Sweet Potato Muffins with Pecan-Oat Struesel

Now that Thanksgiving is over, let’s get back to more pressing breakfast matters. Specifically muffins, which are needed whether you’re fighting the tides of Black Friday shoppers this morning (shudder), or just trying to keep the scent of Thanksgiving pies wafting out of your kitchen a little longer. These muffins are made in one bowl in under 30 minutes, and come out perfectly moist, every time. 

Pumpkin gets all the attention in the fall, but I’m kind of underwhelmed by pumpkin. Actually, I’m majorly underwhelmed by pumpkin. I feel like the only reason people love pumpkin is for pumpkin SPICE. As in, the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, etc, that goes into all the so-called-pumpkin baked goods, lattes, and breakfasts. 

For me, fall is all about sweet potatoes and butternut squash. Both are easier to cook than a pumpkin, and both have better flavor and creamier texture than pumpkin. Yes, you’re reading this correctly. I’m boldly declaring myself on team butternut/sweet potato. Pumpkin who?

These muffins are accidentally vegan; as in, I didn’t have any eggs in the house and needed muffins RIGHT NOW, so I left it out and hoped for the best. Well, the best turned out to be a dense, moist, satisfying muffin that didn’t need the egg after all. They were still just as delicious as with the egg, albeit slightly more dense. I like to leave the light, fluffy, airy stuff for cakes, so a hearty, filling muffin was very welcome. Then you can use your eggs for stuff like frittatas and brownies. You know, the important things in life.

I haven’t even told you about the best part about these muffins: PECAN OAT STRUESEL.

The pecan-oat topping is to. die. for. It’s crunchy, sweet, toasty, and tastes extra buttery from the pecans. I had to stop myself from picking all the topping off before I took the pictures. Seriously, if it wasn’t for the invisible people on the internet reading this recipe, I would have just hogged it all. It’s that good. Add in a bite of spiced sweet potato muffin and I’m off to breakfast heaven. 

These muffins would be puuuuuurfect on a holiday brunch table, or as a surprise for family spending the night after Thanksgiving. You’ll already have leftover roasted sweet potatoes, right? Might as well turn them into muffins (or hummus!!). Whatever you do, don’t skip the struesel. I promise it will be worth the extra self-control required to resist eating it all before you share the muffins with your family.

If you make this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here, or take a picture and tag me #bakedgreens on Instagram so I can see what you’re up to. Happy baking, Friends!

Sweet Potato Muffins with Pecan-Oat Struesel

Chelsea Colbath

A simple, accidentally vegan muffin filled with sweet potato and spice, and topped with a crispy, sweet, crumbly pecan-oat struesel.

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TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

Muffins

• 1 cup mashed sweet potato from about 1 medium cooked sweet potato
• 1/2 cup maple syrup can sub honey, agave, or sugar of choice
• 1/3 cup room temperature coconut oil
• 1/4 cup water or milk of choice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour can sub all-purpose, if desired
• 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseeds
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Pecan-Oat Struesel

• 2 Tablespoons white whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup oats
• 1 Tablespoon room temperature coconut oil
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• a pinch of salt

Instructions

 

• 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a muffin tin with 9 paper liners.
• 2. Put first 5 ingredients (all wet ingredients) into a large bowl, and stir well to combine. Add all remaining muffin ingredients (all dry ingredients) and stir until combined.
• 3. Divide batter evenly among the 9 muffin cups. I used a 1/3 cup measuring cup to keep them all even.
• 4. Put all struesel ingredients into the (now empty) bowl, and mix well to combine. Scoop 1 Tablespoon of struesel onto the batter in each muffin cup.
• 5. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until muffins are golden and cooked through. Transfer cooked muffins onto a metal rack to cool. Eat immediately, or store at room temperature for up to 5 days. Muffins are best when fresh.

Notes

I prefer white whole wheat flour for it's more mild wheat flavor and texture. If you have regular whole wheat flour, I recommend using half all-purpose and half whole wheat, for a more pleasant texture. This recipe yields 9 muffins, but can easily be doubled to feed a larger crowd.

Adapted from My Favorite Banana Bread

I’ll take 4 muffins. Extra struesel, please!