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If you’re looking for a healthy morning muffin recipe that is oil-free, low in sugar, and filled with nutrition, these sweet potato muffins are the perfect treat! They’re vegan, easy to whip up with everyday ingredients, and have a sweet and satisfying taste that kids and grown-ups alike love!
The recipe video for these sweet potato muffins uses coconut milk and coconut sugar, while in my updated recipe, I’ve swapped for almond milk and regular sugar. Use whichever you prefer!
These healthy sweet potato muffins are a tasty change from the usual pumpkin craze we see every fall. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin spice bread, but sometimes you just need to switch things up. And if you’re a sweet potato fan like me, trust me, these are a must-try! Theses muffins are fluffy, cinnamon-y, and packed with nutrients to kickstart your day. The perfect match for a warm cup of coffee!
Table of Contents
- Recipe At a Glance
- Ingredients to make sweet potato muffins
- How to make sweet potato muffins
- TIPS FOR MAKING the best vegan sweet potato muffins
- Popular substitutions & additions
- How to store sweet potato muffins
- How long will sweet potato muffins last?
- Can I freeze sweet potato muffins?
- Frequently asked questions
- For more muffin recipes:
- Sweet Potato Muffins Recipe
Recipe At a Glance
Cuisine Inspiration: American
Primary Cooking Method: Baking
Dietary Info: Vegan
Key Flavors: Sweet and Spicy (from cinnamon)
Skill Level: Beginner
Standouts
- Quick and Easy: With a prep time of 10 minutes and a bake time of 25-30 minutes, these muffins are an ideal choice for a fast and easy treat.
- Kid-Friendly: The muffins are great for children’s breakfasts or lunchboxes, making them a versatile choice for families.
- Nutrient-Dense: Made with real sweet potatoes, these muffins offer vitamins and minerals as well as fiber.
- Minimal Equipment: The recipe requires only basic kitchen tools—a large bowl, whisk, and muffin pan.
- Simple Ingredients: The ingredients are readily available in most grocery stores, making it easy for anyone to try the recipe.
Ingredients to make sweet potato muffins
- Roasted sweet potatoes: For the best results, I highly suggest using roasted sweet potatoes instead of another method of cooking them. This ensures that extra moisture is baked off before mashing. Boiled sweet potatoes may lead to a gummy, underbaked muffin.
- All-purpose flour: The base for the muffins. For a gluten-free option, you can try a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour.
- Granulated sugar: Just enough to give your muffins a sweet touch. If you want to cut down on refined sugar, feel free to use coconut sugar or organic cane sugar.
- Baking powder: Helps the muffins rise and become nice and fluffy.
- Cinnamon: I’m using cinnamon for that cozy, warm flavor. But nutmeg or pumpkin spice can be great additions too!
- Salt: Just a pinch, to balance out the sweetness.
- Almond milk: Use unsweetened almond milk for a lighter touch. You can swap it out with any plant-based milk like oat milk or soy milk.
- Vanilla extract: A little splash brings all the flavors together. No vanilla? Almond extract can work, but use sparingly – it’s strong!
How to make sweet potato muffins
The first step to making sweet potato muffins is to cook the sweet potatoes. While this is a great recipe for using leftover sweet potatoes, roasting them in the oven gives a smoky sweet flavor that truly makes the recipe delicious. Roast at 425°F for 45-50 minutes. About 2 medium sweet potatoes should get you about 2 and half cups of sweet potatoes. Allow them to cool completely before making the batter.
make the sweet potato muffin batter
- Add the flesh of the sweet potatoes to the bowl with the milk and vanilla. You can also add this mixture to a blender to quickly combine them.
- Mix until it’s well combined. You can do this with a whisk or handheld mixer.
- Mix the dry ingredients and add them on top of the sweet potato mixture.
- Mix until well combined. It’s ok if it’s a little clumpy, but make sure there are no more streaks of flour left.
Bake the muffins
- Scoop the batter into a muffin pan.
