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    Recipes » Bread » Quick Breads

    Sweet Potato Bread

    Published: Nov 25, 2022 by Marissa Stevens · 39 Comments

    Vegetarian

    This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Sweet Potato Bread is a classic Southern quick bread with a moist, tender crumb and lightly crisp edges. My first few attempts at making it didn't go well. With white flour and sugar, it was cloyingly sweet and lacking depth of flavor and texture. But over the years I've embellished the recipe and, dare I say?, perfected it.

    Sweet Potato Bread loaf and three slices on a cutting board with a knife.

    Now I make sweet potato bread with whole grain flour, for it's heartier texture and nuttiness, along with ample mashed sweet potato and shredded carrot. It's delicately spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, honey sweetened, and studded with tender dates and buttery pecans.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients You Need to Make Sweet Potato Bread
    • Recipe Options
    • More Delicious Quick Bread Recipes
    • More of my Favorite Southern Recipes
    • How to Make Sweet Potato Bread
    • Sweet Potato Bread Recipe Video
    • Sweet Potato Bread
    • 💬 Comments

    Ingredients You Need to Make Sweet Potato Bread

    • Sweet Potato: cooked sweet potato flesh, like mashed sweet potatoes or flesh from baked sweet potatoes (great way to enjoy leftovers!)
    • Pecans: or walnuts
    • Dates: pitted dates
    • Carrot: with or without the peel, your choice
    • Flour: white whole wheat flour (whole grain, mild tasting flour made from white wheat) or regular whole wheat flour
    • Butter: If using unsalted butter, add an additional ¼ teaspoon fine salt or ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
    • Honey: or maple syrup
    • Eggs: extra large or large eggs
    • Baking Powder
    • Baking Soda
    • Salt: fine sea salt or about double the amount of kosher salt
    • Ground Cinnamon
    • Ground Nutmeg

    But before we get to the recipe, let's commiserate for a moment about the trouble with quick breads. They tantalize your senses, filling your home with a sweet, spicy aroma only to make you wait - ideally overnight! - before slicing. I know that I should wait before slicing, but I can rarely resist slathering a hot, shaggy slice with butter.

    Somewhere along the way, I started adding shredded carrot to this sweet potato bread. Now I consider it essential. It's the key ingredient that makes this version stand apart from the others, boosting the moisture and tipping the flavor toward carrot cake.

    Toasted Slices of Sweet Potato Bread with butter on a black plate.

    Recipe Options

    The other elements of the bread are interchangeable. Feel free to:

    • Swap in walnuts, hazelnuts, or pumpkin seeds for the pecans, and black or golden raisins for the dates.
    • And don't be afraid to experiment with other additions too: a little handful of coconut, chocolate chips, or even candied ginger. (Lately, I've been thinking of crowning it with a lime glaze.)
    • Add ground ginger in addition to or in place of the other spices.

    If you end up with leftover mashed sweet potatoes or baked sweet potatoes, this is a great way to enjoy them. If not, they're simple to make. Peel and dice a large sweet potato and steam for 15 to 20 minutes until very tender, then mash with a potato masher, ricer, or the back of a fork.

    More Delicious Quick Bread Recipes

    • Oatmeal Banana Bread (and Banana Oatmeal Muffins)
    • Zucchini Banana Bread
    • Almond Flour Pumpkin Bread

    More of my Favorite Southern Recipes

    • Shrimp Creole
    • Slow Cooker Jambalaya
    • Cornbread Pudding
    • Corn Maque Choux
    • Fried Green Tomatoes

    How to Make Sweet Potato Bread

    Cream butter and honey in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

    creamed butter and honey

    Add eggs and water; mix to combine.

    adding eggs and water to batter

    Add dry ingredients (white whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon) and mashed sweet potato; mix until combined. Add pecans, dates, and shredded carrot; mix until combined.

    mixing dry ingredients and mashed sweet potato to batter

    Scrape batter into a buttered, medium loaf pan with a rubber spatula and smooth the top. Bake at 350˚F for 70 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out moist but clean.

    sweet potato bread batter in a loaf pan ready to bake

    Cool loaf in the pan 15 minutes on a cooling rack. Remove loaf from pan and allow to cool completely on cooling rack before slicing. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

    baked sweet potato bread

    Sweet Potato Bread Recipe Video

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    Sweet Potato Bread sliced and served on a wooden board

