With a fluffy texture, a naturally sweet flavor, and a hint of cozy spices, these Sweet Potato Muffins are a new favorite veggie muffin in our house. They are lightly sweetened, store well, and are delicious topped with honey, butter, or cream cheese.

sweet potato muffins in muffin pan.

These easy muffins are a great option for breakfast, snack, or to serve as a simple side with chili or soup. Once the sweet potato is prepared—you can easily make it at home as crockpot sweet potatoes or start with canned sweet potato puree—making the muffins is as simple as stirring the ingredients together in a bowl.

The result is a homemade batch of muffins that are so darn good topped with a little butter and honey (or on their own if you’re more of a purist!).

We like these for breakfast, snack, or as part of an easy cold lunch. The main thing to know about this recipe is that you’ll need to have some Sweet Potato Puree ready to go. You can do that step a few days ahead or use canned sweet potato puree from the store. Up to you.

(You may also like other yummy sweet potato recipes including Sweet Potato Pancakes, Sweet Potato Waffles, and my Sweet Potato Cookies.)

Table of Contents

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Ingredients You Need

To make this sweet potato muffin recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients.

ingredients-in-sweet-potato-muffins-on-counter.
  • Mashed sweet potato, very smooth and cool or at room temperature. I usually use homemade mashed sweet potatoes, but you could use canned sweet potato puree, too.
  • Milk: Dairy or unsweetened plain nondairy works here.
  • Unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt in the recipe.
  • Maple syrup: You could use honey if you prefer for kids over age 1.
  • Egg: This helps the batter bind together, as well as stay moist and tender.
  • Vanilla extract: A little vanilla adds a hint of flavor that works well with the rest of the flavors.
  • All-purpose and whole wheat flour: I like to use a mix of flours in this recipe so it’s light and also has some of the nutrients from the whole wheat flour.
  • Baking soda: This is key to making sure they bake through well, so be sure yours is fresh.
  • Cinnamon: This adds to the cozy, warm spice in the recipe.
  • Optional: Chocolate chips or lemon zest. I usually add one or the other to ensure they have plenty of flavor.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here’s a look at how to make these sweet potato muffins. Scroll down to the bottom of the recipe for the full information.

Wet ingredients for sweet potato muffins in glass bowl.

Step 1. Stir together the wet ingredients, going slowly to get everything well combined.

Batter for sweet potato muffins in glass bowl.

Step 2. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Sweet potato muffins in muffin pan before baking.

Step 3. Portion into a muffin tin.

Sweet potato muffins in muffin pan after baking.

Step 4. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

TIP: I use a spatula to stir the batter together. It’s fairly thick due to the sweet potato, so be gentle but firm to get it mixed.

What’s the best sweet potato to use in muffins?

To make the mashed sweet potato, you can make Mashed Roasted Sweet Potato or Crock-Pot Sweet Potatoes. Blend them very smooth in the blender or in a food processor and be sure to let them cool fully before you add them to the batter.

You can prep the sweet potatoes 3-5 days ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use. You can also use store-bought sweet potato puree.

sliced sweet potato muffin on plate.

Flavor Additions

You can stir in a handful of chocolate chips to the batter of these sweet potato muffins. Or add 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest. Don’t do both, just pick one or the other! They both lend a nice flavor boost to the muffins.

How to Store

Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 5, or in the freezer in a zip-top freezer bag with as much air removed as possible for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature.

Best Tips for Success

  • Be sure to puree the sweet potatoes fully before starting the batter. I usually run it through my blender to make sure it’s smooth and lump-free.
  • You can also use store-bought sweet potato puree.
  • Add fresh lemon zest or chocolate chips to add more flavor.
  • Use pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon if you prefer.
  • Gluten-free: Use cup-for-cup gluten-free flour in place of the wheat flours.
  • Dairy-free: Use nondairy unsweetened plain milk, and use vegetable oil for the butter.
  • Egg-free: Omit the egg. Increase the milk to 1 ¼ cups. Bake as directed.
  • The baking soda is crucial in this recipe since it helps the batter rise nicely even though the batter is very thick. Be sure to check to make sure yours isn’t expired!

I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe, so comment below and give it some stars if your family enjoys them!

