Spiced Sweet Potato Breakfast Muffins – gluten free; optional dairy free

What do you eat for breakfast in the morning? I admit I can be pretty lax on eating first thing, but when I have healthy grab-and-go offerings in the house, like these gluten free Spiced Sweet Potato Breakfast Muffins, I am a breakfast-eater through and through.

Mornings can be pretty hectic at GFHQ and there is little time to spend slaving over a frying pan or making waffle batter, so if we are to be tempted to eat, we really do need something that we can eat on the run. Even a bowl of cereal takes too much time. These breakfast muffins are a perfect start to the day. Quick to make the day or more before (the addition of ground almonds and sweet potato keeps them soft and moist for longer), you can eat them fresh, or freeze them ready to throw them in the microwave for a few seconds to defrost before you run out the door.

What’s in my gluten free Spiced Sweet Potato Muffins?
Made with Fullgreen Sweet Potato Vegi Rice, they also contain hidden healthy veggie stuff (although you would never know). Sweet potato is full of goodness… a great source of fibre and of vitamins and minerals (particularly vitamins B and C and the anti-oxidant beta carotene). But these breakfast muffins are nutritious too for the ground almonds (full of protein, mono-unsaturated fat and vitamin E), protein and fibre-rich flours (the blend includes sorghum, teff and buckwheat) and also eggs (a fantastic source of protein and all important Vitamin D) they contain. In fact, the ingredients list is perfect for that all-important slow-release energy burn needed to sustain you until lunch.

Although I make them with butter (because we can…), they are just as delicious made with a dairy free alternative spread or coconut oil. They are also lower sugar, being naturally sweetened by the sweet potato, but with the addition of just a little soft light brown or coconut sugar (I’ve stuck with less-refined options, which are not only a little better for you, but also provide a richer caramel hit to the bake).

You can probably make my sweet potato muffins with a bog-standard supermarket bag of gluten free flour (although you may need to add a little more liquid), but I am of the view that when baking gluten free, getting the flour blend right is crucial to the end result. I am not a fan of standard rice-filled blends, not only because they are nutritionally devoid (and have a potential risk from arsenic levels), but because they leave baked goods with a gritty, dry texture that can be quite unpleasant to eat. Eating (even the healthy variety) should be pleasurable from every angle and so I have developed my own easy to mix-at-home flour blends which provide a better balance. These muffins are made with my Gluten Free Alchemist rice-free flour blend which you can find at the end of my flours page. Don’t ever be put off by the ‘hassle’ of mixing your own flour blends. It really is simple and it also means you have the flexibility to vary or add alternatives into the mix, either if there are particular flours you cannot tolerate (such as corn or buckwheat) or to achieve a different desired end result. And guess what? I did a load of research for you and have provided a great list of flours and basic guide to flour blending to give you a head start…

If you still can’t be tempted to mix your own, the Free From Fairy makes a great alternative rice free blend.

What sparked my creativity to make these Spiced Sweet Potato Muffins?
If you read my last post, you will know that I also made healthier Spiced Sweet Potato Baked Doughnuts, after being challenged at the Free From Show in London by the Fullgreen team (who have joined with Hip & Healthy) to make something using their Sweet Potato Vegi Rice. The problem was, I only have one doughnut tin and there was twice as much batter as I needed for 6 doughnuts.

Now I could have waited the very short time it took to bake the first batch before refilling the tin with the rest of the batter, but frankly, I couldn’t be bothered to wait… so I grabbed a muffin tin and some cases and got spooning.

It could have been a complete disaster. Not all bake mixes are versatile enough to change shape and still have the desired texture… but this one worked perfectly. My sweet potato muffins are just sweet enough without the maple glaze that was added to the doughnuts to make a perfect healthier bake!

How to eat my Gluten Free Alchemist Sweet Potato Breakfast Muffins
Sure you can eat them naked for the quickest (and probably healthiest) option, but sometimes life needs a little decadence, whenever it falls in the day.

My favourite additions to the the straight-up sweet potato muffin are a little thick or whipped honey, or best of all, a layer of Flat Brew Espresso Coffee Spread. Man, that stuff is good (assuming you like coffee). I have to admit, I am a little obsessed!

Whatever you add (or don’t), these muffins pair perfectly with that all-important cup of morning coffee or tea, so whether you have time to do breakfast at home, or have made it to the office with them still uneaten (yeah… I challenge you!), pull up a chair, grab a cuppa and enjoy! x

Gluten Free Spiced Sweet Potato Breakfast Muffins (optional dairy free)

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Yield: Approximately 12

Author: Gluten Free Alchemist

Perfectly Spiced and not too sweet, these Sweet Potato Breakfast Muffins are a healthy start to the day, packed with goodness and nutrients. But don’t feel you need to save them for breakfast… they make a great snack at any time of the day.

ingredients:

• 160g rice free flour blend (as in this post) or alternative GF flour blend (preferably rice free)
• 80g ground almonds/almond meal
• 1½ teaspoons ground psyllium husk powder
• pinch fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon GF baking powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger powder
• 50g unsalted butter/dairy free spread/coconut oil (butter should be softened; coconut oil should be melted)
• 120g soft light brown sugar/coconut sugar
• 3 large eggs (preferably free range)
• 200g (1 bag) Full Green Sweet Potato Vegi Rice (or equivalent weight mashed/riced cooked sweet potato)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

instructions:

How to cook Gluten Free Spiced Sweet Potato Breakfast Muffins (optional dairy free)

1. Prepare a muffin tin ready with medium-sized muffin cases. Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4.
2. Weigh and mix together the dry ingredients (flour; almonds; psyllium; salt, baking powder; bicarbonate of soda; spices) and set aside. Tip : weigh into an airtight container and shake vigorously to mix.
3. Beat together the butter/spread/melted coconut oil with the brown sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add and beat in the eggs one at a time until well blended and slightly lighter in colour.
5. Add the sweet potato and vanilla extract and beat again until well-blended.
6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mix and lightly fold through until evenly blended.
7. Spoon the batter into the muffin cases (about two-thirds full) and smooth the tops. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until firm and springy (be careful not to over-bake, or the muffins will become dry).
8. Carefully remove from the tray and place on a wire rack to cool completely (cover with a clean cloth whilst cooling)

Gluten Free Alchemist © 2013-19

Created using The Recipes Generator

I am also sharing these Sweet Potato Breakfast Muffins with :

Cook Blog Share with Curly’s Cooking
Baking Crumbs with Jo’s Kitchen Larder and Apply To Face Blog
Fiesta Friday #285 with Angie

Full Plate Thursday #441 with Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
Dare to Share Saturday with DIY Party Mom and Pam’s Party & Practical Tips

Gluten Free Alchemist © 2013-19 unless otherwise indicated