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    Home » Recipes » American

    Sweet Potato Bread

    Published: Nov 22, 2020 · Modified: Jan 27, 2023 by Sherri · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

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    loaf of sweet potato bread with 3 slices cut

    Homemade Sweet Potato Bread with the warm spices of cinnamon and nutmeg is easier to make than you think. A healthy, soft, and moist quick bread made from scratch is perfect as a breakfast, a snack, or as an anytime treat!

    You can never have too many recipes for healthy quick bread, such as blueberry lemon bread and cinnamon bread. Each has its own unique flavor combination and both so easy, moist, and packed with nutrition.

    sweet potato bread with 3 slices cut

    We’re spending more and more time indoors as the days get colder and shorter, so why not take this time to learn how to make all kinds of new things using ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen!

    Pumpkin is usually the star of the show around this time of year, but I want to give some love to its equally flavorful and versatile friend the sweet potato. Both can be used interchangeably in so many recipes and they both pair well with many of the same spices!

    Being able to enjoy the sweet smell of freshly baked bread right out of the oven all winter long is something so special. There is a comfort that is brought to us not only by warm old fashioned baked bread but by the addition of the wonderful aroma of all the fall flavors.

    The sweet potato has a natural sweetness and the applesauce and the tender sweet potatoes result in almost a cake-like consistency with bread like capabilities. Grab a slice and spread with your favorite topping. Maybe some apple butter, nut butter, or chocolate spread. Eat it plain with a hot cup of tea or toast it a bit and slather with some butter.

    This recipe yields 3 loaves which are enough for you to freeze one for later and share one with a friend! Next time you’re at the grocery store, make sure to stock up on sweet potatoes. You’ll be making this all winter long!

    How to Make Sweet Potato Bread

    several bowls of ingredients for sweet potato bread

    Preheat the oven and grease 3 loaf pans with spray oil. You’ll need a fair amount of sweet potatoes for this recipe that will need to be cooked and mashed ahead of time.

    In a medium bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, packed brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg, together to combine.

    In a separate larger bowl, blend the sweet potatoes, unsweetened applesauce, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix together well.

    Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a few spoonfuls at a time and blend until it is fully combined. You’ll notice the batter is thick. You don’t want to overmix. When you overmix, the gluten in the flour will become very active and you will end up with a heavier, more dense, bread.

    ingredients for sweet potato bread being mixed together in bowls

    Divide and pour equally into all 3 prepared loaf pans.

    three loaf pan full of sweet potato bread batter

    Then bake for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

    three loaves of sweet potato bread in pans

    Cool bread in pans prior to removing them from the wire rack. Once cooled, they are ready to slice and serve!

    three loaves of sweet potato bread on a wire cooling rack

    Tips for Success

    • You can either boil or bake the sweet potatoes ahead of time. To boil them, peel the skin and cut it into cubes and boil until fork-tender. Once drained, mash them with a fork. If you would rather bake them, you can bake them whole or halved at 375 for about 45 minutes. The inside will be tender and will be easily removable.
    • For gluten-free, use Bob’s Red Mill one to one gluten-free flour. Keeping in mind, because this is a quick bread that does not use any yeast, using gluten-free flour may result in a different consistency.
    • Add ½ cup of brown sugar for added sweetness if you prefer a sweeter bread.
    • Toss in some raisins, pecans, or walnuts for added texture and crunch.
    • If your batter is too thick, add an additional ¼ cup of applesauce.
    • If using a smaller loaf pan, reduce bake time by approximately 10 minutes.

    How to Store Homemade Bread Loaves

    Uncut, these loaves will keep at room temperature for up to a day.  After that store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator since they don’t have any preservatives in them. I just pop a slice in the microwave for 10 seconds and it’s nice and warm again!

    Can I Freeze Them?

    Absolutely! That’s one of the best things about making more than one at a time. Make sure they’re completely cooled before wrapping each one in plastic wrap then aluminum foil and then place in a freezer friendly bag. You can keep these in the freezer for up to 2 months!

