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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.
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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.
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:
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Recipe - Frequently Asked Questions
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.
If your muffins are tough, then you most likely overmixed the batter or used cold eggs.
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
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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 (65 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 soften
Sweet Potato Muffin
- 1-3/4 cups (220 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter melted
- 2 large (100 grams) eggs room temperature
- 1-1/3 cups (300 grams) sweet potato puree
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) sour cream
Instructions
Bake the Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 400F. 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.
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.
Sweet Potato Muffins
- Preheat the oven to 425F. 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 all-purpose 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 425F for 5 minutes, then without opening the oven door reduce the temperature to 350F and bake the cupcakes until the center is done and the temperature in the center of the muffin registers at 202F, 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.
Storage
- Store the 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!