Don’t loaf around – bake yourself a delicious sweet treat, instead!
Table of Contents
Holidays year-round often feature fantastic feasts – and none are quite complete without a phenomenal baked good! Boo-tiful brownies for Halloween parties, chewy Christmas cookies, and fanciful flag cake for the Fourth all come to mind when I reminisce on round tables filled with family and festive food; however, my personal favorite guest at any gathering has got to be a gourmet loaf of sweet bread. Delicate slices of dainty and delicious crumb, topped with a thin veneer of icing or cream cheese is enough to get me to show up at just about any cookout! And, even when I thought I’ve eaten it all when it comes to sweet bread loaves, I can still be pleasantly surprised by what goes inside!
When you think of a warm loaf of sweet bread, you might be thinking about a holiday-style delicious banana bread (especially with cream cheese!) or even an autumnal pumpkin bread (even better when it’s gluten-free and paleo!), but you might be pleasantly surprised by the subtle sweetness of your next festive favorite: sweet potato bread! With all of the sumptuous texture of potato bread and the naturally occurring, nuanced touch of decadence you expect from a sweet loaf, sweet potato bread is the perfect loaf for any celebration to cherish!
Is Sweet Potato Bread Healthy?
In most situations, it’s hard to go to bat for a dessert and say “it’s healthy, actually”; however, sweet potato bread isn’t just going to surprise your party guests – it might just shock you to know that it’s better for you than it tastes! Sweet potatoes are a rich source of iron, fiber, and beta-carotene (which our bodies convert into age-defying retinol!) while pecans are filled with calcium, potassium, and protein! That makes our sweet potato bread surprisingly delicious and pleasantly nutritious!
Our recipe for sweet potato bread doesn’t meet the standards for paleo, vegan, or keto eaters as written, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t make a delicious loaf with some minor adjustments! For vegan eaters, all you have to do is utilize vegan egg substitute for our recommended two large eggs. For keto-conscious consumers, try using things like almond flour and sugar substitutes to reduce the carb content of your sweet potato bread (especially because sweet potatoes have a lot of naturally present carbohydrates). Paleo eaters might find a better loaf in our catalog of sweet breads like pineapple, pumpkin, and paleo banana bread!
Okay, so sweet potato bread works! but why?
The flavors of sweet potato lend nicely to sweet treats (as seen in sweet potato pie!) but why does it make such delicious, fluffy bread?
Sweet potato puree, when replacing a 50% of the flour in any bread, imbues the bread with nutritious fibers and vitamin A, making it easy on the gut and healthy for the skin – and it naturally sweetens the product too! The subtle sweetness of sweet potato allows for other flavors to really shine as well, especially nutty flavors like pecan and walnut! The creamy texture sweet potatoes bring to any baked good helps bind the ingredients and results in a silky smooth finish!
Buttery smooth, complementary, and nutritious, it’s a wonder how we haven’t been using sweet potatoes in our bakes more often!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 cup sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep
Preheat the oven and prepare a loaf pan.
Mix
Combine wet ingredients, then dry; add sweet potatoes and pecans.
Bake
Pour into the pan, and bake until done.
Devour!
FAQs & Tips
Sweet potato bread is delicious any time, not just for the holidays! Once you’re done baking, store your sweet potato bread sealed at room temperature (in a breadbox if possible!) until you’re ready to serve it up again! When you want a warm slice of delicious sweet potato bread, warm up your slices on a hot pan and slather with your choice of schmear!
If you’re allergic to pecans, try our sweet potato bread with chopped walnuts, instead! If you have a nut allergy you’re not playing around with, have no fear! Substitute chopped nuts for spices (like black pepper and cumin) to have a unique flavor with no allergens!
Slices of sweet potato bread go beautifully with classic butter and cream cheese! If you’re looking for a vegan spread to eat with your sweet potato bread, try serving it alongside peanut butter and/or spiced jams!
Serving Suggestions
Like any festive feast, no one guest at the table makes the meal! Serve our sweet potato bread with any of FoodFaithFitness’s other classic holiday favorites like smoked salmon deviled eggs, roasted brussels sprouts and cranberries, cumin roasted carrots, and a bar of champagne sangria!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 cup sweet potatoes cooked and mashed
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and vegetable oil until well combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time until the mixture is smooth.
- In a separate bowl, mix the sifted all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the water, and mix until just combined. Fold in the mashed sweet potatoes and chopped pecans.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Place in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
Leave a Comment