These sweet potato muffins are made with baked pureed sweet potatoes and plenty of fall spices. The potato puree and sour cream keep them moist and tender and the pecan streusel topping gives them a nice crunch.
Honestly, this recipe was my husband's idea. As much as I love sweet potatoes, when he suggested it I was skeptical. But after the first recipe test (which I based on my pumpkin muffin recipe), I was sold.
The natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes definitely comes through in the muffins and the pecan topping caramelizes in the oven for the perfect sweet nutty topping.
If you have made my pumpkin streusel muffins, these are a close cousin, with a little less sugar since the sweet potato brings its own sweetness. The pecans on top toast a second time as the muffins bake, and that is where a lot of the flavor comes from.
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Cheryl's Baker's Notes
- Roasted sweet potatoes instead of boiling. Roasting drives off water and concentrates the natural sugars, so the puree is thick and deeply sweet. Boiled potatoes carry extra moisture into the batter, and that is one of the main reasons sweet potato muffins can turn out gummy.
- Measure the puree by weight, not cups. I use 300 grams in this recipe for precision, a cup measurement can swing by a wide margin depending on how loosely or densely it is packed. Too much puree can produce a muffin that dense, gummy, or sunken in the center.
- Start the muffins on high heat. The first few minutes at a high temperature set a fast rise and a tall, domed top, and dropping the temperature after that finishes the muffins without drying out the muffin or over-browning the streusel.
- Internal temperature check. Sticking a toothpick in the center to check for doneness is the traditional method, but an instant-read thermometer is reliable every time. The muffins are done at around 202°F which ensures it stays moist, without a gummy texture.
Sweet Potato Muffin Ingredients
- Sweet Potato Puree: The puree starts with fresh sweet potatoes which are roasted and pureed. Since sweet potatoes have a naturally sweet flavor this recipe has less sugar than my pumpkin muffins. Look for sweet potatoes
- Ground Spices: The combination of ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg give these muffins their distinctive flavor when combined with the sweet potato puree.
How to Make Sweet Potato Muffins
For this recipe, you need about 500 grams of unbaked sweet potatoes to produce 300 grams of sweet potato puree.
Step 1: Baked the sweet potatoes until the a knife easily slides through the potatoes.
Step 2: Puree the potatoes in a food processor until smooth.
Step 3: Combine the ingredients for the pecan streusel.
Step 4: Mix the ingredients together until it forms a crumbly mixture.
Step 5: Combine the brown sugar and spices and whisk together.
Step 6: Whisk in the melted butter.
Step 7: Whisk in the eggs. The batter should be lighter in color.
Step 8: Whisk in the sweet potato puree and the sour cream.
Step 9: Whisk in the flour mixture in two batches.
Step 10: The batter should be stiff with no white streaks of flour.
Step 11: Spoon the batter into the muffin tins and top each one with the pecan streusel.
Step 12: Bake the muffins until the internal temperature reaches 202°F.
Step 13: Remove the muffins from the oven, cool them for 5 minutes, and then place the muffins on a wire rack to finish cooling.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Weigh the sweet potato puree to avoid a dense or gummy muffin. Weigh the flour because too much flour could result in a dry muffin and too little flour will cause the muffin to collapse.
- Let the wet ingredients sit for 10 minutes to dissolve the sugar. Sugar contributes to the moisture of the muffins. Allowing the sugar to dissolve will help ensure a super moist muffin.
- Use room-temperature eggs and sour cream to help ensure a fluffy muffin. Cold eggs could result in stodgy muffins.
If you make these moist and tender sweet potato muffins please leave a rating and a comment below.
