Our easy sweet potato bread with cake mix is a delicious Fall breakfast or dessert. Make with canned yams mashed or leftovers. Similar to our recipe for Pumpkin Bread with Spice Cake Mix but with the other favorite Thanksgiving flavor!
We love baking quick breads during the holidays and this is just one more cake mix hack we just love! Baked moist with nuts or a streusel topping it is a family friendly treat even your kids can help you make and enjoy.
There are 2 ways to make this, one is fluffier than the other but both are wonderful treats we enjoy at Christmas brunch and throughout the year too. If you want to combine just two ingredients you can fold together just the dry mix and mashed potatoes and bake. With eggs and instant pudding the loaf becomes more tender.
Can you use make sweet potato bread with canned yams?
Absolutely you can, that is a great substitute and what we have used to make Sweet Potato Dumplings in the past. Most times we will make this with leftovers after the holidays but you can certainly drain candied yams and mash those instead. The only difference if you use canned it will be sweeter, either will work great.
Sweet Potato Bread with Cake Mix
If you want to make it easy peasy style you will want to start with 1 box spice cake mix is the best choice for this with the spices already in there.
A box of Instant pudding vanilla used, 3.4 oz. size but if they had pumpkin that would work too
You will want about 2 cups of sweet potatoes mash or canned yams should be drained and mashed before adding. We have done this swap to make our Southern Sweet Potato Pie too and it works fabulous.
Eggs should be ideally added at room temperature when added and whisked for the lightest fluffiest texture
What can I use instead of spice cake mix?
You can use our directions above for a homemade recipe, or if you have a yellow or white cake mix on hand, you can easily turn it into a spice cake mix by mixing together;
- 1 box of yellow or white cake mix
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg and ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. allspice and ground cloves
Whether you choose to bake Sweet Potato Muffins from scratch or with dry mix as we share here the bake time is the same. Filled 3/4 of the way full in a muffin tin these are of course faster at just 18 minutes or so or until the middle springs back when touched gently.
Baked in the Oven
Instructions for this are below in the recipe card. How to bake the moistest bread – Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes inside pan on a cooling rack. Then remove from pan and sit on cooling rack until cooled to room temperature.
I will tell you that if you want the classic flavors you love, but quicker this is a great option. We have made Sweet Potato Cake from scratch is delicious too but takes much longer. Jump to recipe below and get started!
Sweet Potato Bread in Air Fryer
You will need to use mini loaf pans to fit in there, filled 3/4 of the way full. Preheat air fryer to 330 degrees for 5 minutes. Close basket and bake for 35-45 minutes. Timing will depend slightly depending on wattage and how many loaves you’re cooking at once. Use a toothpick at minute 35 to see if it comes out clean or a bit wet. Often times we will serve with Sweet Potato Chili Recipe to boot.
Sweet Potato Bread Recipe
Equipment
- 1 9×5 loaf pan
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 box spice cake mix
- 1 box instant pudding, vanilla used, 3.4 oz.
- 15 oz sweet potatoes, or canned yams drained and mashed, almost 2 cups
- 3 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a bowl mix together instant pudding with dry cake mix, then add eggs and mashed sweet potatoes (or drained canned yams). Fold ingredients together just until incorporated, no more.
- * You can add 1/2 cup crushed nuts or mini chocolate chips at this time if you'd like. For a more intense Fall flavor, include 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice too.
- Spray 9×5 inch loaf pan with non stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Pour in batter.
- Place on the middle rack of your oven for 50 – 60 minutes. Check at min. 50. If it no longer looks wet in the center test with a toothpick. You want moist crumbs to be attached (not dry) ideally.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes inside pan on a cooling rack. Then remove from pan and sit on cooling rack to reach room temperature before slicing.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
FAQ
You can but it is will be a bit of a different consistency since canned is very smooth and mashed is thicker which means a more moist bread. It would be the best alternative though if that is all you have.
I have not made this yet but wondering why add pudding ?
makes it super moist