Hey Friends! How’s it goin?
It’s been super cold since I got back to Waterloo last week and I’ve been craving comfort foods like crazy. Two of my favourite comfort foods are sweet potatoes and bread. I don’t usually put them together, but the obscene cold yesterday called for some desperate measures and these Cranberry Pecan Sweet Potato Muffins were born.
I know, I know, muffins aren’t exactly bread, but in my defence, I had planned to make something similar to this Butternut Squash Bread, but I couldn’t find my loaf pan. I have a couple new roommates this term and the kitchen cupboards are in a bit of a mess and I can’t find anything. But, I had left one of my muffin tins, on the counter before I left for vacation, and it was still there when I got back, so muffins it was.
Regardless of misplaced pans and overflowing kitchen cupboards, it’s awesome being back in my own kitchen again. Don’t get me wrong, I loved being at home for the last 3 weeks, and it was fun to experiment with my family around but I was a little limited in what I could make because of ingredients.
Take these muffins for example. We have sweet potatoes in Trinidad but they’re different to the ones I get in Canada. They’re sweeter but a lot drier when cooked and they probably wouldn’t have worked in this recipe in the same way.
And that 1/2 cup of maple syrup? Forget it. There was no way I would have bought another million dollar bottle of maple syrup to make these muffins, no matter how good they tasted. I’ve become very spoiled by the price of maple syrup in Canada it seems.
Oh and coconut oil. It’s relatively easy to get coconut oil in Trinidad, but it’s usually liquid because of the heat. I had the bright idea to store mine in the fridge while I was home and it ended up being rock hard. I’d have to microwave it every time I needed to use some, cuz trying to spoon it out in the state would just end with a broken spoon.
So there you have it. As much as I loved being home and complain about the cold here, being back in Waterloo has it’s perks. And, in any case, if the weather gets to be too much, I always have these dense, refined sugar-free Cranberry Pecan Sweet Potato Muffins with their out of this world granola-like topping to comfort me. Life could be a lot worse I think.
- 1¼ cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1½ cups sweet potato, cubed (or a heaping ½ cup sweet potato puree)
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup apple sauce
- ½ tbsp vanilla
- ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup pecan pieces
- ¼ dried cranberries
- 1 pecan half for each muffin (I needed 10)
- 2 tbsp quick cooking oats
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 4 tsp maple syrup
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease a muffin tin and set aside
- Cook the cubed sweet potato in the microwave until tender (about 4 to 5 minutes)
- Puree the sweet potato in a food processor or blender (should yield a little more than ½ cup)
- In a medium bowl. whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice
- In another bowl, whisk together the butternut squash, coconut oil, vanilla, maple syrup, apple sauce and eggs until well blended
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix gently until the batter is smooth
- Fold in the nuts and cranberries
- In a small bowl, mix together topping ingredients
- Pour batter evenly into muffin cavities and top with oatmeal mixture. Add a little water to any empty cavities to encourage even baking
- Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean
- Allow the loaf to cool for 5 minutes then remove muffins from the tin and place on a wire rack
What about you?
What’s your idea of comfort food? What do you miss from your kitchen/home when you’re on vacation? Share in the comments below!
More Muffin & Loaf Recipes:
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I love the little crumb topping! Sweet potatoes make everything awesome too!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine recently posted…Italian Chickpea Casserole
You’re so right about that! Sweet potato is awesome 😀
Um…YUM! I just pinned this so that I can have it for reference! Never seen a recipe like this!
Awesome! Let me know what you think Karen 😀
This looks delicious & I love all the ingredients and how pretty they are!
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious recently posted…WIAW…Good Food, Shopping & Words To Live By
haha thanks Megan 🙂
These look great!! I love anything with sweet potatoes! Sweet potato pie is my favorite!
Olivia schwab recently posted…Guest Post: 9 Tips for New Bloggers by Tiffany
I don’t think I’ve ever had Sweet Potato pie! Definitely need to rectify that soon 😀
these look and sound amazing! I love all things sweet potato and cranberry!!!! Yum!!!
rachel @ Athletic Avocado recently posted…WIAW: Whole Foods Salad Bar!
Thanks Rachel 🙂 I can’t remember where I first tried the sweet potato/cranberry combo but it’s life changing!
Right!? Being without good maple syrup is seriously one of the hardest things about not being in Canada. And being without my blender is one of the things that bothers me most when I travel. I use that sucker at least 2 or 3 times a day, so its absence is definitely felt when I travel. To the point where I honestly consider packing it in my suitcase 😆
Amanda @ .running with spoons. recently posted…. cereal milk protein smoothie .
I honestly think that I’ll be able to put up with the cold forever if I can keep getting maple syrup haha
Also, in 2013 I bought my mother a magic bullet for Christmas, but it was really just so I could have one to use when I go home for holidays because I have the same fear of being without my blender haha
Those look so good! They look like a great combination of healthy ingredients but still super yummy. And your pictures are beautiful.
These look and sound amazing! (Love that they’re filled with all my favorite things! 😀 ) I haven’t made muffins in ages, so I pinned it for a weekend experiment! :]
Farrah recently posted…Review: The Secret Life of Lies (Giveaway!)
These look absolutely delicious! I will have to try it sometime.
Nina recently posted…Advice for my Sisters
I felt the same with visiting my home for Christmas, Giselle. I loved being with my family, but it’s weird not being in your own kitchen and having your own stuff. I never feel quite comfortable cooking in someone else’s kitchen, even when it’s my own mother! And these little muffins look gorgeous. I love pecans in baked goods. 😀
jess meddows recently posted…Bunner’s Bakery Toronto
These look great and I KNOW my kids would LOVE these! Thanks for the recipe!
No problem Sue! Hope they like them 😀
Haha – so many things you don’t think about. Welcome back! These muffins look amazing! Love the sweet potato. 🙂
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table recently posted…Ghetto Fabulous French Toast [Recipe]
Thanks Laura! And thanks for hosting the linkup 🙂
YUmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
Kierston recently posted…#RECIPEFRIDAY: Super Yummy Salad….
As always, this looks delicious! You make the most amazing things!!! 🙂
Annmarie recently posted…Foodie Friday: Hot and Spicy Caponata
Aww, thanks Annmarie! Glad you think so 🙂
I notice you use coconut oil and eggs in many of your recipes. I am vegan and no/low oil. Can I replace the oil with something (suggestions?) and do your recipes work well with egg substitutes like flax egg?