Sweet Potato Muffins are a yummy way to pack extra veggies into your kids’ meals and snacks. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup and flavored with cinnamon, these muffins freeze well and are great for school and packed lunches.
Medically reviewed and co-written by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).
Healthy Sweet Potato Muffins
Soft, fluffy, and naturally sweetened with maple syrup – these healthy sweet potato muffins are about the only thing better than a warm, delicious baked sweet potato itself.
These muffins are quick and easy to mix together, can easily be made gluten-free or dairy-free, and are freezer friendly for those busy weekday mornings.
Pair these sweet potato muffins with a side of scrambled eggs for breakfast or with a smear of cream cheese and fresh fruit for a quick snack.
If you are looking for more easy and healthy muffin recipes for kids and toddlers, then be sure to check out my Blueberry Avocado Mini Muffins, Spinach Muffins, these fan-favorite Veggie Muffins, or these delicious Applesauce Muffins. You can also find more recipes and information in my best-selling cookbook, Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.
Reasons to Love these Sweet Potato Muffins
- toddler, kid and adult-friendly
- quick to make
- great for school or packed lunches
- hidden veggie
- healthy
- freezer-friendly
- easy for breakfasts and snacks on the go
- can be made gluten and dairy-free
- naturally nut-free
Ingredients
Make sure to read the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
- Flour: you can use all-purpose, white whole wheat flour, a mixture of 50/50 white and whole wheat flour, or gluten-free one-for-one flour.
- Sweet Potatoes: mashed sweet potatoes or sweet potato puree – at room temperature.
- Oil/Butter: to make the muffins nice and moist. You can use coconut, avocado, vegetable, olive oil, or melted butter.
- Maple Syrup: good quality maple syrup, honey (for babies over one), or agave nectar can be used in this recipe.
- Milk: you can use any milk you prefer – regular or any plain plant-based milk such as almond, oat, soy, etc.
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Cinnamon
Allergy Tips: to make these muffins gluten-free, you can use any one-for-one gluten-free flour blend. If you are looking for a dairy-free muffin option, you can use any plant-based milk you prefer such as almond, soy, hemp, oat, etc. You can also use a plant-based flax seed egg instead of regular eggs if needed.
Sweet Potato Muffin Health Benefits
These muffins are sweet, scrumptious, and nutritious! And much healthier than store-bought muffins.
- Sweet potatoes give these muffins vitamin A for healthy eyes and fiber for healthy digestion.
- If you’re using whole wheat flour, it will give these muffins more fiber as well.
- Maple syrup is less processed than white table sugar, which allows more nutrients to be present in maple syrup.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 375° F. Spray or line a muffin tin.
- Whisk: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Stir: In a blender, puree together the mashed sweet potato, maple syrup, butter/oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. You can also do this in a medium bowl if your cooked mashed potato is very smooth.
- Combine: pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fill Muffin Tin: Scoop the batter into the muffin tin 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake: Place the muffin tin into the oven, and bake for 18-20 minutes or until just golden brown.
- Eat: Let cool for 5-10 minutes, and serve.
Sweet Potato Tip: Microwaving a sweet potato is by far the easiest and fastest way to cook one. Simply wash, and pat dry the sweet potato, then pierce 3-4 times with a fork. Place on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 5 minutes, turning halfway through.
Toppings
Although these healthy Sweet Potato Muffins are completely delicious as is, feel free to experiment and mix in a few toppings. Toddlers and older kids love to help with sprinkling on their own toppings before baking!
- chopped walnuts
- chopped pecans
- chocolate chips
- white chocolate chips
- chopped strawberries
- blueberries
Tools Needed
How to Store & Freeze
Once the muffins have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container. They will keep on the counter for up to 4 days and in the fridge for up to a week.
To freeze the muffins, place the mini muffins into a freezer zip-lock baggie or stasher bag and place in the freezer. They will keep for up to 3 months frozen.
Thaw frozen muffins overnight in the fridge or gently warm them in the microwave.
Sweet Potato Muffins for Toddlers & Kids
These quick and easy sweet potato muffins are great for toddlers and kids. You can serve them as is or with a smear of cream cheese, butter, or peanut butter for breakfast, a snack, or packed into a school lunch.
Expert Tips
- Do No Overmix: I can’t stress this point enough – do not overmix the muffin batter. If you do, they won’t rise in the oven and will become dense and hard. The dry ingredients should be just combined with the wet ingredients.
- Preheat Oven: Ensure the oven is fully preheated so the muffins cook through evenly.
- Let Cool: let the muffins cool for about 10 minutes before enjoying them and let them cool completely before storing.
- No Sticking: make sure you generously grease the muffin molds or use muffin liners so that the muffins don’t stick to the pan.
- Make it mini: you can easily bake these in mini muffin tins, just adjust the baking time to 9-10 minutes, about half the time of regular-sized muffins.
- 1 3/4 cup flour (see notes)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup sweet potato, cooked and mashed
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup melted butter or oil, olive oil, avocado oil, vegetable oil or coconut oil
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips or other toppings (optional)
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Prep: Preheat the oven to 375° F. Spray or line a muffin tin.
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Whisk: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
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Stir: In a blender, add in the mashed sweet potato, maple syrup, butter/oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Blend for 30 seconds or until completely smooth. You can also mix together these ingredients in a large bowl, just make sure to mash the sweet potatoes until smooth before mixing.
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Combine: pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
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Fill Muffin Tin: Scoop the batter into the muffin tin 3/4 of the way full. Add toppings if using.
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Bake: Place the muffin tin into the oven, and bake for 18-20 minutes or until just golden brown.
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Eat: Let cool for 5-10 minutes, and serve.
Mini or Regular Size: you can make these muffins into mini or regular-size muffins, the only difference is the baking time. For mini muffins, bake for 10-12 minutes, for regular muffins, bake for 18-20 minutes.
Storage: store in an air-tight container on the counter or fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Note on Flours: you can use all-purpose, white whole wheat flour, a mixture of 50/50 white and whole wheat flour, or gluten-free one-for-one flour.
Oil/Butter: to make the muffins nice and moist. You can use coconut, avocado, vegetable, olive, or melted butter.