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These sweet potato muffins are moist, fluffy, and secretly healthy! Made in just one bowl, these muffins have no flour, oil, or eggs in them.
Sweet potato muffins are one of my absolute favorite things to use sweet potatoes for. It’s got an almost identical texture to pumpkin puree but has a more pronounced flavor. We’ve made sweet potato brownies and a sweet potato cake with it, but I think muffins might be my favorite.
I know the idea of sweet potatoes in a dessert may sound a little odd, but think of it this way- it’s no different than adding banana to muffins to bread. Kids and adults love it, and they make such a wholesome snack.
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
- Made in one bowl. Everything is blended together in either a food processor or blender, so there is barely any cleanup.
- Secretly healthy. Using oats as the base, these muffins are high in fiber and protein, and the addition of sweet potato takes nutrients to another level. They are also completely dairy-free.
- Ready in under 30 minutes. From prep to plate, this recipe comes together in under 30 minutes.
- Kid friendly. These are perfect for lunch boxes or even a healthy breakfast.
What we love about this sweet potato muffin recipe is just how versatile they are. You can enjoy a couple as a healthy breakfast or add some healthy frosting on top for a guilt-free dessert.
Ingredients needed
This recipe calls for pantry staple ingredients that you probably already have on hand. Here is what you’ll need:
- Rolled Oats. I used old fashioned oats, but quick oats will work too. They will be blended to a flour-like consistency.
- Coconut sugar. While any sugar works, I like the refined nature of the coconut kind.
- Baking powder. Gives the muffins the rise and fluffiness.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg. To give a delicious warm flavor to the muffins, and brings out the natural sweetness of the sweet potato.
- Salt. To bring out the natural sweetness of the muffins.
- Mashed sweet potato. I precooked a sweet potato in the microwave until soft and tender. Once cool, I used a stick blender to pulverize it into a smooth texture. You can use my method for baking sweet potatoes or air frying sweet potatoes too.
- Milk of choice. Any milk works, I used unsweetened almond milk.
- Almond butter. A healthier alternative to traditional butter or oil. You can also use cashew or peanut butter.
- Egg OR replacement. These muffins work with both traditional eggs and also egg replacements.
How to make sweet potato muffins
Step 1- Make the batter. Start by adding all the ingredients into a high-speed blender or food processor. Pulse everything together until a smooth and thick batter remains.
Step 2- Pour into muffin tin. Next, distribute the mixture amongst a 12-count muffin tin.
Step 3- Bake. Bake the muffins for 25-27 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Step 4- cool then serve. Finally, let the muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Do not overbake the muffins as they will continue to cool as they are cooling down. Once you insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean, remove it from the oven.
- While delicious on their own, these muffins taste even better with some mix-ins. Try chopped pecans, chocolate chips, or other spices (pumpkin pie spice is great!)
- If you find canned sweet potato puree, you can use that instead of baking one from scratch. Just make sure there is no added sugar in them.
- If you are worried about your muffins sticking to the muffin pan, use muffin cups or muffin liners.
Dietary swaps and substitutions
The beauty of these muffins is just how easy they are to adjust to your personal preferences or dietary habits. Here is what we’ve tested:
- Make them gluten-free. For gluten-free sweet potato muffins, replace the rolled oats with certified gluten free rolled oats or gluten-free flour.
- Swap out the almond butter. Any smooth nut or seed butter works. You could try coconut oil but I can’t vouch for that.
- Cut the sugar. Use a sugar substitute instead of the coconut sugar.
Storage instructions
To store. Muffins can be kept at room temperature, provided they are to be enjoyed within 3 days. To keep sweet potato muffins fresh, store them in an airtight container and keep in the fridge. They will keep fresh for 7 days.
To freeze. Place muffins in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More healthy muffin recipes to try
Frequently Asked Questions
If you use light colored sweet potatoes, they are prone to turn slightly green when baked in muffins. They are still 100% edible.
Almond flour is considered the most accurate substitute for oat flour. If you choose to use that instead, do not blend the ingredients together. Instead, whisk them in a large mixing bowl.
Sweet Potato Muffins
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats oats ground into a flour
- 1/2 cup sugar I used coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup mashed sweet potato
- 1 cup milk
- 1 large egg or any egg substitute
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons almond butter See post for substitutions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 10-12 muffin tins with patty pans and set aside.
