
You won’t believe how delicious this homemade Sweet Potato Bread is! It may sound unusual, but this easy to make loaf is absolutely addictive. Gently sweet, this warmly spiced quick bread loaf is ideal for autumn breakfasts with a hot cup of tea or coffee or for lunchboxes, afternoon tea and snacks.
Perfect for using up leftover sweet potatoes, this recipe combines everyday ingredients with the cosy flavours of autumn, although I make it all year round!
Recipe Evolution
Updated October 2025
I first blogged this recipe back in October 2012. Looking for something to make with an over-abundance of sweet potatoes, I adapted a recipe from my Betty Crocker Cookbook. It was a resounding success and I have been making it regularly ever since.
Back in 2012, my idea of healthy eating was a bit different than it is now, so a few years ago, I reduced the sugar by a further half cup (100 grams) as well. Nobody actually noticed the change, and it made me feel a bit better about treating myself – a good thing because I really can’t resist Sweet Potato Bread!
Why You Will Love This Sweet Potato Bread
You won’t be able to resist this deliciously spiced, cut and come again loaf! Sweet Potato Bread is one of those breads that mellows with age and keeps really well. You can store it in a covered container or well wrapped in foil for a good four to five days at room temperature. The flavours get deeper day by day and the cake becomes even more moist.
The recipe makes two loaves, and the second loaf makes a wonderful foodie gift for a friend who needs a little pick me up or even as an autumnal hostess gift.
Another thing to love – although this loaf contains sugar and white flour, sweet potatoes are very good for you so this is a wholesome treat.
Storage and Freezing of Sweet Potato Bread
If you aren’t planning to give the second loaf away, this Sweet Potato Bread freezes well. Only freeze the whole loaf if you plan to use it all at once. If you prefer to eat a slice or two at a time, slice the loaf before freezing and slide a little piece of waxed or greaseproof paper between each slice. Wrap well or place in a freezer bag. Then you can easily break off and thaw a slice or two at a time when you fancy a treat.
Love Your Leftovers
I almost always use leftover sweet potatoes in this recipe, but it is so tasty I have been known to peel, boil and mash sweet potatoes just to make this bread. You can also scoop the middles out of baked sweet potatoes and mash gently with a fork. Be sure the sweet potatoes are completely cool when they go into the mixture though!
Do you put butter in your baked sweet potatoes when you mash them? Don’t worry, you can still use the leftovers in the cake if you have used just a bit of butter. If you have put a lot of butter, just leave out a tablespoon or so of the oil.
Variations on Sweet Potato Bread
You can really use your imagination with this warmly spiced quick bread, so feel free to mix up the add-ins. While I suggest raisins, dried cranberries and pecans, you could also use sultanas or another chopped dried fruit like apricots or dates. Feel free to switch up the pecans for walnuts too. And if you prefer to keep it simple, you can leave out the add-ins entirely!
How Can I Serve Sweet Potato Bread?
Serve Sweet Potato Bread simply sliced or spread with butter for breakfast or at tea time. You can toast it first if you like. Or serve with whipped cream or ice cream and a little sprinkle of ginger for a decadent dessert.
Sweet Potato Bread – Printable Recipe
Sweet Potato Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated or caster sugar
- ⅔ cup milk
- ⅔ cup mild vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups cooked, mashed, and cooled, dark-orange sweet potatoes
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 3½ cups all purpose flour all purpose flour is also known as plain flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup raisins, sultanas or dried cranberries
- 1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C, 170° for fan ovens).
- Grease and flour or line two 2 pound loaf pans (should be about 9 x 5 inches or 23 x 13 centimeters).
- In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, milk, oil, vanilla, sweet potatoes and eggs until well blended.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Add the dry ingredients to the sweet potato mixture and stir just until moistened.
- Stir in the cranberries or raisins and pecans. (Or divide the batter evenly between two bowls after stirring in the pecans. Stir half a cup of dried cranberries into one bowl and half a cup of raisins or sultanas into the other.)
- Put the batter in the loaf pans, dividing evenly if you have not already divided the mixture.
- Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until a skewer or toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Cool for 20 minutes before removing from the pans.
- Loosen the sides of the loaves from the pans (if you use liners you won’t have to do this) and place right side up on a cooling rack.
- Cool for about 2 hours before slicing – if you can wait that long!
- The loaves will keep tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 to 5 days.
