A smarter muffin for January

By week three of the new year, my willpower has usually packed a bag and left a note on the counter. The holidays feel long over, my good intentions are still technically alive and yet my afternoon coffee continues to demand a sweet treat.

At this point in life, I know that white-knuckling my way through cravings has never worked for long. If I don’t plan a healthier treat I actually look forward to, I will default to whatever not-so-great option is closest.

Judging by the chorus of agreement from friends and family lately, this isn’t a personal flaw so much as a shared human experience.

So, instead of giving up on goodies altogether, I decided to outsmart human nature and create something that feels indulgent, nourishes the body and keeps our best intentions from wandering off.

What makes these muffins work is the combination of sweet potato and applesauce, creating a muffin that’s naturally sweet, deeply moist and satisfying.

Instead of relying on flour, this recipe uses oats, which helps slow digestion and keeps blood sugar on an even keel. The result is a treat that feels steady and sustaining, not spiky.

There’s flexibility built right into the recipe so you can use what you have handy. Any orange-fleshed cooked vegetable works here, including sweet potato, butternut squash or pumpkin. I recommend roasting it to cook off excess moisture and concentrate the flavor.

There’s just a half cup of sweetener in the entire batch. You can reduce it to 1/4 cup if you prefer a less-sweet muffin. It’ll still be delicious.

The fat is modest, just 1/3 cup, since the batter already has plenty of moisture. A little flax meal adds fiber, omega-3s and antioxidants.

The add-ins are optional but encouraged. Pecans are lovely, but walnuts, almonds or pepitas bring texture.

And the streusel topping? Optional, yes, but it’s what gives these muffins that “fancy-pants bakery” feel. A small flourish that makes an everyday muffin feel special.

Good treats should do more than satisfy cravings. They should nourish the body, comfort the spirit and fit into real life without negotiation or guilt. These muffins manage all three, and that’s no small thing.

Sneaky Little Sweet Potato Muffins

Servings: 12 muffins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups quick oats

1/2 cup all-purpose or whole wheat flour

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup cooked, mashed sweet potato (pumpkin or butternut squash)

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 eggs

1/3 cup coconut oil, or butter, melted, or neutral oil

1/2 cup brown sugar, maple syrup or honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

Optional add-ins: up to 1 cup of pecans, dried cranberries, raisins and/or finely chopped dates

For the Cinnamon Pecan Streusel:

1/4 cup white or whole wheat flour

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons coconut oil or softened butter

3 tablespoons chopped pecans

Procedure

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line or grease a muffin tin. In a mixing bowl stir together oats, flour, flax, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In another large bowl, whisk together the sweet potato, applesauce, eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add the dry ingredients gradually until all are incorporated. Fold in add-ins if using. Divide batter evenly into muffin cups. They’ll be pretty full, that’s alright.

Make the Streusel: Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, chopped pecans and coconut oil or butter in a medium-size bowl. Top each muffin with a big pinch of streusel.

Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until set and lightly golden. Cool completely.