These sweet potato muffins are the perfect fall treat! They’re made without any added processed sugar and are completely vegan. Bake them with some chocolate chips, pecans, and top with homemade maple pecan butter. It’s a winning combination with the most delicious moist and tender texture. You’d never even know they’re healthy.

How to make sweet potato puree

The base of this recipe is, of course, sweet potato. It adds so much flavor and sweetness to these muffins and is a great alternative to pumpkin.

To make sweet potato puree, preheat the oven to 400F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Run the potatoes under some water and scrub any dirt off with your hands. Pat them dry with a paper towel and place on the baking sheet.

Puncture the top with a fork, all down the length of the potato, and bake for 1 hour or until they are fork tender. The fork should easily sink into the middle of the potato. The time may vary depending on the size of your potatoes.

Allow them to cool on the baking sheet for about 20 minutes. Then peal, break apart, and place in a food processor to blend until smooth.

If you don’t want to use a food processor, you could also mash them with a potato masher, but I find the processor provides a much smoother texture.

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Tips for making vegan sweet potato muffins

These muffins are very easy to make and are nearly fool proof, but here are a few tips to ensure they turn out just right!

1. Allow the flax eggs to fully gel. Before you start baking, combine the ground flax with water. By the time you need to add it to the batter, it should have thickened into a gel consistency. Once it gels, it acts as an emulsifier to hold these muffins together.
2. Don’t overmeasure the flour. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a flat edge. Never scoop directly into the flour bag or container as this compacts the flour into your measuring cup.
3. Don’t over mix. Right when the flour is completely disappeared into the batter, stop mixing. Otherwise, your muffins could turn out a bit tough.
4. Leave in the nuts! These add a bit of crunch that is definitely needed for these muffins. Since they’re vegan, they’re a bit soft so the nuts help break up the texture. If you have a nut allergy, you could also use pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
5. Use a large ice cream scoop to scoop the batter into your cupcake tin. This makes the process so much easier and each muffin is guaranteed to be the exact same size.

For some added pizzaz, top the muffins with a few more chocolate chips before baking. Doing so before they’re baked allows the chips to stick and spread as the muffins puff up.

Easy homemade pecan butter

We all know peanut, cashew, sunflower, and almond butter, but what about pecan butter? It’s just as delicious as these common nut butters, and is so easy to make.

First, start by roasting the pecans. This is a very important step so don’t skip! The first time I tried to make it without roasting the nuts, it was a struggle to get a smooth nut butter. It also tasted a bit more bitter.

Roasting the pecans helps enhance and sweeten their flavor, while also making them a bit more tender. Add the roasted nuts to a food processor and blitz for 10 minutes.

It takes a while, but the pecans will slowly transform from dry and crumbly to smooth and creamy. As the processor is running, it’s releasing the natural oils in the nuts. These oils are what creates a smooth and spreadable consistency.

For added flavor, mix in maple syrup, cinnamon, and a bit of salt. If you find that your processor just can’t get the job done, blitz in a couple teaspoons of coconut oil to give the pecans a little extra help.

This pecan butter is to be served on the side. For any leftovers, keep the pecan butter an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Along with the muffins, I enjoyed it in my morning oatmeal or on a brown rice cake as an afternoon snack.

Can these be made gluten free?

Although I have not tested it, you can try swapping the whole wheat flour with Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1-to-1 flour as this always gives me the best results.

A few things you may expect with making this swap:

1. The muffins may need to bake for a few extra minutes.
2. They may turn out a bit more dense and soft. You can add an extra teaspoon of baking powder to see if this helps that issue.

Can I use regular flour?

Yes, you can easily swap the whole wheat flour with regular white flour. Whole wheat flour is just a healthier non-processed option.

Can I use pumpkin instead?

Pumpkin is very similar to sweet potato, so there shouldn’t be a massive difference in texture if you exchanged the two (although I haven’t tested this). Pumpkin can sometimes hold a bit more moisture, so place the pumpkin in a bowl lined with paper towels for about 5 minutes before use. This will absorb any excess water.

Pumpkin also isn’t as sweet, so the muffins may be a bit more mild in flavor. You can add a few extra teaspoons of maple syrup to the pecan butter to help balance this out.

How to store these healthy sweet potato muffins

Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

For more vegan dessert recipes, check out my:

• Fudgy Vegan Chocolate Cake
• Vegan Pumpkin Cookies
• Vegan Banana Cake
• Healthy Blueberry Crumble Bars
• Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and comment below if you make these Healthy Sweet Potato Muffins. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!

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