There is MUFFIN better than the smell of freshly baked goods in the morning, am I right? Homemade muffins are one of my favorite breakfast foods to bake, and these healthy Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Muffins are the loveliest balance of sweet and nutrient dense. In addition to being totally delicious, these muffins contain nourishing ingredients like cooked sweet potato, applesauce, and whole wheat flour which provide a boost of energizing carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins. Whether you have one of these tasty muffins as part of your breakfast or as a snack, they are packed with flavor and nutrition to fill and fuel you any time of day.
Why Sweet Potato Muffins?
When it comes to quick breads, I'm a big fan of muffins. They're pre-portioned, they bake faster than whole loaves, they’re cute and easily shareable, and they look like cupcakes (especially when topped with cream cheese and a dash of cinnamon) soooo they basically are cupcakes… right? What’s NOT to love about muffins?
I also reeeeally love sweet potato anything and everything, so I had to make a muffin recipe with sweet potato!
If you too are a fan of muffins and sweet potatoes, then you will love these Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Muffin. With ingredients like baked sweet potato, apple sauce, whole wheat flour, maple syrup, cinnamon, and dark chocolate chips, these breakfast muffins are delicious and packed with energizing carbohydrates, fiber, and a variety of vitamins and minerals.
Other breakfast recipes with sweet potatoes that you will love:
3 Reasons to Love Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are one of my all-time favorite foods for a few reasons:
Sweet potatoes taste delicious no matter how they are prepared. Baked, roasted, mashed, fried, added to soups, baked into muffins - it's all so good!
Sweet potatoes are versatile and work well in both sweet and savory recipes. If you're looking for a savory sweet potato recipe, try my Sweet Potato Enchiladas or Curried Sweet Potato Squash Soup!
Sweet potatoes are nutrient dense.
Sweet Potato Nutrition
Let's talk about that last point: sweet potatoes are nutrient dense. Sweet potatoes are starchy vegetables that primarily consist of complex carbohydrates. They also contain dietary fiber, potassium, manganese, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin C, vitamin B6, anthocyanins, and beta-carotene.
Before we move on to this delicious muffin recipe, I want to highlight two of these very important nutrients: fiber and beta-carotene.
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body cannot digest. It is particularly beneficial for promoting overall health by aiding in the regulation of blood sugars and promoting bowel regularity. Eating fiber rich foods regularly may also reduce your risk of developing several chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, constipation, diverticular disease, and some cancers.
Beta-carotene, the micronutrient that gives sweet potatoes and other orange fruits and vegetables their bright orange hue, is used by the body to make vitamin A. Vitamin A plays an important role in immune function, bone development, and skin and eye health.
3 Tips Before You Make These Muffins
As the biggest sweet potato fan I know and lover of homemade muffins, I can confidently say that this muffin recipe is AMAZING. In order for your Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Muffins to turn out amazing...
Bake/microwave the sweet potato fully. Sweet potatoes become sweeter and softer the longer they cooke. Be sure to bake or microwave your sweet potato until it is soft and a fork slides in very easily.
Don't overmix the batter. Overmixing will yield a tough and dense product. Mix the batter gently using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula just enough to where most of the flour is incorporated. It is ok if there are some lumps from the flour.
Use whatever milk you prefer. I have used cow's milk, unsweetened oat milk, and unsweetened almond milk in this recipe and they all worked great. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand to meet your preferences and/or dietary needs.
What’s in This Recipe?
Sweet potato – contains fiber, energizing carbohydrates, vitamin C, beta-carotene, anthocyanins, manganese, pantothenic acid, biotin, potassium, and vitamin B6
Egg – acts as a binder; contains protein, fat soluble vitamins (ADKE), and choline
Maple syrup – natural sweetener, rich in manganese
Milk – cow's milk contains protein, calcium, and vitamin D for strong bones and muscle recovery (oat milk and almond milk also work in this recipe)
Applesauce – natural sweetener
Vegetable oil – contains heart healthy unsaturated fats
Vanilla extract – adds flavor
Whole wheat flour – contains complex carbohydrates and more fiber than all-purpose flour
All purpose flour – contains energizing carbohydrates
Baking soda – leavening agent
Baking powder – leavening agent
Cinnamon – has antioxidant properties, may help lower blood sugar
Salt – brings out the sweetness
Coconut sugar (brown sugar will also work)
Dark chocolate chips – adds flavors and contains magnesium, manganese, antioxidants, and iron
Notes: *To make these muffins dairy free, use your favorite dairy-free alternative in place of cow's milk (oat milk and almond milk work well) and use dairy free chocolate chips (I like these).
Sweet Potato Chocolate Chip Muffins
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 20 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins
Wet ingredients:
Flesh of 1 medium sweet potato, baked or microwaved (about 1 cup sweet potato purée)
1 large egg
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup milk of choice*
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Dry ingredients:
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1/3 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips*
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350oF. Coat a 12 cup muffin tin with nonstick spray.
Add all the wet ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until fully combined and smooth. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (not the chocolate chips).
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined (do not overmix!), then mix in the chocolate chips.
Divide the batter evenly among each of the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes or until the muffin tops spring back when touched.
Cool muffins in the tin for 5 minutes then transfer to a baking rack. Once completely cooled, store muffins in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for 3 months.
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