These sweet potato muffins are tall, soft, and moist, with a generous brown sugar cinnamon topping that makes every bite a little sweeter. They’re the kind of homemade muffins you’ll make often because they’re both delicious and surprisingly easy to make!
Sweet Potato Muffins Are Better Than I Ever Imagined
Every once in a while, when I’m cleaning out the fridge on a weekend, I find a leftover cooked sweet potato from dinner earlier in the week. Instead of reheating it, I mash it up and make these sweet potato muffins.
The sweet potato makes the muffins incredibly soft and moist, and I love how tall they bake up! Add a simple brown sugar cinnamon topping, and you’ve got a batch of homemade muffins that makes finding a leftover sweet potato feel like a win.
What You’ll Need
Exactly what you’d expect in homemade muffins: flour, sugar, eggs, milk, butter, and a few baking essentials. A cooked sweet potato, which you’ll mash, adds moisture and softness, plus the buttery brown-sugar cinnamon topping makes these muffins extra delicious.
How to Make Sweet Potato Muffins
- Make the topping.
Combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon with the butter, using your fingers to work everything together until it resembles coarse sand. Set aside. - Mix the muffin batter.
Whisk the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Gently combine them until no dry flour remains. The batter will be thick, and that’s exactly how it should be.
- Fill the muffin pan.
Scoop the batter into lined muffin cups, filling them nearly to the top. Generously distribute the brown sugar topping over each muffin, gently pressing it down so it stays in place as they rise. - Bake.
Bake at 350F for 20 to 22 minutes, until the muffins are tall, golden, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack.
What Is the Texture of Sweet Potato Muffins & Batter?
The batter is thick, which helps them bake up nice and tall instead of spreading out. Don’t add extra milk to thin it out! Once baked, the muffins are incredibly soft with a tender crumb that breaks apart easily.
Laura’s Baking Tips & Favorite Variations
I usually make these muffins with leftover cooked sweet potato, but you can also cook one just for this recipe. You can cook a sweet potato in the oven, cook one in the air fryer, or microwave it if you’re short on time. Let it cool, slice it in half, and scoop out the flesh and mash it with a fork until smooth. You’ll need 1 cup for the batter, which is about 1 medium sweet potato.
Yes and no, and expect different results. Mashed sweet potatoes have a creamier texture than cooked sweet potatoes alone because of the added butter and milk. Using a cup of this will work, but if your batter is thin, add a tablespoon or two more flour. Check the photos and video for the best texture. Baby food sweet potatoes are very runny and should be avoided.
Yes! Add ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts to the finished batter, then gently fold them in before filling the muffin cups. They add a little crunch that goes really well with these muffins.
Fill a 1-cup measuring cup with as much mashed sweet potato as you have, then fill the remaining space with mashed ripe banana or canned pumpkin puree. You’ll still have the full cup of mashed ingredients needed for the batter. If you’re right under, don’t worry. Definitely ¾ cup for these.
Yes. Add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the finished batter and gently fold them in before scooping it into the muffin pan. You can use regular or mini chocolate chips.
Yes! This recipe makes approximately 36 to 48 mini muffins. Bake them at 350F for 12 to 14 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Keep the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day or refrigerate them for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat a muffin in the microwave for about 30 seconds, until warm.
Sweet Potato Muffins with Cinnamon Crumble
Watch how it’s made:
Ingredients
Muffins:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar, white
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup cooked mashed sweet potato
- ¾ cup milk
- ½ cup melted butter, or neutral oil
Topping
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Prep:
- Preheat the oven to 350F with the top rack in the middle position. Line a 12-muffin pan with liners. You can also grease it.
- Make the topping in a bowl by combining the light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, and ground cinnamon. Add the unsalted butter and use your fingers to combine and break it up until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Set aside.
Make the muffin batter:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well with a whisk to distribute the ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Then, add the mashed sweet potato and combine it with the eggs, breaking it up as you go. Add the milk and melted butter (or a neutral oil) to the bowl and mix everything together until the sweet potato is mostly incorporated into the liquid. Pour the liquid mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and gently mix until combined. The batter is thick.
- Scoop the batter into the muffin cups, filling each nearly to the top. Distribute the sugary topping over every muffin. Then, gently press it down so it stays on the muffins as they rise during baking.
Bake:
- Bake the muffins for 20 to 22 minutes, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove the muffin pan from the oven and let the muffins cool for 10 minutes before taking them out of the pan and placing them on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Store:
- Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature (on the counter) for 1 day, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Mix-ins: ½ cup of chopped pecans, walnuts, or chocolate chips.
- What if I don’t have enough sweet potato?
Fill a 1-cup measuring cup with as much mashed sweet potato as you can. Fill the rest with mashed ripe banana or canned pumpkin puree. You’ll need at least ¾ cup. - Can I make mini sweet potato muffins instead?
Yes, you can bake this batter in a mini muffin pan. You’ll get between 36 and 48 mini muffins. They will take 12 to 14 minutes at 350F.
The recommendations below may include affiliate links.
Nina says
great idea to use up sweet potato leftovers. These muffins are really good!