- Bake until the muffins are cooked through and a toothpick comes out clean.
TIPS FOR MAKING the best vegan sweet potato muffins
- Roast the sweet potatoes ahead of time. While this is a super quick recipe, roasting the sweet potatoes is the most time consuming part. I roast it at 425°F for 45-50 minutes. Then allow it to cool so it’s easier to handle. This is great to do when you have other food in the oven.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Just mix until you don’t see any more flour streaks. If you overmix the batter, the muffins may bake unevenly or become extra chewy and tough.
- Customize with add-ins. Feel free to fold in chocolate, chopped nuts or fruit after you’ve mixed the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients.
- Use parchment paper muffin cups. This batter tends to be pretty moist so some sticking may occur if you use traditional muffin liners or no muffin liners. I recommend the parchment paper ones for best results.
- Allow muffins to cool before removing from pan. It’s tempting, I know. But when you give it time, the steam that condenses around the muffins actually makes it easier to remove from pan. And then don’t forgot to cool them on the wire rack for a total of 15-20 minutes.
Popular substitutions & additions
It’s so fun experimenting with add-ins! When I first made these sweet potato muffins, I tested them with raisins, chocolate chips, granola and almond butter. I loved the almond butter the most, but the kids loved the chocolate chips…obviously! Here are some fun topping ideas though:
- Nuts or dried fruits. If you want some crunch or added sweetness, mix in some walnuts, pecans, or even dried cranberries or raisins.
- Savory add-ins. Try adding some grated cheese, spinach or corn. It might sound unusual, but trust me, savory ingredients can complement the sweet potato’s sweetness.
- Chocolate. If there’s something that can truly elevate these muffins, it’s definitely chocolate. Throw in the mix some chocolate chips, chunks or nibs to get that sweet, chocolatey goodness in every bite!
- Seeds. If you’re looking for extra protein, mix in some chia seeds or flaxseeds. Not only will they up the nutritional value, but they also add a subtle nutty flavor.
How to store sweet potato muffins
After letting your muffins cool completely, add a paper towel under them to absorb any moisture that they release, and place them in an airtight container. Also, it’s best to store them in a single layer to keep them from getting squished. If you need to stack them, put a piece of parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking.
How long will sweet potato muffins last?
These tasty muffins will stay fresh for about 3 to 4 days at room temperature. But remember, the fresher they are, the better they taste!
Can I freeze sweet potato muffins?
Yes! Once cooled, wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap and then pop them all in a zip-top freezer bag. They will last for up to 3 months inside the freezer.
Frequently asked questions
I would not recommend using yams instead of sweet potatoes. They have more starch than sweet potatoes so they won’t lend enough moisture to the recipe as sweet potatoes do.
Muffins can turn out dense if the batter is overmixed. Remember to mix just until the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Another reason might be that the baking powder wasn’t fresh, or that you used too much flour.
The texture of the muffins is primarily influenced by the moisture content in the sweet potatoes. Using boiled, mashed sweet potatoes often results in muffins that are too wet, leading to a gummy or underdone texture. Boiled sweet potatoes retain more water compared to roasted ones, and this extra moisture affects the overall texture of the muffins.
Solution 1:
Opt for roasted sweet potatoes rather than boiled ones. Roasting helps to evaporate some of the moisture, resulting in a drier and more concentrated form of sweet potato mash that works well in the recipe.
Solution 2:
If you only have boiled sweet potatoes, consider reducing the liquid ingredients in the recipe. However, this may alter the flavor and texture in unexpected ways, so proceed with caution.
Solution 3:
You can try draining excess moisture from boiled sweet potatoes by placing them in a sieve or cheesecloth and squeezing out the water. Once the excess moisture is removed, mash them as directed in the recipe.
Solution 4:
Extend the baking time by a few minutes and check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean, the muffins are done. Note that extending the bake time is a less predictable method, as ovens vary and over-baking can lead to dry muffins.
