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger are a classic trio of warm spices to give your Sweet Potato Cobbler that fall pie flavor you are craving! You could also just use 2 teaspoons of Pumpkin Pie Spice if you like.
- Vanilla: Some sweet, warm vanilla enhances the other flavors and spices in this cobbler plus adds a little something extra to the flavor profile.
- Butter: The melted butter in the bottom of the dish is key to helping create that rich batter and helps firm up the center as it bakes. It also makes the most amazing buttery, crispy edges as it bubbles up the sides.
- Hot Water: The hot water sort of forms a barrier which allows the butter to steam up while it slowly sinks into the batter. The combination of the two is what creates that incredibly moist, gooey cobbler texture.
Kitchen Tools & Equipment
- Baking Dish: A 9 × 13-inch baking dish is the perfect size pan so you get a thick cobbler without being so thick it doesn’t cook all the way through.
- Measuring Cup: A large heat safe measuring cup is great for pouring the hot water so that it doesn’t splash and you can pour the water slowly. Plus you can pop it in the microwave if your water cools while you are making the batter.
How to Make Sweet Potato Cobbler
Time needed: 1 hour.
- Prep the Baking Dish
Preheat your oven. Pour the melted butter into the baking dish. Spread the pecans over the butter evenly.
- Prepare the Batter
Whisk the milk, vanilla and sugar in a bowl. Stir in the puree, flour, baking powder, salt, and spices until just combined.
- Assemble the Cobbler
Carefully spoon the batter over the butter without letting them mix. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and cover the batter with the sugar mixture.
- Bake the Cobbler
Pour the hot water over the top of the cobbler slowly so it doesn’t mix or disturb the batter too much. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the top is set
Nutritional Facts
| Calories: | 463kcal | Protein: | 4g |
| Carbohydrates: | 85g | Fat: | 14g |
| Cholesterol | 16mg | Sodium: | 198mg |
| Fiber: | 3g | Sugar: | 64g |
Baking Sweet Potato Cobbler Tips & Tricks
Master the art of culinary perfection with these handy hints!
- Spoon the Batter over the Butter
- You don’t want the batter and the butter to mix together or you won’t get the right texture or crisp edges. To prevent it from mixing, don’t pour the batter into the pan, instead gently spoon it in sections until the bottom is covered.
- Pour the Hot Water Slowly
- The most “difficult” part of making Sweet Potato Cobbler is pouring the hot water slowly over the brown sugar cinnamon topping. If you pour too fast, the mixture blend into the filling but unlike dry cobbler toppings, your cobbler will still come out fine if they mix together. It just won’t have a hard sugar crust, but it will still be light and fluffy and delicious inside.
What to Pair With Sweet Potato Cobbler
Brunch: You could serve Sweet Potato Cobbler for a special holiday brunch, with a side of plain Yogurt to balance the sweetness and add protein.
Dessert: Just like a holiday pie, this Sweet Potato Cobbler is extra delicious served with Vanilla Ice Cream or Whipped Cream and dusted with ground cinnamon. For an even sweeter fall cobbler dessert, top with Salted Caramel Sauce and chopped pecans.
How to Store Sweet Potato Cobbler
Store: Sweet Potato Cobbler is best served warm and can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Refrigerate Sweet Potato Cobbler in an airtight container, or cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil, for up to 5 days.
Reheat: The best way to reheat this cobbler is in the oven at a low temperature, like 300 degrees. Transfer what you are reheating to a baking pan and loosely cover the dish with foil. Reheat the foil-covered cobbler for about 10 minutes if thawed, 20-25 minutes if frozen.
Freeze: Store Sweet Potato Cobbler in a sealed container and freeze for up to 3 months. To make reheating easier, prepare it in a freezer and oven safe pan. Cover it with plastic wrap and foil. Remove the plastic wrap and replace the foil before reheating from frozen.
Alternative Sweet Potato Cobbler Cooking Techniques
Homemade Sweet Potato Puree: Peel 3 medium sweet potatoes and cut into ½ inch rounds. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add sliced sweet potatoes to boiling water and cover pan. Cook for 12-15 minutes, until potatoes are just tender. Remove potatoes and place in an ice water bath to cool.
For Puree: Add potatoes to food processor and blend until smooth. Use in recipe.
Sliced Sweet Potato Cobbler: Prepare the recipe as usual, but leave out puree. Spread batter over butter mixture and layer potatoes over batter. Add cinnamon sugar mixture and hot water. Bake as usual.
Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Cobbler: Pour melted butter into the bottom of the slow cooker and top with pecans. Whisk together sweet potato puree, milk, vanilla, and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Combine flour mixture and wet ingredients, stirring until no dry streaks. Spread batter over melted butter and pecans without mixing. Sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar over top of batter. Carefully pour boiling water over the entire mixture and cover with the lid. Cook on high for 1 ½ – 2 hours, or until the center is set. Scoop and serve.
FAQ for Sweet Potato Cobbler
You can use canned diced sweet potatoes, however make sure to get the ones without syrup or spices added. Drain the liquid well before you puree them until smooth.
While there is a bit more work, yes you can use fresh sweet potatoes and make your own puree. There are instructions in our Alternative Cooking Methods section on this post.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter , melted
- 1 cup pecans , roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup sweet potato puree , canned
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Topping:
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar , packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups hot water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spread melted butter and chopped pecans over a 9×13 baking pan.
- In a large bowl whisk together the milk, vanilla and sugar until mostly dissolved.
- Add in the sweet potato puree, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, then whisk until just combined and no dry streaks remain.
- Spoon batter over the butter, careful to not mix the butter in.
- Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it over the batter.
- Gently pour the water on top.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes.
Nutrition
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Sweet Potato Cobbler Variations
Chocolate Chips: Chocolate makes everything better! Sprinkle ½ cup chocolate chips over the batter with the brown sugar cinnamon mixture. Try dark chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips.
Topping: Add a crisp style topping to this Sweet Potato Cobbler. Mix ½ cup rolled oats, ½ cup all-purpose flour, and 4 tablespoons melted butter with cinnamon and brown sugar until crumble forms. Sprinkle crumble topping over batter and pour hot water, bake as usual. You could also use a box of cake mix instead of the crumble.
More Easy Cobbler Recipes for Fall
Given no milk measurements
Here is a list of the ingredients:
US Customary
Metric
?1/3 cup unsalted butter , melted
?1 cup pecans , roughly chopped
?1/2 cup whole milk
?1 1/2 cups flour
?2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
?3/4 teaspoon salt
?1 1/2 cups sugar
?2 teaspoons cinnamon
?1/2 teaspoon ginger
?1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
?1 cup sweet potato puree , canned
?2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Did the 1/2 cup milk not show on your link for some reason? Hope you will try the recipe and let us know how it turns out!
There is no measurement for the milk you mention?
1/2 cup milk
Let us know how it turns out!
This sweet potato cobbler sounds interesting. I do not see the measurement for the milk. How much is used. Can it be made without the milk?
Hi Mary Ellen You’re right. It’s 1/2 cup of Whole Milk. We’ve corrected the recipe card and thanks for letting us know!
This sweet potato cobbler sounds delicious! Some family members have nut allergies. Is this still flavorful without the pecans?
I’m sure it would be. Just minus the “crunch”!
Seems like a great recipe, BUT the picture of ingredients shows mikk, and the directions mention milk, but I cannot find ant mention anywhere on how much milk?? Would really like to try but need the amount. Thanks
Hi Susan. You’re right. it’s 1/2 cup Whole Milk. We’ve corrected the recipe card and thanks for letting us know!