Sweet Potato Bread Without Yeast (Gluten-Free Option)
This Sweet Potato Bread recipe is so delicious and moist. It can be made gluten-free or using all-purpose flour. You can toast it and serve it as an easy side dish or dessert. Everyone loves this yummy, nutrient-dense quick bread that is made without yeast.
Baked sweet potatoes are naturally sweet and full of beta-carotene and other nutrients. They are also moist and make for the perfect addition to bread.
Don’t be intimidated by the idea of making homemade bread. This yeast-free version is simple to make and only takes a little over an hour to make.
The next time you want a sweet bread that can also serve as dessert, then be sure to try this recipe! It’s also a great way to use up leftover sweet potatoes.
Making Sweet Potato Bread
- Applesauce and baked sweet potato puree helps keep the bread moist and reduces the amount of oil needed. It’s one of my favorite hacks for reducing the amount of fat in baked goods (see my article on how to substitute applesauce in baking).
- Sweet potatoes add a yummy flavor, plus extra nutrition and moisture (they are on my list of the Best Orange Vegetables). One slice of this bread has almost 10% of the RDA of vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene.
- Cinnamon creates a warm spicy flavor that is so comforting and delicious.
- Gluten-free flour makes this recipe 100% gluten-free. You can substitute flax eggs to make this recipe vegan-friendly. Or, use regular all-purpose wheat flour if you aren’t gluten-free.
Sweet Potato Bread Ingredients
Needless to say, baked sweet potatoes make the base of this bread. You can bake the sweet potatoes up to 3 days before making the bread. By pre-baking the sweet potatoes, you save a lot of time on the day you make the bread.
My favorite method is to make Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes. You can also use frozen and defrosted cooked sweet potatoes (see how to freeze sweet potatoes).
Flour is also needed to help give the bread its structure. I like the Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Blend. I think it is an excellent gluten-free blend and always gives me a good result. You can try using almond flour, oat flour, or even some coconut flour, but I have not tested this recipe using those flours.
And, if you aren’t on a specialty diet, you can use just regular all-purpose wheat flour.
Melted coconut oil helps add fat and moisture to the bread. If you aren’t on a vegan or dairy-free diet, feel free to use melted butter. You can also use olive oil if you wish.
Ground cinnamon and vanilla extract go really well with all of the seasonal flavors of this recipe. You could also use other warm spices like pumpkin pie spice if you like.
Sugar adds sweetness and applesauce adds even more natural sweetness, plus moisture.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Steps
Let me show you how easy it is to make this quick bread recipe using simple ingredients including whole sweet potatoes.
Step One
After preheating your oven, combine all of your wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl including your mashed sweet potato.
See the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact measurements.
Step Two
Combine the dry ingredients in a separate large bowl.
You’ll need to use gluten-free flour if you want this bread to be gluten-free.
Step Three
Transfer the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well. You could also use a food processor to mix the ingredients.
Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan.
Step Four
Bake the bread for 65 minutes or until the top is golden. Let the bread cool before slicing it.
You can serve it warm or at room temperature. I know you are going to love this easy recipe that is full of warm fall spices and sweet potato flavor.
Recipe Tips
- Bake the sweet potatoes up to 3 days before making the bread. By pre-baking the sweet potatoes, you save a lot of time on the day you make the bread. My favorite method is to make Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes. You can also use frozen and defrosted cooked sweet potatoes (see how to freeze sweet potatoes).
- Use your favorite gluten-free flour blend to make this bread gluten-free. I like the Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour.
- Want a chocolate version? Feel free to add up to 3/4 of a cup of chocolate chips to the batter before baking.
- Substitute flax eggs for a vegan version of this Sweet Potato Bread recipe. You can make a flax egg by mixing together 1 tablespoon of ground flax with 3 tablespoons of water.
- Let the bread cool completely before slicing with a serrated knife. I like to let it sit on my countertop for about an hour after baking.
- Store any leftover sweet potato bread in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Recipe FAQs
Yes you can.
I have tested the recipe with as little as one cup of sugar and it was fine. You can try it without any sugar, but you may need to add more flour to help make the batter thicker. You can also use a sugar substitute if you wish.
Yes but your bread won’t be orange since the flesh of Japanese sweet potatoes is white. Don’t use regular white potatoes in this recipe though as they aren’t naturally sweet enough.
Yes, you can use white sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar, or a dry sugar substitute.
More Bread & Muffin Recipes You Might Like
- Date Nut Bread
- Chocolate Chip Sweet Potato Muffins
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Gluten-Free Cinnamon Flax Muffins
- Cassava Flour Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Gluten-Free Vegan Biscuits
Don’t Miss These Sweet Potato Recipes!
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Sweet Potato Bread (Gluten-Free Option)
This Sweet Potato Bread recipe is so delicious and moist. You can toast it and serve it as an easy side dish or dessert. Everyone loves this yummy, nutrient-dense quick bread that is made without yeast.