    Sweet Potato Bread

    Marissa Stevens
    The classic Southern quick bread honey sweetened and made with warm spices, whole grain flour, mashed sweet potato, shredded carrot, dates, and pecans.
    5 from 14 votes
    Save Recipe Saved! Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr 10 mins
    Cooling Time 1 hr
    Total Time 2 hrs 25 mins
    Course Breads and Quick Breads, Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine American, Southern
    Servings 12 slices
    Calories 294 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour 180g
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ½ cup butter at room temperature
    • ¾ cup honey 255g
    • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
    • 2 tablespoons water
    • 1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato 284g
    • 4 ounces pecans chopped
    • 3 ounces pitted dates chopped
    • 1 medium carrot peeled and shredded, about ½ cup

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350˚F.
    • Butter a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat honey and butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and water; mix just until combined. Add dry ingredients and mashed sweet potato; mix just until combined. Add pecans, dates, and carrots; mix just until combined, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as necessary.
    • With a rubber spatula, scrape batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake 70 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out moist but clean.
    • Remove bread from oven and let cool in the pan on cooling rack for 15 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and place back on cooling rack to cool completely. Slice and serve or, for best results, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Then slice, toast and serve warm with butter.

    Notes

    1. Feel free to swap in your favorite nuts and / or dried fruits for those I've suggested.
    2. Store wrapped tightly in the refrigerator for up to a week.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 294kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 5gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 235mgPotassium: 230mgFiber: 4gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 2714IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword brunch, Christmas morning, Easter breakfast, edible gift, from scratch, kid friendly
    Tried this recipe?I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram at @pinchandswirl or leave me a comment and rating below.

    More Quick Breads

    • Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
    • Banana Oatmeal Muffins
    • Almond Flour Pumpkin Bread
    • Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. David @ Spiced says

      November 29, 2022 at 4:56 am

      5 stars
      Ah, this is a fun (and classic) recipe! I've never made sweet potato bread at home, but I think it's about time to make a batch. I could see this being a side dish at dinner or even a nice treat mid-morning with a cup of tea. I can't wait to try this!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        December 05, 2022 at 1:39 pm

        I hope you'll love it, David! Thank you.

        Reply
    2. Valentina says

      November 27, 2022 at 9:01 pm

      Marissa, this sounds so delicious. I love making quick breads and the flavors in this sound so warming and perfect for this time of year. Love the addition of the dates, too. 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        November 28, 2022 at 9:04 am

        Thank you, Valentina. I agree!

        Reply
    3. Amanda says

      May 05, 2020 at 6:58 am

      5 stars
      The way my house smells after making this bread is intoxicating. 🥰 Thank you for the lovely recipe.
      I did have one tiny issue. My bread will not stay together. When I sliced it, it wanted to crumble. I froze a loaf to toast in the morning, and it falls apart in the toaster. Any suggestions? I have to make this again because my husband is in love - even if he did have to eat it with a fork. 😁

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        May 05, 2020 at 8:13 am

        So glad you and your husband are enjoying this, Amanda! About the bread being crumbly - I imagine that after it cooled, you wrapped it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight before slicing? The only other thing I can think of is that your flour may have been a bit off (too much) - did you weigh or scoop it? Getting quick breads out of the toaster can be a challenge for sure, haha... You can also broil it for a couple of minutes per side - keeping a close eye on it, of course. Or slow toast on a baking sheet at 350˚F.

        Reply
        • Amanda says

          May 06, 2020 at 4:00 pm

          Thank you for the suggestions! I scooped the flour, so I might try weighing it next time. Definitely trying the plastic wrap and refrigerator overnight. 👍

          Reply
    4. Sally Humeniuk says

      April 27, 2020 at 6:17 am

      5 stars
      We're just finishing off the last half of this delicious bread! I didn't realize I was out of carrots so I added zucchini instead and it was fabulous. Super moist and I love the recommendation to refrigerate it, toast and butter the next day. In other words, this morning's breakfast. Another great recipe, Marissa!

      Reply
      • Marissa Stevens says

        April 27, 2020 at 10:06 am

        I'm so glad that you and your family enjoyed this bread, Sally! Zucchini was a smart swap for the carrots!

        Reply
    5. All That I'm Eating says

      October 08, 2019 at 6:13 am

      This bread sounds so good, and a lovely colour too. I like all the ingredients you've added for sweetness without adding any sugar.

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        October 14, 2019 at 12:52 am

        Thanks so much!

        Reply
    6. Kelly | Foodtasia says

      October 07, 2019 at 6:44 am

      5 stars
      Marissa, this sweet potato bread is perfection! So happy you've shared your tried and true recipe. Great idea to use whole wheat flour. Everything about this loaf is wonderful!

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        October 08, 2019 at 1:14 am

        Thanks so much, Kelly!

        Reply
    7. Balvinder says

      October 05, 2019 at 7:53 am

      Yummy! I adore sweet potato in sweet and savory dishes, and your bread looks fantastic with perfect texture, wonderful flavors and additions.

