low fat vegan whole wheat sweet potato muffins

Awesome Low Fat Vegan Breakfast Muffins

With this whole foods recipe, you can skip the oil, and have delicious nutritious high fiber muffins that won’t go straight to your waist, like store bought muffins can do.

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Sweet potato is a nice baking ingredient because it is nutritious, naturally sweet, and full of vitamin A and other important vitamins and minerals.

If you like carrot cake you will probably like these, you may find them to be sweeter than carrot muffins.

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Takes about 1 hour

This muffin recipe takes about an hour to make using a food processor to save time.

They make your home smell wonderful.

I make these muffins weekly, because my daughter likes to eat them for breakfast.

Vegan baking tips – for whole foods plant based muffins

To make whole foods plant based muffins better, try the following techniques:

  • Use flax and water instead of eggs.
  • Use shredded coconut instead of oil.
  • Use apples instead of oil / sugar.
  • Heat the soaking flax and shredded coconut / water in the microwave for a bit, to reduce the required soaking time, and make them soft.
  • Aerate / whip the wet ingredients at high speed in a food processor, to make the muffins contain more air, and be lighter.
  • Use fresh apples instead of unsweetened apple sauce. Fresh apples taste naturally sweeter, and will react more with the baking powder to help the muffins rise.
  • Make sure the wet ingredients are totally stirred into the dry.
  • Keep the muffin size small, so they cook all the way through.
  • Muffin papers are optional.  I don’t usually use them.  If I do, I lightly spray the papers with oil the first time I make a recipe, just so I’m not fighting to peel them off.
  • Figure out if you prefer moist or dry muffins, and adjust the cooking time accordingly by 5 or 10 minutes. Longer baking will be drier.
    • One of the challenges of baking with whole foods is varying moisture content of the ingredients.  
    • The apples and sweet potato seem to vary in moisture each time.  
    • This can cause the muffins to be too dry or too wet. 
    • But, it is also what keeps things from getting boring!!  
  • Remove from muffin pan quite soon after taking out of the oven – when they are still steaming hot.  This seems to stop the muffins from sticking.
  • Use a knife to go around the outside of the muffin, and then pop them out of the muffin pan.
  • Cool on a wire rack or towel.
  • Once cooled, store muffins under a towel for a bit and then in a covered container.
  • Store in the fridge to keep for a week or more.
orange sweet potato

Add variety to your diet by baking with sweet potato

Have you heard of Okinawa, Japan?  People who live there have one of the longest life expectancies in the world. Okinawans consume more than half of their calories from sweet potatoes, so we should probably eat more too.

Cholesterol free breakfast muffins

No butter and no dairy in this recipe means no cholesterol.  

Animal foods contain cholesterol, so when you eat plant based you are eating cholesterol free.  

This is a major reason why plant based foods are better for your heart, arteries and veins. 

Want to lower your blood pressure, and prevent heart disease and dementia caused by clogged arteries?  Eat low fat plant based. 

Why vegan muffins with whole wheat flour and no-oil?

Whole wheat flour adds fiber and nutrition, and makes a hearty satisfying snack.

There is no oil in these muffins, the whole foods: shredded coconut, blended apples and nuts or seeds replace the oil.

Using whole foods (shredded coconut, nuts, seeds, apples) instead of oil and sugar actually makes baking taste nice!

Those plant based whole foods substitutes have lovely complex flavours that oil and sugar just don’t have.

Admittedly the muffins will be more dense than a commercially baked muffin, but they do not lack for flavour.  The recipe does still have some sugar in it, but less than most muffin recipes, otherwise I couldn’t get my daughter to eat them.   You could play around with the amount of sugar if you like. 

I find these muffins don’t stick too badly in my silicone muffin cups / pans, even if I don’t spray with oil.  

Just be sure to remove the muffins when they are still steaming hot. 🙂

healthy whole foods plant based sweet potato muffins

How to make quick and easy healthy vegan breakfast muffins

See recipe below – but here is an overview to help you decide whether you are interested in making these.

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Flax and water as an egg substitute / egg replacer

For this recipe, start by soaking the ground flax, shredded coconut, and water in a little cup or bowl.  This is your egg and oil replacement, microwave for 30 seconds to help the coconut get soft.

No eggs required, you can make muffins without eggs – use ground flax soaked for a few minutes in water instead.

After soaking, follow the tips in the recipe for how to fluff up / aerate the liquids with your food processor, to make the muffins lighter.

Prep whole wheat flour, spices, and baking powder

While the flax/coconut egg replacer soaks, prep the dry ingredients in a large bowl – mix the cinnamon and allspice into your whole wheat flour.

Process wet ingredients in a food processor, whip and fluff it up

People wonder if vegan baking is affected by lack of eggs.  This aerating trick helps make the muffins lighter and fluffier.

Add all the wet ingredients, including the apple slices (these become apple sauce) with peel on (but not the sweet potato yet), to your food processor, and mix on high to liquify and fluff with air.

Then add the sweet potato chunks and mix until they are shredded.

Add nuts or seeds such as pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pecans, or pistachios and process to your size preference.

