Have you been looking for a healthy snack to have around the home for you and your family? Well here is a recipe that combines the comfort and deliciousness of two of my favorite cold-weather treats, muffins and sweet potatoes. With the help of Ayurveda, this recipe becomes even more healing as we add in some warming digestive spices, ghee, whole grain flour, and a small amount of maple syrup (no sugar needed!). These muffins pair amazingly with a cup of caffeine-free chai and may just become a fall and winter favorite for you too!
Although this recipe is best for Vata and Pitta types, these muffins can be a healthy sweet “indulgence” for just about anybody (unless you are gluten-free of course!). If you are a Kapha type and are needing a sweet fix, then a naturally sweetened, whole-grain, this homemade muffin is infinitely better than a bowl of ice cream or a candy bar. If you want to take precautions, however, Kapha types can use olive oil in place of ghee, reduce the maple syrup to ⅓ to ½ cup, increase the cinnamon and ginger (up to 3 teaspoons cinnamon and 1 teaspoon ginger), and avoid adding in raisins or dates (a small number of seeds or nuts is alright, or maybe even some cacao nibs!).
If you have made this recipe and have made a few tweaks that you enjoyed, please share. I make these often and always love to hear new ideas!
Cinnamon Spiced Sweet Potato Muffin Recipe
Click here for a printable copy of this recipe.
- Doshic Effect: Vata↓, Pitta↓, Kapha↑*
- Serving: 12 to 14 muffins
- Prep Time: 20 to 30 minutes (includes steaming the sweet potatoes)
- Bake Time: 13 to 15 minutes
*Balanced Kapha can enjoy in moderation.
Materials
- Steam basket
- Medium saucepan
- Cutting board and knife
- Veggie peeler (optional)
- Large mixing bowl
- Measure cups and measuring spoons
- Whisk or mixing spoon (electric or standing mixer can also be used)
- Muffin tin*
- Muffin wrappers (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato (about 1½ to 2 cups chopped)
- 2 cups 100% whole wheat flour or spelt flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon*
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg*
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom*
- ¼ teaspoon clove*
- ¼ teaspoon ginger powder*
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder*
- 2 eggs (replace with 2 tablespoons ground flax seed steeped in 6 tablespoons warm water)
- ½ to ¾ cup maple syrup (add a bit more if you prefer a sweeter muffin)
- ¾ cup plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup melted ghee (replace with melted coconut oil or olive oil)
- ⅓ cup walnuts, hemp seeds, or sunflower seeds (optional)
- ⅓ cup raisins or chopped, pitted dates (optional)
*Spices can be replaced with 1 tablespoon of Ayurvedic Breakfast Spices
Directions
Click here for a printable copy of this recipe.
STEAMING THE SWEET POTATO
1. Peel the sweet potato with a peeler (optional – I don’t).
2. Chop up the sweet potato into small, even cubes.
3. In a medium saucepan add an inch or two of water and then place in the steam basket. Add the sweet potatoes into the steam basket and cover with a lid. Cook over a medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are completely soft, sweet, and steamed all the way through.
PREPARING THE BATTER
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine all of the dry ingredients together. This includes flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Stir together until evenly combined.
3. Add in the eggs, maple syrup, yogurt, and vanilla. Use a spoon or mixer (on low) to blend all of the ingredients together for about 2 minutes, making sure there are no dry chunks anywhere.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, place the steamed sweet potato and the ghee (or oil). Using a whisk, smash the potato and blend the oil until well mashed. A hand blender or a large spoon can also be used if a whisk is not available.
5. Add the mashed sweet potato blend to the original bowl of ingredients. Add in the optional nuts, seeds, raisins, or dates here. Fold and gently mix in evenly. The final consistency should be a thick, but still liquidly muffin mix.
6. Place muffin wrappers in the muffin tin. If you are using a non-stick pan, this step is optional.
7. Add 1/4 cup of the muffin mix to each cup. The batter should level just under the top of the wrapper.
BAKING THE MUFFINS
1. Place the muffin tin into the heated oven.
2. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. You will know they are done if you press lightly in the center and the muffin springs back to place.
3. Take them out to cool briefly. These muffins can be eaten warm, toasted, or at room temperature. Enjoy them for breakfast (perfect with chai!), as a nourishing snack, or as a healthy dessert (yes, they are kid-friendly!).
STORAGE
These muffins should be refrigerated to avoid spoilage and keep moist. They are best eaten within 2 to 3 days but will last up to 7 days refrigerated. I personally prefer to warm them in a toaster oven at about 200º to 250º (wrap in tin foil to avoid dryness) for about 10 to 15 minutes. Extras can be stored in a freezer for up to 3 months.
