I did not grow up eating a lot of sweet potatoes in Hong Kong. Occasionally sweet potatoes would be included in curry. During the wintertime, there would be the occasional street hawker selling warm roasted sweet potatoes - absolutely fantastic for those cold days spent walking around the city. But that is really the extent of my recollection of sweet potatoes as a child.
When I moved to America I tried sweet potatoes in its varied forms. pies, cakes, fries, and varied sweet and savory casseroles galore! This root vegetable would be dressed up as a savory and then turned around and be dressed up like a dessert in the same meal. It was insane!
As a novice cook, sweet potatoes were never on my list of things to cook. I tried pureeing it for my kids when they were younger and that was a colossal failure. It was so horrid that even I did not want to eat it. Then I tried a few other tactics, but none of those were worth the bite.
The first time I successfully cooked sweet potatoes was well into my 30s, yes, well into my 30s. I roasted them in the oven because I was too lazy to peel and cut them. I roasted them for a sweet pecan casserole recipe I found on the Food Network website. It was incredible - sweet and creamy and so very luscious - and absolutely perfect for a Thanksgiving side. I was hooked. The entire family was hooked!
The casserole became the only sweet potato dish I made for a few years, until I decided to venture down the path of oven fires, pie filling, and most recently loaves. This loaf recipe is so delicious and hearty, made with olive oil it adds a level of moisture and an added nutty taste that is just fantastic!
So, if you are looking for a flavorful seasonal loaf that can be enjoyed year-round, give this recipe a try!
Sweet potato loaf with pecans
Recipe
Yield: 12 slices
Time: Prep: 20 min; Cook: 1 hr 10 min
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 cup roasted mashed sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup finely diced pecans
Directions
Prep
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit
- Grease a 9x15 loaf pan and place a parchment paper
- For 1 cup of roasted mashed sweet potatoes, peel and cut sweet potatoes into one inch pieces. Lightly oil to coat the cut sweet potatoes with olive oil and place on a foiled pan in a 400 Fahrenheit degree oven for about 30-40 minutes, tossing every 15 min. 1 and 1/4 of medium sweet potatoes yield a cup of
Cook
- Measure and place flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and set aside
- Measure and place sugar, olive oil, eggs, and vanilla in a mixing bowl and whisk until well blended and creamy
- Alternate flour mixture and water into the sugar mixture - mix to incorporate, but do not over mix the batter
- Add the roasted mashed sweet potatoes and pecans into the batter and mix until incorporated
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan
- Bake the loaf for 60-70 minutes, mine generally bakes in 68 minutes
- Once baked, let the loaf rest for 10 min and then let the loaf cool
Serve
- Serve cafe sized slice of the loaf with a cup of hot chocolate
KEYWORDS: sweet potato loaf, sweet potato and pecan loaf, loaf with roasted sweet potatoes, dairy-free sweet potato loaf