Healthy & Tasty Sweet Potato Bread

Flavorful sweet potato bread is light and airy with a rich, slightly sweet flavor. As a yeast bread, it is lower in sugar and has oatmeal and white whole wheat flour for added health.
Light and airy with a rich, slightly sweet flavor, flavorful sweet potato bread has oatmeal and white whole wheat flour for added health.

If you search sweet potato breads online, you’ll find a lot of quick breads.

And I’m sure they’re nice.  But a person isn’t always in the mood for a quick bread.  And in my post holiday healthier eating consciousness, a dessert bread is NOT on the menu.

On the other hand, my taste buds were still coming off a holiday high.  So I wanted all the flavor of quick bread but something light and airy with a subtle sweetness–like a special yeast bread.

Like this White Whole Wheat and Oatmeal Sweet Potato Bread. Created back in 2017 simply to finish up the prior year’s sweet potatoes, it’s proof that pragmatism can lead to something beautiful! 

Light and airy with a rich, slightly sweet flavor, flavorful sweet potato bread has oatmeal and white whole wheat flour for added health.

What Makes This a Winner

Airy and Flavorful. I love that this bread is light but still loaded with flavor.  For a relatively basic bread, it has a charm and uniqueness that surprises me every time I make it.

Lots of Whole Grain. Part of the surprise?  The whole grain wonder is over 2/3 whole grain (white whole wheat and oatmeal) versus all purpose flour, but without a notable wheat flavor or heavy density.

Extra Antioxidants and Vitamins.  Finally, the nutrition loaded sweet potato puts it over the top with added vitamins and anti-oxidants.

And for other whole grain breads, take a look at my honey whole wheat and rustic rye loaves!

Light and airy with a rich, slightly sweet flavor, flavorful sweet potato bread has oatmeal and white whole wheat flour for added health.

What You’ll Need:

Ingredients:

  • Flour: The combination of white whole wheat and all purpose gives you the health value of whole grain but keeps the bread light and allows the other flavors to shine.
  • Oatmeal: For more flavor, more health value (and a cute top)
  • Egg: You just need a teaspoon, mixed with a bit of water,  to make the egg wash that gives you the shiny golden top (I refrigerate the rest and put it in scrambled eggs the next day).  For vegan, you may omit, though it won’t have the same color or shine.  Or consider these vegan egg wash alternatives.
  • Milk. Besides moisture, milk adds tenderness to bread. You may use a non-dairy milk (oat might be nice with the oatmeal in this) if you are dairy-free
  • Honey.  This adds a hint of sweetness. Or use maple syrup for a good vegan option.
  • Sweet potato puree.  This gives you flavor, color and nutrition—and makes this bread distinctive. Used canned puree or see my directions below to make your own.
  • Fruit brandy.  This is optional but it adds flavor and sweetness so I recommend it.  I get mine from my homemade boozy fruit preserves!
  • Butter or oil. This gives the bread added moistness and helps prevent staling. 
  • Other. yeast, salt

Less Common Tools:

  • Pastry brush. To brush on the egg wash. I like silicone since it’s gentle on soft dough.
  • Mini Food Processor. To easily mash up the sweet potato. Otherwise a fork will do. 

Light and airy with a rich, slightly sweet flavor, flavorful sweet potato bread has oatmeal and white whole wheat flour for added health.

Step by Step Directions

Add yeast to warm milk and honey

Add yeast to milk and honey

After it bubbles slightly, add the remaining ingredients

Add remaining bread ingredients

Knead until it forms a solid ball

knead dough in mixer

Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm(ish) place

Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm(ish) place

When double (about an hour), form into loaf and place in bread pan sprayed with non-stick spraydough doubled, spraying pan

Let rise again until about 50% bigger, then brush with egg wash

Brush with egg wash

and sprinkle with oatmeal

sprinkle with oatmeal

Bake and enjoy!bread done

Making Sweet Potato Puree

You could certainly use canned sweet potato puree which would be very easy.  And it’s even available organic!

But since I try to eat as locally as possible, I usually make my own. For 1 cup of puree, I used two medium-large sweet potatoes—a little over a pound in total. To bake them, I pricked them, and baked unpeeeled on a baking sheet in a 400 F oven. About 45 minutes, when it smelled really good, it waas done.

In a hurry? You can also microwave—prick a few times, then cook on high 7-10 minutes, turning over part way through.

When done, I peel, then puree in a mini food processor. If properly cooked, you can even mash with a fork!Light and airy with a rich, slightly sweet flavor, flavorful sweet potato bread has oatmeal and white whole wheat flour for added health.

Serving

I love this bread for snacking—and I’m usually a low carb kind a’ gal. It has enough moisture and flavor to eat plain (no butter!) or toasted (with butter). It’s also good with jam.

