Sweet Potato Bread is a Southern quick bread with a tender, moist crumb and slightly crisp edges. My early attempts were too sweet and flat in texture, but over time I adjusted the ingredients and methods to arrive at this improved version.
This recipe uses whole grain white wheat flour for a nutty, hearty texture, plenty of mashed sweet potato, and shredded carrot for extra moisture. It’s gently spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, sweetened with honey, and dotted with tender dates and buttery pecans for contrast.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients You Need to Make Sweet Potato Bread
- For Easier Slicing
- Key Ingredient (It’s not what you think.)
- Recipe Options
- More Delicious Quick Bread Recipes
- More of my Favorite Southern Recipes
- How to Make Sweet Potato Bread
- Sweet Potato Bread Recipe
Ingredients You Need to Make Sweet Potato Bread
- Sweet Potato: cooked, mashed sweet potato flesh (leftovers from baked sweet potatoes work well)
- Pecans: or walnuts
- Dates: pitted and chopped
- Carrot: peeled or unpeeled, shredded
- Flour: white whole wheat flour (milder whole grain) or regular whole wheat flour
- Butter: room temperature; if using unsalted, add extra salt to taste
- Honey: or maple syrup
- Eggs: large or extra-large
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt: fine sea salt or an adjusted amount of kosher salt
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Nutmeg
For Easier Slicing
Quick breads often tempt you with their warm, spicy aroma but slice best after resting. While it’s tempting to cut into a hot loaf, waiting—preferably until the next day—yields cleaner slices and better texture. If you can’t wait, let the loaf cool for at least 15 minutes in the pan and then finish cooling on a rack before slicing.
Key Ingredient (It’s not what you think.)
Shredded carrot is the small addition that changes this bread. It brightens the flavor and adds moisture, giving the loaf a hint of carrot-cake character that complements the sweet potato beautifully.
Recipe Options
The mix-ins and nuts are flexible. Try:
- Walnuts, hazelnuts, or pumpkin seeds instead of pecans; black or golden raisins instead of dates.
- A small handful of shredded coconut, chocolate chips, or candied ginger for a different profile.
- Ground ginger in addition to or in place of some of the cinnamon and nutmeg.
If you don’t have leftover mashed sweet potatoes, you can quickly prepare them: peel and dice a large sweet potato, steam for 15–20 minutes until very tender, then mash thoroughly with a masher or fork.
More Delicious Quick Bread Recipes
- Oatmeal Banana Bread
- Sweet Potato Cornbread
- 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
Start by creaming butter and honey together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and water and mix to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients—white whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon—along with the mashed sweet potato. Fold in the chopped pecans, dates, and shredded carrot.
Transfer the batter to a buttered 9×5-inch loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake at 350°F for about 70 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out moist but clean.
Let the baked loaf cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then remove it from the pan and cool completely on the rack. For best texture, wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight before slicing, or store wrapped in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Toast slices and serve warm with butter for a comforting breakfast or snack.
Below is the full recipe with quantities, simple instructions, and notes for variations.
Sweet Potato Bread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (180g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/3 cup honey
- 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 1/2 cup)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the honey and butter on medium-high until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and water and mix just until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and the mashed sweet potato, mixing until just combined. Fold in the pecans, dates, and shredded carrot, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake about 70 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out moist but clean.
- Cool the bread in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then remove the loaf and cool completely on the rack. For best results, wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight before slicing. Slice, toast, and serve warm with butter.
Notes
- Swap nuts or dried fruit to suit your preferences.
- Store wrapped tightly in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.
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