- Total Time: 75 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 1/2 cups of cooked and cooled sweet potatoes (from about 2 medium or 1 large sweet potato)*
- 2 eggs, beaten (for vegan, you can use 2 flax eggs which is made by mixing 2 tablespoons of ground flax seed with 6 tablespoons of water)
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted (use melted butter if you aren’t on a vegan or dairy-free diet)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (use regular milk if you aren’t on a vegan or dairy-free diet)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free baking flour (use all-purpose flour if you aren’t on a gluten-free diet)
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar or coconut sugar (see notes for a lower-sugar version)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F. Spray a 1.5-quart loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cooked sweet potatoes, eggs, coconut oil, applesauce, almond milk, and vanilla. Use a spatula to mix together.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the top of the bread is golden brown.
- Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack. Let the bread cool completely before slicing it.
Notes
- Bake the sweet potatoes up to 3 days before making the bread. By pre-baking the sweet potatoes, you save a lot of time on the day you make the bread. My favorite method is to make Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes. You can also use frozen and defrosted cooked sweet potatoes (see how to freeze sweet potatoes).
- Use your favorite gluten-free flour blend. I like the Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour.
- Want a chocolate version? Feel free to add up to 3/4 of a cup of chocolate chips to the batter before baking.
- Substitute flax eggs for a vegan version of this Sweet Potato Bread recipe. You can make a flax egg by mixing together 1 tablespoon of ground flax with 3 tablespoons of water.
- Let the bread cool completely before slicing with a serrated knife. I like to let it sit on my countertop for about an hour after baking.
- Store any leftover sweet potato bread in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 244
- Sugar: 21.2 g
- Sodium: 243.9 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 35.1 g
- Fiber: 1.1 g
- Protein: 2.9 g
- Cholesterol: 31 mg
Keywords: sweet potato dessert, how to use cooked sweet potatoes, cinnamon bread recipe
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition. She is a top wellness and food blogger with over 10 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send Carrie a message through her contact form.
Thank you so very much for this recipe! It looks really good! You are so Amazing!!
★★★★★
Awwwww, TY! So glad you enjoyed!
Carrie, I’m not quite sure what went wrong on this recipe . . . I used pumpkin puree rather than sweet potato, but I don’t think that substitution would make things go wrong. Also, I didn’t have any applesauce so I substituted a very ripe banana, but had looked online and was assured this was an acceptable substitute. I did make the loaf vegan by using your recipe for flax “eggs.” I had to cook the loaf for 1 hour and 15 minutes, so that it burned on all sides (not just the top.) However, it was still partially uncooked in the very middle of the loaf. I’m giving the recipe five stars, because the bite I stole was delicious! Any advice on this recipe, I’d like to make again for my son and grandson who are gluten/dairy free.
★★★★★
Hi Tracy, I think this is one of those recipes that needs to go by the book, so to speak. So I’m afraid the substitutions were an issue. I would love if you tried it again following the recipe exactly and see if that works better? Please do let me know! 🙂
I usually microwave sweet potatoes, saves SO much time and electricity and they come out tasting great. I could use microwaved sweet potatoes for this recipe instead of oven-baked, right?
So you use flour with xantham gum in it?
yes the blend that I like has it.
Can I substitute with parts tapioca, almond , sweet potato, and or coconut flour in this recipe? Cannot do gf blends because they have rice and potato which make my ibs c very, unhappy ! Anyone know a specific measure to go by with these? Gallbladder removed so eating light or substitute items in moderate amounts due to slow transit. Dim.sum is the only wheat my body allows me to have without going haywire and setting ff my hashimoto’s. Thanks! Comes with the no gallbladder territory I found for some.
Not sure the problem but this did not turn out nor would it ever. It was burt to a crisp on the outside and raw on the inside. I bake regularly so I know my oven is fine. That being said, even when I found a tiny piece that I thought safe to consume i found the taste quite bad. It was very bland, no discernable flavor. So in the end I was not upset to dump it in the bin.
★
Used gluten free quinoa flour , added some pecan pieces but the cake turn out mushy like I would be eating sweet potatoes and it did not rise at all.
Did you use eggs or make it with egg replacer? I have not tested this recipe with any other flour than Bob’s gluten-free 1-to-1 mix.
Could you recommend a substitute for apple sauce? I can’t handle fructose. Could I just add more sweet potato puree to the equivalent?
Yes, you can just use more sweet potato.
This was really good! I tried it as I said above, and made a few more modifications for myself:
-used grapeseed oil
-flax milk subbed for the almond milk
-1 c gluten free flour+ 1/2c oat flour
-1c +/- 1 tbsp of coconut sugar instead of 1 1/2c ( and it was plenty for my sweet tooth). I might even try to lessen it more in future.
The only thing is that I mixed up my canned pumpkin 🙁 for the canned sweet potato so it was about half and half, but it still worked great. So this recipe should be great for other things to substitute for sweet potato too.
I’m so glad it worked out! And, thanks for sharing your changes!
This recipe came out exactly as in the video. I made two today and they came out great.
★★★★★
Thrilled to hear that! Enjoy!
I pretty much butchered this recipe based on what I had in the house and it was still amazing! (Regular flour, half the portion and brown sugar, half coconut oil half canola, and cow milk) I can only imagine if I followed it and had more of the health benefits. Thank you!
Well, I’m glad it turned out even with your modifications! I’m so glad you liked it!
Good to know you use only half of the coconut oil as do not care for that flavor.
I’m sure you can substitute coconut oil for another oil of your choosing, I usually sub olive oil. I usually do. Personally I love the taste of the coconut oil.. but sadly its actually not too healthy.