Recently I made these with pumpkin seeds, which I left whole.

I have also blended the seeds almost into a liquid, when my daughter asked for less chunks. In that case, process the nuts or seeds in the food processor, before adding the sweet potato.  Both variations worked well.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry.

The whole wheat dough should be quite dry, moisture will come out in the oven

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir together to combine.  The dough should be quite dry, barely moistened, because water will appear when the sweet potato cooks.

Bake and enjoy!

Bake 35 – 40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.  Use your judgement based on on wet the dough was.

Enjoy these naturally sweet vegan muffin treats!

low fat vegan whole wheat sweet potato muffins

Vegan Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Muffins WFPB No-Oil (Similar to Carrot Muffins)

Jeanette
Sweet potatoes have a lot in common with carrots, such as making great moist muffins! If you like carrot cake you will probably like these, you may find them to be sweeter than carrot muffins. With this low fat whole foods recipe, you can skip the oil, and have delicious nutritious muffins that won't go straight to your waist, like store bought muffins often do.
This quick and easy recipe combines ingredients in a food processor. Therefore in a short amount of time, with very little effort, you can have scrumptious warm muffins that make your home smell wonderful.
I make these muffins weekly, because my daughter likes to eat them for breakfast!
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine no-oil baking, Vegan, whole foods plant based, whole wheat baking
Servings 30 muffins
Calories 142 kcal

Equipment

  • muffin pans (silicone, or no stick recommended) or muffin papers

Instructions and Ingredients
  

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

    Measure water, then add Flax and Coconut to it, in a small microwaveable bowl or glass measuring cup. Mix with a fork. Microwave for 60 seconds, mix again, and let soak.

    • 2/3 cup water for coconut and flax soak
    • 1/3 cup dried coconut Shredded, unsweetened. The coconut is a whole foods replacement for oil. It doesn't add much coconut flavour, but gives moisture to the muffins. It is a key ingredient.
    • 2 tbsp ground flax Flax mixed with water makes flax "eggs"

    Mix the Following Dry Ingredients in a Large Bowl

    • 3 cups whole wheat flour Or if you are new to whole wheat baking, maybe start with 2 cups whole wheat and 1 cup white flour.
    • 2 tsp baking powder Ensure is well mixed throughout the dry ingredients.
    • 1 tbsp cinnamon
    • 1 tsp allspice
    • 1/2 tsp salt Whole wheat flour can sometimes taste more bitter than white flour, the salt helps mask this.

    Wet Ingredients - Add the soaked Flax, Coconut and the following ingredients to a food processor. Mix on high for a minute or more, until becomes a smooth liquid, and is aerated.

    • soaked flax and coconut from above
    • 3 cups apple slices 3 small apples, or 2 large apples, sliced, peel on is ok (they will become applesauce) or use pre-made applesauce. Sweet varieties of red apples work best.
    • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup sugar optional - you can taste test the wet ingredients and see if they are not sweet enough. I know that my family won't eat the muffins if they aren't a little sweet.

    Add sweet potato chunks to the liquified wet ingredients in the food processor, and process on medium speed, until shredded.

    • 3 cups sweet potato or carrots. Peeled, raw, and cut into chunks that your food processor can handle.

    Add nuts or seeds and process further until nuts are diced into small pieces. My kids like these muffins with less chunks.

    • 1 cup pecans Or walnuts or pistachios, or make it nut free with pumpkin seeds.

    Scoop wet ingredients into the dry.

      The batter should be thick, not runny, stir until all the flour is mixed in. This may require some muscles! Don't worry, the sweet potato will create juices when it bakes. 

        Spoon batter into lightly greased muffin cups or pans.

          Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out of the centre clean.

            Remove while still hot (or else may stick) and cool on a wire rack or towel.

              Notes

              Sweet potatoes seem to make the muffins taste sweeter (and better!) than carrots do.
              But, for those of us with a sweet tooth, to make the muffins taste sweeter, without adding sugar, consider adding 1/2 cup frozen bananas or water to the wet mix, then stir 1/2 cup raisins in when you add the wet to the dry.  Especially if you use walnuts, which are naturally a bit bitter. 

              Nutrition

              Nutrition Facts
              Vegan Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Muffins WFPB No-Oil (Similar to Carrot Muffins)
              Amount Per Serving (1 muffin)
              Calories 142 Calories from Fat 36
              % Daily Value*
              Fat 4g6%
              Saturated Fat 1g6%
              Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
              Monounsaturated Fat 2g
              Sodium 60mg3%
              Potassium 212mg6%
              Carbohydrates 24g8%
              Fiber 3g13%
              Sugar 9g10%
              Protein 3g6%
              Vitamin A 2378IU48%
              Vitamin C 3mg4%
              Calcium 38mg4%
              Iron 1mg6%
              * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
              Keyword eggless muffins, healthy vegan muffins, no-oil baking, oil free cake, sweet potato baking, wfpb dessert, wfpb muffins, whole wheat baking
              Tried this recipe?Mention @veganenvy or tag #veganenvy!
               
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