Sweet potato corn muffins start with a couple of boxes of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, then get built up with real mashed sweet potato, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The sweet potato keeps every muffin moist all the way through, not just around the edges, and it gives the whole batch that warm fall flavor, perfect alongside a fall breakfast or dinner.
I always enjoyed celebrating the change of the seasons when my kids were little, and part of our tradition was adding pumpkin spice flavors into our menus that time of year. One fall I wanted to bake cornbread muffins for dinner and thought adding sweet potatoes would be a good way to sneak in some extra nutrition with a veggie too. I stirred in mashed sweet potato and a little cinnamon and nutmeg, and to my surprise it made the muffins sweeter and moister than a plain box of Jiffy ever turns out. All the kids like them, so these muffins have shown up at our table every fall since.
Main Ingredients Needed For Sweet Potato Corn Muffins
Here’s a quick overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. For the full list of ingredients and exact measurements, jump to the recipe card.
- Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix: This is your base, and it’s what makes this recipe come together so fast- the same shortcut base I use for my Chicken Cornbread Casserole. If your store doesn’t carry Jiffy, any store-brand corn muffin mix in the same 8.5-ounce size will work just fine.
- Brown sugar: This adds a little extra sweetness on top of what’s already in the mix, and it plays well with the cinnamon and nutmeg. If you’d rather use a different sweetener, that swaps in fine too.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg: These two are what give the muffins that warm fall flavor. Don’t skip them; they’re what makes these taste like more than a plain box of corn muffins.
- Sour cream: This is what keeps the muffins so tender and moist. If you’d rather use plain Greek yogurt, that’s an easy one-for-one swap.
- Honey: This adds a little natural sweetness and helps keep the crumb soft.
- Fresh sweet potato: You’ll need it cooked, peeled, and mashed before it goes into the batter, whether that’s fresh, leftover baked, or drained plain canned sweet potato. Fresh gives you the best flavor and texture, and it’s not as much work as it sounds; you can microwave, air fry, bake, or boil it depending on what you’ve got time for. Leftover baked sweet potato or drained plain canned sweet potato works well too if you’re short on time. Just make sure it’s fully cooled before you stir it in.
How To Make Sweet Potato Corn Muffins
Once your sweet potato is cooked, mashed, and cooled, the rest of this comes together in about 20 minutes, the same easy method behind my Easy Muffin Mix Recipe.
Tip: Don’t overmix here. Overmixing is what makes muffins turn out dry and dense instead of soft and tender.
Make Ahead Sweet Potato Cornbread Muffins
If you want to get ahead on the morning of a gathering, cook and mash your sweet potato up to a day in advance. I usually do this the night before, so morning-of prep is just mixing and baking. Store it covered in the fridge, then let it come back closer to room temperature before you mix your batter. This keeps your butter from melting too soon once everything comes together. That’s the one piece of this recipe you can truly do ahead, since the batter itself comes together fast once the sweet potato is ready to go.
Baking Essentials
Questions When Making Sweet Potato Corn Muffins
Yes, drained plain canned sweet potato works well here, mashed the same way as fresh. Leftover baked sweet potato works too. Canned sweet potato carries more moisture than fresh cooked and mashed, similar to boiling, so your muffins may turn out slightly denser. Drain it well before mashing to keep as much extra moisture out as you can.
No, it’s optional. Heating the tin in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes before you fill it is what gives the muffins those crispy golden edges. If you’d rather skip that step, go straight to filling a room-temperature tin. Your muffins will still bake up soft and moist.
Yes, any store-brand corn muffin mix in an 8.5-ounce box will work in place of Jiffy. Just make sure you’re using two boxes of that same size to keep the ratios right.
This usually comes down to overmixing the batter. Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet, stir just until they’re combined. The batter should still look thick and a little lumpy. Stirring past that point is what makes muffins turn out dense instead of tender. Using boiled or canned sweet potato instead of air-fried or baked can also add extra moisture and lead to a denser muffin. I’ve made these all four ways and always reach for air-fried or baked when I have the choice.
The recipe as written is built for a standard 12-cup muffin tin, filled about three-quarters full for 16 regular muffins. If you’d like to try a mini tin, keep a close eye on them. They’ll bake faster than the 18 minutes this recipe calls for.
Yes, plain Greek yogurt works as an even swap for the sour cream. Both keep the muffins tender and moist in the same way.
