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Sweet Potato Banana Bread

This sweet potato banana bread is sweet, moist, perfectly spiced, and will fill your home with a wonderful scent. Your family will devour this sweet potato bread recipe, and it’s so easy that you’ll want to bake it all the time.

I love all the things you can make with sweet potatoes. Try sweet potato cookies, sweet potato pie, and sweet potato pie bars for more inspiration!

slices and loaf of sweet potato banana bread on a wooden board.

Amazing sweet potato banana bread

I love banana bread so much and have a few recipes, including condensed milk banana bread, lemon banana bread, and skillet banana bread. And on today’s menu is sweet potato banana bread!

The loaf is incredibly moist and soft, bursting with the sweet aromas of bananas, sweet potatoes, chocolate chips, and spices in every bite.

It’s comforting, homey qualities make this banana bread perfect for your fall baking, but it’s delicious any time of year.

Plus, it’s a simple, no-mixer quick bread that goes from bowl to oven in minutes. And while the bread bakes, your house will smell like an autumn bakery. So good!

If you enjoy bananas as much as we do, try our condensed milk banana pudding, Bisquick banana muffins, and banana pudding brownies!

Reasons to love sweet potato banana bread
  • Comforting flavors: Every bite is filled with sweet bananas, delicious sweet potatoes, warming spices, and chocolate chips. It encapsulates the aromas of fall, but really, sweet potato banana bread is perfect any time of year.
  • Light + moist texture: The crumb and texture are soft, tender, and super moist from the addition of bananas and sweet potatoes.
  • Easy to make: This one-bowl recipe has simple ingredients and no fancy equipment.
  • Tasty meal prep: Banana sweet potato bread lasts a few days and is very freezer-friendly, making it a great option for a quick snack or make-ahead breakfast.
sweet potato banana bread ingredients.
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Ingredients

If you have made banana bread before, then the ingredients list will come as no surprise. Overripe bananas, sweet potato puree, and a few staple food items are all you need! See the recipe card at the end for exact measurements.

  • Banana: Overripe spotted bananas are ideal for this recipe because they are sweet and aromatic. If you only have yellow bananas, check out this video to ripen them in the oven.
  • Sweet potato puree is the hero of the recipe. Purchase store-bought puree (I like the canned sweet potato puree from Farmer’s Market) or make your own. I’ll show you how in the Notes section of the recipe card.
  • Light brown sugar adds sweetness, moisture, and flavor from the molasses in brown sugar.
  • Butter: Set the butter out on the counter 30 minutes before starting so it softens to room temperature. I used salted butter, but unsalted butter + 1/4 tsp salt work, too.
  • Eggs: The eggs need to be at room temperature. If you forgot to remove them from the fridge, submerge them in warm water for 10 minutes.
  • Flour: All-purpose flour is perfect for this recipe. If using measuring cups, follow the spoon and level method to measure the flour.
  • Baking powder gives a light crumb and soft texture.
  • Spices: I love adding pumpkin pie spice to my sweet potato banana bread. If you don’t have this spice mix, combine 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon with small pinches of nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves.
  • Chocolate chips (optional): For chocolate chip sweet potato banana bread, add 1 cup semisweet, milk, or even white chocolate chips to the batter. Sprinkle an additional 1/4 cup of chocolate chips on top of the loaf before baking.

Want a super simple banana bread? Try this easy 4-ingredient banana bread!

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How to make sweet potato banana bread

Sweet potato banana bread is so simple to make! The prep time is 15 minutes, and the bread bakes about 50 minutes. It’s the perfect treat for breakfast, snacking, and even teatime.

step 1 cream butter and sugar.

1. Cream butter and sugar

  • Beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice until fluffy and doubled in volume.
step 2 add liquid ingredients.

2. Add liquid ingredients

  • Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the mashed bananas and sweet potato puree.
step 3 add dry ingredients.

3. Add dry ingredients

  • Add the all-purpose flour and baking powder and stir in until just combined.
step 4 fold in chocolate chips.

4. Fold in chocolate chips

  • Toss 1 cup chocolate chips with 1 tbsp flour and gently fold into the batter.
step 5 bake.

5. Bake

  • Pour the batter into a lined baking pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup chocolate chips over the top of the loaf. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes.

How do you know when sweet potato banana bread is done?

The best way to tell if your bread is done is to insert a toothpick or skewer into the center. If it comes out clean with just a few crumbs, the loaf is ready to come out of the oven. But if you still see wet batter, the bread needs to bake some more.

step 6 cool and serve.

6. Cool & serve

  • Let the banana bread cool in the pan completely until the chocolate chips on top have set.
  • Cut into slices to serve.
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Tips for success

We all want our sweet potato banana bread to be aromatic and moist, but not gooey or wet in the center. Here are my best tips to be sure your bread has that soft, even texture and nice crumb you are looking for:

  • Mash the bananas well: I like to mash the bananas with a fork, but if you’re having trouble, beat the bananas with a mixer after mashing them with a fork. Slowly increase from low to medium-high speed as the bananas break down further. This keeps the texture even and helps avoid overly moist areas in your loaf.
  • Perfect batter: Avoid over-mixing the batter. Instead, simply stir the ingredients together until incorporated. Otherwise, the texture might turn out too dense and rubbery. Also, resist the urge to add more bananas, or extra liquid if you feel the batter is too thick.
  • Toss chocolate chips: Toss the chocolate chips in a tablespoon of flour before adding them to the batter. This way, they won’t sink to the bottom of the bread.
  • Let the bread cool in the pan if you decorate the top of your bread with chocolate chips. It’s best to wait until the loaf has cooled before you remove it from the pan. The chocolate chips need time to set up.
overhead shot for banana sweet potato bread on a wooden board.
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Variations & substitutions

