These sweet potato muffins get even better with a sugary, buttery crumb topping and a maple icing drizzled over them. Move over pumpkin, it’s sweet potato’s time to shine!
I don’t know about you but I’ve had a bit of a hard time finding cans of pumpkin puree this year. Like when I tried to find some to make this pumpkin cream cheese bread. No luck.
So I turned lemons into lemonade – and this butternut squash bread was born instead! And so I decided to do the same when I wanted to make my pumpkin muffins again. I decided to make a sweet potato muffin version instead.
With crump topping. Because well all muffins need one. And then a delicious 3-ingredient maple icing. Move over pumpkin, there’s other tubers in town.
Why You Will Love These Muffins
- 100% Whole Grain 1- I’ve been pretty obsessed lately with baking with whole grains. I used whole wheat pastry flour, which is uses 100% of the whole grain, but is lighter in protein content so you end up with a light, fluffy texture.
- Quick To Whip Up – I love making muffins because you don’t need a mixer. Just a couple bowls, a whisk, and a spatula.
- Easily Make Ahead And Can Freeze – I love making muffins, but I always have way more than I need. So I love making them and freezing them for later!
Ingredients For These Sweet Potato Muffins
For the muffin batter:
- Whole wheat pastry flour – This is my flour of choice, but you can also use 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 all-purpose flour, or you can use 100% whole wheat white flour. Or use AP flour (but replace it by the same volume).
- Brown sugar – Brown sugar adds extra moistness to the muffin. You will also use light or dark brown sugar for the crumb topping and the muffin itself.
- Baking powder And Baking Soda– To give your muffins the perfect rise. Make sure yours hasn’t expired! They don’t work the same. You can read more here about Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda
- Kosher Salt – This salt has a very smooth, fine texture and dissolves easily in the batter. Regular table salt can be substituted if needed, but just use less. Read more here about The Role Of Salt In Baking
- Cinnamon – Just regular ground cinnamon for the muffins and crumb topping.
- Nutmeg – A little goes a long way, but really adds to the fall flavors.
- Cloves – I love pairing cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves
- Oil – I used organic canola oil which makes the muffins very moist. If you want less fat content, you can also do half oil and half applesauce. Or try another neutral-tasting oil, such as vegetable oil.
- Milk – I used almond milk in these muffins, but you could easily swap out for low-fat, whole, or soy milk.
- Eggs – Bring them to room temperature before baking so that they incorporate easily and evenly into the batter. I like to add mine to a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before using them.
- Vanilla – Can you even bake without vanilla? Adds yummy flavor to the muffins and icing.
- Sweet Potatoes – I cooked and mashed up two sweet potatoes to make these muffins. But you could use canned if you can find it.
For the crumb topping:
- Whole wheat pastry flour – This is my flour of choice, but you can also use 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 all-purpose flour, or you can use 100% whole wheat white flour. Or use AP flour (but replace it by the same volume).
- Brown sugar – Brown sugar adds extra moistness to the muffin. You will also use light or dark brown sugar for the crumb topping and the muffin itself.
- Kosher Salt – Just a pinch!
- Organic cane sugar – I’ve been using organic cane sugar lately and love it! I used it in the crumb topping. It’s less processed, and works beautifully.
- Cinnamon – Just regular ground cinnamon for the muffins and crumb topping.
- Butter – I prefer to use unsalted since I have added salt to the recipe already. Salted butter brands can vary on how much salt they add so I like to use unsalted so I can control the amount of salt. If you only have salted butter, than be sure to reduce or completely omit the salt called for in the recipe. The butter will be used in the crumb topping.
For the icing:
- Confectioners sugar – This will be to make the icing at the end.
- Maple Syrup – Real maple syrup for the icing is where it’s friend. I used organic maple syrup, but as long as it’s real it will work!
- Milk – I used almond milk in the icing, but you could easily swap out for regular milk, or heavy cream.
Homemade Sweet Potato Puree
Now first of all, you might get lucky and find a can of sweet potato puree. And that’s cool, do you. Grab it and make these muffins now. But fresh puree is always the best. And really, so simple.
