Sweet Potato Muffins

Cinnamon and nutmeg spiced sweet potato muffins with pecans and chocolate chips. Sweetened with brown sugar and molasses.

Overview

The great thing about this recipe is that fresh sweet potatoes are generally available year round at the local grocery store. Sure, there is a little extra leg work in the fact that the sweet potatoes need to be baked, processed in a food processor, and then the muffins need to be baked. However, they will be fresh, delicious, and worth the effort.

We will walk through this process in depth in the post below. From how to cook the sweet potatoes, to processing them in the food processor, and all the steps in between. Which I’m sure you’ll agree by the end that it is a simple and straightforward process and the reward is deliciously spiced muffins. We will also go over substitutions and variations, as well as, best practices for storing them. Let’s dive in.

Baking Notes

Sweet Potato Prep

Begin by washing the sweet potatoes with water to remove any debris or dirt. After they are cleaned dry them with a paper towel. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 425ºF.

Use a fork to pierce the sweet potatoes all over. The easiest method I’ve found to do this is to hold the sweet potato down on the baking sheet with one hand while you use the fork with the other hand.

Bake the sweet potatoes on the center rack for 45 – 60 minutes. When time elapses open the door slowly and stand back. All the steam that was released from the sweet potatoes will want to escape. Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork. If they pierce easily then they are done and can be removed from the oven. Allow them to cool completely on a wire rack. Usually, I set a timer for 30 minutes and come back and check them.

Once the sweet potatoes are cool to the touch remove and discard the skins. Cut the sweet potatoes into thirds and add them to a food processor. I usually cook three sweet potatoes but for this recipe two sweet potatoes worked out perfectly. Which is what I added to the food processor. The extra sweet potato ended up as a side item for lunch the next day.

Pulse the sweet potatoes until they are a smooth puree. If required use a silicone spatula to push down the sides of the food processor bowl and then repeat until smooth.

Sweet Potato Muffins

In a large mixing bowl add the sweet potato puree, both types of sugar, and the remaining wet ingredients. Stir to combine until the sugars are dissolved.

Add the remaining dry ingredients to the mixing bowl. Using a silicone spatula mix the batter until it is smooth and with as few lumps as possible. Next add the chocolate chips and pecans and fold them into the batter.

Cupcake liners

Whenever baking muffins or cupcakes there are two types of cupcake liners that come to mind:

• Paper liners
• Silicone liners

Each type has its pros and cons. Paper liners, for example, are great for potlucks or family gatherings. Whereas, silicone liners are great because they reduce waste and they are reusable.

Baking the muffins

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Add your cupcake liner of choice to the cupcake pan. Fill each liner to the top with muffin batter.

When the oven comes up to temperature place the cupcake pan with the batter on the center rack in the oven. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Usually during the first bake I will take that time to clean any dirty dishes or cooking utensils that were used for this recipe. This step, although optional, frees up some needed counter space for when the muffins are finished baking.

When the time has almost elapsed open the oven slowly. Insert a toothpick into the center of several of the muffins and remove it quickly. If the toothpick pulls out cleanly then the muffins are done and can be pulled from the oven. Otherwise, add time and repeat until the toothpick does pull out cleanly.

Place the cupcake pan on a cooling rack and allow the muffins to cool completely before removing them from the pan. Once they are removed from the pan allow them to continue to cool on the cooling rack until they are room temperature.

Variations and Substitutions

Pecans – an easy swap that comes to mind would be to use walnuts in place of pecans.

Chocolate – instead of chocolate chips you could try mini chocolate chips or on the other end of the spectrum you could try chocolate chunks.

Molasses – agave nectar or maple syrup might be a nice replacement for molasses.

Storage

Once the muffins have cooled to be room temperature they can be moved to your storage container of choice. I recommend adding a sheet of wax paper between layers so that the muffins don’t stick to each other.

The muffins can be stored in a container at room temperature for three to five days before the freshness starts to taper off. To extend the shelf life you can store them in the refrigerator or freeze them.

If you like this recipe be sure to check out our other recipes below:

• Sweet Potato Pie
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins with Walnuts
• Pumpkin Pie
• Pumpkin Bread with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies