Play With Your Veggies: Sweet Potato Ginger Breakfast Muffins

I’m so excited to share this sweet potato muffin recipe with you today. They’re solely sweetened with maple syrup and are pretty much the perfect winter breakfast muffins. Even better, they’re gluten-free and easy to whip up!

Photos via Edible Perspective

Time to roll up your sleeves and get ready to make these sweet potato breakfast muffins!

Did I mention there’s also a ginger-oat crumb topping? I’m currently obsessed with putting ginger in everything. Okay, technically not everything. Ginger definitely doesn’t belong in many types of dishes, but I do think it’s underutilized in quick breads and muffins. Fresh ginger will add a surprising kick of flavor most wouldn’t expect to find in a muffin. I love the warmth it added to this recipe!

These muffins are a dense, fill-you-up type muffin but still have a good amount of fluff to them. The almond meal and oat flour provide quite a bit of fiber and protein and also a rich, nutty flavor. I love using those two flours in combination with one another in gluten-free baking.

For the sweet potato component, I not only used grated sweet potatoes (think carrot cake muffins!) but also sweet potato puree. Both add to the overall texture giving them a little bite and a lot of chew (but not chewy!).

I know some people are extremely specific with nuts or no-nuts in muffins, cookies, breads, etc. I’m typically a no-nut person but there are some exceptions like with these muffins. The walnuts work well without having too much crunch but if you’re in the no-nuts-ever camp you can definitely leave them out.

The crumb topping, however, is non-negotiable.

Both the muffins and the topping are sweetened with only maple syrup. They’re lightly sweetened making them suitable for breakfast. Because no one needs a 9am sugar crash. Am I right?

Sweet Potato Ginger Muffins

Yields: 12 standard muffins 

Ingredients:

For the muffins:

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons oat flour (gluten-free if needed)
• 3/4 cup almond meal
• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground flax meal
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup canned sweet potato puree
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (or 2%)
• 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup unrefined coconut oil (melted and cooled)
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger (peeled)
• 1 cup grated sweet potato (peeled)
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

For the crumb topping:

• 2 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil (melted)
• 2 tablespoons canned sweet potato puree
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup oat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

Step 1:

In a small bowl stir all of the crumb topping ingredients together until fully combined. Set aside.

Step 2:

Grease (with coconut oil) or line a 12-mold muffin pan with muffin liners. Preheat your oven to 350° F.

Step 3:

In a large bowl stir together the oat flour, almond meal, flax, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

Step 4:

In a medium bowl whisk the eggs. Then whisk in the almond milk, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, and ginger until fully combined.

Step 5:

Quickly pour the wet into the dry and whisk until you no longer see dry flour.

Step 6:

Fold in the potato and walnuts. Let the batter sit to thicken for 5 minutes.

Step 7:

Spoon the batter into the muffin tin about 3/4 the way up. Crumble the crumb topping (it should feel like a very thick dough) over each muffin.

Step 8:

Place in the center of your oven and bake for 22-28 minutes until a toothpick comes out nearly clean.

Step 9:

Allow muffins to fully cool to firm. Serve.

Recipe notes:

• Muffins will crumble a bit if eaten warm out of the oven.
• If you can’t find sweet potato puree I suggest using 6 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin puree and 1 1/2 tablespoons water in it’s place. Sweet potato puree is quite a bit thinner than pumpkin puree.