Just peel the potatoes and then dice them up small. Throw them in a pot of water and let them boil away. Once they are soft, strain out the water and mash them. Or throw the cooked sweet potatoes in your food processor and let the machine do all the heavy lifting.
Make Your Crumb Topping
Ok homemade crumb topping. It’s what all muffin dreams are made of. And it’s so simple! Start by combining the flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt. Just a quick whisk and you’re all set. Then go ahead and cut in your butter.
You can cut in the softened butter by hand, or with a pastry cutter. Just cut the butter in so it’s a sugary, crumbly mess.
Whip Up The Batter
First start by prepping your pans with muffin liners. And don’t forget to preheat that oven yo!
Then whisk together your dry ingredients in your mixing bowl – properly measured flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
And in a second bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients – eggs, pumpkin puree, canola oil, milk, and vanilla extract.
Pro Tip: Use room temperature eggs so everything is incorporated easily. Bring them to room temperature quickly by placing them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
Now the BIG moment… combining the two! The key is to NOT over mix. It’s one of my 6 secrets to perfect muffins. Just pour the wet into the dry and stir it together with a spatula until the last of the flour is mixed in. Lumps will happen. Lumps WILL happen. And should happen. You don’t want to a smooth muffin batter or you will end up “tunnels” in your muffins.
Scoop, Sprinkle, And Bake!
Once your batter is ready, it’s time to get the batter into the pans. Go ahead and divide up the batter. This recipe will make 14 muffins – so you will have 2 leftover to make a second batch.
Then pinch the streusel into clumps and sprinkle onto each muffin. And then go ahead and bake these for about 18-20 minutes.
Ice, Ice, Baby.
While the muffins are baking, go ahead and whip up this super easy maple icing. It’s just powdered sugar, maple syrup, and milk.
You can always adjust the consistency if you need to. And if it’s not a strong enough maple flavor you can always add a maple extract – 1/4-1/2 teaspoon.
When the muffins are cool, go ahead and drizzle on the icing.
Tips for Making These Sweet Potato Crumb Muffins
- Measure your flour accurately. The best method is to use a kitchen scale and measure your flour in grams. If you don’t have a scale, use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, then level it off gently with a butter knife. For more details, read my post on How to Measure Flour Correctly.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Once you add the wet ingredients to the dry, mix until everything is just combined. Don’t worry if it is still lumpy. Overmixing can lead to tough muffins or cause tunneling, which is essentially large air pockets (holes) in the muffins. So no overmixing!
- Portion your muffins evenly. Nowadays they make awesome LARGE ice cream/cookie/muffin scoopers that are perfect for getting even sized muffins.
Do I need to use a liner for these muffins?
No, you can make the muffins without liners if you prefer. Just make sure to grease the inside AND TOP of the muffin tin very well before baking. The muffins will bake up around the edges and stick to to the top if it isn’t greased well.
Can I use regular all-purpose flour for these muffins?
You absolutely can if you want! Just be sure to measure by weight or if measuring by cups, then scoop the flour into your cup and level off. Don’t just dip the cup into your cup or pack it down, which can result in way too much flour!
Can I use 100% whole wheat flour?
I wouldn’t recommend using 100% regular whole wheat flour as they might come out very heavy and dense. Regular whole wheat flour has a much higher protein content so it can result in a heavy muffin.
If you don’t have whole wheat pastry flour on hand but want to still make these whole wheat I would recommend using white whole wheat flour, which has a softer texture. Or try using half whole wheat flour and half AP flour.
Can I use regular AP flour?
You can but if you do make sure you are replacing by weight. The weight of these two flours by cup is not the same so 2 1/4 cups of whole wheat pastry flour is not the same volume amount as regular. Math not your thing? I hear you.
If you want to use AP flour, then use either 220 grams, or use 1 3/4 cup.
Can I make these gluten free?
Absolutely, just replace the flour with your go to gluten free flour. I love and use Cup 4 Cup flour.
