Vegan Sweet Potato Muffins with Cashew Cardamom Cream
With a hint of sweetness and accents of seasonal spices, these vegan sweet potato muffins are topped with cashew cardamom cream and finished with a light dusting of cinnamon. A vegan sweet potato muffins recipe that’s plain heavenly and pairs perfectly with my Banana Peel Bacon!
Hello hungry friends! Since I originally made these, I made them again, even better this time by adding a second layer of frosting, and took new photographs that I couldn’t be happier with. Presenting my Vegan Double Decker Sweet Potato Muffins with Cashew Cardamom Cream. Comfort food? You bet and all I can say is they are just what the doctor ordered!
Ingredients
I was lucky when I made this recipe; I had all the ingredients on hand in my pantry, including 2 sweet potatoes that I bought a couple of weeks ago that were just loitering in my fridge without a purpose. If you need to shop for the ingredients to make these Vegan Sweet Potato Muffins, here’s a shopping list:
- Sweet potatoes
- Unsweetened almond milk
- Coconut sugar
- Olive oil
- Maple syrup
- Lemon juice
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Sea salt
- Ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cardamom
- Raw whole cashews
- Vanilla
How to Make Vegan Sweet Potato Muffins
These vegan sweet potato muffins are the perfect addition to any fall table and pair splendidly with a hot cup of coffee or some delicious, unsweetened oat milk (my absolute favorite nut milk). As versatile as they are tasty, serve them for breakfast, at snack time or as an after-dinner dessert; no matter when you eat them, your taste buds will dance with joy.
Step by Step Instructions
Here’s a lil’ step-by-step:
- Prepare muffin tins by lining them with liners or lightly oiling them. Set aside.
- The most important part of this recipe is the sweet potato puree. Bake your sweet potatoes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes. They’re done when you can easily pierce each one with a fork. Allow to cool. Peel and mash with a potato masher until there are no more lumps. A word of caution: if you put in the blender, your sweet potatoes will become a sloggy mess!
- Lower the heat of your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the following ingredients – sweet potato puree, almond milk, coconut sugar, water, olive oil, maple syrup and lemon juice – to a mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until ingredients are well-blended. You can also use a hand mixer or fork, as long as you blend completely.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt and spices. If you don’t have a sifter, a fork will do.
- Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in mixing bowl and combine on medium speed. Mix for several minutes until a nice, smooth batter appears.
- Spoon muffin batter equally into your lined or oiled muffin tins.
- Bake in oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes. They’re done when a toothpick, inserted in the middle, comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on rack for about 30 minutes. Once cool, gently remove each muffin from the pan and place on platter to frost.
- The Cashew Cardamom Cream is super easy. Just throw soaked cashews, maple syrup, almond milk, cardamom, vanilla and sea salt into a food processor. Hit the high button and process for about 4-5 minutes (be sure to soak your cashews overnight to get a smooth blend).
- Now, cut each muffin in half and frost the middle and top of each muffin with Cashew Cardamom Cream, dust with a sprinkle of cinnamon and enjoy!
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Have suggestions on how to make these Vegan Sweet Potato Muffins even better? Please leave some comment love at the end of the post to share with the rest of us!
Looking for more vegan breakfast ideas? Check these out:
- Easy Vegan Overnight Oats
- Pecan-Crusted Red, White and Blue French Toast
- Sweet Potato Oatmeal topped w/ Coconut Whipped Cream
Thanks so much for stopping by.
Vegan Sweet Potato Muffins w/ Cashew Cardamom Cream
Ingredients
For the Muffins
- 2 sweet potatoes baked until fork-tender and then pureed
- 3/4 cup almond milk unsweetened
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup filtered water
- 1/4 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 2 tbsp dark maple syrup Grade A preferred
- 1 tbsp lemon juice juice from half a lemon
- 2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour I used Bob’s Red Mill
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
For the Cashew Cardamom Cream
- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews (preferrably soaked overnight)
- 1/4 cup dark maple syrup preferrably Grade A
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp vanilla
- pinch of sea salt
For the Garnish
- extra cinnamon to sprinkle over each frosted muffin top optional
Instructions
For the Muffins
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit/204 degrees Celsius. Lightly oil 2 trays of muffin tins or use liners like I did. Set aside.