Notes
did you make this recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
April i would love a slice of this for breakfast. I have made many a muffin and cakes with sweet potatoes, but never featured a loaf on my blog, this has to change.
Thank you, Shaheen, it really is delicious for breakfast! I’m amazed at what a versatile baking ingredient sweet potatoes are. I think they are my favourite fall ingredient next to pumpkin…oh, and apples!! Have a lovely week 🙂
This sounds tasty. I’ve never cooked with sweet potatoes this way, but I’m going to try it. Thanks for sharing.
Wishes for tasty dishes,
Linda
Thank you, Linda, and thank you so much for visiting and sharing. Have a lovely week!
Mmmm. Looks yummy! I’ve made biscuits with sweet potatoes, but not quick bread. Yum!
Thank you, Richelle. I’m intrigued by the idea of sweet potato biscuits – they sound lovely.
I love anything with sweet potatoes. Have never ever heard of sweet potato bread and it looks so delicious! Your photography and styling are beautiful. Makes me think about going back and re-shooting some of my early posts!
Oh thank you so much, Cathy! My photography and styling are something I am really working on. I used my iPhone 7 Plus for these shots. Have a lovely week 🙂
Sounds so yummy!! I saw your link on the Reader Tip Tuesday Link Party and had to check this out!!
Thank you so much, Kelly! I really appreciate your visit 🙂 I always enjoy Reader Tip Tuesday!
Hi April,
This is a delicious Sweet Potato Bread, I just pinned it. Great idea to update the post!
Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday,we are so happy to have you join us. Have a wonderful week and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you so much, Miz Helen! I hope your week is wonderful too 🙂
Your sweet potato bread looks and sounds so good April.
Thanks for sharing at C&C with J&J.
Thank you, Julie! I’m so glad you like it. Hope you are having a lovely weekend 🙂
This looks really good. Your new pics are very well done the bread looks hardy and delicious. Pinning.
Thank you so much, Leanna, and thank you for pinning too!
This sound very interesting and unique.
I never made any dish with “sweet potatoes”, I definitely gonna try this recipe at my home.
I didn’t cook with sweet potatoes until a few years ago, Ava. In fact, I had never tasted them until about ten years ago! Now I can’t get enough of them! I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as we do 🙂
That looks quite tasty.
Thank you!
Oh my goodness, this sweet potato bread looks so delicious!! Perfect for Fall!
Thank you so much, Michele!
Thanks April ,this looks very interesting! i love sweet potatoes, and trying this out soon.
Thank you, Dems!
This is sounds like a yummy fall recipe. I pinned it so I can grab it and make for my family.
Happy Fall, Kippi
Thank you so much, Kippi, and thank you for pinning too!
I love sweet potato as a baking ingredient, and this loaf is a “must try” for sure!
Thank you for your very kind comment, Irene! I hope that you and yours enjoy the loaf as much as we do!
This bread looks perfect for the fall! My husband does not like sweet potatoes as a vegetable but I know he’ll enjoy them this way. Pinning to my “Sweet breads” board on Pinterest
Thank you, Pat, and thank you for pinning too! You don’t really notice the sweet potato in this bread, so hopefully your husband will definitely enjoy it!
Wow, I love this idea! I love sweet potato (more than pumpkin maybe?!) and have never heard of sweet potato bread. Saving this to bake this Fall! Thanks, April!
Thank you, Rachael! Please let me know what you think if you get round to trying it. 🙂
Great recipe, and I grinned about your little aside on styling and photography –I am such a beginner!
Thank you, Michele! I’m definitely still a beginner too, even though I’ve been working on it for a long time! 🙂
This bread intrigues me! I enjoy eating sweet potatoes, but have never cooked them myself (though I’d like to start). Pinning this recipe.
Thank you for pinning, Alexandra! Sweet potatoes are quite easy to cook. I either peel them and cut them up to boil so I can mash them or bake them like a baked potato (although they sometimes cook more quickly). If I wasn’t going to use them for the sweet potato bread I might also roast them (peel, cube, toss in olive oil and roast at a high heat for about 40 minutes depending on the size of the cubes). I hope you try cooking sweet potatoes soon 🙂
This looks like the perfect fall bread. I will be giving it a try as soon as my kitchen is completed.
I hope you enjoy it, Debi! And I look forward to seeing photos of your new kitchen 🙂