Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Bread is a tender, moist quick bread made with mashed sweet potatoes and warmed with cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of cloves. It’s a no-yeast, no-mixer loaf: everything is stirred together in one bowl in about 10 minutes, then baked until the top is domed and golden. Chopped walnuts or pecans are optional, but they add a nice crunch. One loaf gives about 12 slices.
How to make it: Whisk sugar, oil and eggs, then add mashed sweet potato, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Stir in the flour and spices just until combined, fold in the nuts, and bake in a greased loaf pan at 350°F for 45 to 70 minutes, depending on your pan, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool 1 hour before slicing.
Why You’ll Love It
- One bowl, no mixer: a whisk and a spoon are all you need.
- Moist, tender crumb: the sweet potato and oil keep every slice soft for days.
- Old-fashioned spice: cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves give it that warm, cozy flavor.
- Breakfast, snack or dessert: it’s good plain, toasted with butter or spread with cream cheese.
- Freezer friendly: bake one to eat now and one to wrap up for later.
Ingredient Notes
Sweet potatoes: One cup, cooked and mashed. Roasted sweet potatoes give the best texture and flavor, because they aren’t watery. Drained, patted-dry canned yams or canned sweet potato puree work as a shortcut. Either way, measure after mashing.
Sugar: A cup and a half of granulated sugar sweetens the loaf and helps the top turn golden.
Oil: Half a cup of vegetable oil, or another neutral oil such as canola. Oil keeps the bread moist longer than butter would.
Eggs: Two large eggs hold the loaf together.
Flour, baking soda and salt: One and three-quarter cups of all-purpose flour, a teaspoon of baking soda to lift it, and 3/4 teaspoon of regular table salt.
Spices: A teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon of cloves. Those three are what make it taste old-fashioned.
Nuts: Half a cup of chopped walnuts or pecans, optional.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or another neutral oil)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup nuts, such as chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
How to Make Sweet Potato Bread
1. Heat the oven and prep the pan. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8×4-inch or 9×5-inch loaf pan and set it aside.
2. Mix the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil and eggs. Add the mashed sweet potatoes and vanilla and whisk to combine. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the top and stir until well blended.
3. Add the dry ingredients. Stir in the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Be careful not to over-mix; stop stirring once everything is combined.
4. Fold in the nuts. Fold in the nuts, if using.
5. Bake. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake 45 to 55 minutes in a dark or nonstick pan, or 60 to 70 minutes in a glass, ceramic or light-colored pan, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top starts to get too dark, tent the loaf with foil for the last 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Cool and slice. Take the bread out of the pan and cool it on a wire rack for 1 hour before slicing.
Why Sweet Potato Bread Turns Out Gummy (and How to Avoid It)
A good sweet potato bread is moist with a light, tender crumb. The most common problems are a loaf that’s dense and gummy in the middle, or one that’s dry and crumbly. Both come down to a few things you can control:
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Dense, heavy or gummy | Too much sweet potato or oil, or watery sweet potato | Measure exactly 1 cup of mash; use roasted, or drain and pat canned yams dry |
| Dry and crumbly | Too little sweet potato or oil | Keep the 1 cup of mash and 1/2 cup of oil |
| Tough, dry loaf | Too much stirring once the flour goes in | Stir only until no dry flour shows |
| Raw in the middle | Pulled out too soon | Test deep in the center with a toothpick or long skewer |
| Top too dark | A dark pan or a long bake | Lay foil loosely over the top for the last 15 to 20 minutes |
Balance is everything. The loaf needs the right amount of mashed sweet potato with the right amount of oil. Too much of either turns it dense, heavy and wet; too little and it’s dry and flavorless. That’s why measuring the mashed potato matters more than counting potatoes.
Your pan changes the time. A dark metal or nonstick pan bakes the bread faster, so start checking at 45 minutes. A glass, ceramic or light-colored metal pan can need up to 70 minutes at 350°F. Trust the toothpick, not the clock.
Let it cool before slicing. The center keeps setting as the loaf cools. Cut it hot, and even a perfectly baked loaf can seem gummy.
How to Roast Sweet Potatoes for Bread
Roasting instead of boiling deepens the sweet potato’s natural sweetness and keeps it from getting watery. Here’s how:
- Heat the oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Poke holes all over two medium sweet potatoes and set them on the sheet.