- In a large high-speed blender, combine all the ingredients and blend until a smooth batter remains.
- Evenly distribute the batter amongst the 12-muffin tin until almost full. Top with extra cinnamon and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes, before removing and allowing to cool on a dry surface.
Pet peeve: when a recipe has “flourless” in the title and I get all excited, thinking I’ll be able to make it for my daughter who has an intolerance to grains… Only to find out there is in fact flour in it! Oat flour, or some other gluten-free flour… But it’s still flour. Sorry… I really do like a lot of your recipes (and I might just have to make this one for myself and hide it from my daughter!?), but quite a few if them have deceived me in that way and I just had to comment on it.
I started with your mom’s blueberry cake/load recipe and now I’m just working through anything that is AIP with my favorite foods.
What would you sub the nutmeg and cinnamon for if you were me and liked sweet potatoes for their savory expressions? It’s in the oven now, i sprinkled salt across the top instead of more cinnamon and i also felt like sprinkling drinking chocolate powder across the top for a sweet salty treat.
Hoping the warm fall spices do okay with the combo but figured if not, i’d trim the top off. Doubt it will be a disaster but we’ll see!
🙂 Hi Bee!
YES!!!! This totally works savory- Can you handle dairy/cheese? Swap out the sweetener and add 1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice- I also add some cayenne pepper too 🙂
I’ve made these twice now – love them! Just wanted to share that I used Agave the first time and Honey the 2nd time in place of the 1/2 c. of sugar – I lessened the amount to 1/3c – turned out perfect AND healthier 😉
meant to say *still healthy* – not healthier! 😀 – I didn’t have another sweetener on hand.
Thanks so much for the feedback, Paige- I’m so glad you enjoyed them and those changes sound perfect 🙂
Made these today and yummy! I used coconut flower sugar only a quarter cup and added a few walnuts. Love the spice in them. Mine turned out a little heavy. Maybe because I used a gluten free flour mix (123 Gluten Free brand) think I needed a bit more baking powder or cook an extra few minutes. But still delicious! Thanks.
Hi Donna! I’m so glad you enjoyed them- Thanks for the feedback regarding that flour blend- I’ve never tried it before!
I’ve been looking for a recipe like this for ages! Amazing as I am gluten, dairy, egg, yeast and even sugar free. I’m just cooking these… Even before they went in the oven the dough tasted yummy (and I’ve even left the sugar/sweetener). My only worry is they are still cooking and have been in for twice as long as you said. The bottoms are still really soggy! The tops have gone really nice and crispy and the bits I’m sampling as they cook (just checking them) are delicious! It’s just the timings – am I doing something wrong? Hoping to get these right as they are perfect ingredients and taste good so far! Thanks! : )
Hi Nicola! Yay- I’m so glad you’ve tried it out!
Hmmmm…Do you mind me asking if you used canned sweet potatoes or you steamed your own? They tend to impact the cooking time a little it! The bottoms shouldn’t be soggy though- The centre should be really moist…..
These are the best healthy muffins I have ever made. They are delicious and moist, and I will definitely be making them again for my family.
Wow- Thanks so much for your kind words, Kelly- I appreciate it! 🙂
I am seriously excited to make these muffins. I have all the ingredients at home already, including the palm sugar. Woot woot!
Oooh, it depends! I gotta have my green tea fix all the time, but I do love people! I love all of the recipes you collected in this post, Arman, including yours! Knowing that I am the biggest sweet potato fanatic, it’s time for me to go crazy!!
I like the idea of putting sweet potato into muffins. #spudlove
White potato flourless muffins one day 😉
Arman, I am 100% not trying to be snarky here, but genuinely curious. Is oat flour not considered a flour? I’m wondering why you call these flourless when they have oat flour. Honest question. 🙂
Hi Maryea! No worries at all- I don’t consider them to be a flour as they started out as rolled oats. From what I’ve seen on many blogs, they title recipes flourless when using oats/oat flour- I guess it’s a personal preference. I’ve called all my ‘oat flour’ recipes which don’t use standard flours ‘flourless’, so will continue to do so 🙂