These vegan chocolate sweet potato muffins with chocolate chips are decadent and easy to make. You will love these seasonal gluten-free muffins for an oil-free indulgence!
Why you are going to love these chocolate sweet potato muffins
If you love chocolate, you are going to love these! These chocolate sweet potato muffins are fudgy, dense, and dark. Plus this recipe has lots of chocolate chips to add to the deliciousness. The addition of sweet potato and pumpkin pie spice makes this recipe perfect for autumn.
You may wonder why I put sweet potato in muffins. I had some canned sweet potato in the fridge. I was trying to think of ways to use it up. A portion of it went into a green smoothie. In addition to that decidedly healthy option, I developed this seasonal recipe as a way to use up the leftover sweet potato.
I hesitate to call these “healthy” because that means something different to everyone. I tried to make this a healthier chocolate muffin recipe as a response to a reader who requested vegan chocolate cupcakes. These could be cupcake material for sure if you wish to add frosting or ganache. I tried pouring some melted chocolate on these muffins, but the photos did not turn out as I had hoped. I removed the paper liners since they photographed better without them as you can see below.
What makes these muffins a healthier option compared to other recipes?
- Teff flour
- Gluten-free
- No refined sugar
- No oil
- Sweet potatoes
Teff flour is a gluten-free ancient grain that originates from Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is high in fiber, B vitamins, and minerals such as calcium, potassium, zinc, and iron. It has a pleasantly nutty flavor which works well in this recipe.
Because teff flour is gluten-free, it is easier to digest. These muffins are filling due to the increased fiber content.
There is no refined sugar in this recipe. I chose to use maple syrup and coconut sugar for sweeteners.
There is no oil in this chocolate sweet potato muffins recipe. Instead, I used black tahini, which I also used in my chocolate tahini banana bread recipe. The nuttiness of the tahini works well to bring out the flavors in this recipe since it pairs perfectly with chocolate. Applesauce is a healthy alternative to oil, which I why I included it. If you wish to reduce the richness of this recipe, you can reduce the number of chocolate chips or leave them out entirely. It is up to you, however, I have not tried this recipe without chocolate chips.
As for sweet potatoes, need I say more? These root vegetables are nutrient-dense and contain plenty of fiber, minerals, and vitamins. Not to mention they are rich in antioxidants.
Tip for baking these muffins
I used these paper liners for my muffins. This way I could use all the batter without fear of overflowing batter in my oven. If you prefer, you can skip the paper liners, but you will need an extra pan. Be sure to grease the muffin tins prior to filling and fill them a bit higher than halfway.
If you wanted to treat yourself, you could have one of these for breakfast, dessert, or anytime! Find more breakfast recipes here and dessert recipes here.
If you make these chocolate sweet potato muffins, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe, and tag me on Instagram. Be sure to follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’d love to see you there!
The recipe is adapted from Oh She Glows One Bowl Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins.
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Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
- 6 tablespoons warm water
- 1 1/2 cups teff flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup unsweetened sweet potato puree canned
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup black tahini or regular tahini
- 1/2 cup organic soy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 Cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a muffin tin by placing paper liners in it.
- Mix flaxseed meal with warm water in a small bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to thicken.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together teff flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and sea salt.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine sweet potato puree, applesauce, maple syrup, black tahini, soy milk, and vanilla extract. Add flaxseed/water mixture and whisk to combine.
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the middle of the dry ingredients. Mix with a spatula until just combined, and stir in 1 cup chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the paper liners, evenly distributing it with an ice cream scoop among the 12 muffin liners. Top with 1/4 cup remaining chocolate chips.
- Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. When the muffins are ready, they should spring back when touched, or when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs, without raw batter on it.
Brian
Having tried these, they really are that good! Great job, Emily!
Emily
Thanks so much, Brian!
Nikole Berg
Can’t wait to give these a try! They look so good. Your photography is great!
Emily
Thank you so much, Nikole! I really appreciate it!
Teri
I’ve been dreaming of making these for a while now. Tomorrow is the day. 🙂 Gorgeous looking muffins, Emily.
Emily
Thank you so much, Teri. I hope you love them as much as we do!