Stir real mashed sweet potato, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the dry mix before you add any wet ingredients. That’s what takes it from flat and dry to moist and full of fall flavor. Sour cream in the wet ingredients does the rest; it’s what keeps the crumb tender instead of crumbly like a box mix on its own.
Sweet Potato Corn Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 boxes Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, 8.5 ounces each (any store-brand corn muffin mix in an 8.5-ounce box works too)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, your preferred sweetener works as a substitute
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (measured solid)
- 1/2 cup milk, any milk works, whole milk recommended
- 1/2 cup sour cream, plain Greek yogurt works as a substitute
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 1/2 cups sweet potato, cooked, peeled, and mashed (leftover baked sweet potato or drained plain canned sweet potato, mashed, also works)
Instructions
Prepare the Pan and Oven
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Spray each cup of a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray, or line with paper muffin liners. For all 16 muffins, use a second muffin tin for the remaining 4 muffins.
- If you are not using paper liners but spraying the pan, place the prepared muffin tin in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the batter, until warmed through. This step is optional but helps create crispy muffin edges.
Mix the Batter
- In a large bowl, whisk together the corn muffin mix, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly combined.2 boxes Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- In a separate bowl, stir together the eggs, melted butter, milk, sour cream, honey, and mashed sweet potato until smooth.2 eggs, 1/4 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/3 cup honey, 1 1/2 cups sweet potato
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined; the batter should be thick and slightly lumpy. Do not overmix, which can make the muffins dry and dense.
Fill and Bake
- Carefully remove the hot muffin tin from the oven.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
- Bake until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. If the toothpick has wet batter on it, continue baking for a few more minutes and check again.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing.
Gina’s Notes and Tips
- Cook Time: Start checking the muffins at 18 minutes. They are ready when the tops are golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Depending on your oven, the muffins may need up to 25 minutes. If needed, continue baking and check every 2 minutes.
- Preparing the Sweet Potatoes: Air frying or baking gives the sweet potatoes the best flavor. To microwave, pierce the sweet potato several times with a fork, then microwave on high for 5 to 8 minutes, flipping halfway through, until a fork slides in easily. This is the fastest option if you haven’t cooked one ahead. To air fry, cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 to 60 minutes, until a fork slides in easily. To bake, cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 55 to 70 minutes, until a fork slides in easily. Let the cooked sweet potatoes cool slightly, remove the skins, and mash until smooth. For an extra-smooth texture, use a hand immersion blender or food processor. To boil, peel and chop the sweet potatoes into chunks. Cook in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes, until fork-tender. Drain well and mash until smooth. Boiling adds extra moisture and may make the muffins denser. Cool the mashed sweet potatoes before adding them to the batter. Warm sweet potatoes can melt the butter too soon and affect the muffin texture.
- Make Ahead: Cook and mash your sweet potato up to a day ahead. Store it covered in the fridge, then bring it closer to room temperature before mixing it into the batter.
- Storage: Store cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Microwave a muffin for 20 to 30 seconds. For oven reheating, warm at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for about 5 minutes.
- Freezing: Wrap the muffins individually and place them in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, or reheat from frozen in a 300-degree Fahrenheit oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Substitutions: Replace sour cream with an equal amount of plain Greek yogurt. Any milk can be used in place of whole milk. Replace brown sugar with your preferred sweetener. Replace Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix with any store-brand corn muffin mix in an 8.5-ounce box. Leftover baked sweet potato or drained plain canned sweet potato, both mashed, can be used in place of freshly cooked sweet potato. Canned and boiled sweet potato carry more moisture than air-fried or baked, so muffins made with either may turn out slightly denser.
Tried this recipe?
Please consider Leaving a Review!Hospitality with Sweet Potato Corn Muffins
A Harvest Dinner is one of my favorite ways to get people around the table in the fall, a big pot of Homemade Vegetable Crock Pot Soup or Best Copycat Texas Roadhouse Chili Recipe simmering, maybe cider going too. These muffins fit right in on the side, still warm, set out in a basket with a cloth napkin folded underneath so people can help themselves. They travel well too, wrapped in that same basket and napkin, if you’re the one bringing the bread to someone else’s table instead of your own. I keep the rest of the table just as easy: a board of cheese and apples, a few candles, nothing I have to fuss over. Don’t rush through it; take the time to really enjoy the conversation with the people sitting around your table. I don’t need a fancy spread to feel like I did hospitality right. Just a full table and people who feel welcome, that’s it.
