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    Home » Breakfast & Brunch » Quick Breads & Muffins » Purple Sweet Potato Muffins Recipe

    Purple Sweet Potato Muffins Recipe

    Dec 15, 2015 · by Valentina · 15 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Purple Sweet Potato Muffins with a touch of rosemary are a warming and delicious treat. The combination of creamy melting cheese, subtly sweet, sweet potato and fresh herbs, is out of this world! Purple Sweet Potato Muffins Recipe that have turned greed, with fresh rosemary springs on wood background.

    Food Science

    Well here's something they didn't teach me in culinary school -- baking soda makes purple potatoes turn green!

    Seriously folks, I opened the oven door and my jaw dropped. I was expecting to see beautiful, bright purple sweet potato muffins, and instead I saw these not unattractive, but not expected, interesting green creations.

    Yep, turns out purple sweet potatoes worked as a natural green food coloring!  Bizarre, right!?

    four raw slightly dirty purple sweet potatoes

    Why does purple turn green when mixed with baking soda?

    The anthocyanin that provides the purple color reacts with baking soda -- or anything alkaline -- and turns the resulting mixture green, or blue-green.

    As you know, I'm a chef, not a scientist, so here's a bit more on that.  😉

    one purple sweet potato with some of the skin peeled off

    Here's the deal, it doesn't matter what color they are because they're so delicious!  They have a light, soft texture with a creamy potato vibe.

    What's in this recipe?

    • purple sweet potatoes
    • buttermilk
    • eggs
    • olive oil
    • sugar, salt
    • all-purpose flour, baking soda
    • fresh rosemary
    • butter
    • Gruyère cheese

    Can you just imagine the soft muffins with the melting Gruyère, which has a wonderful nutty taste, and the lovely earthy, pine-like flavor of rosemary? Delicious!

    6 purple Sweet Potato Muffins still in the muffin tin, that have turned green.

    They're amazing served warm, with or without butter.  And they're divine alongside cozy brisket stew.

    For this recipe I used the gorgeous Stokes Purple Sweet Potatoes from Frieda's. Here are a couple more of my favorite recipes in which they are the star -- and purple!

    Another Purple Potato Recipe I Love

    Chile-Lemon Roasted Purple Sweet Potato FriesChile-Lemon Roasted Purple Sweet Potato Fries on beige, crumpled parchment.Okay, so getting back to the green. . . . think of the possibilities for Saint Patrick's Day!

    Whatever their color, I hope you love these Purple Sweet Potato Muffins with Rosemary!

    purple sweet potato muffins that are greenish with melted cheese and rosemary sprigs

    Purple Sweet Potato Muffins Recipe

    Valentina K. Wein
    In this recipe, the combination of creamy melting cheese, the subtly sweet, sweet potato and the fresh herbs, is out of this world
    *Please note that the prep time doesn't include cooking and mashing the potato, which takes takes about 15 minutes.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12
    Calories 218 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 cup cooked, mashed purple sweet potato (from about 1 small-medium sized potato -- see notes)
    • ⅓ cup buttermilk
    • 2 large eggs
    • ½ cup olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
    • ¾ teaspoon sea salt
    • 1⅓ cup all-purpose flour
    • 1½ teaspoons baking soda
    • 1 cup Gruyère cheese, divided
    • 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F, and adjust a rack to the center. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cups. Set aside.
    • In a large mixing bowl, combine the mashed sweet potato (see notes on how to mash the potato), buttermilk, eggs, oil, sugar and salt. Mix until smooth -- you can use an electric mixer if that's easier.
    • Add the flour and baking soda and mix only until it's incorporated.
    • Fold in ⅔ cup of the grated cheese and the rosemary.
    • Fill each paper muffin cup about ¾ the way up with the batter.
    • In a small bowl, mix the softened butter with the remaining ⅓ cup of grated cheese and then evenly distribute this on top of each batter-filled cup.
    • Bake in the preheated 350°F oven until the muffins are set and becoming golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
    • Let them cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

    Notes

    To mash the potato: Peel and then cut the potatoes into large chunks. Place them in a steamer over boiling water and cover. Steam until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes. Remove them from the steamer and use a fork to mash them immediately. Let them cool to room temperature before using them in the recipe.
    Calorie count is only an estimate.
    Keywords great on-the-go snack, best potato sides, purple potatoes
    Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

    This is not a sponsored post.  Frieda's sent me Stokes Purple Sweet Potatoes for recipe testing and I love them!

