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Sweet Potato Muffins

These sweet potato muffins are extremely moist, packed with nutrients, and DELICIOUS!

Wire basket full of sweet potato muffins

If you're looking for a muffin recipe that's nutritious and requires less sugar than most other muffin recipes, this is the one for you! Because of the natural sweetness of the potatoes, you don't need a ton of sugar to make these muffins flavorful. The sweet potatoes also give this recipe a really moist texture.

Freezer friendly muffins:

Whenever I make sweet potato muffins, I leave a few out to eat right away, and put the rest into the freezer after they've cooled. All it takes is a few seconds in the microwave, and they'll taste just as good as they did out of the oven.

Related recipe: Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Are yams and sweet potatoes the same thing?

They are similar, but not the same. It can get confusing because yams are often incorrectly labeled in stores, in recipes, and even on cans.

Yam vs. sweet potato

While you may see sweet potatoes incorrectly labeled as yams (especially in the south), true yams are actually pretty rare in the United States.

Yams are characterized by a lighter flesh and a darker skin with a rough texture. Since yams are also starchier than sweet potatoes, you’ll want to be sure to use sweet potatoes for this recipe.

There are many varieties of sweet potatoes in available in the U.S., and they come in all different colors. For this recipe, I look for a sweet potato with tapered ends and a bright orange flesh.

Peeled, baked sweet potatoes in a glass bowl

Related recipe: Small Batch Cinnamon Pancakes

Make ahead tip:

I recommend cooking the sweet potatoes a day ahead or a few hours ahead of when you want to make the sweet potato muffins. This will allow them time to cool and also make them easier to peel.

Baked sweet potatoes being mashed with a hand masher

More breakfast recipes to try: Baguette French Toast Bites

How many sweet potatoes to use:

I used 3 very large sweet potatoes and they equaled about 3 cups of mashed potato. So if you are buying small-medium potatoes, I'd recommend using approximately 5-6.

You can always use the leftover potato to make smoothies, pancakes, or anything else you like!

Try the topping!

If you think flaxseed is something only crazy health-nut types enjoy, I challenge you to sprinkle some on top of these muffins before baking. It's delicious, and adds a nutritional boost.

Moist inside of a sweet potato muffin topped with flax seed

If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!

Sweet Potato Muffins

Nutrient-packed sweet potato muffins that are super moist and delicious!
4.74 from 285 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 24 muffins
Calories: 169kcal
Author: Kate

Ingredients

  • 3 cups of mashed sweet potato see below for instructions
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¾ cup vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup ground flaxseed meal optional

Instructions

  • To prep the sweet potatoes (this can be done a day or so ahead if you want to break up the muffin-making process): Pierce the potatoes with a fork and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 45 minutes, or until the inside is soft when poked with a fork. Remove and let cool. When the potatoes are cool, peel off the skin and mash the sweet potato filling with a fork or masher until any big lumps are gone. Measure out 3 cups worth of filling.
  • To make the muffins: In a large bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and then add the sweet potato.
  • Pour into muffin tins/cups. If using flaxseed, sprinkle on top of the muffins. Bake at 325 for approximately 30 minutes.

Notes

I used three very large sweet potatoes and it came out to be just about three cups exactly. If you're using smaller potatoes you might want to use 4-5. If you end up being short, you could always use some mashed banana to get to three cups.

Nutrition

Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 119mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2390IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 0.9mg
Recipe Rating




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Janet

Wednesday 12th of July 2023

I made 12 …165c for 40 mint… self raising gluten-free flour and they came out beautiful just light and fluffy and sweet. Oh yes, and only half a cup of sugar…

Patricia

Saturday 1st of July 2023

Can u use baby food.

Kate

Tuesday 18th of July 2023

The baby food I've seen is a little too liquid, so you might have to cut down on liquids if using baby food. I have not tried, so I don't know exactly how much. Also, fresh cooked sweet potato is a lot more flavorful than pasteurized baby food. Let me know how it works out if you give it a try!

Sue

Tuesday 27th of June 2023

Delicious! Thank you for the recipe.

Picky Pants

Wednesday 14th of June 2023

These are the breadiest consistency I've ever gotten with a muffin. They are delicious and make for a hearty breakfast. I did reduce the sugar to 3/4 cup and want to try with maple syrup next time.

Evan

Tuesday 6th of June 2023

These were fantastic!! So moist and delicious!! Thank you!

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