Cinnamon and Spice Sweet Potato Bread Recipe
This Cinnamon and Spice Sweet Potato Bread is a moist, flavorful loaf bursting with warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. Made with creamy mashed sweet potatoes and buttermilk, it delivers a tender crumb and a pleasantly sweet and spiced profile perfect for breakfast or snack time. Easy to prepare and baked into a comforting loaf, it offers a delightful fall-inspired twist on classic quick bread.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Total Time: 85 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf (about 10-12 slices)
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups mashed sweet potatoes (about 2 medium or 1 very large)
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup buttermilk (or yogurt, Greek yogurt, sour cream, or buttermilk powder mixed with water)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan (or two 8-by-4-inch loaf pans, a 10-cup Bundt pan, or muffin pan) with floured cooking spray or grease and flour the pan(s). Set aside.
- Cook the Sweet Potatoes: Peel and chop sweet potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Place in a large microwave-safe bowl with 3 tablespoons of water, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 15 to 17 minutes until very tender. Alternatively, boil in a pot until fork-tender. Drain any excess water and mash thoroughly with a fork. Let cool slightly so eggs don’t scramble when added.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: To the mashed sweet potatoes, add the eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until fully combined. (If using buttermilk powder, add 1 tablespoon to the dry ingredients and ¼ cup water to the wet mixture.)
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and salt to ensure even distribution.
- Mix Batter: Pour the wet sweet potato mixture over the dry ingredients. Stir gently until no dry bits remain, folding and scraping the bottom of the bowl to incorporate fully. Avoid over-mixing to prevent tough bread.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s), smoothing the top lightly. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes (for a 9×5 loaf), or until the top is domed, golden, springy to touch, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Tent with foil if the top browns too quickly. Adjust baking times as needed for different pan sizes: 40-45 minutes for 8×4 loaves, 1 hour for Bundt pans, 18-20 minutes for muffins (not tested).
- Cool: Allow bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Storage: Keep bread wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in a gallon-sized Ziplock at room temperature up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze wrapped bread for up to 3 months for best freshness.
- Substitutions: Buttermilk can be substituted with yogurt, Greek yogurt, sour cream, or buttermilk powder mixed with water.
- Baking Tips: Use the pan size mentioned for best results or adjust baking times accordingly. Do not overmix batter to keep bread tender.
