Not only are these muffins made with 100 percent whole grain oats, they’re gluten-free, vegan and free from refined sugars. So what makes them taste so moist and scrumptious? The naturally sweet and nutritious star ingredient: sweet potato. And if that’s not enough of autumn’s best, cinnamon and apples play supporting roles, along with coconut sugar (a mineral-rich, all-natural substitute for refined white sugar) for a hint of sweetness. Try these rich and hearty muffins for breakfast or as a guilt-free snack anytime!
Yields 12 muffins
Prep Time: Up to 1 hour
Cook Time: 20 minutes
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Ingredients
1 sweet potato
2 large apples, cored and chopped into 1 cm pieces
2 1/4 cups whole rolled oats
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
3/4 cup coconut sugar
Preparation
- Bake the sweet potato in the oven at 375° F for about one hour or until it is tender. Alternatively, you can microwave it until it is tender. Set aside. Cut the apples into 1 cm pieces. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Put the rolled oats in a food processor or high speed blender and process until the oats resemble flour (about 1 minute). Put the flour in a large mixing bowl. Put chia seeds in a small bowl and add 3 tablespoons water and stir (it will form a gel). Set aside. Remove the skin of the baked sweet potato and add the flesh to the food processor or blender (no need to clean it out from the flour). Add up to 1/4 cup water and process until smooth. Set aside.
- Add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon to the bowl of oat flour and mix well. In a separate bowl, mix the melted coconut oil, coconut sugar and chia seed gel and mix very well. Then, mix in 1 cup of sweet potato puree.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Fold in the apple chunks. Divide the batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with oats and a bit of coconut sugar, if you like.
- Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400°F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Enjoy them fresh out of the oven or store them in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For more recipes from Renee, visit www.nourishtheroots.com and follow her on Facebook.