Spiced Sweet Potato Muffins with Vanilla Cream
These sweet potato muffins with vanilla cream are delicious and healthy too. Sweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene, a compound that protects the body from free radical damage. They also contain high amounts of vitamin C, B6 and potassium.
What role do these nutrients play during pregnancy?
Vitamin C is essential for creating collagen. It’s involved in building your baby’s healthy skin, bones, teeth and connective tissues.
Vitamin B6 is known to bring relief from nausea and vomiting, and is crucial to nervous system development.
Potassium helps maintain electrolyte and fluid balance. And is also involved in muscle contraction and brain and nerve function.
These moist muffins are perfectly spiced with cinnamon and ginger and are a great make-ahead breakfast or dessert. This recipe is free from refined sugar, gluten and dairy and is the creation of one of our NOURISHED mamas, Crystal from The Healthy Patch.
| Makes 12 |
Ingredients
1 cup cooked sweet potato mash (about 1 medium sweet potato)
5 medjool dates, pitted
5 eggs, room temperature
¼ cup coconut oil
3 tbsp coconut milk
2 tsp maple syrup
½ cup coconut flour
1 tbsp cinnamon powder
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp baking powder, aluminium free
½ tsp sea salt
Vanilla Cream
1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked in water*
3/4 cups coconut milk
1 tbsp honey
2 medjool dates, pitted
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean or ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Topping
¼ cup chopped toasted almonds, pecans, or nuts of your choice (optional) **
1 tsp cinnamon powder for sprinkling (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (160 degrees fan forced). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with unbleached paper baking cups or silicon baking cups. Set aside.
To make the muffins, add the sweet potato mash, dates, eggs, coconut oil, coconut milk, and maple syrup to the bowl of a food processor and process until a smooth batter consistency.
In a small bowl, add the coconut flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, baking powder and salt. Whisk together with a fork until combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and process until fully combined.
Spoon mixture evenly into each muffin cup. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, turn tray around so that the mixture cooks evenly, and cook for a further 15-20 minutes, or until a skewer or toothpick inserted in the middle of one comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the vanilla cream, add all the ingredients into a bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Pour mixture into an airtight container. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
Spread the vanilla cream on top of each muffin. Top with toasted nuts and sprinkle with cinnamon (optional).
Store in a glass airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Notes
*Soak cashews in room temperature filtered water for up to 3 hours, or for 1 hour using hot filtered water. Drain.
**To toast the almonds or nuts of choice, line a baking tray with unbleached parchment paper and spread nuts out onto paper. Bake in a 180 degrees (160 degrees fan forced) oven for 5-10 minutes, or until slightly golden. Be sure to watch these, as they can burn quickly if left for too long.
Enjoy.