Sweet Potato Muffins

Sweet potato muffin recipe with canned yams, with leftovers or made with fresh mashed sweet potatoes and a crumble topping. This is a family favorite Thanksgiving breakfast or Christmas brunch item.

I don’t know about you but this and our 2 ingredient pumpkin muffins are all I can think about once Fall rolls around. So much so I could eat them every single day in some form or another. I typically will make these after the holidays with leftovers but year round they can be made with a can of Bruce’s yams.

With a crumb topping for muffins, some nuts and a tender moist texture on the inside they are always a hit. You’ll want to grab a few of these taters at the grocery store and pull out all the other ingredients. Use two bowls as you would when baking muffins of any other kind of baked goods. I know your mouth is already drooling so let’s get going.

Ingredient Notes

1. All purpose flour is used, I haven’t used any alternatives such as wheat flour (which would make it more dense) or coconut flour
2. Can of yams, drained and mashed are easiest, could use freshly baked sweet mashed potatoes or leftover taters with insides scooped out and mashed slightly
3. Room temperature butter is best to make a smooth batter, dairy free alternatives work well too
4. Brown sugar and honey are both great sweeteners but maple syrup or agave are great alternatives
5. Milk is best with a bit of fat like 2% or whole so they are as tender as possible.
6. Egg should be closer to room temperature when added so take them out about an hour before mixing everything together.
7. You want to add a pinch of salt to actually make the flavors sweeter, believe it or not that is a true tip
8. I like to add a few Fall flavors in there too like dried ginger, cinnamon, allspice, and some Nutmeg
9. Baking powder and some Baking soda are used as leavening agents, make sure they are still current and not expired.
10. Vanilla extract or almond extract are optional add ins

Equipment needed is a large bowl to combine wet and dry ingredients. Use a muffin tin with paper cups and a wire rack to transfer to when done.

with Chocolate Chips

As with any other variety you can pretty much add mini semi sweet bits of goodness into them. This is my favorite type of chocolate add in for sure. Just adds a bit of oomph and wow to them but is not overwhelming. I didn’t add them to this round but can be folded into the batter at the end if you wish.

Tips

I like to leave a bit of texture when I am mashing them. I’ll do the same thing when making 4 ingredient banana bread. With some larger chunks in it you get another added sense of moisture and texture as well.

As for the topping you can add it or leave it out. I will say that it does add a lot to the overall flavor especially if you want to know how to make muffin tops with these babies. That would seriously decrease the bake time since you’re only using about half the batter in each “hole” sortaspeak.

Instead of pecans you could substitute for whatever you like really but thinking pecan pie and the holidays, these just make sense. Add whole, halved (which is cheaper) or chop in a food processor to break them up.

Filling the muffin cups 3/4 of the way full makes the ratio of topping to bottoms turns out just right. As with our sweet potato cake you always want to incorporate wet items in one and dry in another before combining or the leavening agents won’t work right. Here is a quick step by step rundown. There is a printable recipe card with ingredients below as well:

There IS actual potato mixed into the batter for these, or you can mash candied yams. The easiest way to make them from scratch is to follow our air fryer sweet potatoes recipe. Make a few extra and serve them with dinner that night too. Would work double duty for sure and save you some time adding a side dish for that night.

We also have air fryer sweet potato cubes directions that take a little less time. Just cook until the middle is tender enough to mash easily. Then add all other ingredients for the batter and add this amazing topping for the best leftover sweet potato recipe ever.

with Cake Mix

You would want to follow our Sweet Potato Bread instructions to make the batter. Then with this it just takes about 18 minutes at 350 degrees F or until the tops bounce back. A quicker way to make this same delicious treat with boxed mix. You might serve these with butter to spread on them or just with a cup of coffee to start your day.

in Air Fryer

You can make any type into air fryer muffins too. Those are fast and doesn’t heat up your whole house.

How to Bake Sweet Potato Bread in Loaf Pan

If you wanted to make this in loaf pan(s) it would take closer to 60ish minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes to bake. Test with a knife or toothpick in the middle. As soon as it is no longer wet when you pull it out remove it from the oven. Allow it to cool for a bit on a rack and then slide it out and let it completely cool the rest of the way on that same rack without the pan. For either you will need:

The Best Way to Store Muffins to Stay Moist

Of course eat as many as you’d like up to an hour after they have come out of the oven. For the next few days allow them to stay on the counter as well. This will keep them as moist as possible but you must wrap them correctly first. After they are cooled completely and you’ve eaten all you want that day slide them into gallon freezer bags.

Zip it almost all the way closed except for about an inch. Use your mouth to suck out all the air so they don’t dry out. Do this every time you take one out for the next 3 days. After that they will start to change texture and not be as appetizing.

If you think you won’t eat them all within 3 days then you should freeze them using the same baggie technique. When ready to enjoy them leave the bag on the counter so they can come to room temperature on their own. If you are really impatient to have one of them you could microwave one for 30-45 seconds until tender again.

How do I make muffins fresh again?

If two days later you think they need some oooph to get them back to where these were when you first made them sprinkle some water on it. Then place it into a small paper bag and microwave for 30 seconds. This will moisten the outsides and add to the overall tenderness of each one.

I’d highly suggest that you consume what you make the day they are fresh and the next day. Those are ideal for freshness. You can prolong the “good time” by sliding them in the fridge after they’re in that freezer bag. You’ll need to add a bit more heat to rewarm them but they won’t get that icky weirdness on the top at day 3 at room temp.

Other easy recipes with vegetables you’ll love

If you still need another recipe to use up the taters you have on hand, try our Instant Pot sweet potato chili with them. A hearty meal for dinner, yes you can enjoy these all day long. Want to try another one of our favorite Fall baking recipes? We have a bunch but our zucchini applesauce muffins