- In your mixer, combine on low speed the sweet potato puree, almond milk, coconut sugar, water, olive oil, maple syrup and lemon juice.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder & baking soda, salt and spices. If you don’t have a sifter, just stir well with a fork.
- Slowly add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients in your mixer bowl. Use a spatula to scrape the sides while mixing well for a couple of minutes on medium speed.
- Spoon evenly in your oiled or lined muffin tins.
- Bake for about 20 minutes (depending upon your oven), or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool, pan and all, on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes. Once cool, remove muffins from pan and set on tray to get ready for the Cashew Cardamom Cream.
For the Cashew Cardamom Cream
- To a food processor using the S-shaped blade, add cashews, maple syrup, almond milk, cardamom, vanilla and sea salt. Process on high until creamy, 4-5 minutes or more, depending upon how well you soaked your cashews.
The Grand Finale
- Finish by cutting each muffin in half and frosting the middle and top of each muffin with Cashew Cardamom Cream, dust with a sprinkle of cinnamon and enjoy!
Notes
- Beware using a blender to make sweet potato puree. A potato masher, pastry cutter of fork will yield better results.
- Use more or less of the spices to suit your taste.
- Store in sealed container in fridge for up to a week. I haven’t tried freezing, but if you do freeze, do so before they are frosted and frost after defrosting. Does that make sense?
The sweet potato muffins look spectacular. I loved the cashew cream you made. Will try this soon.
Thank you Lathiya, I appreciate that. I loved the cashew cream too, it made the recipe for me.
Oh my , this recipe looks and sounds absolutely amazing and so yumm with all these healthy ingredients fabulous! Perfect vegan treat, indeed. I’m sorry to hear about your mother passing away, condolences and hugs to you Deborah!
Oh, you’re so sweet Ramona! Thank you for that.
These muffins are fantastic! Love the sweet potato base and especially the cardamom frosting as it has such unique flavor!
Oh thanks bunches Emily!
This is very healthy. Never thought of using sweet potatoes in a muffin thank so much for this idea. Cashew cream sounds like a treat.
Thank you Kari. I know you wouldn’t think it would be good in a muffin but it is.
These Vegan Sweet Potato Muffins topped with Cashew Cardamom Cream look so delicious and perfect for an easy and quick brunch on the go! Can’t wait to make a batch of these and enjoy how lovely my kitchen smells!
Oh Jenni you are sure to love the aroma, especially the cardamom.
We try and choose vegan meals and treats, and these are perfect! I have a huge haul of sweet potatoes from the garden too!
Jacqui, I would love to have a garden full of sweet potatoes. How lovely that sounds. Thanks for your comment.
These are the perfect fall muffins! I just love that cardamom cream. It’s the perfect finishing touch. Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you Amanda. I was initially intimidated by cardamom, but I’ve used it in a couple of recipes now and I just love the flavor.
No way these are vegan!! Whenever I make vegan baked goods they don’t turn out looking good at all. These sound perfect for Thanksgiving 🙂
Thank you Cathleen! I plan on making them ahead of time for Turkey-less day. They store great in fridge. And yes, they are definitely vegan!
So sorry to hear that. Hopefully these delicious muffins can provide a little bit of comfort for you!
Thank you Alena. Comfort food is always a good thing, I agree 100%
I love sweet potatoes and baked in muffins they must be fabulous. Love the topping.
Thank you so much Jere!
I’d love to try these out, I’m so intrigued to know what the taste and texture is like with the sweet potato in it. I haven’t really experimented much with sweet potato myself yet.
They are magical. Moist and fluffy! If you try them please come back and let us know! Thank you Kacie!
Great idea with that cashew cardamom cream, so many delicious spices here that go so well with sweet potato.
Yes thank you Stine Marie. I really love cardamom.
I’m so sorry for the loss of your mother and the rough year you’ve had. It’s nice to be able to turn to blogging and creating comfort food as a way to feel better. And these muffins are certainly a delicious creation. Love the texture that sweet potato adds to baked goods. Take care!
Thank you Leanne. I have been away from blogging since January and have really missed it so much. Now to unpack all my food photography stuff!
These muffins look like the ultimate sinful comfort food, but are actually good for you. Love the addition of the cashew cream – yum!
Thank you Byron! I appreciate your comment.
This looks just fabulous! Perfect comfort food, indeed. I’m sorry to hear about your mother passing. Hugs to you!
Thank you Leslie. I appreciate your kind words!