Sweet Potato Bread

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The warm autumn spices, like cinnamon and ginger, make this Sweet Potato Bread an oh-so-comforting seasonal breakfast, snack, or perhaps a dessert. And even though this Sweet Potato Bread recipe is a loaf of quick bread, you’ll be surprised at how cake-like it tastes with just the right amount of sweetness.

Even better, it’s such a simple recipe. Easy Sweet Potato Loaf hardly takes any time to prepare the batter; then it bakes in the oven for about an hour.

If you’re a fan of Pumpkin Bread or my Whole Grain Banana Bread, this Sweet Potato Bread will surely be a hit in your home. In fact, my family loved it just as much as pumpkin bread, if not more!

Looking for more quick bread recipes to try this holiday season? Check out my Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread and Apple Cinnamon Bread.

Key ingredients & substitutions for Sweet Potato Quick Bread

• Sweet potato — Now, this recipe wouldn’t be called sweet potato bread without some cooked and mashed sweet potatoes to add to the batter. I suggest steaming the sweet potatoes and mashing them yourself for the best flavor rather than buying a canned product.
• Sugars — You’ll use equal amounts of brown sugar and basic granulated sugar to bring more sweetness to this festive sweet potato loaf. For the brown sugar, either light or dark will work.

• Flour and baking soda — As with most bread recipes, you’ll need all-purpose flour and baking soda.
• Salt — Just a pinch of kosher salt enhances the sweeter flavors in this loaf. You may adjust the measurement for table salt if that’s what you have on hand.
• Spices — To make the sweet potato bread especially fitting for the season, use some warm spices, like cinnamon, ginger, and allspice. You may swap the allspice for cloves or nutmeg if you prefer.

• Eggs — A couple of large eggs will help the loaf to rise and create a tender and light crumb. If necessary, one teaspoon of baking soda and one tablespoon of vinegar (per egg) are known to replace eggs in most recipes.
• Oil — The mild taste of canola oil is best for baking a sweet loaf of bread, so the other ingredients remain in the spotlight. It also helps to moisten the bread and create a tender texture.

• Orange juice — Add some fresh orange juice for a citrusy contrast to the sweet potato. If desired, you may use apple juice instead of orange juice.
• Chopped pecans — Bring some crunchy texture and extra flavor to the loaf by sprinkling in some chopped pecans. If you prefer, you can try other nuts, like walnuts.
• Golden raisins | Adding some golden raisins is another excellent way to break up the bread texture and add extra sweetness to the recipe.

How to make Cinnamon and Spice Sweet Potato Bread

This Sweet Potato Bread recipe is simple and made with basic ingredients. Effortlessly mix the batter, then bake, slice, and serve!

STEP 1 | Prep and preheat

To start this simple recipe, preheat the oven. Then, lightly spray a 9 x 5 loaf pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Make sure you leave enough parchment to overlap the sides for easy removal.

You’ll also want to ensure your sweet potatoes are cooked and mashed so they are ready to add to the recipe.

STEP 2 | Mix the dry ingredients

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice in a medium bowl.

STEP 3 | Add the sweet potato

Next, stir together the sugars, eggs, oil, and orange juice in a separate large mixing bowl. Add the cup of mashed sweet potato and stir until it’s mostly incorporated.

If the mixture has some lumps, that’s fine.

STEP 4 | Combine the dry and wet ingredients

Now, you’ll combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Stir with a spatula just until all the flour is incorporated. Then, gently fold in the pecans and raisins.

STEP 5 | Pour batter and bake

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for around 60 to 65 minutes. If needed, cover the pan with aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes to prevent over-browning.

Then, insert a wooden toothpick in the center to check if the sweet potato bread is done. If it comes out clean, the bread is done baking and ready to cool!

STEP 6 | Cool and serve!

Finally, transfer this tasty seasonal loaf from the oven to a wire rack, leaving the loaf in the pan until it’s completely cool.

Once cooled, remove the loaf from the pan, slice it, and enjoy all the flavors of fall!

Frequently asked questions

Serving suggestions

For something extra special, top this perfectly moist bread with a hearty pat of butter, maple syrup, caramel sauce, or even a vanilla glaze.

For a fall breakfast, serve with a fruit salad and orange juice, or perhaps with a cup of Hot Apple Cider.

Or serve it as a semi-sweet mid-day snack. Perhaps one of the best ways to serve this loaf is with caramel or hazelnut coffee in the evening while enjoying the company of holiday guests or visiting family.

Behind the recipe: Sweet Potato Quick Bread

Adding potatoes to bread is a common technique in cultures worldwide. It was initially attempted as a cheaper alternative but later was appreciated for how it made bread light and fluffy.

While sweet potatoes are a distant cousin of the typical potato, their uses are very similar.

Sweet potatoes originated in South America thousands of years ago. The humble crop spread across the globe with Spanish colonialism and other explorers.

However, it is thought that sweet potatoes were first used to make bread by the Cherokees in Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.