Healthy Sweet Potato Muffins (No Added Sugar, Gluten-Free)

These healthy sweet potato muffins are soft and fluffy, with warming spices, chopped walnuts, and natural sweetness from baked sweet potato and Medjool dates. Made with almond flour, tigernut flour, and extra virgin olive oil, they are gluten-free and dairy-free, with no added sugar in the batter. Each muffin provides 7 grams of protein and almost 7 grams of fiber, making them a satisfying snack or a nourishing sweet treat to enjoy with tea or coffee.

What makes these sweet potato muffins healthy?

For me, a healthy muffin starts with the ingredients. Instead of the white flour, sugar or corn syrup, and vegetable oil used in many conventional recipes, I use almond and tigernut flours, eggs, extra virgin olive oil, and walnuts. These ingredients contribute protein, fiber, and fats that make the muffins more satisfying and nourishing.

Most of the sweetness comes from baked sweet potato, with just three Medjool dates adding a little extra sweetness and flavor to the whole batch. The muffins are also grain-free and suitable for a lectin-free way of eating.

For the spices, I use my Holiday Warming Spice Blend. Pumpkin pie spice or a combination of cinnamon, cloves, and allspice works too, so you can use what you already have in your kitchen.

Ingredients for gluten-free sweet potato muffins

Sweet potato and dates. You will need 260 grams of cooked, mashed sweet potato — about one heaping cup — and 60 grams of chopped dates, or approximately three large Medjool dates. I recommend baking the sweet potatoes for this recipe. Canned sweet potato can also be used, although it tends to be more watery than home-baked sweet potato.

Eggs and extra virgin olive oil. Three pasture-raised eggs and ⅓ cup of extra virgin olive oil form the rest of the wet ingredient base, keeping the recipe dairy-free.

Almond flour and tigernut flour. The recipe uses ½ cup of each flour, firmly packed into the measuring cup: approximately 90 grams of almond flour and 80 grams of tigernut flour. Press the flour down with your fingers, a spoon, or a spatula. This matters: loosely filled cups will not provide enough flour for the right batter consistency.

Warming spices. Use 1–2 teaspoons of your preferred warming spice blend, along with ¼ teaspoon each of ground ginger and turmeric. My blend includes spices such as cinnamon, allspice, cloves, star anise, and licorice powder. You can also add a little vanilla.

Baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Keep the quantities as listed in the recipe card: 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and a pinch of salt.

Walnuts and optional finishing touches. Fold ⅓ cup of chopped walnuts into the batter, with additional walnuts available for topping. A dusting of inulin powder or another powdered sweetener gives the cooled muffins a powdered finish, if you like that look. For a more decadent version, you could also add chocolate chips.

If you have celiac disease, choose certified gluten-free brands where relevant.

How to prepare the sweet potato

Bake the sweet potatoes in their skins until soft. Whole sweet potatoes take longer; cutting them in half can reduce the baking time by about half.

You can bake them a day ahead so they are ready when you want to make the muffins. About three small to medium sweet potatoes should provide the 260 grams of cooked sweet potato needed, but use the cooked weight as your guide.

How to make gluten-free sweet potato muffins

Start by preheating the oven to 350°F / 180°C and lining a muffin pan with paper liners. This recipe makes six large muffins or approximately eight smaller muffins, depending on the size of your liners. I use fairly large liners and fill them well.

Blend the cooked sweet potato, eggs, olive oil, chopped dates, warming spice blend, ginger, and turmeric until smooth and creamy. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the firmly packed almond and tigernut flours with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Pour the blended mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until everything is incorporated. Fold in the chopped walnuts. The finished batter should be thick and creamy.

Fill the muffin liners with the batter and bake for 50 minutes, or a little less if your oven runs hotter. The muffins should be brown on top and no longer soft to the touch.

Let them cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before eating. If you like, dust them with inulin powder or another powdered sweetener for a powdered finish.

The muffins can be stored in the refrigerator or frozen.

This recipe is part of our 30+ Healthy Sugar-Free Dessert Recipes round-up. Check it out for a selection of my favorite sugar-free sweet treats that are also gluten-free and lectin-free.

Try more sweet potato muffins

Sweet potato is one of my favorite ingredients for making nutritious muffins: it brings natural sweetness, a soft texture, and nourishment to a simple homemade treat. For another variation, try my Ginger Turmeric Sweet Potato Muffins, with warming spices that are especially lovely in fall, or my Sweet Potato Breakfast Muffins, made with ground nuts and coconut — a favorite to pack for long travel days. Both are sugar-free and gluten-free.

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