Did you know you could bake desserts with sweet potatoes? Sweet potato desserts are a hit in the southern states, and you’ve no doubt heard of sweet potato pie, but I bet you didn’t know that they could make these incredibly moist sweet potato muffins?
WHY BAKE WITH SWEET POTATO?
I love sweet potato! It’s the perfect healthy side for my dinner or lunch, so sweet and soft that it got me thinking…
We are entering fall and I’m desperate to try some fall baking recipes; anything with pumpkin spice flavors. Pumpkin is a little difficult to cook with though, unless you choose to wrestle with one or simply buy a can of puree, so I suddenly thought – why not use sweet potato instead? Sweet potatoes are available all year round, are cheap, easy to prepare and cook, and don’t leave a mess of pumpkin entrails all over the kitchen… Also, as they are considered a superfood, they are healthier than a can of pumpkin puree which often doesn’t even include real pumpkin.
Plus sweet potatoes are in fact sweeter and have more flavor! They are moist and soft, almost creamy in texture, so produce meltingly tender muffins like these.
HOW DO YOU BAKE WITH SWEET POTATO?
It’s easy – simply cook the sweet potatoes until the centers are incredibly soft. You can peel and chop them, then cover the pieces in water and bring them to a boil. Or you can leave them whole and pierce the skins with a fork. Put them in a hot oven and cook for around 20 to 25 minutes until the outside is crisp.
From there you scrape all the bright orange insides into a bowl and mash it up until smooth and lump-free. Try to resist eating it though!
Set it aside as you make your muffin batter, then add the mashed sweet potatoes along with the wet ingredients.
WHAT’S THE SWEET POTATO MUFFINS’ TEXTURE LIKE?
As sweet potato contains more starch than pumpkin, the finished muffins are denser and chewier than pumpkin bakes, yet the creamy sweet potato mash adds serious amounts of moisture and richness. Therefore, the muffins melt in your mouth, and before you know it, you’re reaching for another.
Here’s a quick tip: when folding all the ingredients together, don’t overmix. This causes the gluten to strengthen and the muffins’ crumbs to be tough. As soon as the flour disappears into the batter, stop.
SWEET POTATO MUFFIN INGREDIENTS
This recipe for sweet potato muffins includes:
- Whole wheat flour: whole wheat flour is a great way to add a little more nutrition to your baking as it contains considerably more fiber than white flour, as well as additional vitamins and minerals including iron and calcium. It’s one less thing to feel guilty about when you give your kids one of these muffins as an after-school snack! Plus, whole wheat flour contains a little less gluten than regular flour, meaning the texture is more tender and crumblier.
- Baking powder: to give our muffins a beautiful rise.
- Ground cinnamon: an essential in my opinion! Combine sweet potato with cinnamon and your kitchen is immediately scented with the fragrance of fall. This makes the muffins warming and spicy, and gives me my pumpkin spice fix.
- Powdered sugar: this eases out the sweet potato’s natural sweetness
- Eggs: eggs are crucial for baking: they provide richness, texture, structure, color, the list is endless!
- Vanilla: to enhance the cinnamon’s warmth.
- Milk: to loosen the thick batter.
- Oil: muffins are usually made with flavorless oil, not butter, as it keeps the muffins really moist and fluffy.
- Chocolate chips: a little naughty addition, making this recipe for sweet potato muffins perfect for kids!
And there’s the frosting too:
- Butter: it puts the butter in buttercream frosting! Plus, it adds delicious richness and keeps the frosting firm enough to spread or pipe.
- Powdered sugar: for a touch of sweetness.
- Vanilla: to contrast the coconut flavor with a note of warmth.
- Coconut extract: on its own, coconut cream doesn’t really deliver a strong coconutty flavor, yet by adding just half a teaspoon of coconut extract, you get a hit of refreshing coconut which perfectly complements the warm sweet potato.
- Coconut cream: this adds light and creamy notes to the frosting.
Try this recipe for sweet potato muffins with chocolate chips and coconut frosting today, and watch as the muffins disappear in the blink of an eye!
MORE SWEET POTATO RECIPES
SWEET POTATOES MUFFINS
Ingredients
MUFFINS:
- 1 cup Cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
- 2 ½ cups Whole wheat flour
- 3 teaspoons Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 1 cup Powdered sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¼ cup Milk
- ¼ cup Oil
- ⅓ cup Chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons Butter for greasing
COCONUT FROSTING:
- 1 cup Butter softened
- Pinch FIne sea salt
- 3 ½ cups Powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Coconut extract
- 3 tablespoons Coconut cream
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). While the oven is heating, generously grease the cavities of a muffin tin using the 2 tablespoons of butter. Alternatively, you can line the tin with muffin liners for easier cleanup.
- In a large, spacious bowl, combine the freshly mashed sweet potatoes (ensure there are no lumps), eggs, fragrant vanilla extract, milk, and oil. Using a whisk, blend these ingredients together, aiming for a smooth, homogeneous mixture. The consistency should be creamy, indicative of a well-combined base.
- In another bowl, methodically whisk together the nutritious whole wheat flour, baking powder (which will give the muffins their rise), warming ground cinnamon, and powdered sugar. This ensures an even distribution of the leavening agent and flavors throughout the muffins.
- Gently fold the dry ingredient mix into the wet mixture, stirring with care to ensure you don't overmix, as this can lead to denser muffins. Once nearly combined, sprinkle in the chocolate chips and give a few more gentle folds to incorporate them evenly throughout the batter.
- With the aid of an ice cream scoop or two spoons, partition the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cavity about 2/3 of the way to allow room for rising.
- Place the tin in your preheated oven and bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes. A good indication of doneness is when a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin emerges clean or with just a few crumbs.
- Then let the muffins sit within the tin for about 5 minutes. This short resting period makes them easier to remove. Thereafter, transfer them to a wire rack where they should be allowed to cool completely. This ensures the frosting doesn't melt when applied.
Coconut Frosting
- For the frosting in a medium-sized bowl, begin by creaming the softened butter until it's pale and fluffy. Introduce the sea salt, vanilla extract, and coconut extract to add depth of flavor.
- As you continue mixing, gradually introduce the powdered sugar, ensuring it's well-integrated before adding more. As the mixture thickens, drizzle in the coconut cream, beating until the frosting achieves a creamy, spreadable consistency.
- Using a spatula or piping bag (for a decorative touch), lavishly spread or pipe the coconut frosting onto the crown of each cooled muffin.
- Present your muffins on a platter, serve this delectable fusion of sweet potato and coconut.
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