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I love the fall, and this old fashioned sweet potato bread recipe is incredibly moist, loaded with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, and then baked to golden perfection. Made with freshly mashed sweet potatoes, it’s versatile for Thanksgiving brunch, an afternoon snack, or even a light dessert.
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- This isn’t your Thanksgiving casserole! Sweet potato bread is a spiced quick bread similar to banana bread or pumpkin bread. While it’s definitely sweet, it’s not as intensely sweet as sweet potato pie or sweet potato casserole with marshmallows. Think light and tasty coffeehouse treat, rather than a heavy holiday side dish.
- Out of all the sweet potato bread recipes around, this one looks fancy enough for fall hangouts and holiday entertaining, but couldn’t be simpler to make. No mixer required, just a couple of bowls and a whisk. It’s the kind of impressive dish that makes you look like a total kitchen wizard!
- This is real sweet potato bread – none of the canned stuff here! This has velvety mashed sweet potatoes. And because it tastes so moist and tasty, it pairs so well with Cream Cheese Fruit Dip, surrounded by oodles of fruit, a Keto Hot Chocolate, a Pumpkin Caramel Macchiato, or a piping hot coffee or tea.
What You Need to Know Before You Start
- Cool those sweet potatoes completely! Trust me here; adding hot mashed sweet potatoes to your batter will make everything gummy and dense. Let them cool to room temperature first, and you’ll get that perfect, fluffy texture every time.
- While a few small lumps are okay, try to get your sweet potatoes as smooth as you can. Big chunks in the batter will create uneven texture in your finished bread. A potato masher or even a fork works great for this!
- 101 baking: let your eggs come to room temperature before mixing. This helps create a smoother batter and better consistency in the finished bread.
- Your sweet potato bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The top should be golden brown and spring back lightly when touched. If it’s browning too quickly (ack!), tent with foil for the last 15-20 minutes of baking.
Recipe Variations
Add Chocolate Chips: Fold in ¾ cup mini chocolate chips with the pecans for a kid-friendly twist.
Do a Cream Cheese Swirl: Drop spoonfuls of sweetened cream cheese mixture on top of the batter and swirl with a knife before baking.
Spice it Up: Add a pinch of ground cloves or allspice for extra warmth, or try cardamom for something different.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make sweet potato bread, start by cooking and mashing sweet potatoes until smooth. Mix the wet ingredients (mashed sweet potatoes, oils, eggs, sugars) in one bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, spices, leaveners) in another, then gently fold them together. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350°F for about 1 hour until a toothpick comes out clean.
You can, but real sweet potatoes allow you to cook to the texture you want. It’s a whole food, without added ingredients, and you need to be aware of the moisture content, as canned sweet potatoes contain more moisture. If you go for canned, use 1 cup of plain canned sweet potato (not the kind with marshmallows). Just make sure to drain it really well and mash smooth.
What a grand idea, this is a smart way to use up leftovers. If your sweet potatoes are already sweetened (like from a casserole), reduce the sugar in this recipe by ¼ to ½ cup. You can even include streusel toppings – just pick out any marshmallows unless you want extra sweetness. Plain roasted or mashed sweet potatoes work perfectly as written.
This usually happens in the sweet potatoes bread recipe due to overmixing the batter or adding hot sweet potatoes. Make sure your sweet potatoes are completely cool and mix the batter just until combined.
Heck, yes! This bread keeps well for several days and actually improves in flavor. You can also freeze the baked loaf for up to 3 months.
For sure, this batter works perfectly for muffins too. Fill muffin cups ¾ full and bake at 375°F for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Pierce whole sweet potatoes with a fork and bake at 400°F for 45-60 minutes until very tender. Let cool, then scoop out the flesh and mash smooth.
More Yummy Sweet Potato Recipes
- Sweet Potato Pancakes
- Sweet Potato Cornbread with Cinnamon Honey Butter
- Sweet Potato Soup
- Paleo Breakfast Bake with Sweet Potatoes and Apples
- Sweet Potato Chili
- Ruth’s Chris Sweet Potato Casserole
- Hasselback Sweet Potatoes
- Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes
- Breakfast Cottage Cheese Bowl with Sausage & Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Soufflé
- Sweet Potato Hash Browns
- Whole30 Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecans (Paleo)
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Sweet Potato Bread
Equipment
- 9×5-inch loaf pan
- large mixing bowls
- whisk
- Potato masher or fork
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed sweet potato cooled
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour sifted
- cooking spray
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup vegetable oil or avocado oil
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup chopped pecans optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 cup mashed sweet potato and ½ cup vegetable oil; beat well. Add ¾ cup white sugar and ½ cup packed brown sugar and beat until well combined. Add 2 large eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a separate bowl, combine 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture alternately with water, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix just until combined.
- Stir in sweet potatoes and ½ cup chopped pecans if using. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, about 55-65 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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