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–+ servings
Sweet potato bread on a serving platter with one slice cut off revealing soft and moist texture of the bread.

Vegan Sweet Potato Bread

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This vegan sweet potato bread is moist, cozy and packed with warm spices! For a little indulgence, you can top it with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting and pecans. And the quick bread works well with steamed, boiled or baked sweet potato!
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American, Vegan
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 10
Author Anthea

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 x (~360g) very large sweet potato or 2 x medium sweet potatoes (weighed after peeling)
  • ½ cup (110g) neutral flavored oil
  • ⅔ cup (160g) dairy-free milk
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar white vinegar or lemon juice (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting (optional)

Instructions

Make the Sweet Potato Puree (note 2 for baked sweet potato puree):

  • Peel and chop your sweet potato into large chunks. Steam or boil the sweet potato for 10-15 minutes, or until tender. Let it cool completely.
  • Puree the cooked sweet potato with a stick blender or food processor until very smooth. The puree should be thick. If it's too thick for your appliance, add some plant-based milk from the recipe and blend again. You'll need 1 1/2 cups (360g) of pureed sweet potato (not including the milk) for this recipe.

Prepare the Sweet Potato Bread:

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper.
  • Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Add the sweet potato puree and the remaining wet ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter should be very thick. Make sure you don't overmix the batter, as this will make your sweet potato bread dense.
  • Pour or scoop the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
  • Bake the bread for around 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes. The length of time will depend on how hot your oven runs. If you insert a toothpick in the center, there shouldn't be any wet batter on it (some moist crumbs are fine).
  • Allow the bread to cool in the pan for around 10 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Prepare the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • Add the butter and cream cheese to a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until pale, fluffy and well combined. Add 1 cup of sugar and cinnamon and beat for 1-2 minutes until just combined. Do not overbeat, as this will make the frosting too soft. For a firmer frosting, add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and beat until just combined.
  • When the sweet potato bread has completely cooled, top with the cream cheese frosting and chopped pecans.
  • If unfrosted: Store leftovers in a sealed container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or store individual slices in the freezer for up to 1 month.
    If frosted: Store leftovers in a sealed container at room temperature for a few hours or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can store frosted slices of the bread in the freezer for up to 1 month, although the frosting's consistency may change.

Notes

  1. Measuring the flour: Make sure you measure the flour accurately otherwise, your bread will be dry and dense. If you're using measuring cups, use the spoon and level method where you fluff up the flour in the bag, use a spoon to add flour to a measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. I don't recommend using the measuring cup to scoop flour out of your container as this usually packs in too much flour. Alternatively, use the grams measurements.
    Gluten-free version: This recipe works well with King Arthur’s measure for measure flour, and no other changes. You may need to bake for 3-5 extra minutes.
  2. Alternatively, you can use baked sweet potato. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C), place 1-2 whole sweet potatoes with their skin on a baking sheet and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until they're fork-tender. When the potato has cooled, remove the skin and puree using a food processor or stick blender. Baked sweet potato puree is a little thicker than steamed sweet potato so I suggest using at least 3/4 cup (170g) dairy-free milk.