    More Quick Breads & Muffins

    • Butternut Squash Bread with Ginger
    • Spiced Apple Butter Muffins
    • Cauliflower Bread with Gruyère
    • Italian Herb Bread

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cathy | She Paused 4 Thought

      December 15, 2015 at 7:11 pm

      Who knew? They still look great.

      Reply
      • valentina

        December 15, 2015 at 10:47 pm

        Thanks Cathy -- I never know these things! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Oakley @ Frieda's

      December 15, 2015 at 8:30 pm

      Oh noes! LOL But hey, this also works for Christmas, yes? 😉

      We also found that when cleaning up, once in a while, hitting the purple sweet potatoes with soap turns it BLUE...then green. Isn't chemistry fun?

      We probably should make a note of that on our product page...

      Reply
      • valentina

        December 15, 2015 at 10:50 pm

        So interesting, Oakley! I love them whatever color they turn! Though I think they're the most gorgeous raw. Gorgeous! Thank you for sharing them with me!

        Reply
    3. Terri Lyman

      December 15, 2015 at 8:34 pm

      Acid to make them purple, soda to make them green- sort of like red cabbage

      Reply
      • valentina

        December 15, 2015 at 10:46 pm

        Terri, I'm thinking this year's science fair. 😉 We miss you guys! xoxo

        Reply
    4. sippitysup

      December 16, 2015 at 11:44 am

      If purple sweet potatoes are anything like purple asparagus then perhaps the culprit is heat as much as it is acid. As with many purple foods, purple asparagus turns green (or greenish) when cooked – though the flavor remains the same. Actually I shouldn’t say purple asparagus turn green, but cooking does cause a chemical reaction in the anthocyanins which reveals the green chlorophyll beneath the purple anthocyanins that was always there. GREG

      Reply
      • valentina

        December 16, 2015 at 5:00 pm

        Cool, Greg. You more a scientist than I am! 😉 xo

        Reply
      • Lauren

        December 17, 2015 at 6:04 am

        I keep trying to read through On Food and Cooking, so I can learn the science, too! It's bedtime reading, but it puts me to sleep way too quickly! Thanks for the lesson Greg.

        Valentina, these are so festive and perfect for the holidays!

        Reply
        • valentina

          December 17, 2015 at 9:19 pm

          Thanks, Lauren! That's so funny about it putting you to sleep quickly. 🙂 Happy Holidays! XOXO

          Reply
    5. Deb|EastofEdenCooking

      December 17, 2015 at 1:16 pm

      Cooking can be so much fun! That's a huge plus in addition to keeping everyone feed and happy! Great post Valentina. I could use one of these scrumptious muffins for my lunch today!

      Reply
      • valentina

        December 17, 2015 at 9:22 pm

        Thanks, Deb. Truthfully, I almost laughed when I opened the oven door. Fun, it is. Happy Holidays to you and yours! XOXO

        Reply
    6. Derek

      December 18, 2015 at 9:45 am

      What a creative recipe. I love how you took the savory route on the muffin. It's truly a great idea. Awesome.

      Reply
      • valentina

        December 18, 2015 at 1:50 pm

        Thanks so much! 🙂 Happy Holidays!

        Reply
    7. David

      December 19, 2015 at 8:35 am

      Valentina - these sound amazing! I think I will make them for Mardi Gras. They have all the right colors…

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Valentina, certified chef, owner, recipe developer and photographer at Cooking on the Weekends. I'm also a mom of two boys and a Los Angeleno. I use seasonal whole foods to create unique and comforting recipes for casual entertaining.

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