My go to option for celebrating first birthdays.

Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, so these cupcakes only have a little added sugar (and honestly, they could easily do without, especially if they are for toddlers). I add 1/2 cup of coconut sugar to the cupcake and a few Tbsp of honey or real maple syrup to the frosting. No powdered sugar or other sweetener is needed for these. You can finally enjoy a cupcake without feeling bleh after having consumed so much sugar!

Jump to Recipe

Key Notes:

Preparing your sweet potato is simple. Rinse with water, dry, coat in oil (I use coconut oil), sprinkle with salt, and place it in the oven to cook at 375 degrees F. for roughly 45 minutes. I let it cool for a few minutes and then peel the skin back. It works best to remove the skin while it's still hot! Then I use my emersion blender to puré the sweet potato. (you can also use a small food processor/smoothie blender or mash really well with a fork).

For this recipe I used freshly ground, soft white, wheat berries. The consistency will vary depending on which flour you use, so I recommend taking note of how your cupcake turned out based on which flour you use and making adjustments next time. Unless you are using a GF, almond, oat, or another similar wheat replacement, the type of flour shouldn’t have such an affect that they don’t turn out.

This recipe calls for two large eggs. The standard weight for large eggs is between 53 & 63 grams. If you don’t have large eggs, you’ll want to use three small eggs instead. Eggs are important, especially with the sweet potato in this recipe, because they offer structure and binding. Without eggs, your cupcakes will be heavy and not as fluffy.

The combined weight of my 2 large eggs was 127 grams.

As you combine the ingredients, pay careful attention to the amount of time recommended for mixing. Over mixing the cupcakes can result in a chewy, dense texture while mixing the frosting too long will result in separation and curdling.

Spices, spices, and more spices! Don’t skimp on these! They add so much to your cupcakes. Feel free to use powdered ginger root, but I like the richness of raw ingredients so this recipe calls for fresh ginger!

Ok, enough talking.

Let’s get baking!

Sweet Potato Cupcakes

Kitchen Supplies

Stand mixer or hand held
Immersion blender - I use KitchenAid’s hand held blender. I love the cordless feature! (Here is the link!)
Spatula to clean sides of bowls
Glass measuring cup or other small but deep bowl
Measuring cups
Muffin pan
Cooling rack (or you can just set th cupcakes up on the side of the muffin pan)
Parchment paper or other method for preventing cupcakes from sticking to the pan
Fork & knife to prepare sweet potato
Baking sheet and small piece of parchment paper for sweet potato
Ziplock bag for piping frosting if you choose
Cookie dough scooper (ideal for scooping mix into muffin cups)
*As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients for cupcakes

1 sweet large potato
1/2 coconut sugar
1/2 coconut oil
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour (I used freshly ground, soft white berries)
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp fresh, minced ginger root
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp clove
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk (I use raw cow milk)

Ingredients for frosting

8 oz cream cheese
4 oz butter
2-6 Tbsp raw honey or real maple syrup
0-3 Tbsp heavy cream (or 1-3 tsp milk)
1/4 tsp salt

Instructions For the cupcakes

Prep your sweet potato.
a) Start the over for 375 degrees F.
b) Rinse the potato with water and dry.
c) Place on a pan with a small square of parchment paper (or desired method to prevent sticking). I like to poke holes into the skin of the potato to allow even baking.
d) Brush the potato with coconut oil (or choice of oil) and sprinkle with salt.
e) Bake for roughly 45 minutes or until potato is soft throughout.
f) Let cool for 5-10 minutes then peel the skin off and place in a glass measuring bowl or other deep but small dish.
g) use an emersion blender to pure the potato. You can also use a fork if needed. You will want the potato to be well blended.
Place the sweet potato and coconut oil to the stand mixer (or large bowl if you are using a hand held mixer or whisk). Mix until well combined.
Add the eggs, vanilla, and coconut sugar to the bowl. Mix on low until just combined.
Measure and add the flour, spices, salt, & ginger. Whisk the dry ingredients together within themselves before turning the mixer on. Mix on low until just combined.
Finally, pour in the milk and mix until combined. You don’t want to over mix but make sure the milk is well incorporated and you scrape down the sides.
Line your muffin pan with parchment paper, coconut oil + flour, or muffin cups. (Your mix is okay to sit while you prepare this. Freshly ground flour takes a few minutes to absorb the liquid.)
Bake for 25 minutes (they should be firm but not hard - you can check them with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, they are done!)
Remove the cupcakes from the pan and set on a cooling rack, or simply pick them up to sit on the edges of the muffin pan.

Instructions for the frosting

Set out the cream cheese and butter to soften to room temperature (you can do this while your cupcakes cool).
Use a stand of hand held mixer to whip the cream cheese and butter. Mix until smooth, light, and airy. Be sure to scrape down the sides to allow even mixing.
Add in the salt and honey (or maple syrup) starting with 2 Tbsp. Do a taste test to find your desired sweetness. The age and type of your honey can affect the taste.
Once you are satisfied with the taste, you can add a tablespoon of heavy cream if it is thick. Keep in mind that the amount of honey you add will affect the consistency. Be careful how long you mix the heavy cream. Mix for no longer than 30 seconds once you have added any heavy cream. The cream will begin to curdle and separate as if you were making butter.
Pipe your frosting onto the cooled cupcakes using a ziplock bag with a hole cut in the corner. I find it easiest to place the bag over a tall but narrow cup and then scoop the frosting into the bag, then cut a small piece out of the corner.