Why did my muffins fall flat?
If your muffins turned out flat, it is likely because the leavening agent (baking powder) was ineffective or they were slightly underbaked. Check the expiration date of your baking powder (it doesn’t usually last past 6 months). Also make sure to bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.
You can read more here about How To Make Muffins- Ultimate Guide
How do I store my muffins? How long do they last?
Cool your muffins thoroughly, then store them in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3-5 days. If you want them to last longer, follow the freezing instructions below.
Can you freeze sweet potato muffins?
Yes, muffins are great for freezing! Cool thoroughly, then wrap individually in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped muffins in a zipper bag for an extra layer of protection from the cold. Then freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature or using the defrost setting on the microwave.
Other Muffin Recipes
- The Best Blueberry Muffins
- Easy Pumpkin Muffins
- Peach Muffins (with a Pecan Streusel Topping)
- Pear Muffins (with a Walnut Streusel)
- Chocolate Mocha Muffins
- Easy Chocolate Chip Muffin Recipe
- Whole Wheat Apple Crumb Muffins
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Sweet Potato Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup (220 g) whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅔ cup (133 g) organic brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (227 grams) mashed sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) organic canola oil (or melted butter, or coconut oil)
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) milk (I used almond milk)
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Crumb topping:
- ¾ cup (96 g) whole wheat pastry flour
- ¼ cup (50 g) organic cane sugar
- ¼ cup (53 g) organic brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
Maple Icing
- 1 cup (120 g) confectioners sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk I used almond
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray two 12-count muffin pans with non-stick spray or line with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- Make crumb topping. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Work butter into mixture until crumbly. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together until combined. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the brown sugar and eggs together until combined. Add the sweet potatoes, oil, milk, and vanilla until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do NOT overmix the batter.
- Spoon the batter evenly into 14 cups. Sprinkle on crumb topping (about 1 tablespoon per muffin).
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
- Make icing: In a small bowl, combine icing ingredients. Adjust consistency as needed. Drizzle on cool muffins.
Notes
- Flour Substitutions: If you want to use AP flour, then use either 220 grams, or use 1 3/4 cup. Make gluten by replacing the flour with your go to gluten free flour. I love and use Cup 4 Cup flour.
- Storage: Cool your muffins thoroughly, then store them in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3-5 days. If you want them to last longer, follow the freezing instructions below.
- Freezing: Cool thoroughly, then wrap individually in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped muffins in a zipper bag for an extra layer of protection from the cold. Then freeze for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature or using the defrost setting on the microwave.
- Spices: Instead of these spices, you may use 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice instead.
- Tips On Baking:
- Measure your flour accurately. The best method is to use a kitchen scale and measure your flour in grams. If you don’t have a scale, use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup, then level it off gently with a butter knife. For more details, read my post on How to Measure Flour Correctly.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Once you add the wet ingredients to the dry, mix until everything is just combined. Don’t worry if it is still lumpy. Overmixing can lead to tough muffins or cause tunneling, which is essentially large air pockets (holes) in the muffins. So no overmixing!
- Portion your muffins evenly. Nowadays they make awesome LARGE ice cream/cookie/muffin scoopers that are perfect for getting even sized muffins.
Nutrition
Nicole Washington says
these are perfect to wake up to on Thanksgiving!
[email protected] says
Aw thank you Nicole glad you loved them!
Leslie says
I love to put crumb topping on my muffins! The fact that you added maple glaze to this as well just makes this perfection!
[email protected] says
Thanks Leslie! Yes the maple glaze goes so well with the sweet potato 🙂
Jacqueline Debono says
I usually use sweet potatoes for savoury recipes but decided to give these muffins a try and they were so delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
Heather says
I do too Jacqueline but it was fun doing something different with them. Thank you glad you loved them!
Petro says
Just in time! Crumb muffins were on my list for our next dessert! This sounds so delicious & full of interesting flavors, can’t wait to make it!
Heather says
Thanks Petro! Let me know how it turns out!