I made way too many whipped sweet potatoes yesterday for Mr. How Sweet’s belated birthday dinner and needed a plan to use them up.
Obviously it had to be a sweet treat.
I assumed Mr. How Sweet might confuse sweet potato muffins with pumpkin and politely pass on them, so I didn’t tell him about this batch. Oops — turns out he would have loved them too.
This was my first time baking with sweet potatoes and I was thrilled with the results. The muffins are moist and fluffy despite using all whole wheat flour. They really feel like autumn in a cup.
Because I never think baked goods are sweet enough, I made a light ginger glaze and finished the muffins with small pieces of candied ginger I picked up recently. That combination was irresistible — I ate three muffins in about a minute.
If you prefer your baked goods less sweet, skip the glaze and enjoy the muffins plain. Either way, they’re a comforting, simple treat suited to breakfast or an afternoon snack.
Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Muffins
Makes 12 muffins
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup mashed sweet potatoes or sweet potato purée
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the brown sugar, milk and eggs, then stir in the mashed sweet potato until the batter is smooth and uniform.
Spoon the batter into a 12-cup muffin tin, filling each cup about three-quarters full. Bake for 18–20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before glazing.
Ginger Glaze
2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup powdered sugar
Pinch of ground ginger
Candied ginger, chopped, for garnish
Whisk the water, powdered sugar and ground ginger together until smooth. Adjust the thickness by adding a little more powdered sugar to thicken or a bit more water to thin. Drizzle the glaze over cooled muffins and top with chopped candied ginger.
These muffins are an easy, wholesome way to enjoy sweet potatoes any time of year. Go make them to brighten your morning or perk up a slow Monday!