Sweet Potato Bread

Sweet potato bread has a soft, tender, moist crumb and a cozy, aromatic flavor with hints of cinnamon, clove, and allspice.

The recipe is easy to make with simple pantry staples, spices, and the flesh of microwaved sweet potatoes.

Sweet potato bread is a versatile recipe that can be served for breakfast, as a snack, as dessert, or as a sweet brunch during the holidays.

The first thing you’ll love about this recipe is the simplicity of the ingredients and how easy it is to make, similar to our vegan banana bread or sweet potato muffins.

You’ll also fall in love with the texture of this quick bread, which is tender and moist, similar to our apple bread or banana zucchini bread.

To achieve that, we add quite a bit of sweet potato, a double win because more sweet potatoes mean more vitamins, minerals, fiber, and less sugar.

The flavor will remind you of our vegan carrot cake because of the mix of spices. The color and texture of a pumpkin bread.

This outstanding recipe hits the perfect balance of ease of making, flavor, and texture.

We can’t wait to hear what you think!

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Sweet potatoes

We recommend using orange sweet potatoes.

The trick with this recipe is to pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork and microwave them for 5 to 10 minutes or until tender.

You then cut them in half and scoop out the flesh that you can easily mash with a fork or potato masher.

You can substitute pumpkin or winter squash for sweet potatoes.

Sugar

You can use white or brown sugar.

We haven’t tested this recipe with maple syrup.

Milk

Any milk will work here, from regular milk to almond milk and other non-dairy milk. You can use what you like.

We use almond milk.

Olive oil

We use olive oil to bake quick breads. You can substitute canola oil, sunflower oil, or avocado oil for olive oil.

One advantage of using oil in the batter is that it keeps the bread moist for days. It also makes the crumb somewhat lighter and taller than butter.

Oil-free? To make the oil-free sweet potato bread, substitute one large egg or more milk for the oil. Add the egg with the wet ingredients.

All-purpose flour

You can use regular all-purpose flour or 50% all-purpose and 50% whole wheat flour.

Gluten-free? Substitute a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour for baking.

Baking powder and soda

We use both baking powder and baking soda.

The baking powder helps the sweet potato bread grow in volume and rise, while the baking soda makes the crumb tender and colors the crust.

Spices and aromas

We like to use cinnamon, ground clove, grated nutmeg, allspice, and ground ginger, which you can substitute with freshly grated ginger.

Feel free to add or remove spices as you prefer. Optionally you can add a tablespoon of vanilla extract.

Add-ins

We recommend walnuts and/or raisins in this recipe.

You can also add dark chocolate chips, pecans, or cranberries.

Line your 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork and microwave them at full power for 10 minutes or until they are fork-tender.

Let them cool down slightly, cut them in half lengthwise, and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.

Tip: Measure about 1 pound of raw sweet potatoes (about three medium ones), a bit more than you need because the weight will be lower once you remove the skin.

Mix wet ingredients

Add 1 1/2 cups of cooked sweet potato flesh to a large mixing bowl and mash it with a fork or potato masher.

Pour in 1/2 cup of milk, 1/4 cup of olive oil, and 3/4 cup of sugar.

Then, add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of clove, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon of allspice, and 1 teaspoon of ginger.

Whisk until well combined.

Tip: If you measure cooked sweet potatoes with cups, push the cooked sweet potato flesh into the cup to fill all air gaps.

Add dry ingredients

Next, sift in 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and a pinch of salt.

Stir with a spatula until the flour is absorbed by the liquids and the ingredients are combined, trying not to overmix.

Fold in 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts.

You should get a dense batter because the sweet potato will release moisture as it bakes.

Tip: Sifting helps produce a lighter and more airy crumb and prevent lumps from forming in the batter.

Bake

Transfer the batter to your prepared loaf pan and bake at 350°F or 180°C on the lower oven rack for 55 to 60 minutes.

The bread is baked when a skewer inserted in the center comes out mostly dry.

Carefully remove it from the pan and let it cool on a cooling rack for at least 3 hours, or even better, overnight.

Tip: Cooling down is essential for this recipe because sweet potatoes retain moisture when warm, and the bread won’t cut nicely.

Sweet potato bread is a delicious and nutritious breakfast. Cut a thick slice and enjoy it with peanut butter, hazelnut chocolate spread, or jam.

You can also have it as a dessert. In this case, you could serve it with a dollop of cream cheese frosting on the side.

Make ahead: Sweet potato bread is the best meal prep recipe because it lasts days.

Room temperature: Wrap it in plastic and keep it in a dark corner of your kitchen for up to four days. If you want to keep it for longer, put it in the fridge.

Freezer: Let the bread cool down completely, cut it into slices, and transfer it to a freezer-friendly bag. Separate each slice with parchment paper and freeze for up to three months.

Thaw: You can defrost the slices at room temperature or microwave.

Similar recipes

EASY BAKING RECIPES: healthy banana bread, vegan banana bread, vegan carrot cake, vegan zucchini bread, vegan pumpkin bread, banana zucchini bread, apple bread.

SWEET POTATO RECIPES: Sweet potato muffins, sweet potato casserole, microwave sweet potato, sweet potato curry, sweet potato chili, sweet potato soup, sweet potato gnocchi, black bean salad.

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