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Sweet Potato Muffins with Pecan Streusel
Ingredients
Baked Sweet Potatoes
- 500 grams sweet potatoes unpeeled and unbaked
Pecan Streusel Topping
- 1/2 cup (70 grams) pecans, toasted and chopped
- 5 tablespoons (70 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
Sweet Potato Muffin
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter melted
- 1-3/4 cups (220 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon (8 grams) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup (150 grams packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- 2 large (100 grams) eggs room temperature
- 1-1/3 cups (300 grams) sweet potato puree
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) sour cream room temperature
Instructions
Bake the Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a baking sheet with foil and spray it with cooking spray. Pierce the potatoes several times with the tines of a fork or the tip of pairing knife. Bake 45-60 minutes until a knife slides easily into and through the potatoes. The cooking time will vary based on the size of the potatoes.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them cool until you can handle them with your hands. Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the filling into a bowl and let the sweet potatoes cool to room temperature.
- Puree sweet potatoes in a food processor until it is smooth, about 20 seconds. Measure out 300 grams. Use any leftover sweet potatoes in pancakes, or a frittata.
Make the Pecan Streusel
- Place the pecans, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, salt, and soft butter in a bowl and use and fork to mash the ingredients together until it starts to form a crumble.
- Set the streusel aside until ready to place the muffins in the oven.
Make the Muffin Batter
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and then let it cool to room temperature. If the butter starts to splatter, reduce the heat to low.
- Place the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl and whisk for 20 seconds to thoroughly combine all the ingredients.
- Place the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl and whisk together. Whisk in the melted butter, then add the eggs one at a time and whisk until each egg is thoroughly incorporated. Whisk in the sweet potato puree and sour cream.
- Let the wet ingredients sit for 10 minutes to give time for the sugar to dissolve.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add the remaining flour mixture and fold it in until the dry ingredients are thoroughly incorporated, and no white specs of flour remain. The batter may be a little lumpy which is okay.
- Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups. The batter should almost be the top of each paper liner. You will need to thoroughly scrape the bowl to completely fill the muffin cups. Top each muffin with the pecan streusel and lightly press the streusel into the batter.
- Bake the muffins at 425°F (220°C) for 5 minutes, then without opening the oven door reduce the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake the cupcakes until the center is done and the temperature in the center of the muffin registers at 202°F (95°C), about 15-18 more minutes.
- Remove the muffins from the oven and let the muffins cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes. Place the individual muffins on a wire rack to finish cooling. The muffins can be served warm.
Storing the Muffins
- Store the pumpkin muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days, and then store in the refrigerator for up to a week. The muffins can also be individually wrapped and frozen. When ready to eat reheat the frozen muffin in the oven.
Anina Belle Giannini says
These look amazing! I can’t wait to make them with my daughter!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Anina Belle
Thank you for checking out the blog. Please let me know what you and your daughter think of these muffins when you make them.
Britney says
These are the best muffins I’ve ever made! They were so moist and that streusel on top was out of this world!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Britney
Thank you so much for trying this recipe. I'm so glad that you liked these muffins.
Lilly says
These muffins are SO GOOD! I made them for brunch and everyone gobbled them up! Such a great recipe
Marta says
I had an excess of sweet potato puree so I made these muffins and was floored by how delicious they tasted. I'll definitely be making a batch to serve on Thanksgiving morning!
Robin says
The sour cream was a wonderful addition - made for a moist crumb. But the pecan streusel was the reason I concluded these are some of the best muffins I have ever tasted!
Jill Shelton says
These sweet potato muffins look great! What would you suggest substituting for the sour cream? I'm dairy free and familiar with milk and butter substitutions. Would apple sauce work or should it be somewhere with fat content like an oil? Thank you!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Jill
Thank you for visiting the blog and for your question. You can try almond milk or oat milk instead of sour cream and for the butter, you can try an equal amount of vegetable oil or coconut oil.
Jazz says
The pecan streusel on these muffins is divine. Perfect complement to the tender sweet potato crumb! Thank you!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Jazz
That pecan streusel is one of my favorite parts too. I'm so glad you tried this recipe and that you enjoyed the muffins.
Taneisha says
These muffins were so delicious! They also freeze and reheat so well — makes for a great start to a busy fall morning! Will be making again!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Taneisha
Thank you for visiting the blog and trying this recipe. I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe and that you plan to make them again. Good idea about freezing them.
