Sweet Potato Muffins with Streusel Topping!

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This easy sweet potato muffins recipe makes moist and delicious muffins using freshly grated sweet potatoes, a flavorful combination of cozy fall spices and a brown sugar streusel topping.

Sweet Potato muffins in a basket with cream colored napkin.

One of my favorite things about sweet potatoes is how versatile they are. Whether I am adding them to sweet recipes, like these muffins, or creating savory dishes like these Crispy Oven Sweet Potato Fries or this Healthy Sweet Potato Soup, I always have a few extra ones on hand.

Some sweet potato muffin recipes call for adding a mashed baked sweet potato or sweet potato puree to the batter, which makes them moist but can also sometimes make the muffins rather dense.

With this easy recipe you peel and grate a fresh sweet potato and fold it straight into the batter. This creates moist, yet light and fluffy muffins with the perfect texture.

A streusel topping is added to the top that gives these muffins just enough sweetness that allows you to serve them for a quick breakfast on the go or as a sweet afternoon snack.

🖤 Why We Love this Recipe

One reason this is my favorite muffin recipe is because it uses grated instead of mashed sweet potatoes. They take less time to make this way, and the results are fluffy muffins with the same, naturally sweet flavor.

This recipe is a great way to use up unused, leftover sweet potatoes you may have on hand after the holidays.

Though the ingredients list may look long, they are all basic ingredients you probably keep in the pantry for other baking.

🔪 Recommended Tools

Muffin Pan
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoon
Box Grater (or food processer)
Cooling Rack
Sharp Kitchen Knife
Mixing Bowls

🛒 What Goes into This Recipe

Sweet potato-you will need one medium sized peeled and grated potato

Flour, baking soda and powder-basic bread making essentials

Spices-ground cinnamon and other warm fall spices give these muffins delicious flavor

Apple cider vinegar-this is an important ingredient. The acid reacts with the other leavening agents to create bubbles. This is a key to making light and fluffy muffins.

Brown sugar-you can use either light or dark brown sugar. The sugar works with the flour to make the streusel topping.

Scroll down to recipe card for full list of ingredients and nutrition information.

👩🏻‍🍳 How to Make This Easy Muffin Recipe

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper muffin liners. (You need a ½ cup capacity size muffin tin)

Step 1. Make the streusel topping by adding the brown sugar, flour and butter to a small bowl.

Ingredients for streusel topping on muffins.

Mix together until it has a crumbly consistency.

Streusel topping for muffins in glass bowl.

Step 2. Using a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife peel the sweet potato. With a box grater (or food processor) grate the potato and set it aside.

Step 3. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda, spices, salt.

Combine well. Whisk to break up any little clumps in the flour mixture.

Step 4. In a separate large bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs.

Eggs and brown sugar in a stainless bowl.

Add the oil, the whole milk, and apple cider vinegar. Whisk the mixture until smooth.

Eggs, brown sugar, oil, milk, and vinegar in a stainless bowl.

Step 5. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until mostly incorporated. Some dry flour will still be visible.

Step 6. Fold in the grated sweet potato and mix only until everything is incorporated. There may be some lumps remaining in the sweet potato mixture and that’s okay, don’t over mix it.

Batter for sweet potato muffins in stainless bowl.

Step 7. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups until they are about ½ from the top of the paper liners.

Sweet potato muffins batter in muffin tin.

Step 8. Take about a tablespoon of streusel mixture and add it on the top of each muffin.

Step 9. Bake the muffins at 350° F for 25-27 minutes, until they are lightly browned, and a cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the middle of one.

Step 10. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack and allow them to cool for about 20 minutes before serving.

Sweet potato muffins on a wire rack cooling.

These easy and delicious muffins are best served warm at room temperature on the same day they are made. If storing, keep in an airtight container in the fridge for no more than 2 days.

Sweet potato muffin on a white table on a white napkin.

📖 Variations

Chocolate chips: If you are serving this as sweet treat, you can add milk chocolate or white chocolate chips to the batter when you’re adding the grated sweet potato.

Other tasty mix-ins: Give the muffins different flavors by adding your favorite extracts like vanilla extract, almond extract or little bit of orange extract. You can add citrus flavor by adding fresh orange zest to the batter.

Pecan: We left the nuts out of this sweet potato muffin recipe, but you can certainly add chopped pecans to the batter or to the streusel topping.

Pumpkin pie spice: If you don’t have jars of all the individual spices, you can always just use a pumpkin pie spice blend instead. By using individual spices, you can control the amount you add, but pumpkin spice blend has a pleasant combination of most of these same ingredients.

Glaze: A sweet glaze is a great way to make these muffins like a tasty dessert. You can make a simple glaze with ½ cup powdered sugar, a tablespoon maple syrup and a tablespoon of melted butter. Then just drizzle it over the streusel topping.

FAQ

Can you eat sweet potato skins?

You sure can and they are loaded with nutrients that you can read all about in this article on Healthline.

Can you freeze sweet potato muffins?

Though these muffins are at their best when they are freshly baked, you can certainly freeze leftovers. It’s nice to be able to pull one out of the freezer and warm it in the oven for an afternoon treat.

Before freezing, allow them to cool to room temperature. Then wrapped them individually in a double layer of plastic wrap. Place them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Are sweet potato muffins good for you?

This recipe does contain added sugar. You could replace it with date paste to make them healthier. For a super healthy muffin, try this easy muffin recipe.

These muffins are vegetarian, nut free, and soy free which makes them a healthier version than those you’d typically get from a bakery or the grocery store.

💭 Top Tips

To make the best muffin recipe, avoid over mixing the muffin batter because it will result in your muffins coming out tough.

Always start out with room temperature ingredients. This helps the ingredients to incorporate better resulting in fluffier muffins.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately which will help you from overworking the batter.

Always allow your muffins to cool completely before adding them to an airtight container for storing. Any warmth will cause moisture to build up that can cause your muffins to become soggy.

Sweet Potato Muffins Recipe