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        October 08, 2019 at 1:14 am

        Thank you, Balvinder! It always disappears quick! 😉

        Reply
    8. Liz Berg says

      October 04, 2019 at 5:48 am

      5 stars
      Though I adore pumpkin bread, sweet potato bread is also a fabulous fall quick bread. I've made a plain version in the past, but adding nuts and dates make your version even more enticing!

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        October 08, 2019 at 1:15 am

        Thank you, Liz! I'm excited for you to give this one a try!

        Reply
    9. Ben|Havocinthekitchen says

      October 01, 2019 at 3:59 pm

      5 stars
      Honestly, I would have never thought of making sweet potato bread (Even though I've made sweet potato pancakes and donuts), and this idea sounds amazing! So looks the bread. Love the addition of spices, nuts, and dates. With some butter over a toasted slice (of probably five), that's divine!

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        October 08, 2019 at 1:15 am

        Thanks, Ben! I think you'll love this!

        Reply
    10. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

      October 01, 2019 at 6:22 am

      5 stars
      That shot with the melting butter on top? Swoon! Sounds divine, my friend! Wish I had a slice in front of me right now and not just on my screen 😉

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        October 08, 2019 at 1:15 am

        aww...thank you, Dawn!

        Reply
    11. David @ Spiced says

      October 01, 2019 at 4:29 am

      5 stars
      Oh my gosh, I haven't heard of Sweet Potato Bread in years. My grandma used to make a version growing up, but I had totally forgotten about that. Thanks for the reminder! This will totally bring back good memories when I bake a loaf...and excellent call with those shredded carrots, too!

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        October 08, 2019 at 1:16 am

        Don't you love foods that bring back great memories!? Thanks, David!

        Reply
    12. Valentina says

      September 30, 2019 at 11:18 pm

      5 stars
      I love this! I even love looking at those warm, delicious ingredients fall into the mixer. Such a tasty combination of fall flavors. And toasted with butter -- oh my! 🙂 Valentina

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        October 08, 2019 at 1:16 am

        So good toasted with butter! Thank you, Valentina!

        Reply
    13. angiesrecipes says

      September 30, 2019 at 9:18 pm

      That looks phenomenal! I haven't baked anything with sweet potatoes this year yet...it's about TIME to change that.

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        October 08, 2019 at 1:16 am

        Yes! Thanks, Angie!

        Reply
    14. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says

      September 30, 2019 at 5:01 pm

      5 stars
      Gimme ALL the fall quick breads!! Especially ones that look this delicious!! This bread looks like perfection, Marissa!! All I need is a vat of honey butter and a loaf of this bread and I'd be in heaven!!

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        October 08, 2019 at 1:17 am

        Thanks so much, Cheyanne! xo

        Reply
    15. Katherine | Love In My Oven says

      September 30, 2019 at 2:56 pm

      5 stars
      I want a big slice of this fresh out of the oven!!! With a giant pat of butter. I could actually just eat this whole thing for dinner. It's healthier you said..... 😉

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        October 08, 2019 at 1:18 am

        haha...love it! Thanks, Katherine!

        Reply
    16. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says

      September 30, 2019 at 1:43 pm

      I want to grab a slice right through my screen Marissa! It looks so delicious. I would most definitely have an issue with portion control with this loaf!

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        October 08, 2019 at 1:18 am

        I hear ya, Mary Ann! Thanks so much!

        Reply
    17. Neil says

      September 30, 2019 at 11:32 am

      5 stars
      I love it when we finally get recipes to how we want them! I can be a real "dog with a bone" when a recipe I'm trying to make doesn't go to plan. I usually drive my poor wife (Lynne) insane with tasting until I get it right. Ha ha! I'm glad you persevered with this Sweet Potato Bread. It looks amazing Marissa.

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        October 08, 2019 at 1:19 am

        Kindred spirits, Neil! It's got to be right! 🙂 Thank you!

        Reply
    18. annie@ciaochowbambina says

      September 30, 2019 at 11:10 am

      5 stars
      Why do you do this to me?!!! 😉 You know I need a slice right now, and waiting is the hardest part! That buttery slice is calling my name, my friend! Delicious offering!!

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        October 08, 2019 at 1:19 am

        haha...thank you, Annie! xo

        Reply
    19. Kevin says

      September 30, 2019 at 10:52 am

      5 stars
      Looks like you definitely have perfected this bread! Perfect for autumn and cooler weather, bet you can't just have one slice either!

      Reply
      • Marissa says

        October 08, 2019 at 1:19 am

        So true! Thanks, Kevin!

        Reply

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