Muffins sticking to the liners is a common issue, especially in recipes like this one that do not use added oil. Oil often acts as a natural non-stick agent, helping to prevent muffins from sticking to the liners. Without it, you’re more likely to encounter this problem.
Solution 1:
Use parchment paper liners instead of regular paper or foil liners. Parchment paper has a natural non-stick property that works well in the absence of oil.
Solution 2:
Even if using parchment paper liners, an extra step for assurance is to lightly spray them with a non-stick cooking spray. This creates an additional non-stick surface between the muffin and the liner.
Solution 3:
Allow the muffins to cool completely in the pan before attempting to remove them from the liners. When muffins are hot, they are more fragile and likely to stick.
Solution 4:
Carefully peel away the liner instead of pulling it off quickly, which can cause the muffin to tear or leave chunks behind on the liner.
Solution 5:
If you find yourself without parchment paper liners, consider lightly greasing the muffin tin itself and forgo liners altogether. However, this could make clean-up more cumbersome.
Loaded with the natural sweetness and nutrition of fresh sweet potatoes, these healthy-ish Sweet Potato Muffins are so good for breakfast or snack time! They’re easy to make, vegan, wholesome, and have that comforting fall taste we all crave. Go on, give them a try and let the warm, cozy aromas of sweet potatoes fill your kitchen!
For more muffin recipes:
- Chai Spiced Vegan Muffins
- Blueberry Banana Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
- Cranberry Lemon Muffins
- Kid Friendly Muffins
- Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
This sweet potato muffin recipe post was originally published on March 23, 2019, updated on April 19, 2023 with new images and step-by-step instructions. The recipe has been slightly modified from the original to use almond milk instead of coconut, regular sugar instead of coconut sugar, and highlighting that roasted sweet potatoes work best! I’ve also made it simpler by mixing everything in one bowl instead of using a blender.
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Sweet Potato Muffins recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
Sweet Potato Muffins
Video
Ingredients
- Non-stick cooking spray as needed
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups mashed roasted sweet potatoes
- ¾ cup almond milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-count muffin pan with parchment paper cups, then spray with non-stick cooking spray (for best results).
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed sweet potatoes, almond milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the sweet potato mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each muffin cavity about ¾ full.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow them to cool completely before enjoying.
Notes
- Use roasted sweet potatoes to avoid a gummy, underbaked texture.
- Use parchment paper muffin liners to keep the muffins from sticking to the liner.
- I would not recommend using yams instead of sweet potatoes. They have more starch than sweet potatoes so they won’t lend enough moisture to the recipe as sweet potatoes do.
- Instead of almond milk, you can use any other plant-based milk or regular milk.
- I tested this recipe with a whole wheat white flour, but it will work with any other all purpose flours.
- To make this gluten-free, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix. Do not substitute only almond flour or only coconut flour.
- Replace sugar with other types of granulated sugar.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
My 2-year old recently got picky with the breakfast menu and I needed a quick muffin idea for breakfast. I stumbled on your recipe and surprisingly have all the ingredients at hand. Needless to say, everything came out perfect! My 2-year old devoured it and had energy for the whole day. Thank you so much. I appreciate that there’s no egg called for in this recipe, which allows me to cook omelette to accompany his muffin for breakfast. I used silicone muffin cups to cook these and they slid right out, although I had to bake it slightly longer to get the bottom firmer.
So happy to hear that it was a hit with your little one!
My end result was tasty. I tweaked the ingredients a bit, I added an egg and used two cups of mashed sweet potato. I also used a blender for the mashed sweet potato and wet ingredients. If you grease a muffin pan, they come out nicely. If you use muffin liners, it does stick a bit to the liner but if you let it cool it sticks less.
Thanks for your feedback and letting me know about the substitutions you made! Glad they came out well for you.
These were so nice, and great to eat more veggies in dessert recipes! I eyeballed the measurements and luckily for me the muffins were cooked well inside. The texture is more pancake than muffin but I added choc chips on top and everyone loved them. Thanks 🙂