No Sugar Added Sweet Potato Bread is a happy and healthy treat to share

Besides the sheer pleasure of having a sweet, aromatic, and seasonally-filled treat to munch on, it also fills me with a sense of satisfaction knowing that there is something special in which my daughter and my husband can draw and have something to share with passing friends. And since I tend to receive a lovingly homemade bread at least once during the season, and also do it to give to friends, family and neighbors at this time of year, the loaves have become the symbol of shared love and generosity in my life. .

This Sweet Potato Bread speaks to all of those joys and adds another – it’s packed with hearty whole ingredients, with no added sugar. Instead of white or brown sugar, or even maple syrup or honey, the bread is completely sweetened with mineral- and fiber-rich dates and sweet potato. It’s also made with healthy oil and a blend of whole grain and almond flours. (It can be made nut-free by replacing the almond flour with whole wheat flour or all-purpose supplement, and omitting the pecans.) Process the dates in a food processor with the other liquid ingredients until until they are smooth distributes the deeply savory flavor of the fruit. smoothness throughout the bread.

The bread comes out of the oven tender and soft, delicately sweetened and flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. It’s studded with fresh cranberries that bring bright bursts of tangy flavor and pecans (if you want them) for a rich, buttery crunch. I can’t think of a better way to bring healthy holiday wishes to the table, for yourself or someone you love.

Sweet Potato Bread with Dates and Cranberries

Get ahead: The sweet potato can be roasted up to 3 days in advance.

Storage: Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 4 days.

REMARK: To roast the sweet potato: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prick a large sweet potato (12 ounces), such as a garnet or jewel, all over with a fork, then place on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast, turning halfway through , for 50 to 60 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool, then halve and scoop out the flesh into a bowl and mash with a fork until smooth.

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• 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) neutral oil, such as grapeseed, safflower, or canola, plus more for the pan
• 1 1/2 cups (190 grams) pitted dates
• 1 cup mashed, roasted or boiled orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (see NOTE)
• 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) milk (whole, low-fat, or unsweetened almond milk)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (130 grams) whole-wheat pastry flour or white whole-wheat flour (can substitute 1/2 cup/63 grams) each of regular whole-wheat flour and all-purpose flour)
• 1/2 cup (60 grams) almond flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 cup (95 grams) fresh whole cranberries
• 1/2 cup (60 grams) chopped raw pecans

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Grease the inside of a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and line it with a piece of parchment paper long enough for a generous overhang on the two longest sides. Also grease the parchment paper with the oil.

Place the dates in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add mashed sweet potatoes, oil and milk and pulse until smooth. (Small bits of dates will remain.) Add eggs and vanilla, then pulse to combine. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

In another large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat and almond flours, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, ginger, and salt until combined.

Add flour mixture to sweet potato mixture and stir until evenly incorporated. Stir in cranberries and pecans; the batter will be very thick.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and, using a small offset spatula, smooth the top. Bake for about 1 hour, or until the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan and a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool completely in pan, then, using parchment paper overhang as a slingshot, remove from pan, slice and serve.

Per serving (one slice 3/4 inch thick)

Calories: 272; Total fat: 20 g; Saturated fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 38mg; Sodium: 203mg; Carbohydrates: 34g; Dietary fiber: 6g; Sugar: 18g; Protein: 6g

This analysis is an estimate based on the available ingredients and this preparation. It should not replace the advice of a dietitian or nutritionist.

From cookbook author and registered dietitian nutritionist Ellie Krieger.

Tested by Olga Massov; questions by e-mail to [email protected].

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