Ruffled Apron Blog

Chai Sweet Potato Muffins

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So I may need an intervention. I am officially chai obsessed. And these Chai Sweet Potato Muffins are 100% the culprit.

See, it all started when I wanted to make a fun fall muffin for breakfasts and snacks but I wanted something a little different than my normal fall spice blends. So I tried my hand at making a batch of homemade chai seasoning and it was so good I started putting it on everything! Like literally everything.

I baked apples with it, put it in coffee, tried to make an ice cream topping with it, added it to cocktails and next week I will be sharing a special slow cooker breakfast with it. And now my batch is gone and I need MORE.

It’s weird though because chai isn’t new to me. I love a good chai tea on a chilly morning or a chai latte from Starbucks while I am holiday shopping but this is a whole new level and I’m so here for it.

So these muffins, since that’s clearly why you are here, are so good. They are self-approved, friend approved and even child approved! I have made these so many times I have been sharing them with friends and their families so I don’t eat every last one myself. But I mean, you totally can. They are that delicious.

And the crumble. Oh did I forget to tell you there is a crumble topping? It’s a little sweet and a little spicy and just really feels fancy even though it’s incredibly simple.

Plus did I mention that they are made with whole wheat flour and minimal added sugar?

You are welcome.

P.S. If you want, you can totally cheat and buy the frozen sweet potato puree from Trader Joe’s for this. I won’t tell anyone!

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Chai Sweet Potato Muffins

Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients

For the Muffins

  • 1 1/2 cups sweet potato puree
  • 1/2 cup greek yogurt
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons canola or avocado oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 tablespoon chai seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

For the Crumble Topping

  • 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
  • 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablepoons (1/2 stick) cold butter, cubed

Chai Seasoning

  • 4 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons ground ginger
  • 2 tablespoons ground cardamom
  • 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon allspice

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350*

  2. Make crumb topping by mixing oats, brown sugar and whole wheat flour in a small bowl.  Then, cut in the butter, using two forks or your hands to mix until small crumbly pieces are formed.  Set in refrigerator until ready to use. 

  3. In a medium bowl whisk together sweet potato puree, yogurt, sugar, eggs, butter, oil, and vanilla until completely combined and smooth.  

  4. In a large bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour, chai seasoning and baking powder.  

  5. Add the sweet potato mixture slowly into the flour mixture and stir until well combined and a smooth batter forms.

  6. Scoop about 1/3 cup of batter into each well of a greased muffin tin.  Then distribute the crumb topping evenly over each muffin.  Press down gently to ensue the crumb adheres to the batter

  7. Bake at 350* for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let the muffins cool at least 5 minutes in the tin before removing and storing. 

Recipe Notes

For the sweet potato puree: I roasted whole sweet potatoes at 400* until soft. Let cool, remove the skins and puree in a food processor until very smooth. You can also totally buy this puree frozen at your local grocery store - just prepare it according to package directions and let cool before using.

The Chai Seasoning makes about 2/3 cup of seasoning. It will last for months in your pantry in an airtight container. If you do not want to make this much the ratio I used is roughly: 2 parts cinnamon, 1 part ginger, 1 part cardamom, 1/2 part ground cloves, 1/2 part ground nutmeg, 1/2 part allspice.