Vegan Sweet Potato Biscuits
Author:Soft, sweet, and buttery homemade Vegan Sweet Potato Biscuits. Quick and easy to make. Perfectly tall, flaky, and tender. Comfort food at its finest!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (218 grams) cold mashed sweet potato , use orange-fleshed sweet potato not white.
- ½ cup (120 ml) cold dairy-free milk , plus a few more drops if necessary.
- 2½ cups (312 grams) all purpose flour (plain flour in the UK) plus some extra for dusting your surface.
- 2 tablespoons aluminum-free baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- ½ a cup and 1 tablespoon (125 grams) cold vegan butter , (plus some extra for greasing the skillet)
For brushing
- 2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup , or a little extra milk or aquafaba
INSTRUCTIONS
- Keep everything as cold as possible when making this recipe. If you have space, put the flour in the freezer for 20-30 minutes before you start (longer is fine). Keep the butter, sweet potato, and milk in the fridge until the last possible moment.
- Preheat oven to 425°F (218 °C) and place a shelf about ¾ way up the oven. Grease a 9 or 10-inch cast iron skillet with vegan butter, or line a baking tray with parchment paper if you don't have a cast iron skillet. Keep the skillet/tray away from the preheating oven so it doesn't get warm.
- Whisk the mashed sweet potato with the milk until combined then put it in the fridge so it stays cold.
- To a food processor or a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pulse or whisk a couple of times to combine.
- Add the butter to the flour mixture. Pulse the food processor a few times, or cut the butter in with a pastry cutter or a fork, or by rubbing with the tips of your fingers. Keep going until it looks like breadcrumbs with small chunks of butter throughout. See my picture in the post above for a guide. In a food processor it will likely only need 3 or 4 pulses. Don't overprocess it. It's the little butter chunks that make the biscuits flaky.
- Pour the milky sweet potato mixture into the food processor/bowl. Pulse a few times to combine or mix gently. If it's a little dry add a some more more milk very gradually pulsing in between until when you touch and squeeze the dough it feels like it will come together easily. Remove the blade, ball up the dough, wrap in cling wrap and place in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Dust a clean work surface with flour. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll it out gently into a rough rectangle-like shape about ½ an inch thick. Dust the top with a little flour as needed to stop the rolling pin from sticking and don't be too fussy about the shape. Gently fold one half of the rectangle into the center, and then the other side too, a bit like an envelope. Check my pictures in the post for a visual guide.
- Roll it back out and fold in the same way again. Do this a total of 4 times. It's important not to skip this as it is what creates the layers in the biscuits. Work as quickly as you can and touch the dough as minimally as you can with your hands to help keep it cool.
- Once you're done with the folding, roll it out to an even 1 inch thick. Use a metal 3-inch cutter to cut the biscuit shapes. Do not twist the cutter. Use a straight up down motion and keep the cuts close to get as many as you can out of the first roll of dough.
- Gently transfer the cut biscuits to the greased skillet/lined baking tray, then gather up the remaining dough into a ball and gently roll out to 1 inch thick again. Cut as many biscuits as you can out of it, probably only another 1 or 2, or until you have 8 biscuits.
- I don't like to waste anything, so pat the remaining scrap of dough into a rough round shape and pop it on another small baking tray to put in the oven when the rest go in. That bit is for you. Eat it as soon as it comes out of the oven. You earned it ;O)
- Brush the top of each biscuit generously with maple syrup and put them in the oven. Cook for 18 to 20 minutes or until well risen and golden. Be sure not to open the door while they are baking as it will affect the rise.
- Remove from the oven and enjoy warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
NOTES
For brushing the tops of the biscuits prior to baking, maple syrup gives the best results both looks and flavor-wise. If you don't have any though, you can use a little extra milk or aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas).
To reheat in the oven - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Place biscuits on a baking tray and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
To reheat in a microwave - Place biscuits on a paper tool on a microwave-safe plate or tray and microwave on medium for 20 to 30 seconds. Check they are warmed to your liking. If not add on another 10 seconds or so.
To reheat in a toaster oven - Preheat your toaster oven to 350°F (175°C). Place biscuits on a baking tray and cook for 5 to 7 minutes
To freeze - Biscuits can be frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat place frozen biscuits on a baking tray and bake at 350 °F for 10 to 14 minutes or until heated all the way through.
NUTRITION
Serving: 1biscuit | Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 412mg | Potassium: 507mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5269IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 171mg | Iron: 2mg
