Healthy Sweet Potato Muffins
on Jun 06, 2023, Updated Jun 07, 2025
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These Healthy Sweet Potato Muffins for toddlers are a soft, naturally sweet option that kids will love. Made with simple pantry ingredients and mashed sweet potato, they’re packed with nutrition and perfect for breakfast, snack time, or lunchboxes. With just the right amount of warm spice and a moist, tender texture, these muffins are easy to make in one bowl—and freezer-friendly too! These naturally sweet, no-sugar-added muffins are a great option for baby-led weaning and picky toddlers.
Whether you’re working with leftover mashed sweet potato or baby food, this recipe is a great way to serve veggies in a way little ones will actually enjoy.
Why Sweet Potatoes?
Sweet potatoes are not only incredibly tasty but also offer a wide array of health benefits. They are a rich source of essential vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, making them an excellent addition to your toddler’s diet. These muffins are a great way to introduce your little one to this nutritious vegetable while satisfying their sweet tooth. Plus, with just 6 ingredients, they are easy to prepare making them perfect for busy parents.
What You Will Need to make these Healthy Sweet Potato Muffins
- Sweet potato puree– the sweet potato needs to be completely smooth for this recipe. A hack I like to do to make this even easier is to use sweet potato baby food. I used 4 cans for this recipe. Otherwise, after steaming the sweet potato, just puree with a little bit of milk to get it completely smooth.
- Eggs- you need 3 eggs for this recipe.
- Baking powder– this will help the muffins rise!
- Pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon- I love all the different spices and flavor that using pumpkin pie spice brings to the muffins, but if you don’t have it, you can definitely just use cinnamon!
- Flour- You can use all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or any gluten free flour!
- Butter- adds a delicious flavor and moistness to the muffins.
- Maple syrup or chocolate chips- this is completely optional. The muffins are naturally a little bit sweet, but you might want to add either maple syrup or chocolate chips to make them more sweet. For younger babies/toddlers, no added sweetness will be fine, but for older toddlers, kids, or you, you will probably want to add this!
How To Make Healthy Sweet Potato Muffins for Toddlers
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Steam sweet potato. I like to buy the microwave to steam sweet potatoes to make this easy. Once your sweet potatoes are soft, blend in a blender with a little bit of milk until absolutely smooth. Alternatively, you can use sweet potato baby food to make this step incredibly easy.
- Add all the ingredients to a bowl. Mix until completely smooth.
- Spray a normal sized muffin tin with cooking spray. Scoop spoonfuls of the muffin mixture into each tin, filling it about 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean!
Substitutions
- Sweet potato puree– you can also make these very same muffins with carrot!
- Eggs– use flax egg instead if you have an egg allergy.
- Flour- you can use any gluten free flour you want!
- Butter- use any oil to substitute!
- Maple syrup- you can take it out or swap for honey.
Something To Note
These muffins are naturally sweet, but they might not be sweet enough for older toddlers or you! Feel free to add in 1/4 cup of maple syrup, or some chocolate chips to give it a little bit more sweetness. For younger babies, they will probably be just fine with how they are, without adding a sweetener.
Storing Extra Sweet Potato Muffins for Toddlers
Store in an airtight container on the counter for 3 days. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months! These are wonderful to keep in your freezer for an easy breakfast, or an easy snack!
Common Questions
Can I make these toddler sweet potato muffins gluten-free?
- Yes! You can swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend. Look for one that contains xanthan gum for best texture. Oat flour may also work, but the muffins will be more delicate and soft.
Can I make mini muffins instead for babies?
- Absolutely. Use a mini muffin tin and reduce the baking time to about 10–12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Keep an eye on them near the end—mini muffins bake quickly!
Does it work to use sweet potato baby food?
- Yes, you can use an equal amount of plain sweet potato baby food. Just be sure it’s not too runny, or you may want to slightly reduce the milk in the recipe to keep the batter thick enough.
More Breakfast Recipes for Kids
1-Bowl Microwave French Toast – This quick and cozy microwave French toast is made in just one bowl—no stovetop or skillet needed. It’s soft and fluffy like the classic version, but much faster and perfect for busy mornings with little ones. A sprinkle of cinnamon and a drizzle of maple syrup make it extra tasty.
Sweet Potato Waffles – These waffles are lightly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, with the subtle sweetness of mashed sweet potato in every bite. They’re packed with fiber and flavor, making them a fun, veggie-packed breakfast or snack option that toddlers actually enjoy.
Banana Bars – Naturally sweetened and super soft, these banana bars are a simple, satisfying way to use up ripe bananas. They’re perfect for toddlers, easy to slice into small pieces, and make a great snack, lunchbox treat, or breakfast alongside some yogurt or milk.
3-Ingredient Sweet Potato Pancakes – Made with just mashed sweet potato, eggs, and flour, these pancakes are a nutritious and fuss-free option for baby-led weaning and toddler meals. They’re naturally gluten-free, super soft, and great for little hands. Add a pinch of cinnamon or serve with fruit for extra flavor.
Brownie Baked Oatmeal – This rich and chocolatey baked oatmeal tastes like a treat but is made with nourishing ingredients you’ll feel good about serving. Perfect for toddler breakfasts or snack time, it’s sweetened with banana and cocoa powder and bakes up like a soft, fudgy brownie—without the sugar crash.
These healthy sweet potato muffins are my kids’ favorites! I hope you love this healthy breakfast recipe as much as my family does! If you do, tag me @reallittlemeals so I can see your yummy creations!
Sweet Potato Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups sweet potato puree, You can use sweet potato baby food to make it easier, or puree your own.
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, or cinnamon
- 1.5 cups flour, (whole wheat, all purpose, gluten free, etc)
- 4 tbsp melted butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup, (optional!)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Steam sweet potato. Puree the sweet potato with a little bit of milk until it is completely smooth. Alternatively, you can use baby food sweet potato puree to make it easier.
- Mix the sweet potato puree with the eggs, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon), flour, and melted butter. Mix together until combined.
- Grease a muffin tin, and scoop the muffin mixture into each tin filling them about 3/4 of the way full.
- Bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi there! Can you use honey instead of maple syrup?
Yes!
I’m doing it now! I tried your banana muffin and it taste so good! I am sure it’l be great too!
Yay, I’m so glad you liked the muffin!
Could you use canned pumpkin instead of sweet potato purée for this recipe?
Yes!
Can’t wait to try these. Could I make them as mini muffins? Any suggestions on how to adjust the timing in the oven?
Yes you can! I would do 10-12 minutes.
Hi Ashley! I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate your recipes. I’m a mom of 7, ages range 2-23 years old. I tend to take most recipes and mix it up a little bit depending on what I have on hand. I recently used my garden tomatoes and basil with your tomato soup recipe. I also added leftover green bean. It was fabulous! Today, I made this muffin recipe, and added cinnamon and raisins. Since I have older kids, who like more protein, I just used half quinoa flour and half all purpose. Again, simple and amazing muffins for all ages. I don’t have picky eaters, but I know this has been a blessing for the moms who do. Thank you again for all the recipe ideas!
Aww this made me so happy! Thank you for the sweet comment!!
These turned out really good! Mine were pretty dense. Is that expected? Should I have cooked them a little longer?
Maybe cooking a little longer would have helped! Mine aren’t usually dense, more fluffy.