Sweet Potato Cobbler is a new favorite at our house. Most of the more traditional recipes call for a dough more like a pie crust and while it is delicious, I wanted something that didn’t require you to have to roll out dough – I just don’t always have time for that.
My recipe uses a less fussy dough that you simply crumble over the potatoes. Of course, it also calls for that amazing White Lily flour that you know I love.
This dish is perfect blend of the gooeyness of cobbler with a little crunch of a crisp and is perfect for your Thanksgiving table. It works great as a side (you know us Southerners and our sweet sides) or as a delicious dessert.
One thing that I want to bring to your attention is about measuring flour. Lots of folks don’t realize that even a slight difference in the flour measurement can greatly affect the outcome of a dish. This is especially the case when you’re making doughs.
So, here’s the way that I (and the folks at White Lily) recommend that you measure flour. Start by spooning flour into the measuring cup. Also, be sure you’re using a dry measure cup rather than a wet measure. Did you know there was a difference? Well, there is! This site does a great job explaining it! So… spoon the flour into the cup gently. Don’t pack it. (Note: this recipe calls for self-rising flour, but my little man is showing you all-purpose, so don’t get confused.)
Then use the straight edge of a butter knife to level off the cup – my awesome little sous chef shows you just how…
It may not seem like a big deal, but it can really have a big effect on the end product, so make sure you’re doing it right. It might take a few more minutes, but it’s like that old “measure twice, cut once” adage.
And just for reference, when you finish with the dough in this recipe, this is what it should look like. It should be crumbly and slightly sticky. 
I know this will be a differently delicious recipe that your family will love just as much as mine does! Y’all enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
For the dough:
- 1 ½ cups White Lily Self-Rising Flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for the topping
- 4 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
- ¼ to ½ cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Peel, half, and slice the sweet potatoes into about ¼-inch slices. Place the potatoes in a medium sauce pan and add the water. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon and ginger. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are still firm but tender - about 10 to 12 minutes. Do not drain.
- In another bowl, make the dough by mixing the flour, cinnamon, and brown sugar together. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two large dinner forks. (Don't stress over this - just do the best you can.) Slowly pour the milk into the flour mixture while stirring. Stir until the mixture is combined. The dough will be crumbly and slightly sticky. (see the photo) Only use as much milk as you need to get it to the right texture.
- Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Crumble about â…“ of the dough into the bottom of the baking dish. Remove the potatoes from the pan with a slotted spoon and place them evenly in the baking dish. Measure 1 cup of the cooking liquid and pour it over the potatoes. Crumble the remaining dough over the potatoes and sprinkle the top with about 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Bake for about 40 minutes or until golden brown and the dough is cooked through. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes for the sauce to thicken before serving.
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
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Yes, I always go by weight. According to Google & King Arthur Flour a cup of flour should weigh 120 grams so I always use that weight for cakes, pies or breads etc. perfect every time on every recipe. Same on this one. Came out beautifully delicious! Thank you, I absolutely love sweet potato cobbler!
Glad it turned out great for you!
I had been wanting some sweet potato cobbler but was scared to try to make it. Your recipe was easy and delicious. Thank You
So glad that it turned out great for you!
This cobbler was a big hit! I forgot to sprinkle the extra brown sugar on top and the result was a delightfully sweet but not too sweet result. I served in small individual cups with whipped cream on top. Yum.
Love that you made it your own!
Weighing flour gives the most consistent results (in my experience) if you have a scale. 125g/cup of Self-Rising flour, or 187.5g for 1.5 cups. Love this recipe!
Hi Julie! You are correct; weighing does certainly offer more precise results. The real issue is that there’s not a consensus about what a cup of flour weighs: https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2021-02-05/what-does-a-cup-of-flour-weigh-its-surprisingly-complicated Is this the measurement that you’ve found works in this particular recipe?
Hi, Stacey, This measurement works well for me but I haven’t used the cup measure to make a comparison. I’m making it in a few days for a gathering and will see how much the actual cup-weight compares to 125g/cup and let you know.
Thanks so much, Julie! I sure appreciate it!
Follow-up: i was out of self-rising flour so measured 1 cup of Bob Mills unbleached white all-purpose flour, minus 1.75t flour, plus 1.5t baking powder and .25t salt to make a self-rising version. Total weight for one cup was 139g.(1.5 cups was 206g) Big difference to suggested weight of self-rising flour.