    More Easy and Delicious Bread Recipes

    • Healthy Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
    • Gluten Free Banana Bread
    • Blueberry Oatmeal Bread
    • Lemon Cake Bread
    loaf of sweet potato bread with 3 slices but
    closeup of slices of sweet potato bread

    Sweet Potato Bread

    Homemade sweet potato bread with the warm spices of cinnamon and nutmeg is easier to make than you think. A healthy, soft, and moist quick bread made from scratch is perfect as a breakfast, a snack, or as an anytime treat!
    4.92 from 24 votes
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    Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 55 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 36 slices
    Calories: 123kcal
    Author: Sherri Hagymas

    Ingredients

    Dry Ingredients

    • 4 cups all purpose flour
    • ½ cup packed brown sugar
    • ½ cup white sugar
    • 2 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • 2 tablespoon baking powder
    • 1 ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon nutmeg

    Wet Ingredients

    • 3 cups sweet potatoes cooked and mashed, 24 oz (approx. 3 large sweet potatoes or 5 small sweet potatoes)
    • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
    • ½ cup oil
    • 4 large eggs
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
    • Grease (3) 8 x 4 loaf pans with spray oil.
    • In a medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together and set aside.
    • In a separate larger bowl, blend the wet ingredients together well.
    • Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a few spoonfuls at a time and blend until it is mixed well. (The batter will be thick.)
    • Divide equally into 3 greased loaf pans. (use a scale if you have one to ensure even cooking of loaves)
    • Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
    • Cool bread in loaf pans for 10 -15 minutes then remove and place on wire cooling rack until completely cool.
    • Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

    Notes

    Cook the sweet potatoes (prior to making the bread) by either removing the skin and cutting them into cubes then placing them in a pot of water and boil them for approx 15-20 or until fork tender.  Then drain in a colander. place in a bowl and make with a fork.
    Or bake sweet potatoes at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes then remove the potato meat from the skin and mash.
    Use Bob’s Red Mill One-to-One Gluten Free flour if desired
    If you prefer a sweeter bread add an additional ½ cup pack brown sugar
    Stir in 1 ½ cups raisins, if desired
    1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired
    If batter seems too thick add an additional ¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce.
    Use a 9 x 5 loaf if needed. Reduce cooking time by approx 10 minutes
    Freeze loaves if desired. Wrap each loaf in plastic wrap or aluminum foil first then place in a freezer bag. Store in freezer for up to 2 months.
    A 8 x 4 loaf pan yields approx (12) 1 oz slices. A 9 x 5 loaf pan yields approx (15) 1 oz slices
    Warm slices in microwave for about 10 seconds if desired.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1ounce | Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 158mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1604IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional Disclosure

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lauren Fee

      June 15, 2023 at 10:22 am

      3 stars
      This was too bland for me, even after I added additional nutmeg and cinnamon. It’s not bad, just not great.

      Reply
    2. sandy

      November 14, 2022 at 9:32 am

      Can you use something else other than the applesauce?

      Reply
      • Sherri

        November 14, 2022 at 9:57 am

        You can use plain greek yogurt or increase the oil to one cup if you’d like as well. 🙂

        Reply
      • Laura

        January 24, 2023 at 7:13 pm

        This looks wonderful. Can you use canned sweet potatoes in place of? Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    3. Marilyn Bagen

      December 26, 2021 at 3:59 pm

      5 stars
      Made this recipe today and boy, is it ever so delicious. I had some leftover sweet potato casserole with apples and cheese in it and used that. I wasn’t too sure how it measured out so I used a half cup of applesauce instead of the whole cup. I left all of the other ingredients as suggested and it’s just perfect.

      Reply
    4. Ivory

      January 08, 2021 at 12:07 am

      5 stars
      Will make this Saturday. Looks amazing. Yum-yum-yum
      Mouthwatering!!!

      Reply
    4.92 from 24 votes (20 ratings without comment)

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