Shani says
These muffins are truly delicious! The sweet potatoes ensure that everything stays nice and moist, and that there's tremendous flavor to boot! Amazing recipe!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Shani
Thank you so much for trying this recipe. I'm so glad you enjoyed them and your compliment has made my day. I appreciate you taking the time to visit the blog and leave a comment.
Jessica says
Hellooooo to my new favorite muffin! I always have sweet potato puree around but I never found a quick bread recipe I really loved until now. The texture is on point and the pecan crumble just makes them out of this world. Can't wait to make these for family visiting next week for the holiday!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Jessica
Thank you for visiting this blog and trying this recipe. I always have sweet potatoes on hand and as you said this recipe is perfect for leftover sweet potatoes. I'm so glad you liked the muffins and plan to make them again.
Kaluhi Adagala says
These were the loveliest, softest muffins I have ever made! I had a large pumpkin in my pantry and I truly enjoyed utilizing it in this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Brennan says
This recipe was perfection. I weighed everything and followed the instructions to a T and it was worth it. This was the best use of leftover thanksgiving sweet potatoes. Might have to make this recipe an annual tradition. Thank you for sharing.
Rebecca says
In the substitutions, you say that almond milk can be used instead of buttermilk. I don’t see. Any buttermilk listed in the ingredients. Should there be, or did you mean to substitute almond milk for sour cream?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Rebecca
That was a typo which I corrected. I tested the recipe with buttermilk but liked the results with sour cream better.
Jean says
Can you substitute sour cream with plain yogurt?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Jean
I haven't tested the recipe with yogurt, but it should work for this amount of sour cream. Make sure to use full-fat yogurt.
EH says
If I doubled the recipe, could this be made until a loaf cake?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi EH
When you say "loaf cake" what size are you talking about? A 9x5-inch loaf cake?
EH says
Yes ma'am. A 9x5. Thank you
Cheryl Norris says
Hi EH
I haven't tested this recipe in a loaf pan, but you only need 1x the original recipe for a regular loaf pan. I recommend to start checking for doneness at 35 minutes. Please let me know how it turns out.
EH says
Thank you! Last night, I realized that the ingredients were more than enough to make the 9x5 loaf without doubling. I think it turned out great. Bake time ended up being around 40 mins. Thank you!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi EH
Thanks for the trying the recipe. I'm so glad to hear that it turned out well and that you like it. This is also good info for me to have to share with other readers. Thanks for letting me know.
Audrey says
These muffins were so soft and moist. The crumble was just the right amount of sweetness. They were a big hit with the nurses at the hospital and I ‘ll need to double the batch next time!
Molly says
These are the best muffins I have ever made! I will keep this recipe forever. I didn’t use sour cream and used oat milk instead. I also didn’t have pecans so had the streusal without pecans but it was so so so so delicious. I appreciated the details in the recipe and followed the directions closely, and it came out amazing thank you!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Molly
Thank you for trying this recipe and writing such a lovely review. Your comment that you "will keep this recipe forever" brought a huge smile to my face. That is such a huge compliment. I'm glad the substitution worked for you and that you liked the detailed instructions.
Erin says
I added a tsp of vanilla but these came out amazing! I will be making these again.
Alaina says
These look lovely! If I were to use a mini muffin pan, would i reduce the time?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Alaina
Yes, the baking time would be reduced. I haven't baked a mini muffin version but I recommend to start checking the muffins after 10 minutes.
Alaina says
I just made them. Delicious! 5/5 stars. 10 mins was perfect.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Alaina
I'm so glad this recipe worked for you. Thank you for the review, the rating, and the information on making a mini muffin version.🙌🏾 😁
Alisha says
Muffins were delicious! The streusel melts into the top layer making it soft and sweet. If you want a streusel that is a bit more substanstial and stays on the muffin all you need to do is add a tablespoon or two of flour.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Alisha
Thank you for trying this muffin recipe and leaving this wonderful review. I'm glad you enjoyed them. And thank you for the tip to the other readers on adding the tablespoon of flour.