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sweet-potato-muffins-in-pan

Fluffy Sweet Potato Muffins

Tender and moist, these muffins are lightly sweetened with warm spices. Plan to prepare the sweet potatoes at least an hour—and up to 3 days—before you start making the muffins to allow time to cool. You can make these plain, with chocolate chips, or with lemon zest.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
5 from 69 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Author Amy Palanjian
Cuisine American
Course Snack
Calories 145kcal
Servings 12

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mashed sweet potato (very smooth and cool or at room temperature)
  • 1 cup milk
  • ¼ cup melted unsalted butter (slightly cooled; ½ stick)
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 1 egg (lightly beaten)
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup whole wheat flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar (the muffins are very lightly sweet, so this is optional for additional sweetness)
  • ½ cup chocolate chips (or 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest)
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Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a standard-size 12-cup nonstick muffin tin well. (I use classic Pam spray.)
  • Add the sweet potato, milk, butter, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla to a medium bowl. Stir together, going slowly and gently, until fully combined.
  • In a separate medium bow, stir together the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the optional sugar if using. Stir gently into the sweet potato mixture.
  • To add chocolate chips, sprinkle a few on top of each muffin before baking or stir into the batter. To add lemon zest (without chocolate), stir the fresh lemon zest into the batter.
  • Divide among the prepared muffin tin, using about ¼ cup batter in each, and bake for 16-20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. (In my oven it was right at 18 minutes. To make as mini muffins, bake for about 12-14 minutes.) Let cool for a minute in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
  • Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Equipment

Video

Notes

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 5, or in the freezer in a zip-top freezer bag with as much air removed as possible for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature.
  • To make the mashed sweet potato, you can make Mashed Roasted Sweet Potato or Crock-Pot Sweet Potatoes. Do this step ahead of time (even up to three days ahead if you store it in an airtight container in the fridge) so the sweet potato is cool when you make the muffin batter.
  • These are very lightly sweet. The additional sugar is there if you think your family would prefer them a little sweeter.
  • Be sure to puree the sweet potatoes fully before starting the batter. I usually run it through my blender to make sure it’s smooth and lump-free. You can also use store-bought sweet potato puree.
  • Gluten-free: Use cup-for-cup gluten-free flour in place of the wheat flours.
  • Dairy-free: Use plain unsweetened nondairy milk and vegetable oil instead of butter.
  • Egg-free: Omit the egg. Increase the milk to 1 ¼ cups. Bake as directed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 145kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 26mg, Sodium: 252mg, Potassium: 126mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1744IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 43mg, Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Rate in the comments and tag @yummytoddlerfood on IG!

This post was first published October 2020.

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5 from 69 votes (30 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I scoured the internet for sweet potato muffins and landed on your recipe and we LOVED them. These were the perfect amount of sweetness. I did not have whole wheat flour on hand so subbed all purpose and they were so moist and fluffy. We had them for snack the day of and the next morning for breakfast. I already need to make a new batch for school lunches. Thank you for sharing this recipe, Amy!

    Reply

  2. Is it normal that it comes out a bit gooey looking ? I’ve cooked it longer than requested.. and I put a fork through it nothing stuck into it so it seemed cooked but when I took a bite it was gooey.

    Thanks !

    Reply

    1. No, that’s not normal. I would check to make sure that the baking soda you’re using is fresh as that is the most likely reason.

      Reply

  3. 5 stars
    I made these for my 9 month old without sugar or maple syrup and he loved them! And I set a few aside for the adults and just drizzled icing on them. It was delicious!!!

    Reply

  8. 5 stars
    This is so bizarre but not 24 hours after I baked these, bright green spots showed up throughout the muffin. It doesn’t look like mold, more like I added spots of green food dye or zucchini. Has this happened to you, or any idea what would cause it? They still taste and smell totally fresh and normal. It reminds me of when bananas oxidize and turn brown in the air.

    Reply

    1. I believe it’s a rare reaction to baking soda and the ph level of other foods in a recipe. It sometimes happens when you have things like sunflower seed butter, carrots, or walnuts and baking soda in a recipe together. (I haven’t heard of it happening with sweet potato but you learn something new everyday!) When they come into contact with an alkaline substance, such as baking soda, they can change colors. It’s perfectly safe to eat. You could try making sure that the dry ingredients are more evenly distributed next time or reducing the baking soda slightly.

      Reply

  11. 5 stars
    We added some extra milk and then added in some flax and chia seeds. So delicious! And of course we needed to added dark chocolate chips

    Reply

  13. 5 stars
    These are very fluffy and the perfect muffin texture! I’ll be adding this recipe into my routine for muffins that I make for my kids for an easy breakfast. Super yummy, thank for the great recipe!

    Reply