These Sweet Potato Muffins are a new favorite in my house. Adding sweet potato to a muffin recipe not only adds nutrients, like vitamins A and C, but it also acts as a binder, so these muffins are naturally egg-free, gluten-free, and allergy-friendly. My kids can’t tell that they’re eating sweet potato at all, because these bite-sized muffins taste so good!
How to Make Sweet Potato Muffins
To make these muffins, you’ll need cooked sweet potato on hand. You can peel and steam a sweet potato just for this purpose, or use leftover cooked sweet potato if you have it on hand. (I usually have steamed sweet potato cubes in our fridge to use on vegan lunch bowls or as a salad topping, like in these mason jar salads.)
If you don’t want to cook a sweet potato, you can also use canned pumpkin puree in a pinch! I’ve done that several times with this recipe and the results are great. I imagine you could even use applesauce or mashed banana, for a vegan version of my Banana Oatmeal Muffins.
Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
Why would you want to add sweet potato to a muffin? Not only can this vegetable puree act as an egg substitute in vegan baking, it also packs quite a bit of nutrition!
Here are a few benefits of sweet potatoes:
- They are rich in beta-carotene which may support healthy vision.
- The beta carotene in sweet potatoes is converted to vitamin A in the body, which is critical for a healthy immune system. Vitamin A is believed to help lower inflammation in the body, which can in turn, enhance immunity. (source)
- Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of fiber, and fiber-rich diets have been linked to a lower risk of colon cancer. (source)
Eating more fruits and vegetables, in general, is linked to a lower risk of dementia and mental impairment, so adding sweet potatoes to this healthy muffin recipe seems like a good idea to me!
What’s In Healthy Sweet Potato Muffins?
These muffins are quick and easy to make once you have the sweet potato on hand. You’ll also need:
- Oat flour. Oats are an affordable and easily accessible gluten-free ingredient, and if you can’t find oat flour at your local grocery store, you can just grind rolled oats in a blender or food processor until it becomes a flour. Be sure to look for certified gluten-free oats to avoid the cross-contamination that can happen during processing.
- Almond Butter. I love using nut butter instead of oil, because it adds extra fiber and nutrients to this recipe, to help keep you satisfied longer.
- Maple Syrup. This natural sweetener and unlike refined sugar, it retains some of its minerals and antioxidants. One study actually found 24 antioxidants in maple syrup! Because it’s lower-glycemic, maple syrup shouldn’t spike your blood sugar as much as white table sugar, either.
- Baking Powder. I use baking powder (instead of baking soda) in this recipe because it’s egg-free, and the powder will help these muffins rise without the need for an added acid, like lemon juice or vinegar. If you need to avoid corn products, be sure to look for a baking powder that
I always make these muffins in a mini muffin pan because my kids will eat them this way. (They are intimidated by large muffins for some reason.) I’ve included tips for making these in a regular, larger muffin tin if you prefer to make them that way, too.
More Healthy Muffin Recipes
If you love these Sweet Potato Muffins, you may also enjoy:
- Almond Flour Muffins
- Spinach Muffins (great for picky eaters!)
- Vegan Carrot Cake Muffins
- Sweet Potato “Toast”
If you make this recipe and want to share a photo, be sure to tag #detoxinista on Facebook or Instagram so I can find you and see how it turns out!
How to make Sweet Potato Muffins ( 1-Minute Video):
Sweet Potato Muffins (That Everyone Loves!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed sweet potato (steamed or baked)
- 1 1/2 cups oat flour (certified gluten-free, if needed)
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Optional Add-Ins
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips , raisins, or chopped walnuts
Instructions
- If you haven't cooked the sweet potato yet, peel and slice it into 1-inch chunks. Arrange a steamer basket into a small sauce pan and fill it with roughly an inch of water. Pour the sweet potato chunks into the steamer basket, keeping them out of the water, and bring the water to a boil. Cover the pot and lower the heat so that the water is still simmering, and cook until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. (The smaller you cut the sweet potato, the faster it will cook.)
- Once you have cooked sweet potato, mash it with a fork and measure out 1 cup of mashed potato to use in this recipe. (Save any extra cooked potato to add into a sweet potato smoothie!)
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a mini muffin tin. Or, you can line a standard muffin with muffin cups, if you prefer to make larger muffins.
- In a large bowl, combine the sweet potato, oat flour, almond butter, maple syrup, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt and stir until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips, raisins, or chopped walnuts, if desired.
- Use a cookie scoop or heaping tablespoon to drop the dough into the mini muffin tin. I typically get about 22 mini muffins with this recipe. For larger muffins, use 1/4 cup measure to scoop the dough into the muffin cups. You should get 10 to 11 larger muffins.
- For mini muffins, bake at 350ºF for 18 minutes. For full-sized muffins, bake for 25 minutes instead.
