Sweet Potato Protein Muffins are a healthy, sweet, and portable breakfast or snack to give you energy and keep you full! Gluten Free & Grain Free
Happy Tuesday friends! Today is the day that I teach three lab classes, and these little guys are the perfect example of a healthy portable food that I've been bringing with me in my new lunch bag to help power me through.
It's funny because when I worked at the gym, I had long days like this ALL THE TIME, in fact, more often than not I would spend 12-15 hours at the gym in a day. I relied on a ton of high protein, low carb snacks to keep me full, but I was always exhausted.
Well, that's partially from the fact that I was working 12-15 hour days that's for sure. The other part of it was not incorporating enough healthy carbohydrates into my diet to give me the energy I need to be as active as I was in that job.
Carbs seem to be this elusive thing that many of us misjudge, mislabel, shun or abuse. I tend to spend a good amount of time talking with Hungry Hobby RD clients about carbohydrate quantity and quality.
The reason we spend so much time talking about it is that this is the one area of diet that I believe must be truly individualized to you. What you need will change depending on your age, gender, body composition, activity level, and health status.
For example:
- Hormone changes throughout your lifecycle (puberty, pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause) will change how well your body regulates carbohydrates.
- Females do not do as well on a prolonged low carbohydrate diet (<100grams per day) as men.
- The closer you get to your goal body composition, the more carbohydrates you need, not less.
- The more active you are, the more carbohydrates you need.
- Chronic conditions, especially endocrine disorders such as thyroid conditions or diabetes change your carbohydrate needs.
- Carbohydrate timing and pairing should also be considered.
On a personal note for the past few months, I've been working on bringing more healthy carbohydrates back into my diet, and what a difference it has made! The biggest difference I notice is that my energy levels are stable all day long, I don't need more than one or two cups of coffee which are more for my pleasure than they are in dire need of energy.
I could tell a difference in my workouts right away, but the real difference came when I started teaching again a few weeks ago. On Tuesdays, I'm in class all day and don't get home until 8:30 pm. In the past when I had days like this, I would finally get home and be out of this world cranky and tired. I don't feel like that anymore; I just feel normal tired.
These little muffins have been a big help when I'm on the go as a breakfast, a snack, pre or post workout, basically anytime. They aren't like regular "muffins" they are a protein muffin, so a bit denser. For that reason, I like them better cold than warm.
Also, when you use sun butter in a recipe apparently you can not use baking soda or said baked good will turn green. Trust me on that one, unless you have plans for Saint Patrick's Day do not mix baking soda and sun butter.
Sweet Potato Protein Muffins
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Sweet Potato Protein Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed sweet potato
- ⅓ cup sunflower seed butter
- 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
- 3 Tablespoons coconut flour
- ½ cup liquid egg whites
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Prepare a muffin tin with paper cups or silicone cups.
- Combine all ingredients (mix by hand don't food process it or it will get too runny)
- Divide mixture among 10-12 muffins.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10 minutes.
Nutrition
Like this recipe? Try one of these other high protein snacks!
Coconut Flour Pancakes (great breakfast or snacks)
High Protein Almond Joy Chia Pudding
Be sure to pin this recipe for later! And if you aren't already, follow @hungryhobby on Pinterest for more high protein snack ideas!
Patrick@looneyforfood.com says
I also discovered how things turn green with sunbather! I creating a cookie recipe for my coffee shop and was completely shocked when they kept coming out green. Then I found out the sunbather and baking soda was the problem. These muffins look amazing. I like a dense muffin cold as well!
GiGi Eats says
SWEEEEEEETTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!! I friggin' ADORE sweet potatoes!!! COUNT ME IN x 10000! 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
It's so funny, sometimes when I post a recipe I think is this GiGi approved? You'd have to sub some non-dairy protein powder in there but it could work! Love your post today!
GiGi Eats says
UMMM I FRIGGIN LOVEEEEEE THAT YOU THINK THIS!!! I am so appreciative and flattered too! 😉 Lets have a sweet potato party!!!
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious says
Good to know on the mixing baking soda and sunflower seed butter. I didn't know that!
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
I almost can't believe you've never made that mistake!
Susie @ Suzlyfe says
Well, you learn something new everyday! I haven't baked with sweet potatoes in far too long. Must change that!
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
ha ha are you talking about the sun butter?
Chelsey says
These are the cutest little bites of deliciousness! I'm totally making these before my 12 hour flight on Thursday!!
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
Dang girl 12 hours, I hope you are going somewhere really good!
Natasha says
Hi, I found your recipe linked from the Foodffs tumblr. I was recently diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and meal planning has been... interesting. Not very hard, but incredibly repetitive. I'm looking for variety in my diet as I restrict carbs, since I get bored quickly, so I am very excited to stumble on this recipe! Cannot wait to try them this weekend. Thank you so much for the tip on sunbutter-- I love to eat it for snacking, but never tried to bake with it, and I definitely would have been startled at the green color.
I do have one question: do you have any recommendations for another vegetable mash to use as an alternative? I'm absolutely trying the sweet potato, but I'd like to try other combinations. Carrot, maybe? I considered parsnips (thinking of a carrot cake I make that subs in parsnips and coconut), but they've got too much sugar. Any help would be appreciated!
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
Hi Natasha! Welcome to HH and thank you for letting me know how you found me, that always helps! You sound adventurous! I'm not sure about trying it with another carbohydrate source as density might play a role in how well they bake up, especially without the baking powder. If you try something new let us know how they turn out!
Luana says
Hi, is there something that I could replace the protein powder with?
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
Hi Luana, I would guess you could use any protein powder of choice, but I haven't tried them without protein powder so I'm not sure!
Mary says
I am looking forward to making this tonight. I have leftover sweet potato and coconut flour and I knew there was a muffin recipe that wasn't too high in sugar or stuff that I don't need. I will be using eggs over just the whites though, wish me luck! I just found your page and it looks great!
Chelsea says
I used egg whites like the recipe calls for, but I did sub the sunbutter for almond butter to be able to use 1/2 tsp. of baking powder to fluff them up.
I also added:
-1 tsp. Cinnamon
-1/4 cup Monk fruit sweetener (because I like things a little sweeter)
-6 tbsp. (30g) Unsweetened shredded coconut, divided (20g for the batter, 10g to top before baking)
They came out perfectly risen, tender, and were sweet, but not too sweet. However, although the coconut looked pretty as a topping, you couldn’t taste it.
Kelli Shallal MPH RD says
Yum! Thanks for sharing!