This fluffy, sweet Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Bread is easy to make and full of warm fall flavours. It's freezer-friendly & great for sweet treats & snacks.
My super fluffy and hearty vegan and Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Bread has all the fall flavours going on.
Every slice is perfectly soft, flavourful, warmly spiced and doesn’t crumble like many gluten-free quick breads and the combination of soft crumb inside and nubbly, crunchy nutty, sugary top is just incredible.
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Even better, this bread is totally freezer-friendly. I highly recommend doubling the recipe so you always have a sweet treat available when cravings hit.
What ingredients do I need?
(For detailed measurements and instructions, see the printable recipe card).
No matter your skill level in vegan gluten-free baking, this easy glutenfree sweet potato bread is straightforward to make and doesn’t require many unfamiliar ingredients.
This is what you need:
- Certified gluten-free oats or oat flour - If you already have oat flour just use that, or you can use rolls oats, old fashioned oats or quick oats and blitz them up in your food processor or blender. It doesn't have to be super-duper fine so don't worry!
- Sweet potato flesh - Cook a few sweet potatoes yourself or feel free to buy canned instead. Pumpkin puree will also work well.
- Sugar - Use whatever you have at home! White, cane, coconut, or brown will all work.
- Nut or seed butter - Peanut, almond, or cashew butter all work well. Use sunflower seed butter or tahini if you have a nut allergy. You could also use any liquid oil instead of the nut/seed butter if you prefer.
- Unsweetened plant milk - Use what you already have or make your own at home.
- Apple cider vinegar - Just a little to help the bread rise.
- Ground cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg - Warm seasonal spices for those lovely fall flavours that work so well with sweet potato. Feel free to use 1 1⁄2 tablespoons of pumpkin spice instead if you want to though.
- Fine salt - For flavour and balance.
- Sorghum flour - The best choice for this gluten-free sweet potato bread. It adds a nutty flavour and compliments the fall flavours perfectly. Keep reading below for more details on this tasty gluten-free flour.
- Baking powder and baking soda - To leaven the bread. The combination of the two is really important in this recipe.
- Chopped pecans or walnuts - For flavour and crunchy texture. Leave these out if you have a nut allergy.
- Coarse sugar - For sprinkling! That crunch texture on the top is so good! Turbinado is a great sugar for this because the crystals are a really nice size.
What is sorghum flour?
Sorghum flour is made from ground whole grain sorghum. It has a mild flavour and smooth, not grainy texture, making it an optimal choice in gluten-free sweet breads, pancakes and cakes.
Not only is it nutrient-rich, but its sweet, nutty flavour lends itself to fall flavours, in particular the warm sweet potato and spices in this wheat-free sweet potato bread. Sorghum flour gives baked goods and quick breads a tender, spongey texture not dissimilar to wheat flour so it's a great choice for gluten-free baking.
As someone who reluctantly eats gluten-free baked goods, I can honestly say that I was really surprised by how well sorghum flour bakes in this recipe. It's so worth picking up a bag. Head to your local specialty store if you can't find it order it online.
How to make gluten-free sweet potato bread
Vegan gluten-free baking may seem daunting, but it’s actually really simple! Just like banana bread, this recipe is made in 1 bowl or in a food processor which makes it even easier. And there is very little cleanup!
This is how we do it:
Step 1 - Grease and line a loaf pan with a strip of parchment paper down the middle. This will act as handles when you need to remove the baked bread from the pan.
Step 2 - Add the oats to the bowl of a food processor (see recipe notes if you don't have one) and process until a coarse flour.
Step 3 - Next, add in the sweet potato flesh, sugar, nut/seed butter (or oil), milk, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt and process until mostly smooth.
Step 4 - Add the sorghum flour, baking powder, and baking soda and process again until it's all combined.
Step 5 - Spoon the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Use a spatula to smooth out the top.
Step 6 - Sprinkle the top of the dough with chopped nuts and a generous amount of coarse sugar then bake. Here's what it looks like when it's done:
Success Tips
- Weigh the ingredients using a digital scale for best results.