- Allow the muffins to cool completely before serving. They should last on the counter for up to 2 days, but for a longer shelf life I recommend storing them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months!
Video
Nutrition
Sweet Potato Muffin Nutrition (per mini muffin): Calories: 86, Fat: 3g, Carbohydrates: 14g, Fiber: 1g, Protein: 2g
Recipe Notes:
- You can use canned pumpkin puree or sweet potato puree in this recipe to save time. Both work well!
- I imagine you can use slightly less maple syrup in this recipe if you don’t mind a less-sweet muffin, and you can probably use honey if you don’t need this recipe to be vegan.
- I have not tested this recipe with other flours, so I can’t predict how a substitution might turn out, but let me know if you do!
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how it works for you! And if you try a substitution, let me know how that turns out, too. We can all benefit from your experience!
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite muffin flavor?
Would love to make these but what can I swap out the almond butter for? My son is allergic to peanuts & tree nuts. Thanks!
Maybe try using some oil instead? I imagine 2 – 3 tablespoons of olive oil could work, or you could try coconut butter.
I bet you could sub sunbutter (sunflower seed butter)
I’ve made them with Su butter several times, and they’re delicious!
Made these sweet potato muffins today and my kids LOVE them! I bet they’ll be good with applesauce, so I’m going to try that next. Thank you for sharing such easy recipes.
Made this sweet potato muffin recipe today as part of my meal prep and they are SO GOOD!
This recipe is brilliant! They were absolutely delicious!
Any idea what other type of flour would work? Thank you!
Whole wheat flour might work, or buckwheat flour, but I haven’t tested either with this recipe so I couldn’t say for sure!
My son love Sweet Potato Muffins. I tried your recipe and it is amazing. Thanks for sharing.
I can’t wait to try this! Do you think the result would be similar if I used another nut butter like peanut butter?
Yes, I think it would be similar!
I recently made your vegan almond flour cookies and they were delicious! I noticed that you said we should be using a lower oven temperature for Allman’s. Does this apply to this recipe as well? If so, how would you change the temp and cook time? Thank you!
Oops -I meant almonds 🙂
I’m planning to try these out. I have oatmeal on hand so can I just grind it up in a blender to make my own oat flour?
I saw a comment about making them with applesauce…what does that sub for? The nut butter or maple syrup? I’m a novice with baking =)
It’s really healthier one. If any alternative for almond butter?
I used peanut butter instead of almond butter and whole wheat flour instead of oat flour. My dough turned out really thick and sticky, and the final result of the muffins was a bit dry. The insides were nice and more moist, though. They kind of grow on you… my husband and I both didn’t like the first one we each had, but liked the second one! Better served with some honey spread on them 🙂
Made these as written using sweet potatoes I’d cooked last night in the instant pot (using your method). They are delicious! My gluten free dairy free mom loved them, as did my preschooler and toddler 🙂
This muffins are stellar! I’ve made them with infinite little twists, including the addition of one sauteed apple. I find the maple syrup isn’t necessary with the addition of the fruit. Thank you.
Aloha i am trying to avoid the maple syrup when you used the apple did you steam it then sauté it and just cut it up small pieces and add it into the mix?
Thanks for any advice ;0)
Love this recipe! We make it almost weekly and use pumpkin bc my fiancé is sensitive to sp. I’ve adjusted the recipe to use a full can. Thanks for posting. We love your recipes!
These are delicious and so easy!
Megan,
Do you think this would work if I used oil instead of almond butter? My baby is super sensitive to any nuts and animal products. Thanks for your help!
Aloha,
Ashley
Probably. You probably won’t need as much oil as almond butter– maybe only half as much? The almond butter adds fiber, too, so I’m not sure exactly how they will turn out without it, but it’s worth a shot!
Love them. Turned out great. I added minced turmeric and ginger.
I plan on adding walnuts and raisins next time. Thank you your post was well written and a good read.
I roasted the sweet potatoes on he oven with the skins on. It added only a little texture but I like skins on my potatoes.
I roasted the sweet potatoes in the oven with the skins on. It added texture; I like skins on my potatoes.
Would pumpkin seed butter work in place if the nut butter here?
Ooh, maybe? I’ve never worked with that before! I’d love to hear if you try it.
I made them.. I added just one cup of oatmeal flour and 1/2 cacao powder.. also it was to thick and I added 1/2 cup of almond milk!! Ther are AMAZING! 😍❤️ Thanks!
I made this with just regular rolled oats because I didn’t have oat flour available and substituted the almond butter for coconut oil and it turned out great!
This is my go-to recipe to have clean and healthy muffins on hand as snacks or a quick meal for my little ones (hubby loves them too!) when we’re on-the-go. I usually double the recipe and freeze most of them. I usually blend all the wet ingredients to make it smoother, mix into dry ingredients, add a grated zucchini, and fold in chopped walnuts. They’re perfect! Thanks for the easy and amazing recipe!