Once I had a the flour mixed, I decided to use it as is and ignore the weight measurement. LOL! This wasn’t the scientific experiment I’d hoped for since I should have made half batches for comparison. Too late now. Next time I’ll use commercially mixed flour, compare and report back. Haven’t tasted the results yet but it smells awesome. Will serve tomorrow and get feedback.
Thanks Julie! Let us know how it turns out!
The cobbler was a hit and made a perfect fall dessert! I served it in little cups with whipped cream on top. It was sweet but not sticky sweet — maybe because I forgot to sprinkle the extra 2Tbsp brown sugar on top. But being “not too sweet” was considered as a good thing by my guests, so if you forget to sprinkle, it’ll still turn out party perfect.
So glad to hear everyone enjoyed it!
Can the Sweet Potato Cobbler be topped with Marshmallows? It looks delicious will be making it for Thanksgiving 2019. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve not tried that, but don’t see why it would be a problem. Sweet potatoes and marshmallows go together so well!
Hi Stacey, thanks for the recipe. Do you think this will go good at an office holiday party?
Absolutely!
It looks sooo delicious!! Gonna make it for our pot-lock lunch. But have a couple of questions. Can I make this recipe in a Crock-Pot? If so, would I still place a bread layer on the bottom and how long to cook on high/low???
OMG! Can’t wait to try this recipe! I love sweet potatoes so much I grow them every year. If you and your readers would like to know how I grow them, check out my YouTube video at: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=A_NhHPBsOkQ
There’s nothing like garden fresh vegetables to use in your favorite recipes!
Made this and it is AWESOME!! Although my dough was not as pictured. It ended up being a little wet, but I was able to get it on top of the potatoes. Had the entire house smelling amazing and tasted just as amazing. Will make again.
Wonderful, Sabrina! There’s so many factors that can affect a dough. All that really matters is that it turned out tasty! Tickled to hear you enjoyed it enough that you’d make it again!
Oh my word, I need this immediately! I love sweet potatoes and that topping looks amazing!
We sure enjoy it! I hope y’all will, too!
The ingredients does not call for milk. It says 4 cups of water. Does that mean 4 cups milk?
The 4 cups of water is for the potatoes. The 1/2 c of milk is for the dough.
Thanks, Kathy!
This cobbler looks so wonderful. I can’t wait to give it a try sometime.
Thanks, Teresa! I hope you’ll enjoy it!
When I made the dough it was not crumbly. It was too wet. Any idea what I did wrong? Also I added more flour to try to help it that didn’t work. Thanks
It was either too much milk or not enough flour. Regardless, it should still taste delicious!
I had the same problem as Hope, after measuring ingredients precisely. Was hard to work with since it wouldn’t crumble. I also omitted the cooking liquid since it was already wet. Any tips would be appreciated. Yours looks amazing!
I’m so sorry, Diane. I’ve made this recipe a number of times and haven’t had that problem. I wish I knew what advice to offer.
I AM GOING TO MAKE THIS FOR THANKSGIVING. I LOVE BOTH CANDIED SWEET POTATOES AND BAKED SWEET POTATOES SLATHERED IN BUTTER. I HAVE FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS BEEN CUTTING THEM IN HALF LENGTH WISE. THEN I PLACE THEM CUT SIDE DOWN IN THE BASKET OF MY RICE COOKER. THEY ARE SO TENDER YOU CAN EAT THE SKIN. I LOVE YOUR POSTS THEY REMIND ME OF MY LOVED ONES THAT HAVE GONE TO BE WITH THE LORD. ALL THE WOMEN IN MY FAMILY WERE WONDERFUL SOUTHERN COOKS AND I LEARNED SOMETHING FROM EACH OF THEM.
Hope y’all will enjoy it!
The sweet potato cobbler looks so good. Your son is adorable. Looks like someone is following in Dad’s foot steps!
Thank you so much! He loves to be in the kitchen with me.
I mean, I know sweet potatoes are different sizes and all. I haven’t been able to figure out for lots of recipes. I usually have the item called for at home when I see a good recipe and don’t have a good way to weigh out what is called for.
I totally understand! I’ve found that two pounds of sweet potatoes roughly equates to about 4 medium-sized potatoes. It doesn’t have to be exact for this recipe, though. I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks. I figure if I don’t have enough sweet potatoes I may put in some apples instead since I love apple cobbler, too. What do you think? I got the digital version of your cookbook the other day and look forward to trying more of your good things.
Sounds great! The flavors should all meld well together. Please let me know how it turns out! So glad you’re enjoying the book!
Non-cook question of the day: How do I know how much is 2 pounds of sweet potatoes?
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