Healthy Sweet Potato Bread

I guarantee this Sweet Potato Bread recipe will become your new go-to quick bread. It’s flavorful, lightly sweetened, incredibly moist, and even healthy! Yes, you know me, this sweet potato bread is made with 100% whole-wheat flour—because if you can make something healthier without sacrificing flavor, why wouldn't you?

So, what is sweet potato bread?

This sweet potato bread is a quick bread recipe. What does that mean exactly? Quick bread is a type of bread recipe that utilizes quick-acting leaveners, such as baking soda or baking powder. Using these quick-acting leaveners allows you to bake bread immediately.

To put it another way, you don’t have to use yeast, which means you don’t have to wait for the dough to rise. Muffins use the same "quick bread" method.

Most quick bread recipes (banana, zucchini, carrot, etc.) are essentially cake. That’s why I like to put my “healthy-ish” spin on quick breads whenever I can.

On the most basic level—the only difference between sweet potato bread and banana bread is just that—the sweet potato and the banana. Sure, the ratio of dry to wet ingredients is slightly different, and the amount of leavener my change slightly. But in general, the ingredients and process are the same between the two.

Sweet potato bread with whole wheat flour

It’s no secret that I love to makeover quick breads to be healthier. Because, as I said earlier, often times they are cake disguised as breakfast. 

So how do you make a healthy banana, zucchini or sweet potato bread? First things first, you’ve got to swap out the nutrient-void all-purpose flour for something a little more wholesome, ehem, whole wheat flour. 

For recipes that are more delicate, like a quick bread or cake, I like to use whole-wheat pastry flour. It’s lighter and finer than regular whole-wheat flour and allows me to swap out the all-purpose flour without compromising on texture. 

HEALTHY SWEET POTATO BREAD

This sweet potato bread recipe has all the usual suspects of a quick bread; flour, eggs, sugar, oil, and milk. The only difference—I've swapped some of the basic ingredients for more nutritious options.

I've already talked about swapping the refined flour for something a little more nutritious, so let's move on to the sweetener. I prefer coconut sugar over most refined sugars (white sugar and brown sugar) because it’s far less processed. But let me be clear, it’s still sugar and it’s still metabolized like sugar in your body.

However, coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index than refined sugar, this means it’s metabolized slower in the body and causes a lower (and slower) rise in blood sugar levels.

Now that you have coconut sugar, you may be curious how else you can use it. You’re in the right place! Use coconut sugar in Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies, Healthy-ish Cinnamon Rolls, Homemade Graham Crackers, and Healthier Puppy Chow.

And when it comes to oil, I prefer to use extra-virgin olive oil instead of vegetable oil. Not only is olive oil more flavorful, but it's far healthier than canola or veg oil. 

The sweet potato adds natural sweetness, flavor and moisture to the bread, much like mashed banana or pumpkin purée would. 

How to make sweet potato bread

Aside from whipping up a sweet potato purée (which is totally hands-off), nothing is out of the ordinary here. Follow the visual step-by-step guide below for perfect sweet potato bread!

1. First, combine dry ingredients; set aside.
2. Whisk together wet ingredients until smooth.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.
4. Mix batter just until it starts to come together (there should still be pockets of flour).
5. Fold in dried cranberries just until combined.
6. Transfer batter to prepared baking pan; smooth top.
7. Combine topping ingredients then sprinkle evenly over batter.

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Make this sweet potato bread vegan 

SWAP THE BUTTERMILK FOR VEGAN BUTTERMILK.

How to make vegan buttermilk:

1. Combine ⅓ cup unsweetened almond or soy milk with 1 teaspoon white vinegar.
2. Let the mixture rest for 5–10 minutes until curdled.
3. Use as directed in the recipe.

SWAP THE EGG FOR A FLAX OR CHIA EGG.

How to make a chia or flax egg:

1. Grind 2 tablespoons flax or chia seeds in a spice grinder.
2. Combine ground flax or chia with ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons water and let rest 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
3. Use as directed in the recipe.

Make sweet potato muffins 

You can easily bake this sweet potato bread into muffins, here’s all you need to do:

1. Heat oven to 400°F and line standard muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Divide batter among muffin cups, sprinkle topping over batter.
3. Bake muffins until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centers come out clean; 15–20 minutes.
4. Let muffins cool in pan 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

More Healthy Quick Breads You May Like…

• Olive Oil Banana Bread
• Healthy Lemon Blueberry Bread
• Browned Butter Carrot Bread
• Lemony Zucchini Bread
• Buckwheat Quick Bread
• Pear & Fennel Bread

Make sure to tag me @ZESTFULKITCHEN ON INSTAGRAM or comment below if you make this Sweet Potato Bread!

To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can click the button on any of the photos, or the red button on the side bar or below the recipe. Happy baking!

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