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Sweet potato bread is pure comfort in every bite – soft, moist, perfectly spiced bread slices that’s flavored with the natural sweetness of roasted sweet potatoes. It’s the kind of treat that’s great with a cup of coffee or with a scoop of ice cream for dessert. Spread a little butter on a warm slice, and it practically melts in your mouth!
For more sweet potato recipes, make my old fashioned sweet potato pie, sweet potato pound cake, and sweet potato cornbread next!
We ALL love pumpkin bread, but what about sweet potato bread?! I predict it’s going to be all the rage soon – and this recipe definitely supports that notion. The natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes mixed with warm spices and delicious cinnamon crunch topping make this bread taste just like candied yams – but in cake form.
We’re not using sweet potato puree here either. Real mashed sweet potatoes that are cooked until fork tender in the oven – which packs this bread with the beautiful earthy sweet potato flavor!
This is a great recipe for using those leftover sweet potatoes after thanksgiving dinner. It also makes for a great afternoon snack, especially during the holiday seasons – that crunch on top is so cozy!
You get the best of both worlds – a delicious sweet potato loaf cake and also a great way to prevent food waste. Win win all around!
Table of Contents
Sweet Potato Bread Ingredients
(full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post)
Sweet potatoes – not only do sweet potatoes have a ton of flavor but they also give the bread a moist texture and tender crumb. Also, baking the sweet potatoes in the oven as opposed to boiling them in water caramelizes the potatoes and enhances that true sweet potato flavor. Use leftovers to make my sweet potato tres leches.
Brown sugar and White Sugar – sugar adds flavor, moisture, and structure to the bread! A mix of both makes for the ideal texture and taste.
Vegetable oil – not only does this make for a moist bread, but it keeps the bread tender and moist for days! You can also use coconut oil or olive oil here as well.
Sour cream – this gives the bread a very moist texture and a subtle tang!
Eggs – make sure to use room temperature eggs! This will allow the batter to come together nicely without splitting.
Vanilla extract – to compliment all of the warming spices.
Warm Fall Spices – cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves infuse this bread with Fall flavors. You can also use pumpkin pie spice here, about 1 1/2 tbsps will do.
Substitutions and Variations
- Add chocolate chips to the batter for a fun chocolate spin on this recipe.
- Enjoy with a slather apple butter or homemade honey butter, use the recipe from my honey butter cornbread! Also, peanut butter or almond butter work well here, too.
- Make a cream cheese glaze or vanilla sauce on top like how I did with my bread pudding with vanilla sauce recipe.
- For a gluten free version, use your favorite 1-to-1 gluten free flour!
How to make Sweet Potato Bread
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Wash and dry sweet potatoes, then place onto a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes, until they become fork tender. Remove the skin, add to a large mixing bowl and allow it to cool for at least 20 minutes. Then add brown sugar, sugar, melted butter, and vegetable. Use an electric hand mixer to mix everything together for about 2-3 minutes, until combined and smooth.
Step 2: Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Mix to combine, then add the dry ingredients – all purpose flour, spices, baking soda, and kosher salt. Continue to mix until fully combined.
Step 3: Make sure streusel by combining brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Add melted butter and use a fork to mix together until the texture resembles crumbly wet sand.
Step 4: Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper so that there’s about 2 inches. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and top with the streusel. Bake for 1 hour and 20-30 minutes. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for Success!
- Prep the sweet potatoes correctly! Roast, Don’t Boil: Roasting sweet potatoes enhances their natural sweetness and keeps them from getting waterlogged, which can negatively impact the bread’s texture. Also, allow the sweet potatoes to cool prior to assembling the batter.
- Measure Accurately – Use a kitchen scale: Weighing your mashed sweet potatoes ensures consistent results. Sweet potatoes can vary in moisture, so a consistent weight keeps the recipe balanced.
- Don’t Skip Draining: If the sweet potato mash seems wet, drain it using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to avoid excess moisture.
- Toothpick Test: Insert a toothpick in the center; it should come out with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter.
Recipe FAQs
For this quick bread recipe, I wouldn’t. The bread will take forever to bake and the texture would be dense because of the high water content of the puree. It would be like using banana baby food as opposed to mashed bananas in banana bread.
Yes, you can freeze sweet potato bread. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil, or place it in an airtight freezer bag, and it will stay fresh for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature before serving.
Store sweet potato bread in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate it for up to a week, or freeze it for up to 3 months.
You can but I do not recommend it. The sweet potatoes can become waterlogged, leaving you with a watery, overly dense bread. Roasting is the best method to ensure the best flavor and texture.
More Quick Bread Recipes
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Sweet Potato Bread
Equipment
- 9×5 inch loaf pan
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 1 lb (454 g) Sweet Potatoes
- 3/4 cup (165 g) Brown Sugar
- 3/4 cup (150 g) Sugar
- 1/3 cup (78 ml) Vegetable Oil
- 2 tbsp (28 g) Salted Butter, (metled)
- 1/3 cup (77 g) Sour Cream
- 2 large (100 g) Eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp (6 g) Vanilla Extract
- 1 3/4 cup (218 g) All Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp (4 g) Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp (3 g) Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp (2 g) Ground Ginger
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) Nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) Ground Cloves
- 2 1/2 tsp (5 g) Ground Cinnamon
Cinnamon Streusel
- 1/2 cup (110 g) Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp (15 g) All Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp (12 g) Cinnamon
- 2 1/2 tbsp (35 g) Salted Butter
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Wash and dry sweet potatoes, then place onto a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes, until they become fork tender and begin to slightly leak a brownish color syrup (this means the sweet potatoes have caramelized – yum!)
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper so that there's about 2 inches overhang. Set aside.
- Remove the skin from the sweet potatoes and place into a large mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to mix the sweet potatoes until mashed and smooth. Set aside to cool for at least 20-30 minutes, until just warm but not hot.
- Add brown sugar, sugar, melted butter, and vegetable oil. Use an electric hand mixer to mix everything together for about 2-3 minutes, until combined and smooth.
- Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Mix to combine, then add the dry ingredients – all purpose flour, spices, baking soda, and kosher salt. Continue to mix until fully combined, about 15-20 seconds.
- Make sure streusel by combining brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and a pinch fo salt. Add melted butter and use a fork to mix together until the texture resembles crumbly wet sand.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and top with the streusel. Bake for 1 hour and 20-30 minutes. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Prep the sweet potatoes correctly! Roast, Don’t Boil: Roasting sweet potatoes enhances their natural sweetness and keeps them from getting waterlogged, which can negatively impact the bread’s texture. Also, allow the sweet potatoes to cool prior to assembling the batter.
- Measure Accurately – Use a kitchen scale: Weighing your mashed sweet potatoes ensures consistent results. Sweet potatoes can vary in moisture, so a consistent weight keeps the recipe balanced.
- Don’t Skip Draining: If the sweet potato mash seems wet, drain it using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to avoid excess moisture.
- Toothpick Test: Insert a toothpick in the center; it should come out with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
