make-it monday: my sweet potato mini muffins
I'm always on the hunt for easy + healthy breakfast recipes that incorporate unusual combinations or spices - so that I can stretch my little one's palates! When the kids were just learning to nibble on solids mini muffins and mini quiche's were their breakfast items of choice! I don't know a person out there who doesn’t love a homemade muffin. But I also consider them an occasional treat rather than an everyday breakfast item. While a sweet potato muffin might not normally sound like the most nutritious breakfast out there, it’s worth remembering that not all muffins are created equally. Unlike your typical blueberry muffins, these sweet potato breakfast muffins are vegan, dairy-free and refined sugar-free—and most importantly they are insanely delicious too! So whether you have a food intolerance or just want a healthier option, these sweet potato muffins fit the bill.
Last week, in the middle of attempting my first three-layer spongecake for Charlotte's 3rd birthday - I remembered I'd promised to bring in homemade sweets for her preschool class to celebrate! In a bit of exasperated hurry I mixed everything together (yep, I had all the ingredients on hand!) and the result was pretty delicious (and yes, all of the 1-3 year olds approved!).
These Sweet Potato Breakfast Mini Muffins turned out really great (considering I whipped them up last minute). So, that’s just a testament to how easy this recipe really is. Here’s how to make them yourself…
sweet potato muffins
makes 34 mini muffins or a 12 large muffins
ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup almond milk (or any milk or your choice)
- 3/4 cup good-quality maple syrup + 2 extra tbs for brushing the muffins
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp
- baking soda
- 1 1/2 tbs Chinese five-spice powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
make-it
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prick the sweet potato a few times with a fork. Place in the oven, on a pice of tinfoil, and bake for 1 hour, until soft (when a paring knife can gut through with 0 resistance). Set aside until cool.
2. Peel the sweet potato, discarding the skin (you should just be able to peel the skin away with your fingers. Mash the flesh in a mixing bowl with a fork.
3. Whisk the olive oil, almond milk, maple syrup, and vanilla into the sweet potato.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, five-spice powder, and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
5. For Mini Muffins: Spray two 24-cup mini muffin tins with cooking spray, until well coated. Evenly distribute the muffin batter amongst the cups (should make about 34 mini muffins). Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Brush the tops of the muffins with the extra maple syrup during the last 5 minutes of baking.
OR
For Large Muffins: Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray until well coated. Evenly distribute the batter among the cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Brush the tops of the muffins with the extra maple syrup during the last 5 minutes of baking.
6. Let the muffins cool before serving.
Tip: Everyone's oven cooked at a different speed. Stay close to your muffins while they bake - the moment you start to smell that yummy gooey aroma, begin checking them! They may be done. The last 5 minutes of baking is simply to golden up the tops by applying those last 2 tbs of maple syrup. You can skip this step, but it will give them a nice golden, and just a tad crispy top. If, for whatever reason, you overcook or burn your muffins (oh no! but hey, it happens) you can let them cool, and then store them in an airtight container - they will soften up overnight! I burnt a few of mine, and by morning they were so soft and easy to eat - no one even seemed to notice!.
Trust me when I say your coffee and muffin morning routine will never be the same after you’ve tried these!
Will you give these sweet potato muffins a try?
XO Kassy