- Don't use boiled sweet potatoes as they tend to be too watery. Bake them in the oven for the best flavour, steam them (in a microwave or in an Instant Pot), or just use canned sweet potato.
- Although the recipe states you can use nut/seed butter or oil, I recommend using the nut/seed butter, if you can, for maximum flavour.
- Move quickly to get the maximum rise out of this bread. Once you've mixed the sorghum flour, baking powder, and soda into the batter, get the dough into the pan and then the oven as fast as possible.
- I don't recommend using any other type of flour or changing the ratios. The sorghum and oat flour work really well together and give the bread a great texture and flavour.
- Be careful not to over-bake the bread! A little under is better than overdoing it.
Ways you can adapt this recipe
- Make it oil-free by using nut or seed butter as the fat.
- Add chocolate chips or dried fruit to the batter.
- Top it with chocolate chips instead of nuts.
- Omit the nuts and use seed butter or oil to keep the recipe nut-free.
- Use natural pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) instead of sweet potato.
- Swirl date caramel or any of my other caramel recipes through the top of the batter before baking.
Storage and freezing tips
Storage - Wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap once it’s cool. As much as I hate plastic wrap, it works best to keep this bread moist and stop it from drying out. A plastic bag will do a similarly good job and you can re-use the same plastic bag again and again.
Store leftovers at room temperature as refrigerating will dry it out.
Freezing - Sweet potato bread can be wrapped well and frozen for up to 3 months. You can wrap it whole, or slice it then wrap it either all together or in individual slices. Defrost at room temperature.
How to serve
This gluten-free sweet potato bread is just perfect on its own, but it's also great when sliced and spread with vegan butter or nut/seed butter. A drizzle of vegan honey, date caramel, or the sweet potato caramel from my Vegan Sweet Potato Pancakes recipe is also really good with it.
My favourite way to eat it though is sliced, spread with almond butter and topped with sliced banana. So good!
Recipe FAQs
You sure can! Add muffin liners to a standard muffin tin and divide the batter between 12 wells. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick, skewer, or sharp knife inserted into the middle of one comes out clean.
I highly recommend you use sorghum flour for this recipe. In my tests it outperformed other gluten-free flours and gave the best texture and flavour when used in combination with the oat flour.
Hungry for more?
Loving this vegan gluten-free sweet potato bread recipe? You might also enjoy these other sweet potato recipes:
- Sweet Potato Smoothie
- Melting Vegan Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Breakfast Boats
- Cauliflower Rice Bowls
- Vegan Chocolate Pudding
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Bread
Author:
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup / 112 grams certified gluten-free rolled, old fashioned or quick oats , or oat flour
- 1¼ cup / 300 grams cooked, cooled and mashed sweet potato flesh , canned is ok too
- 1 cup / 200 grams sugar , white, cane, coconut, brown are all fine
- ⅓ cup / 80 grams nut or seed butter , or any liquid oil (or melted coconut oil)
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons / 150 mls unsweetened milk of choice
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1½ cups + 1 tablespoon / 188 grams sorghum flour
- 1 tablespoons + ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda , (bicarbonate of soda in the UK)
- ⅓ cup / 40 grams coursely chopped pecans or walnuts , for sprinkling (omit if nut-free or use pumpkin seeds instead)
- a handful of coarse sugar (turbinado works well) , for sprinkling
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C).
- Grease and line an 8.5 x 4.5 inch or a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with a strip of parchment paper down the middle of the pan with enough excess on each end to act as handles later.
- Add the oats to a food processor and process until a coarse flour is formed. If you already have oat flour just put it into the food processor and continue with the next step. If you don't have a food processor see the recipe notes.
- Add the sweet potato flesh, sugar, nut/seed butter (or oil), milk, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt and process until smooth.
- Add the sorghum flour, baking powder and baking soda. Process/mix again until it's all combined.
- Remove the blade, then spoon the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Dip a spatula in some water, give it a shake to remove any excess, then use it to smooth out the top. Re-dip as necessary.
