Healthy Sweet Potato Cupcakes (Gluten Free)

I love cupcakes! They are mini cakes of happiness that are the perfect size and usually topped with delicious frosting. Who could ask for more!

These sweet potato pie cupcakes are made with almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut sugar and sweet potato puree, then dipped in melted chocolate and finished with a swirl of vanilla buttercream. They’re made without wheat flour, so gluten free friends can enjoy them too.

The Best Healthy Sweet Potato Cupcakes (Gluten Free)

These sweet potato cupcakes are perfect to make if you have a little extra sweet potato puree left over from all your Thanksgiving baking, and they are sure to be a hit. Shoot, you might even get away with calling them healthy sweet potato cupcakes because they have sweet potato in them! Who am I kidding, though; they are delicious cupcakes full of sweetness and taste as delicious as can be!

They are also made without traditional flour, so you can make them for your gluten free family and friends without any worries. This recipe is adapted from a delicious cupcake recipe found in Julie Bauer’s Paleo Cookbook, and I just love it! The original recipe is for Samoa cupcakes, and I decided to change things up a bit and make these Sweet Potato Pie Cupcakes. Seriously, perfect for Thanksgiving or any Fall get together.

For the frosting, I totally learned how to use a large frosting tip to make the cupcakes look so pretty, and now I want to frost everything!

For my church’s annual Thanksgiving potluck dinner, I brought these cupcakes and my healthy simple sweet potato casserole. Although both dishes were a hit, I think these cupcakes were definitely the favorite! By the time I got around to the dessert table, all the cupcakes had been eaten. It’s such a good feeling when other people like the food you make!

Why You’ll Love These Sweet Potato Pie Cupcakes

• Made without wheat flour. Almond flour and tapioca flour make a tender, gluten free friendly crumb.
• Uses leftover puree. A great way to use up extra sweet potato after holiday baking.
• Chocolate dipped. A layer of melted chocolate sits under the frosting.
• Potluck favorite. At a church Thanksgiving potluck, every one was eaten before dessert time.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

• Blanched almond flour: Make sure to use blanched. Unblanched almond flour or almond meal still has the skins on and isn’t as finely ground, so the cupcakes come out heavier and speckled.
• Tapioca flour or starch: Gives the cupcakes a light, springy texture and helps hold them together without gluten. I like to buy it in bulk from a local co op because it’s cheaper than the prepackaged bags. You’ll also find it in the baking aisle with the gluten free and specialty flours.
• Coconut sugar: Has a warm, caramel like flavor that tastes great with sweet potato. It’s less refined than white sugar and gives the cupcakes a golden color.
• Baking soda and baking powder: Both help the cupcakes rise and dome nicely.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the sweet potato flavor.
• Eggs: Two eggs at room temperature. Room temperature eggs mix in smoothly and won’t make the melted coconut oil seize into clumps.
• Melted coconut oil: Keeps the cupcakes moist and tender. Let it cool slightly after melting so it doesn’t start to cook the eggs when you mix them together.
• Vanilla: Rounds out the warm flavors of the sweet potato and coconut sugar.
• Sweet potato puree: The heart of the cupcake. It adds moisture, natural sweetness and that cozy pie flavor. Homemade or canned both work; canned should be plain sweet potato with nothing added.
• Semi sweet chocolate chips: Melted and used to dip the tops of the cooled cupcakes. The chocolate sets into a thin shell that adds a little snap under the soft frosting.
• Vanilla buttercream frosting: I used a whipped vanilla buttercream from Iambaker. It’s super scrumptious, but you can use any frosting you like.

How to Make Sweet Potato Pie Cupcakes

1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a cupcake pan with liners.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk well to break up any lumps of almond flour. Even mixing keeps the leaveners spread out so every cupcake rises the same.
3. Mix the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, melted coconut oil, vanilla and sweet potato puree until smooth and evenly orange.
4. Combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined. The batter will be thick. Stop stirring once you can’t see any dry streaks.
5. Scoop. Use an ice cream scoop to divide the batter evenly into the lined pan, so all the cupcakes bake in the same time.
6. Bake. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let them cool completely before dipping, or the warm cupcakes will melt the chocolate and frosting.
7. Dip in chocolate. Microwave the chocolate chips in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until completely melted. Dip the top of each cupcake in the chocolate and refrigerate to harden while you make the frosting.
8. Frost. Pipe or spread the frosting over the chocolate and enjoy!

Ways to Customize Sweet Potato Cupcakes

• Change the frosting. The whipped vanilla buttercream is super scrumptious, but any frosting works. Cream cheese frosting is a great match for sweet potato.
• Pipe it pretty. A large frosting tip makes tall, bakery style swirls with very little effort.
• Skip the chocolate. Frost the cupcakes right on top for a simpler version.

Sweet Potato Pie Cupcakes FAQs

• Are these cupcakes gluten free? They are made without wheat flour. If you’re baking for someone with celiac disease, check that your tapioca flour, chocolate chips and frosting ingredients are labeled gluten free.
• Where do I find tapioca flour? Check the bulk bins at a local co op, where it’s often cheaper, or the baking aisle near the gluten free flours.
• Can I use canned sweet potato puree? Yes. Choose plain puree without added sugar or spices.
• Can I use a different frosting? Yes. Any vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting works.
• Do I have to dip them in chocolate? No, but the chocolate layer makes them extra special. Let it set in the fridge before frosting.
• How do I know they’re done? A toothpick in the center should come out clean, usually after 12 to 14 minutes.
• How do I store them? Keep frosted cupcakes covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Let them sit out for 20 to 30 minutes before serving so the frosting softens.
• Can I make them ahead? Bake the cupcakes a day ahead, cool completely and store covered. Dip and frost them the day you serve.

Healthy Gluten Free Cupcakes with Sweet Potato

Sweet potato pie cupcakes are made with almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut sugar and sweet potato puree, dipped in melted chocolate and topped with vanilla buttercream. They are moist, cozy and made without wheat flour.

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Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
• ½ cup tapioca flour/starch
• ½ cup coconut sugar
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• ½ cup melted coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2/3 cup sweet potato puree

For topping

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips melted
• Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Combine well in a large mixing bowl: almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
• In a medium mixing bowl combine eggs, coconut oil, vanilla and sweet potato puree. If you are making your own puree, find out how to here.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just combined.
• Use ice cream scoop to scoop even amounts of batter into lined cupcake pan.
• Bake for 12-14 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean.
• Once cupcakes have cooled completely, microwave chocolate chips until melted. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted. Dip each cupcake top in the melted chocolate. Put in the refrigerator to harden, while you make the frosting.
• I used a whipped vanilla buttercream recipe from iambaker.net, but you could use any frosting for the top.
• Frost the cupcakes and enjoy!

Made these cupcakes? Leave a star rating in the recipe card and tell us how they turned out in the comments below. We’d love to hear where you took them.

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Healthy Simple Sweet Potato Casserole
• Gluten Free Sweet Potato Pie
• Easy Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce
• Roasted Fall Vegetables
• Pumpkin Ricotta Cheesecake

This recipe was shared by Lisa. Visit her blog, A Table Full of Joy, for more recipes.