- Roast until fork-tender, about 45 to 60 minutes.
- Cut a slit in the top of each one to let the steam out.
- When they’re cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and mash it until smooth, then measure 1 cup.
Short on time? Use drained canned yams, patted dry and mashed, or canned sweet potato puree, which needs no peeling, roasting or mashing at all.
Tips for Success
Grease and flour the pan
Coat the pan with grease and a dusting of flour, into the corners, so the loaf releases cleanly.
Add the baking soda and salt before the flour
Sprinkling them over the wet ingredients and stirring them in first spreads them evenly, so you don’t get bitter pockets of soda.
Use table salt
The 3/4 teaspoon is measured for regular table salt, not coarser kosher salt.
Variations
- Nuts: walnuts and pecans are the best fit, but almonds, hazelnuts or pistachios also work.
- Fruit: fold in raisins, chopped dates, or dried or fresh cranberries for a tart pop of flavor.
- Chocolate chip: stir 1 cup of chocolate chips into the batter.
- Orange: add fresh orange zest for a bright citrus flavor that goes well with sweet potato.
- More spice: add a pinch of ground ginger, cardamom or allspice.
- Whole wheat: swap about half of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour.
- Rustic: fold in about half a cup of rolled oats for a chewier loaf.
- Pecan loaf with self-rising flour: mix 1 1/2 cups of self-rising flour, 1 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 cup of oil, 2 tablespoons of milk, 2 eggs, 1 cup of mashed sweet potato and 1 cup of chopped pecans, and bake in a greased 8×4-inch pan at 350°F for about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Storage
Wrap the cooled loaf in plastic wrap or foil so it doesn’t dry out. It stays fresh on the counter for 1 to 2 days and keeps in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
To freeze, wrap the cooled loaf tightly in plastic wrap, then put it in a freezer bag or wrap it again in foil, for up to 3 months. You can also wrap single slices the same way. Thaw the loaf on the counter, or warm a slice in the microwave for a few seconds.
What to Serve With It
Serve slices warm or at room temperature with soft butter, cream cheese, apple butter, honey butter or a drizzle of maple syrup. It makes an easy breakfast, an afternoon snack with a glass of milk, or a sweet side for a holiday meal next to sweet potatoes with marshmallows or a Ruth’s Chris sweet potato casserole. If you love quick breads, bake a chocolate banana bread, a salted caramel banana bread, a cranberry orange bread or an Amish apple fritter bread next.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are common sweet potato bread mistakes?
Using watery sweet potato, adding too much or too little sweet potato and oil, over-mixing once the flour goes in, and pulling the loaf before a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
Why is my sweet potato bread dry?
Usually too little sweet potato or oil, or too much stirring after the flour goes in. Measure a full cup of mashed sweet potato and 1/2 cup of oil, and stir only until you no longer see dry flour.
Can I use canned sweet potatoes or yams?
Yes. Drain canned yams, pat them dry and mash them, or use canned sweet potato puree. Measure 1 cup.
Do I need a mixer?
No. It’s a quick bread with no yeast, no rising and no kneading. A whisk and a spoon are enough.
How do I know when it’s done?
Push a toothpick or long skewer deep into the center. When it comes out clean, the bread is baked through.
Can I freeze sweet potato bread?
Yes, for up to 3 months. Wrap the cooled loaf or slices tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil or a freezer bag.
Final Notes
Roast the sweet potatoes the day before and keep the mash in the refrigerator, and the loaf goes into the oven 10 minutes after you start. If you bake it, tell me in the comments which add-ins you chose.
Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Bread
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil another neutral oil such as canola also works
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sweet potatoes cooked and mashed; roasted gives the best texture, or use drained, patted-dry canned yams, mashed, or canned sweet potato puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt regular table salt
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup nuts chopped walnuts or pecans; optional
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8x4-inch or 9x5-inch loaf pan and set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil and eggs. Add the mashed sweet potatoes and vanilla and whisk to combine. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the top and stir until well blended.
- Stir in the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Be careful not to over-mix; stop stirring once everything is combined.
- Fold in the nuts, if using.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake 45 to 55 minutes in a dark or nonstick pan, or 60 to 70 minutes in a glass, ceramic or light-colored pan, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top starts to get too dark, tent the loaf with foil for the last 15 to 20 minutes.
- Take the bread out of the pan and cool it on a wire rack for 1 hour before slicing.
