Sweet Potato Muffins with Chocolate Chunks

Sweet Potato Muffins with Chocolate Chunks have fresh sweet potato puree baked into tender muffins studded with rich, dark chocolate. This sweet potato muffin recipe is everything you want in a breakfast bread: warm, comforting, and packed full of gooey decadence.

What Are Sweet Potato Muffins?

Muffins are quickbreads, meaning they are batters that are relatively fast to assemble and which bake up fast. Unlike traditional bread that relies on yeast as a leavening agent, muffins depend upon chemical leaveners like baking powder or soda to get their rise. As a result, making muffins is often a great option for those of us looking for quick breakfast meals. 

Sweet potato muffins have a smooth sweet potato puree incorporated into their batter, which gives them an earthy, sweet flavor. 

What Do I Need to Make These Sweet Potato Muffins with Chocolate Chunks?

Sweet potato muffins are made with all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, chai spice blend (or pumpkin pie spice), brown sugar, unsalted butter, maple syrup, kosher salt, eggs, vanilla extract, sweet potato puree, whole milk, and dark chocolate. 

I use a hand mixer to blend my muffin batter, but you can mix the muffin batter with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You also need a muffin tin and a portion scoop for this recipe.  

This easy muffin recipe is a great way to use up leftover sweet potatoes and, once baked, makes for quick breakfasts during the week.

How Many Fresh Sweet Potatoes Does it Take to Make Enough Puree for This Recipe?

It’s difficult to find canned sweet potato puree these days. You often have to settle for buying canned sweet potato chunks in syrup and mashing them yourself. I dislike the flavor of canned sweet potatoes because it doesn’t taste as strong as roasting and pureeing fresh sweet potatoes. 

It takes two medium (300-310 grams) sweet potatoes to make 1 cup of sweet potato puree. Use two sweet potatoes that are on the larger side because you need 1 1/4 cups of sweet potato puree (or 315 grams). 

Depending on your schedule, you can buy a 29-ounce (822 grams) can of sweet potato chunks, drain them, and mash them to use in this recipe. This is helpful if you don’t have the time to roast and mash them yourself. 

Why Do I Need to Sift the Dry Ingredients Together?

Sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and chai spice into a medium bowl. Sifting the dry ingredients in a baking recipe helps to aerate the flour and remove clumps. This eliminates the need for over-mixing the dough, which can cause it to become tough. It also adds to the light, fluffy quality you want in muffins. 

Can I Replace the Sweet Potato with Pumpkin?

Stir together the mashed sweet potatoes and the whole milk in a small bowl. As mentioned previously, the less mixing you do to your muffin batter, the lighter and airier the final product will be. Mixing the wet ingredients together now will reduce the amount of time spent folding them into the batter later. This reduces the chances of baking a hard muffin.

If you want to turn these into a pumpkin muffin recipe with chocolate chunks, that’s easy to accomplish. You can replace sweet potato puree with pumpkin puree in most baking recipes with no additional adjustments. 

How Do I Make My Sweet Potato Muffins Light and Airy?

The key to making fluffy muffins is to incorporate only a little air into the butter and sugar mixture at the beginning of the mixing process. Using room temperature ingredients also helps because you don’t have to mix for a longer time. The longer you mix, the more air that’s incorporated into your batter. 

Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to blend the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and kosher salt together at low speed in a large bowl. Blend these for 1 minute, then stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters with a rubber spatula. Continue mixing the butter-sugar on second speed for 2 to 3 minutes more. The mixture will look like thick icing. 

Add the eggs to the bowl, one at a time, and blend them in at low speed. Add the vanilla extract with the final egg and blend these in just until incorporated. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters again. Mix the butter-egg combo for 2 to 3 minutes or until it looks spongy and thick. 

What’s the Best Chocolate to Use When Baking?

Add the sweet potato mixture and dry ingredients in an alternating fashion. Sift in 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix it into the wet mixture just until it’s incorporated. Next, add 1/2 of the sweet potato-milk mixture and blend it in. Continue adding the wet and dry this way until all are incorporated. Be sure not to over-mix. 

The best way to achieve true chunks in your baked goods is to chop your chocolate from dark chocolate baking bars. Chocolate chips or even wafers just won’t cut it. You can chop smaller or larger chunks from chocolate bars, so every bite of muffin is a unique experience. 

Because I’m a fan of the contrast that dark chocolate gives the milder sweet potato, I opt for dark or semi-sweet chocolate. You can also use milk chocolate or white chocolate for this recipe. 

Gently fold the chopped chocolate into the prepared batter until it is mixed throughout. 

Lightly grease and line a muffin tin with muffin cups. Use a #16 portion scoop or a regular ice cream scoop, which is a 1/4 cup, to scoop the sweet potato muffin batter into each of the muffin liners. Give the muffin pan a gentle tap against the countertop to settle the batter into the tins.

Add a tablespoon of my streusel topping to the tops of the muffin batter just before baking for more delicious muffins.

How Long Do I Need to Bake the Sweet Potato Muffins?

Bake the sweet potato muffins in a 400°F (204°C) oven for 25-30 minutes. The high temperature gives your muffins the quintessential top as the batter springs up in the high heat.  

Once the muffins are done baking, remove them from the oven and cool them in the pan for 5 minutes. You can then remove the muffins to a cooling rack to cool completely or until warm enough to your liking. 

Can I Bake These Muffins Into Sweet Potato Loaves?

You can also bake these sweet potato muffins into loaves. Scrape the batter into a 9×5-inch loaf pan and bake in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 55 minutes to 1 hour. 

How Do I Serve Them?

