Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins (Vegan Gluten-Free)

These Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins are light and fluffy, packed with warming spices and lots of chocolate. They are rich and moist, naturally vegan, gluten-free and nut-free and are a simple bake ready in 30 minutes.

I originally had these down as pumpkin chocolate muffins but I tested them with sweet potato puree and can say that they are amazing either way. So, seeing as we are in the run up to Christmas rather than Halloween or Thanksgiving, let’s focus on the sweet potato (but you can use pumpkin, too).

Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins on a metal muffin tray
Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins

What makes these Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins so delicious?

These are pretty special muffins for a few reasons, they are:

  • Light and fluffy
  • Chocoaltey rich and moreish
  • Moist from the sweet potato/pumpkin puree
  • Naturally vegan and gluten-free
  • Nut-free and soya-free so perfect for all the family
  • Easy to make in one bowl
  • Ready in 30 minutes
  • Taste like warming chocoalte festive goodness in every bite
  • Cakey with the best muffin top!

These Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins are pretty amazing and if you want to skip ahead and make them now, scroll down to the recipe card below. Firstly, let’s see what goes into these muffins.

Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins on a wire tray
Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins
Close up of Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins on a muffin tray
Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins

What ingredients do these muffins require?

The recipe is a simple but delicious one with easy-to-find ingredients:

  • Sweet potato or pumpkin puree: these are great with either mashed sweet potato or mashed up pumpkin. Either way, they add a lot of moisture, goodness and vibrant orange colour which makes these muffins more wholesome and so fluffy and cakey. You can find out how to make your own sweet potato puree here or pumpkin puree here.
  • Coconut or caster sugar: either sugar works well here and adds a lovely sweetness to the muffins.
  • Plant-based milk: any milk will work here like oat, soya, almond or coconut.
  • Sunflower oil: or you can use melted and cooled coconut oil but I prefer the lighter texture of sunflower oil. You could also try light olive oil or vegetable oil, too.
  • Lemon juice: this helps to bind the batter as it curdles the milk to form a buttermilk. You could replace this with apple cider or white vinegar.
  • Vanilla essence: for the sweet flavour.
  • Plain or GF plain flour: this keeps the Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins really light and fluffy. If you are using a GF flour, make sure it’s a 1:1 blend that you love and that it is xantham gum to help bind the mixture.
  • Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda: for the fluffy rise and texture.
  • Spices: for these muffins, I chose to go down the pumpkin pie spice route as it’s so warming and comforting. I use a blend of cinnamon, ground ginger and mixed spice. If you don’t have mixed spice for example, make it up with extra cinnamon.
  • Dark chocolate: no chocolate muffin is complete without chunks of chocolate throughout the batter and there are plenty of chocolate chunks in these muffins. I use chopped chocolate here for more chocolate goodness in every bite but chocolate chips will also work. You can use dairy-free milk chocolate, too.
Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins close up
Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins

The method is very simple as you whisk in all the ingredients in turn starting with the wet then sifting in the dry ingredients before folding in the chocolate and dividing into mufifn cases.

Can I decorate these muffins?

As these are muffins rather than cupcakes, I resisted the urge to top them with buttercream, but you could pipe on some lovely buttercream if you like. Or a drizzle of icing sugar glaze would also be great, or some melted chocolate. I went for some extra chocolate chunks and crushed pecans.
Can I swap the sweet potato for anything else?

These are great with pumpkin puree, too, so if you have a tin of pumpkin at home, use that and they taste amazing. If not, you could try these with mashed ripe banana which I am sure would be amazing but I have not tried this yet. Check out my Dirty Chai Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Muffins, for something banana-y.

Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins opened wrapper
Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins

Are these gluten-fre and nut-free?

Yes, these are naturally nut-free (check your milk and chocolate) and if making these gluten-free, swap the plain flour for your favourite GF baking flour which contains xantham gum.

How long will these last?

These muffins keep quite well as they are really moist. Store them in a sealed container for 1 week in the fridge although best eaten at room temperature. Or you can store them in the freezer for up to 1 month. Allow the muffins to de-frost at room temperature.

If you are loving these Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins and want some more baking ideas, how about my:

Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins (Vegan Gluten-Free)

  • Servings: 12
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

These Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins are light and fluffy, packed with warming spices and lots of chocolate. They are rich and moist, naturally vegan, gluten-free and nut-free and are a simple bake ready in 30 minutes.

Ingredients

    For the muffins:
  • 200g sweet potato or pumpkin puree
  • 150g coconut or caster sugar
  • 150ml plant-based milk
  • 80ml sunflower oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 280g plain or GF plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp mixed spice
  • Pinch of salt
  • 180g dark chocolate, chopped
  • To decorate:
  • Extra chocolate
  • Crushed pecans

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180*C and line 12 muffin holes with cases.
  2. Whisk together the sweet potato or pumpkin puree, sugar, milk, oil, lemon juice and vanilla essence.
  3. Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, ginger and mixed spice. Add the salt and whisk to a thick, smooth batter.
  4. Fold in most of the chocolate and divide between the 12 cases – they will be over ¾ full. Top with the remaining chocolate and bake for 18-20 minutes or until risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
  5. Remove from the tin carefully and cool fully on a wire rack. Top with extra chocolate and some crushed pecans.
  6. The muffins will keep for up to 1 week in a sealed container in the fridge although best eaten at room temperature. Or you can store them in the freezer for up to 1 month. Allow the muffins to de-frost at room temperature.
Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins landscape image on a metal tray
Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins

I look forward to hearing what you think of these Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins so please let me know in the comments below. If you do make them, I would love to see your creations so please tag me in them, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on TwitterFacebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With choco sweet potato love x

  1. Monch Weller says:

    You didn’t scrimp on the chocolate! 👍

  2. Heya Amy. Looks great and never had sweet potato 🍠 muffins before and not with chocolate so trying a new flavours will be super. 😊😋 Love plant milks as well, Oat, coconut and Almond x

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