Recipe Review: Sweet Potato Banana Bread

Friends, a lot happened in a week. We had Halloween, daylight saving time ended, and if we go by TV commercials, it’s Christmas.  

But what about Thanksgiving?

Maybe retailers gloss over it because it’s a sincere occasion. It’s not about gifts. Rather family, food, and taking time to be grateful.

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be giving Thanksgiving the respect it deserves by sharing suitable recipes.

First up, a quick bread from The Southern Lady Cooks. Some of you may remember her from that heavenly Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake. Rest assured this isn’t favoritism. I do try to introduce new cooks. Although sometimes I’ll have to double back.

This Sweet Potato Banana Bread was one of those times. With pecans and warm spices, it’s perfect for the holiday season.

It wasn’t a fussy recipe. It just took patience. The key to good banana bread is really ripe bananas. So I allowed enough days for the bananas to ripen, then got started.

• Since I didn’t have the optional bourbon whiskey, I doubled the vanilla to help boost the flavor.
• Instead of mixing all at once, I added the mashed bananas and sweet potatoes after mixing the sugars, oil, eggs, and vanilla. This ensured the eggs blended well. I combined the dry ingredients as instructed.
• I lowered the oven temperature to 325 degrees for my dark loaf pan. This increased the baking time to about an hour. Honestly, I was starting to think my oven wasn’t working properly. However, it was just the bread’s density. I covered the top with foil to prevent excessive browning until the center was done.

The Southern Lady’s recipe stopped here. It simply stated, enjoy. But for me, the Sweet Potato Banana Bread seemed unfinished. 

Don’t get me wrong. With a mouthwatering aroma and toasted pecans nestled on top, it was inviting. Still, a brown sugar glaze could make it next level. I found a microwave glaze (within another recipe) that was easy and reasonable. Not too much butter, milk instead of cream, and ready in minutes. 

Each drizzle of glaze validated my decision. Now the banana bread looked complete.

I cut a hunk while the bread was a smidge warm. A loose crumb with brown sugar glaze and pecans got my attention first. The nutty, sweet combination reminded me of pralines. My next piece was all bread, incredibly moist bread. While the banana taste was obvious, the sweet potato had more influence than flavor. It enhanced the vanilla and spices, along with the toasted nuts and glaze.

I wanted another slice, yet managed to exercise restraint that night. Such sensibility did not continue. The bread was more scrumptious the next day.

I’m not certain how my rating would’ve been without the glaze. However, with the brown sugar glaze I give this Sweet Potato Banana Bread 5 stars. It’s definitely a new favorite, and something I might make regardless of the season.

For the full recipe, please visit The Southern Lady Cooks.

P.S. There’s a way to quickly ripen bananas for banana bread. Of course I found this tip after I needed it. But I’ll be ready next time.

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