Sweet Potato Bread

This sweet potato bread has a thick coarse crumb and slightly sweet flavor. It’s hearty, cozy and perfectly spiced for the fall and winter seasons, making it the perfect bake when you want something other than pumpkin.

Sweet potato takes a back seat to pumpkin in the baked goods category, but I’ve made it my mission to change that with recipes like sweet potato cookies, sweet potato biscuits and sweet potato pancakes to name just a few. It’s the ubiquitous fall starch and since there’s always one or two in my pantry, I feel like baking with it as opposed to pumpkin, which I have to remember to keep cans of stocked in the pantry.

Instead of a quick bread recipe, this sweet potato bread uses yeast. Don’t freak out though because it’s still simple as can be. There’s a 1-2 hour rising time, but the result is worth it. The crumb is textured and hearty leaning more towards the cornbread side of things, while the flavor is subtly sweet with just a hint of fall spice. Sweet raisins give a burst of sweetness throughout but don’t overpower the bread at all. If you’re not a raisin fan, they can be left out too.

This is a versatile loaf that you can eat alongside breakfast (slathered in some butter of course), use as sandwich bread (it’d be great for something like this turkey cheddar apple butter panini) or simply enjoyed as a side to dinner with a seasonal meal like creamy root vegetable soup or leek and apple soup.

It lives somewhere in between a savory sweet potato cornbread and a sweeter fall quick bread like this granola pear bread making it adaptable to whatever direction you want to go with it. I even toasted some of the last slices and chopped them up to use as croutons in a salad.

Sweet Potato Bread Ingredients

• Whole milk — I suggest sticking to whole milk in this recipe and not swapping for lower-fat versions of plant-based alternatives.
• Brown sugar – Just a couple of tablespoons enhances the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes.
• Butter 
• Yeast 
• Mashed sweet potatoes — The main ingredient for flavor, texture color and moisture. You can also use sweet potato puree found in a can in the baking section of the store.
• All-purpose flour — I have not tried this with gluten-free flour yet but you could likely swap it out.
• Yellow cornmeal — Offers a slightly coarse texture to the sweet potato loaf.
• Nutmeg — Just a teaspoon of ground nutmeg adds a warm, spicy note and using it without cinnamon keeps it off the “sweet” path.
• Raisins — use black or golden raisins or, omit them altogether if they’re not your thing.

How to Prepare the Sweet Potatoes

If you don’t already have mashed sweet potatoes on hand to make the bread, start by peeling and chopping them. Then, place the potatoes in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Let them cook until they’re fork-tender. 

Drain and mash with a potato masher or the back of a fork. For a super-smooth texture, you can run the sweet potatoes through a potato ricer or food processor, just don’t over-process them. Let them cool to room temperature before assembling the bread recipe.

How to Make This Sweet Potato Bread Recipe

Start by combining the milk, sugar and salt in sauce pot over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the butter then turn off the heat and let cool until the mixture reaches room temperature. 

Combine the warm water and yeast in a cup or small bowl and set aside for 5-10 minutes until the yeast starts to bloom. 

Place the sweet potatoes in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment and turn on to a medium speed. Slowly pour in the milk mixture and yeast mixture. 

Add the flour, cornmeal and nutmeg a little bit at a time and continue mixing until the dough hook has fully incorporated the dry ingredients into the wet. Add the raisins last and mix until they’re folded then let the mixer run until the dough starts to pull away from the edges of the bowl and forms a ball.

Turn the sweet potato bread dough out onto a flat surface and knead/shape into a ball. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel and set aside in a warm spot to let rise for 1-2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size.

Punch the dough down using your fist in the bowl then turn out onto a floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 8×12-inches. Fold the dough in thirds and transfer to a greased 9×5 inch loaf pan. Cover with a towel and let it rise again for another hour until doubled in size once more.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the towel and bake the bread for about 40 minutes. The top of the loaf should be golden brown. Remove from the oven, let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Recipe Variations

• Add more spices – Try adding a teaspoon ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice or other warming spices for a sweeter version of this bread.
• Dried cranberries — If you don’t like raisins and are looking for another dried fruit option, dried cranberries or cherries are a good fit for this recipe.
• Chopped nuts – Mix in chopped pecans or walnuts for a crunchy texture.
• Chocolate chips – Add a handful instead of raisins.
• Add a glaze – Drizzle with a maple cream cheese or regular maple glaze, for something sweeter.
• Vanilla extract – Add a hint of vanilla extract for more pronounced flavor.

How To Store Leftovers

Store any leftover bread at room temperature, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and foil to keep it fresh. It will last 2-3 days on the counter.

Here Are More Ways To Bake With Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potato oat bars are one of my favorite seasonal snacks, although they can be made any time of year. Use your favorite add-ins and try this adult and kid favorite recipe.

For those who prefer a muffin recipe to bread, these sweet potato bran muffins are wonderful. They’re naturally gluten-free and hearty yet flavorful. These are not your grandmother’s bran muffins.

And lastly, there’s no better recipe for a fall weekend than these Belgian sweet potato waffles. These are truly one of my favorite breakfasts on the whole site. The flavor is just wonderful.