Let me tell you how much I LOVE sweet potatoes. When I was a kid, I wasn’t the biggest fan but as I grew older and learned more about food, the importance of quality food, nutrition and sports nutrition, sweet potatoes became a staple in my every day.  What I love most about sweet potatoes, beyond their flavor and nutrient content, is all the different ways you can incorporate them into your diet!

Years ago I became, what I like to call, a “Paleo Freak”. If you’ve been following me from the early stages of my blog, you’ll notice that most of the recipes on my blog were all “Paleo” friendly.  Nothing against the Paleo Diet but as the years went on I got a Masters Degree in nutrition and quickly learned that I was a culprit to the fad diets.  Now, I learned a lot about my body and how it performs eating a certain way but I also learned that I was deprived of other nutrients that were just as healthy!

During my Paleo days I created a Sweet Potato Pancake recipe that has become an infamous recipe on this food blog. It is my top 3 favorite recipes on my blog. However, I wanted to spruce it up and I thought to myself, if I can form sweet potatoes into pancakes, I can definitely turn them into a delicious and nutritious treat, as well.  TA-DA! Here it is!

These muffins are great for anyone that has a sweet tooth but needs to stay gluten-free, if you have kids that refuse to eat vegetables or if you simply just love sweet potatoes like I do and want to make a fun treat!  Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients: 12 Muffins

Wet:

• 1 1/2 Cups Cooked & Mashed Sweet Potatoes (skinless)
• 1/3 Cup Maple Syrup
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil, melted
• 1/3 Cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

Dry:

• 1 1/2 Cups Rice Flour (or any flour)
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1/2 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Directions:

1. Peel and dice your sweet potatoes into little cubes. Add to a pot, bring to a boil and let cook for 8-10 minutes or until cooked. (use a fork to poke the potato, if soft, it’s done!).
2. Strain sweet potatoes, place back in the pot. Using a masher – mash your sweet potatoes well (as if you were making mashed potatoes).  This will be used as your batter.
3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
4. In a large bowl, combine all your wet ingredients together.  Using a mixer, whisk well together for about 2 minutes.  You’ll notice the wet batter will start to get “fluffy”.
5. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. Mix together using a spoon or fork.
6. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.  Using a mixer, blend well together for 1-2 minutes or until all ingredients are well blended.
7. Add the dark chocolate chips and fold into the batter using a spatula.
8. Pour 1/3 cup of the batter into a NON-STICK muffin tin (the picture shows muffin cups but the muffins will come out better using a non-stick pan).
9. Top each muffin with a few extra dark chocolate chips.
10. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes.  Use a tooth pick to poke the middle of the cupcake to see if it’s done. If the toothpick comes out clear – it’s DONE! If it has batter stuck to it, keep baking!
11. Remove from the heat. Run a knife or small spatula around the edges of the muffin tin to avoid them from sticking.
12. Let cool 15-20 minutes before enjoying!
13. For added flavor and nutrient density, top with your favorite nut butter (yum!).

ENJOY! 🙂