Recipe: Cinnamon Sweet Potato Muffins with Oatmeal Streusel

Sweet potatoes are delicious, nutritious, and fantastic in baked goods.  Loaded with fiber, iron, magnesium and vitamins C, B6 & D, it’s only natural I’d want to put them into muffins.  Plus their natural sweet taste allows me to cut back on other added sweeteners, which I love.  They’re easy to whip up, perfect for breakfast, dessert or snack time, and freeze wonderfully.  And tastier and healthier than store-bought muffins, these fun orange delights are sure to be a hit with the little ones in your life.

Cinnamon Sweet Potato Muffins with Oatmeal Streusel

Makes 12 muffins or 24 mini-muffins

9 months + up

• 1 large sweet potato
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted (butter works as well)
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (for gluten-free, see below)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Streusel 

• 1/4 cup oats*
• 1/4 cup flour (use same flour you used for muffins)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (butter works as well)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 400.  Prick the sweet potato with a fork and place in oven.  Bake until soft and easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour.

Let sweet potato cool completely and peel; discard the skin.  Place flesh in a bowl and either mash until smooth with a fork or an immersion blender (you want about 1 cup puree). Whisk into the puree the coconut oil, maple syrup, milk and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt.  Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet.

Meanwhile, combine the streusel ingredients in a small bowl.  With your hands crumble the mixture until it resembles coarse meal.

Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan or line with liners.  Evenly distribute the batter among each cup.  Sprinkle streusel over batter.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (if making mini-muffins bake for about 15 minutes).  Cool on a wire rack before serving.

* For Gluten-Free: Use 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose blend such as King Arthur’s or Cup4Cup.  If your gluten-free blend does not contain Xanthan gum, add 1 teaspoon to flour.  For streusel topping, be sure to use certified gluten-free oats.