Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Muffins with Cardamom and Ginger

Last week I was casually scrolling through the NYT, and in an inevitable stray from "real" news landed on a Mark Bittman article entitled Whole Wheat Muffin, the Remix. Mainly an adage to whole wheat pastry flour I read on through the end where he suggested new ways to spice up an old breakfast favorite: banana, coconut, pumpkin, sweet potato with ginger and cardamom - wait, hold the phone - sweet potato with ginger and cardamom?? I had one of those mustmakethisnow moments.

This is where it gets complicated. Mark admits that his recipe, while filled with wholesome ingredients, packs a sugar/butter-induced caloric punch. Now I'm a firm believer in using real ingredients in baked goods, and indulgence in moderation, but muffins are a different story. They oft times sit on the brink of cupcake and in that case, can i get some icing up in here?

Not that I don't enjoy an occasional super-decadent and delicious muffin recipe to share with friends, but if they're gonna be stocked in the freezer for daily consumption - they better be healthy. I scoured the internet for sweet potato muffin recipes, trying to minimize the oil/butter/sugar while avoiding fake ingredients. After hours of research (I get distracted), here's what I came up with:

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Muffins with Ginger and Cardamom

Makes 12 (or 17, you know how it is...)

This recipe is very loosely adapted from CrossFit Maximus with which I have no affiliation, haha

1 1/2 cups pureed sweet potato (about 2 medium)
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour (sorry Mark, I don't have WW pastry flour!)
3/4 cup unbleached AP flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup agave nectar*
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup diced mango
1 tbsp fresh ginger (many recipes suggested 1/4 tsp ground ginger)
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped dates

*The science isn't quite there yet to support its lower glycemic index, and it's not a sustainable resource. This was the dregs of a wayward bottle that I bought 2 years ago, and I decided to finish it off.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Roast for about one hour or until caramelizing (oozing with sweet goodness) and tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before peeling and mashing with a fork. If you're in a hurry, you can zap it in the microwave - but forreal the smell that emanates from the oven is worth the wait!


Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potato, eggs, agave, applesauce, ginger and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom. Next fold together the wet and dry ingredients until just mixed, and then add in the mango and dates. Pour into greased muffin pans. Bake for 20-30 minutes until lightly browned (mine were smaller and took closer to 20).


After cooling, I placed the finished product on a baking pan and flash-froze them for a few hours, then placed them in a plastic bag in the freezer for a quick n' easy weekday breakfast :)