Sweet Potato Muffins with Pecan Streusel

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These Sweet Potato Muffins are easy to make and absolutely delicious. They’re moist and buttery with just the right amount of sweetness and spice and a delectable crunch from the candied pecans topping. They’ll make your mouth water and disappear in less time than they took to make.

12 sweet potato muffins on cooling rack with a cotton towel behind the muffins

Once again I’m partnering with Bob’s Red Mill to showcase the delicious treats that you can make with their Unbleached All-Purpose Flour. The flour produces great results in all my baked goods. The flour is finely milled to help produce fluffy muffins that are tender and taste great. If you're ever in Portland, OR definitely go to the Bob's Red Mill store for a little shopping and some lunch.

Sweet Potato Muffins in a pan next to a bag of Bob's Red Mill Flour

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. If you love sweet potatoes then you will love this sweet potato muffin recipe.

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.

Though this recipe calls for freshly baked sweet potatoes, these muffins are a great way to use leftover sweet potatoes. And this time of year it's a great recipe for the holidays when you want something delicious for breakfast for your family or guests.

Ingredients You’ll Need for These Muffins

Here is what you’ll need for this easy muffin recipe:

Top down shot of the Sweet Potato Muffins Ingredients - Bob's Red Mill all-purpose flour, brown sugar, sour cream, ground cinnamon,ground nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, unsalted butter, eggs, pecans, sweet potatoes — Sweet Potato Muffins 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.
Bob’s Red Mill Unbleached All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure of the muffin.
Light Brown Sugar: The brown sugar adds sweetness, moisture, and a slight molasses flavor.
Unsalted Butter: The butter adds fat and flavor to the muffin. The fat helps keep the muffin moist. It’s also used in the topping to create a candied pecan topping.
Whole Eggs: The eggs add structure and fat to the muffin.
Ground Spices: The combination of ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg give these muffins their distinctive flavor when combined with the sweet potato puree.
Sour Cream: The sour cream helps keep the muffins moist
Pecans: Add a nice crunchy topping to the muffin.
Bob’s Red Baking Powder: The baking powder helps the muffins to rise
Baking Soda: The baking soda helps the muffin to rise.
Kosher Salt: Elevates all the other flavors in the muffin

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. Pierce the sweet potatoes with the tines of a fork or the tip of a sharp pairing knife. Bake the potatoes for 45-60 minutes until a sharp knife slides easily into and through the potatoes.

two unbaked sweet potatoes on a foil-lined pan — Scoop Out the Filling

baked sweet potato cut in half — Scoop Out the Filling

Remove the potatoes from the oven and cut them in half. Once they have cooled enough for easily handling scoop the sweet potato filling into a bowl and allow them to cool to room temperature.

Melting the butter over medium-low heat. When there is just a small piece of butter left remove the pan from the heat and allow the butter to cool until it is just barely warm, about 80-85F.

Combine the chopped pecans, soft butter, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar in a small bowl and smash them together with a fork until combined and the mixture has a crumbly appearance.

Pecan streusel ingredients in a small bowl next a bowl of brown sugar and a jar of ground cinnamon — Pecan Streusel Ingredients

pecan streusel ingredients all mixed together in a small bowl next to a bowl of brown sugar and a bowl of pecans — Pecan Streusel Ingredients

Line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners and preheat the oven to 425F.

Place the flour, baking soda, kosher salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl and whisk together to combine. Set the flour mixture aside. Puree the sweet potatoes in a mini food processor until smooth.

Place the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl and whisk together. Whisk in the melted butter. The batter will be lighter in color and look smoother. Whisk in the eggs one at a time then whisk in the sour cream and sweet potato puree until thoroughly combined. Let the wet ingredients sit for 10 minutes to give the sugar time to dissolve.

Brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl — Combine the Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg

Melted butter added to the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl — Combine the Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg

Add the dry ingredients in two batches and fold them in from the bottom of the bowl to ensure all the flour is mixed. Don’t overmix or the muffins will have a slightly rubbery texture.

The sweet potato and sour cream added to the muffin batter — Whisk in the Sweet Potatoes and Sour Cream

The muffin batter in a large mixing bowl — Whisk in the Sweet Potatoes and Sour Cream

Divide the sweet potato muffin batter between the 12 muffin cups. You’ll need to thoroughly scrape the mixing bowl to have enough batter. The muffin tins will be filled almost to the top. Evenly divide the pecan streusel topping over the muffins.

Place the muffins in the oven and bake at 425F for five minutes then reduce the temperature to 350F. Bake the muffins until the internal temperature registers at 202F. The muffins will have a slightly springy texture when touched and should have risen to twice their height.

Unbaked sweet potato muffins with pecan streusel topping in a 12-cup muffin pan — Sweet Potato Muffins with Pecan Streusel

Baked sweet potato muffins with pecan streusel topping in a 12-cup muffin pan — Sweet Potato Muffins with Pecan Streusel

Remove the muffins from the oven, cool them for 5 minutes, and then place the muffins on a wire rack to finish cooling. Serve these delicious muffins plain or with salted butter.

Sweet potato muffins with pecan streusel next to and in a 12-cup muffin pan

How to Store the Muffins

Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days. Store in the refrigerator for a week after that. The muffins can be rewarmed in the oven or in a microwave.

a sweet potato muffin cut in half with one half smeared with butter

Substitutions

Replace the unsalted butter with an equal amount of vegetable oil or melted coconut oil.
Replace a quarter of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for a slightly nutty taste.
Replace the sour cream with almond milk or oat milk if you need a non-dairy alternative.
You can use pumpkin pie spice in this recipe. Use 2-1/2 teaspoons of spice blend instead of the cinnamon and nutmeg.

Pro Tips for Making This Recipe

Starting the muffins at 425F gives the baking powder and baking soda a boost so the muffins bake straight up resulting in a dome shape.
Use a scale to measure the flour to ensure you have the right amount. Too much flour could result in a dry muffin.
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.
Store the leftover puree in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze it until you're ready to use it for another recipe.

Sweet Potato Muffin on a board next to other sweet potato muffins — Sweet Potato Muffins

Recipe - Frequently Asked Questions

Can you freeze these muffins?

Yes, you can freeze these muffins. After they are baked place them on a baking tray in a single layer and freeze for 12 hours. Then place them in a freezer-safe container or freezer storage bag.

Why were my muffins tough?

If your muffins are tough, then you most likely overmixed the batter or used cold eggs.

Can I use gluten-free flour in this recipe?

Yes, you can make these muffins gluten-free. I've only used Bob's Red 1 or 1 Gluten-Free Flour so I don't know how other gluten-free flours will work

If You Like This Recipe, Try These Recipes

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