Whether you want to play with the flavor or are out of an ingredient, there are several ways to customize my sweet potato banana recipe and swap out ingredients. Here are some ideas:

  • Dark brown sugar: For a richer, slightly caramelized taste, substitute brown sugar instead of light brown sugar.
  • Nuts: 1 cup of chopped nuts give each bite of bread a delicious crunch. Walnuts and pecans are tasty options.
  • Pumpkin puree: Replace the sweet potato with canned pumpkin to create pumpkin banana bread. In fact, you may use the two ingredients interchangeably in many baking recipes.
  • Vegetable oil: You can swap out the butter for 1/3 cup of light-tasting vegetable oil like sunflower oil.
  • Applesauce: To make a lighter sweet potato bread, replace the butter with 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce. If all you have is sweetened applesauce, reduce the amount of sugar you add.
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Storage instructions

I love to make sweet potato banana bread on the weekend and have it ready to grab during the week for a quick breakfast or snack. To ensure it stays tasty and fresh for days, follow these tips to store your sweet potato loaf.

  • Cool it! Allow your bread to cool completely before storing it to prevent mold from developing faster due to the condensation of the warm bread. Take out of the pan immediately after cooking and turn upside down on a cooling rack so that the bottom does not become too moist.
  • Wrap well: I like using plastic wrap, but storing it in aluminum foil or an airtight container would prevent the banana sweet potato bread from drying out or spoiling too quickly.
  • Refrigerate: To extend the shelf life of your sweet potato banana loaf to about a week, refrigerate it after wrapping it tightly.
  • Freeze: The bread will freeze well for up to 3 months. Package with freezer wrap or use a heavy freezer bag. While you can freeze the whole loaf, I prefer to freeze mine in slices for easier thawing.
slices of sweet potato banana recipe.
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More banana bread recipes

I love homemade banana bread. It’s easy to make, tastes delicious, and saves those overripe bananas from going to waste.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Give it a 5-star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment! Appreciate it so much, thank you!

If you had any issues, I’d appreciate the chance to help you troubleshoot before you rate.

sweet potato banana bread recipe.

Sweet Potato Banana Bread Recipe

Yield: 10 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

This sweet potato banana bread is sweet, moist, perfectly spiced, and will fill your home with a wonderful scent. Your family will devour this sweet potato bread recipe, and it’s so easy that you’ll want to bake it all the time.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups / 260 g / 9.2 oz all-purpose flour, plus 1 tbsp
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup / 1 stick / 115 g / 4 oz salted butter, plus more for greasing (or unsalted butter + 1/4 tsp salt)
  • 3/4 cup / 150 g / 5.3 oz light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (can sub for cinnamon)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup / 300 g / 10.6 oz bananas, mashed (approx. 2 bananas)
  • 1/2 cup / 100 g / 3.5 oz sweet potato puree
  • 1 1/4 cups / 210 g / 7.5 oz chocolate chips, divided (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F / 180°C / gas mark 4. Grease a 9 in x 5 in / 23 cm x 12 cm non-stick loaf pan with butter or non-stick spray and line with a piece of parchment paper. Set Aside.
  2. Cream butter and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice until fluffy and doubled in volume, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  3. Add liquid ingredients. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until just combined before adding the next. Add the mashed bananas and sweet potato puree. Mix until combined.
  4. Add dry ingredients. Add the all-purpose flour and baking powder and stir in until just combined. Don’t overmix the batter, or you’ll end up with dense banana bread.
  5. Fold in chocolate chips. Toss 1 cup / 170 g / 6 oz chocolate chips with 1 tbsp flour. Gently fold the chocolate chips into the batter.
  6. Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup / 40 g / 1.5 oz chocolate chips over the top of the loaf. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes.
  7. To check the doneness, insert a toothpick or skewer into the center of the loaf. If it comes clean, the bread is done. But if you still see liquid batter, the bread needs to bake longer.
  8. Cool. Let the banana bread cool in the pan completely until the chocolate chips on top have set.
  9. Serve. Cut the sweet potato banana bread into slices and serve when ready.
  10. Store. Keep your bread in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy it within 4 to 5 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Notes

Homemade sweet potato puree

As I mentioned, you can create this recipe with either canned or homemade sweet potato puree. Making your own sweet potato puree is pretty easy! You need 2 medium sweet potatoes, then follow these steps:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F / 200°C / gas mark 6 and line a baking sheet with foil.
  2. Wash and dry the sweet potatoes. Pierce the potato skin several times with a fork on all sides.
  3. Bake the potatoes for 40 to 50 minutes, until the skin is wrinkled, and the inside is tender.
  4. Let cool for 10 minutes. Then peel and blend the flesh in a food processor until smooth.
  5. Wait until the puree has cooled to room temperature before adding it to the banana bread batter.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 295Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 244mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 2gSugar: 31gProtein: 3g

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