Sweet Potato Cranberry Bread with Seeds and Spices Recipe
This Sweet Potato Bread recipe combines the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes with warm spices and hearty whole-wheat flour to create a moist, flavorful loaf perfect for breakfast or a wholesome snack. Enhanced with dried cranberries and a crunchy topping of seeds, oats, and turbinado sugar, this bread offers a delightful balance of textures and a nourishing taste experience.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55-65 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf (about 10-12 slices)
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (180g) whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon dried ginger
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup sweet potato purée
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup coconut sugar or regular cane sugar
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried rosemary (optional, crumbled)
Mix-ins and Toppings
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon raw unsalted sunflower seeds
- 1 tablespoon old-fashioned oats
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (or coconut sugar)
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Heat your oven to 350°F (177ºC) and place a rack in the middle position. Coat an 8½ × 4½-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray, and line it with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides for easy removal.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole-wheat pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, dried ginger, kosher salt, and ground nutmeg until evenly blended. Set this aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sweet potato purée, eggs, coconut or cane sugar, buttermilk, olive oil, and crumbled dried rosemary if using, until smooth and well combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and stir gently just until combined, being careful not to overmix to keep the bread tender. Fold in the dried cranberries evenly.
- Fill Pan and Add Toppings: Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, oats, turbinado sugar, and flaky sea salt. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the batter to create a crunchy, flavorful topping.
- Bake the Bread: Place the loaf pan in the oven and bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the bread is dark brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. This ensures the bread is fully cooked through.
- Cool Completely: Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool fully in the pan set on a wire rack. Use the parchment paper edges to lift the bread out when completely cooled for easy slicing.
Notes
- For the sweet potato purée, roast whole sweet potatoes, then scoop out and mash until smooth.
- Using coconut sugar adds a subtle caramel flavor, but regular cane sugar works well too.
- Rosemary is an optional herb that adds a fragrant note; omit if you prefer a purely sweet bread.
- Make sure not to overmix the batter to keep the bread moist and tender.
- Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing to prevent crumbling.
- This bread keeps well for several days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Freeze sliced portions for longer storage and thaw as needed.