- Sprinkle with the chopped nuts and a very generous amount of coarse sugar then put in the oven on the middle shelf. Bake for about 55 to 60 minutes until it looks done, is coming away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick, skewer or sharp thin knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Gently remove from the pan and place on a cooling rack. Remove the parchment paper and allow to cool completely before cutting or storing.
NOTES
- Weigh the ingredients using a digital scale for best results.
- Don't use boiled sweet potatoes as they tend to be too watery. Bake them in the oven for the best flavour, steam them (in a microwave or in an Instant Pot), or just use canned sweet potato.
- Although the recipe states you can use nut/seed butter or oil, I recommend using the nut/seed butter, if you can, for maximum flavour.
- Move quickly to get the maximum rise out of this bread. Once you've mixed the sorghum flour, baking powder, and soda into the batter, get the dough into the pan and then the oven as fast as possible.
- I don't recommend using any other type of flour or changing the ratios. The sorghum and oat flour work really well together and give the bread a great texture and flavour.
- Be careful not to over-bake the bread! A little under is better than overdoing it.
- Keep the bread wrapped very well and tightly once it's cooled to keep all of the moisture in. As much as I hate plastic wrap, it works best to keep this bread moist and stop it from drying out.
- Store at room temperature. Do not refrigerate.
- Sweet Potato Bread can be wrapped really well then frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature overnight.
- Use nut/seed butter or oil as the fat in this recipe. Both work well!
- Add a handful of chocolate chips or dried fruit to the batter.
- Top with chocolate chips instead of nuts
- Omit the nuts to keep it nut-free or use shelled pumpkins seeds.
- Use 1½ tablespoons of pumpkin spice instead of the cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
- Use pumpkin instead of sweet potato
- Swirl date caramel or any of my other caramel recipes through the top of the batter before baking
- Make as muffins. Divide between 12 wells and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick, skewer or sharp knife inserted into the middle of one come out clean.
NUTRITION
Nutritional information is provided for convenience & as a courtesy. The data is a computer generated estimate so should be used as a guide only.
Linda says
Hi Melanie! I made this recipe into muffins and loved them, really nice flavor and texture. I made them the second time and they taste totally different. Very peanut buttery( the only nut butter in the house) Is it possible I just forgot the nut butter the first time?? Would it still come together? Very puzzled Linda
Melanie McDonald says
The fat is necessary for a good result. Either from nut butter or oil. I give both options in the recipe and either can be used. Maybe you used oil the first time? If it bothers you though use oil, cashew or almond butter instead. Peanut butter has a stronger flavour so its flavour can come through. It complements the other flavours though so shouldn't be a problem unless you don't really like peanut butter.
Lindsey Burdick says
I would like to find a way to make this more savory than sweet. Any suggestions? Maybe cut back on the sugar and add rosemary, thyme & garlic to the batter - top w nuts and sea salt?
A Virtual Vegan says
Sugar is really important for structure in cakes so it might not turn out quite as well if you remove it. Usually you can reduce it by about a third with not too much difference. I think in this you might get away with halving it as it's quite a dense cake anyway. You can safely add any mix-ins you like though and it will be fine. Have fun!
Lindsey Burdick says
Thank you- I really appreciate your reply! I wouldn't have guessed that about sugar being so important to the structure, so I'm glad I asked. I think I will reduce it as you suggested and mix in some sun dried tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, & thyme. Maybe top w some rosemary butter? I'll let you know how it turns out!
Helene says
I have just baked this bread and it is absolutely wonderful! Thank you so much for this great recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm really pleased you enjoyed it Helene!
Katherine says
Are there any substitutions for sorghum flour that may be used?
A Virtual Vegan says
The sorghum is crucial for the texture and flavour in this recipe so I don't recommend using a substitute. It really is the best flour to use for this. If you use something else it won't turn out as good and will change the taste and texture. Also if you use another gluten-free flour you would need to introduce a starch of some kind to stop it crumbling which would also mean changing the liquid quantity etc. It wouldn't just be a straightforward swap. If you aren't gluten-free spelt flour might work but I haven't tested it that way.