The fall baking frenzy has officially begun in the Whole Happy kitchen! To be quite honest, I bake a tonne all year round (if you haven’t already noticed, coming up with alternative baked good recipes is one of my favourite things to do), but there’s something special about baking during this season. Perhaps it’s the inherently warming and comforting nature of baked goods that lend so well so that cozy fall vibe. Perhaps spending time indoors when the whether gets colder and wetter doesn’t feel so bad when you have something sweet and aromatic wafting from the oven. Or perhaps it’s because autumnal produce lens so well to sweet treats like pumpkin spice muffins, apple cinnamon pudding, and spiced plum cake, and as I’m sure you can guess…sweet potato loaf!
Now just to clear things up, in Canada we often call sweet potatoes "yams" and there's a lot of debate surrounding this confusing vernacular mixup. Don't stress about that too much, just go for the sweet orange-hued tuber and you should be fine :)
Most importantly, just give it a try! This recipe is very forgiving, and makes for a fantastic pudding is all else fails and it ends up being a tad more shapeless than you had imagined :)
That being said, I have 100% faith you’ll whip up the perfect loaf, and if you do, I highly recommend slicing it up, frying it in a pan with some extra coconut oil or grass-fed butter if you’re cool with dairy, and then topping it with some whipped coconut cream, and a sprinkling of candied walnuts or pecans for a truly decadent fall time treat!
Spiced Sweet Potato Loaf (grain/gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free)
Prep time: About 5 minutes
Cooking time: 30-40 minutes (plus time for setting and cooling)
Makes about 7 thick slices
Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp clove
1/4 tsp sea salt
3 eggs
1 cup sweet potato/ yam puree
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350F.
Grease a loaf pan with coconut oil. You can also line the bottom with one thin strip of parchment paper with the edges hanging out for easier removal.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the coconut flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, coconut sugar, and sea salt, and set aside.
In a mixer, food processor, or by hand, combine the eggs, yam puree, vanilla extract, and coconut oil.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet until thoroughly combined.
Pour the mixture into your loaf pan, smooth out the top, and sprinkle with some extra cinnamon, coconut sugar, candied nuts, or just leave plain.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, checking to see if the centre is cooked through by inserting a thin knife, or long skewer until it comes out clean.
Once baked through, remove from oven and let sit for about 10 minutes.
Remove from the loaf pan, and let it cool further on a wired rack for a few more minutes.
Slice and serve as is, or cool completely before storing in the fridge or freezer. **Tip: If you are going to store it, I recommend letting it cool completely, slicing it up, and individually wrapping each piece. When you’re ready to enjoy, remove from the wrapping, and reheat in toaster, or in a pan with some coconut oil or grass-fed butter.