You can serve sweet potato muffins with fresh fruits, yogurt, or warm cereals. I always eat mine slightly warmed with a cup of coffee. No need for formalities over here. 

How Do I Store Leftovers?

Store leftover sweet potato muffins in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also reheat muffins in the microwave for 20 seconds to give them a freshly-baked flavor. 

Can I Freeze Baked Sweet Potato Muffins?

To freeze sweet potato muffins:

1. First, allow them to cool completely.
2. Pack them into a freezer storage bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.
3. Thaw them in the bag at room temperature and heat them slightly in the microwave before enjoying them.

Once you taste these Sweet Potato Muffins with Chocolate Chunks with real sweet potatoes, you’ll be hooked. Be sure to pin this great recipe to your favorite things boards, and don’t forget to share it with your friends and family. Also, drop a star rating in the recipe card for me, it helps me know which new recipes to bring you.

Sweet Potato Muffins with Chocolate Chunks

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 13 votes

Servings: 24

Print Pin Recipe SaveSaved!

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Equipment

• muffin tin
• baking cups for lining the muffin tin
• electric hand or stand mixer
• #16 portion scoop optional

Ingredients

  

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• 3 1/4 cups (450 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon (12 grams) baking powder
• 2 teaspoons (4 grams) chai spice blend
• 1 1/4 cup (315 grams) sweet potato puree from 2 medium sweet potatoes, roasted and pureed
• 3/4 cup (188 milliliters) whole milk
• 1 cup (2 sticks or 226 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup, packed (220 grams) brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) vanilla extract
• 6 ounces (1 cup or 170 grams) dark chocolate chopped

Instructions 

Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Muffin Tin

• Preheat an oven to 400°F (204°C).

  Lightly grease a muffin tin with (or two if you have a second one) with non-stick baking spray. Line the cavities of the muffin tins with parchment baking cups and set aside.

Combine the Dry and Wet Ingredients Separately

• Sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and chai spice into a 3-quart mixing bowl.

  In a separate bowl, use a rubber spatula to stir together the sweet potato puree and the whole milk.

  Set both bowls aside.

Begin the Sweet Potato Muffin Batter

• Use a mixer to blend the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and kosher salt together on second speed.

  Blend these for 1 minute, then stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters with a rubber spatula.
• Continue mixing the butter-sugar on second speed for 2 to 3 minutes more. The mixture will look like thick icing. 

  Add the eggs to the bowl, one at a time, and blend them in at low speed. Add the vanilla extract with the final egg and blend these in just until incorporated.

  Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and beaters again. Blend the butter-egg combo for 2 to 3 minutes or until it looks spongy and thick. 
• Add the wet and dry ingredients in an alternating fashion.

  Sift in 1/3 of the dry and mix it in just until it's incorporated.

  Next, add 1/2 of the sweet potato-milk mixture and blend it in.

  Continue adding the wet and dry this way until all are incorporated. Be sure not to over-mix. 
• Gently fold the chopped chocolate into the prepared batter until it is mixed throughout. 

Pan, then Bake, and Cool the Sweet Potato Muffins with Chocolate Chunks

• Use a #16 portion scoop, or a 1/4 cup measuring cup, to scoop the prepared muffin batter into each of the muffin liners.

  Give the muffin tin a gentle tap against the countertop to settle the batter into the tins.
• Bake the sweet potato muffins 25-30 minutes.
• Once the muffins are done baking, remove them from the oven and cool them in the pan for 5 minutes.

  After 5 minutes, remove the muffins to a cooling rack to cool completely or until warm enough to your liking.
• Serve the sweet potato muffins with fresh fruits, yogurt, warm cereals or on their own.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

• Replace the chai spice blend with pumpkin spice blend. 
• You can replace sweet potato puree with pumpkin puree in most baking recipes with no additional adjustments. 
• Replace the dark chocolate with semi-sweet, milk, or white chocolate. 
• You can omit the chocolate and make these plain sweet potato muffins. 
• Replace the chocolate chunks with the same amount of chopped nuts, cranberries, or raisins. 

Sweet Potato Chocolate Chunk Bread:

1. Prepare the batter as instructed.
2. Scrape the batter into a 9x5-inch loaf pan and bake in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 55 minutes to 1 hour. 
3. Allow the bread to cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes before removing it to a cooling rack and cooling completely.

Tips and Techniques:

• It takes two medium (300-310 grams) sweet potatoes to make 1 cup of sweet potato puree. Use two sweet potatoes that are on the larger side because you need 1 1/4 cups of sweet potato puree (or 315 grams). 
• A 29-ounce (822 grams) can of sweet potato chunks, drained and mashed can be used in place of the fresh sweet potato puree.
• The best way to achieve true chunks in your baked goods is to chop your chocolate from dark chocolate baking bars.
• The high baking temperature gives your muffins the quintessential top as the batter springs up in the high heat.  
• Because this recipe makes 2 dozen muffins, I recommend baking the entire batch and freezing half for later. You can also divide the recipe in half for less muffins.

Storage Instructions:

• Store leftover sweet potato muffins in an airtight container at room temperature.
• Reheat muffins in the microwave for 20 seconds to give them a freshly-baked flavor. 

Freezing Instructions:

1. Allow the sweet potato muffins to cool completely.
2. Pack them into a freezer storage bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.
3. Thaw them in the bag at room temperature and heat them slightly in the microwave before enjoying them.

Nutrition

Calories: 304kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 5gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 125mgPotassium: 190mgFiber: 2gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 2653IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 81mgIron: 3mg

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine African American, North American, Soul Food

Keyword breakfast casserole, brunch, chocolate, muffins, sweet potato

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