Healthy Sweet Potato Pecan Muffins

I tend to go through these phases where I will eat the same thing for breakfast (or lunch) every day for 2 or 3 weeks at a time.  For example, if I make a big batch of my butternut squash soup, which is probably one of the five things that I would take with me if stranded on an island, I'll slurp a cup of it every day until it is gone.  I don't like to waste food due to spoilage, and if I really like something, I have absolutely no problem eating it day-in and day-out anyhow.

So lately, I've been on this breakfast smoothie kick.  In a blender, I'll combine a banana, some frozen strawberries, Spirutein protein shake mix (love it!), soy milk, lots of ice, and my secret ingredient: a little bit of instant sugar-free vanilla pudding.  The pudding helps to make the smoothie, well, smooth, and it also thickens it nicely.  All of this makes a huge amount, so much that I can only finish half.  I'm still working on figuring out those ingredient ratios.

As much as I love my smoothies because they are really filling and ultra-nutritious, they are pretty darn labor-intensive and a pain in the you-know-what to clean up.  I also need to wait at least an hour after downing one before I can do my morning workout.  Sometimes, my morning schedule is too busy, and it just doesn't allow room for me to spend quality time with my Vitamix blender.  I need something that I can grab and go; something that is satisfying without being overly filling, like perhaps a really delicious muffin.

I absolutely adore sweet potatoes.  I'll eat them baked and topped with a little maple syrup and cinnamon, pureed in a hearty soup, or chopped and roasted until they caramelize.  I had never made a sweet potato muffin before, so I decided to give it a shot.  These turned out to be really moist, with a flavor that incorporates the spices of a sweet potato pie.  The dried fruit and nuts add nice texture.  Best of all, these healthy muffins are much lower maintenance than a smoothie, but just as yummy! Here are a few extra tips for making marvelous muffins:

• As an alternative to mashing the baked sweet potatoes with a fork or with a potato masher, I like to puree them in a food processor.  This guarantees that they will be smooth and evenly distributed throughout the muffin batter.
• If you can find the red garnet yams in your grocery store (they are usually not available year-round), use these for the recipe.  These tend to taste a bit sweeter, and they lend a deeper color to the muffins.
• Instead of using dates, feel free to mix golden raisins, dried cranberries, diced dried figs, or diced dried apricots into the batter.  Walnuts or chopped hazelnuts would be good substitutions for the pecans.

Healthy Sweet Potato Pecan Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

3/4 pound red-skinned sweet potatoes

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup chopped lightly toasted pecans (optional)

3/4 cup chopped pitted dates

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees.  Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Roast for 1 hour or until they are tender when pierced with a fork.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.  Peel the sweet potatoes and then lightly mash with a fork or potato masher; set aside.

Lower the oven temperature to 350F degrees.  Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners and lightly spritz them with nonstick spray.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla.

Add the dry and wet ingredients, alternating one and then the other, to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined.  Mix in the sweet potatoes and then fold in the pecans and dates.

Divide the batter among the muffin tins.  Bake the muffins until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean, 30-35 minutes.   

Comments

[Danielle]

I just found your blog through TasteSpotting and love your recipes. I enjoy your personal notes before the recipe - that is so helpful. For this sweet potato muffin recipe, about how much is 3/4 lb in terms of cups? Sometimes I get lazy and like to use baby food from the jars, so I was wondering how many of those it would take to equal 3/4 lb of fresh ones. Thanks and I'm looking forward to trying some of your recipes!

[Reeni]

I love a smoothie every morning, too, and get so filled from it I can't move for a little while. The muffins look super; they would get me out of bed in the morning!

[Gigi]

Julie - you need to get yourself a Magic Bullet! I used to laugh at those cheesy commercials, but I don't laugh anymore...I make smoothies almost every morning. A banana, a handful of blueberries or strawberries, organic yogurt, flaxseed oil, psyllium husks, a scoop of vanilla Spiru-tein soy powder (LOVE that stuff!!), a splash of organic low fat milk and some ice chips. Clean up is a breeze with the bullet - all of a minute max. And you mix and serve in the same container. Nice!

Great sweet potato muffin post...man, I love sweet potatoes and those muffins look heavenly! Oh - and with cranberries and toasted hazelnuts? Sigh...

[Blond Duck]

These look great. My husband would eat these for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

[Chou]

These sound great (how could you go wrong with sweet potatoes?)

[rita]

i ADORE sweet potatoes :) yellow ones, orange ones, deep purple ones...i love them all!

i've done an indonesian version of sweet potato muffins before...using coconut milk and palm sugar.

yours sound fantastic and i'll give it a try soon :)