We also eat this with eggs at the breakfast table. The extra flavor is fun and not too intrusive.

And you can serve it as the starch course with dinner, especially if you’ve had one too many potato or rice sides lately.

Sweet Potato Bread is beautiful addition to a bread basket with a selection of other breads and muffins. That’s a favorite menu addition both for the winter holidays and spring buffet season (e.g. Easter, Mother’s Day, etc). Before adding, I’d cut slices, then cut those in half.

This bread is on the tender side so I don’t tend to use it for sandwiches.  But if the rise is just right, it might work for something like a PB&J.   Light and airy with a rich, slightly sweet flavor, flavorful sweet potato bread has oatmeal and white whole wheat flour for added health.

And for More National Oatmeal Month goodness:

Light and airy with a rich, slightly sweet flavor, flavorful sweet potato bread has oatmeal and white whole wheat flour for added health.

Sweet Potato Bread

Light and airy with a rich, slightly sweet flavor, flavorful sweet potato bread has oatmeal and white whole wheat flour for added health.
Author: Inger
4.56 from 9 votes
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Additional Time 1 hr 30 mins
Total Time 2 hrs 20 mins
Course Breads & Muffins
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 158 kcal

Ingredients
  

Bread:

  • 1/2 cup milk warmed, or 1/3 cup milk and 3 Tablespoons fruit brandy
  • 2 Tablespoon honey or maple syrup
  • 1 package yeast 1 scant tablespoon
  • 2 T butter melted or oil
  • 2 cup white whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup oatmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour plus extra for kneading
  • 1 cup sweet potato pureed
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

For topping:

  • 1-2 teaspoons egg beaten with 1/2 teaspoon water
  • 1 Tablespoon oatmeal

Instructions
 

  • Mix milk and honey, then dissolve yeast in the mixture. Let sit until yeast begins to foam (a few minutes).
  • Combine yeast mixture with remaining ingredients, mix to combine, then knead (by hand on a floured surface or in a mixer) until dough "pushes back" as you knead. Add additional flour as needed so that dough is not too
    sticky.
  • Place dough in a bowl, cover with a damp dish towel and let sit in a warm place until doubled, about an hour.
  • When dough has doubled, punch it down, then form into a loaf and place in a
    bread pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Let rise again until about 50% increased and starting to rise above pan.
  • Brush top of bread with egg wash and sprinkle with oatmeal.
  • Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until loaaf sounds hollow when taapped. Keep an eye on the bread and be prepared to cover if the top gets too dark (likely).

Nutrition

Calories: 158kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 5gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 124mgPotassium: 102mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1649IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 1mg
I am not a health professional and nutrition data is calculated programatically. Accuracy may vary with product selection, calculator accuracy, etc. Consult a professional for the best information.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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27 thoughts on “Healthy & Tasty Sweet Potato Bread

  1. Sarah M

    Can I make this on just a regular baking pan/sheet? I don’t have a bread loaf pan.

    1. Inger Post author

      I don’t think the dough is thick enough to hold together on a baking sheet. Adding extra flour might work or it might make it dry–I can’t say since I haven’t tried it. If you have a smaller casserole, you should be able to make a round loaf. You would need to extend the cooking time another 10 minutes or so in that case. If you try something I’d love to hear how it goes.

      1. Sarah M

        Thank you so much for the tips and suggestions! If I try it, I’ll definitely let everyone know how it goes!

  2. Thao @ In Good Flavor

    I have made bread dough with mashed white potatoes but haven’t gotten around to using sweet potato. I like the tip on using a combo of wheat and oat to get bread that is fluffy and high in whole grain value without that wheaty flavor.

  3. Kathryn

    I love the sweetness from the sweet potatoes and the wholesomeness from the oats. Such a great recipe and we enjoyed every bite of it. Thank you!

  4. Kathleen Pope

    Loving this light and healthy bread! Sweet potato adds so much moisture, I can imagine this crispy and toasted slathered with grass-fed butter.

  5. grace

    potato bread, i’ve seen and made and loved. sweet potato bread, on the other hand, is new to me! what a lovely loaf!

    1. Inger Post author

      I was pretty happy with both the rise and the color Grace. A lot of my healthy loaves aren’t quite as attractive 😉

  6. David

    What a great idea! Now that I am grinding my own white Sonoran wheat flour, I want to make this! Will get back to you when I have a loaf in hand!

    1. Inger Post author

      You know I have a flour mill that I’ve never used. You are an inspiration David!

  7. Lynn Wiese

    Oh yum! This reminds me of sweet potato muffins that I used to make, but haven’t made in way too long. Will give it a try!

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