Try my Ayurvedic Breakfast Spice blend!
Discover more healing recipes with my 30-Minute Ayurvedic Cookbook!*
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Some advice please. I am 49 years old, male, vata dominant. I can’t remember that easily, what does Ayurveda suggest for me
Hi Nerven! Thank you for your question. Vata types do tend toward poor memories due to their busy minds that can be spacey, restless, and “all over the place”. For this you should definitely favor a Vata soothing diet filled with grounding, nutritious foods (like these muffins!). Avoid skipping meals and avoid refined grains and refined sugar. For your daily routine, mediation and pranayama (breath work) are quite possibly the most powerful tools we can use to strengthen the mind and nervous system; boost the memory, focus, and concentration; and calm Vata. In terms of herbal remedies the Majja Ghrita would be a great option, as would Saraswati Churna or Brhami Ghee. Nasya is also very helpful for the mind, and for this you can use Prana Nasya, Vacha Nasya, or Brahmi Ghee Nasya. Whatever you choose, you must be consistent to see noticeable results!
I hope this helps my friend. Thank you for writing in. Be well:)
Namaste,
Danielle
Hi Danielle,
Love your website and all your recipes. I was just wondering what you think about adding whey protein to meals for muscle gain? I’m conscious of hitting leucine threshold, but not sure if whey protein fits with Ayurveda or not? Do you know anything about this?
Any advice is very much appreciated!
Namaste,
Ciara
Hi Ciara,
Thank you for your question! I assume you are referring to the powdered version of whey protein. Like many of our modern foods, they did not have this in Ayurveda thousands of years ago when the original texts were written. Therefore we can only base our knowledge on how we can apply the principles of Ayurveda to our Western and/or modern food types.
From what I have been taught, protein powders of all kinds are considered hard-to-digest due to their dry, stale, and processed nature. Therefore I would recommend to get the whey protein (in liquid form) by making it from scratch (its actually pretty easy and you can find many methods on the internet). This will give you the benefits of the whey, but in a more fresh, easy-to-absorb, and digestible way.
I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions and I will be happy to help:)
Namaste,
Danielle
Thank you for the recipe, do you have an approximate measurement for large sweet potato?
Hi Geeta!
Thank you for your question! You can use 1½ to 2 cups of chopped sweet potato.
I hope you enjoy!
Namaste,
Danielle
These look delicious! Are there any non-dairy substitutes that could be used in place of the yogurt for this recipe?
Hi Anna,
Thank you for your question! You can use a non-dairy yogurt made from almond or coconut milk. That would likely be the best replacement. You can use a smaller amount of almond, hemp, or coconut milk if these types of yogurts are not available for you. Four ounces should be sufficient.
I hope you enjoy the muffins! It is a great time of year for baking:)
Namaste,
Danielle
Hello,
I have just come across your blog and am love! I am wondering if you could recommend a substitute for the eggs? I often will use flax eggs but wanted to check what your thoughts are!
Thank you!
Susan
Hi Susan,
I am glad to hear you are enjoying the blog! When baking, I often recommend to use ground flax seed mixed in water to replace eggs. For each egg, you will need to use 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 2½ to 3 tablespoons of water. Mix this separately until the ground seeds are completely immersed and the consistency has become gelatinous.
Feel free to write back with your results! I am sure others will be curious:)
EnJOY!!
Namaste,
Danielle
Hi Danielle,
I had to express my appreciation somewhere, so I choose the newest post. (I think)
Thank you so much! You and your site, your recipes and your well-made guides helped me tremendously in a resend health crisis. I felt secure here and I got a lot of answers regarding my body and Vata dosha. 🙂
I love you, thanks for your work! ❤
Namaste,
Raphael
Hi Raphael,
Thank you so much for your heartfelt words. I feel blessed to have been able to lend a hand in your healing process. Thank you for taking the time to read my work and to write in. Please let me know if any questions arise, now or anytime!
Many blessings to you, my friend!
Namaste,
Danielle
Thank you, Danielle,
the least I can do.
You answered at the exact right time, because I was about to email you for some advice. 🙂
I’m way better in terms of Vata imbalance, but I got some new challenges 😁
My digestion is still slow, and I’m very sure I also have candida. I think that is the reason for slow digestion and also my inability to breathe fully and deeply.
And on top of that, my tongue & skin is showing some pita imbalances.
AND😅 I’m intolerant to dairy & animal protein, so no ghee anymore. 😥
I’m overwhelmed and unclear of exactly what to eat and do atm, especially because candida diet and vata diet don’t really go together.
Some help and clarification would be much appreciated.
Namaste,
Raphael