If sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is your favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner, you’re going to love this dessert recipe. These sweet potato cupcakes are soft and perfectly spiced, and are topped with a little honey and toasty marshmallows!
I came up with this recipe because my kiddo has randomly decided he’s not a big frosting fan, so I wanted to try a cupcake with an alternative to that. I love the way it came out. Think of them as a handheld version of that classic holiday side dish.
They’re made with simple pantry ingredients and are dairy free. As quick note, since I have many families that refer to this site – remember that honey should not be served to children under the age of 1. If you want to share a bit with your little one, go for a piece of plain cupcake.
Ingredients
Here are all the ingredients you’ll need to make the cupcakes:
Here are some helpful ingredient notes:
- Sweet potato puree – I love using leftover roasted or microwaved sweet potatoes for this recipe; just process it in a mini food processor to get the flesh very smooth. You can also microwave one the same day to make it. Just poke a large sweet potato a few times with a fork and then microwave for about 6-7 minutes, until tender. Or, chop it up and boil in a pot on the stove until tender. Either way, let cool then puree.
- Almond milk – I used unsweetened almond milk for this recipe since it’s what I always have on hand, but any unsweetened dairy-free milk will work.
- Vegetable oil – Using oil keeps these cupcakes moist and dairy free (with no expensive substitutes). You can use any neutral oil here, like canola oil or avocado oil, too.
- Mini marshmallows – I use these to top the cupcakes instead of frosting, and almost all brands are dairy-free. That said, if you prefer frosting on these instead of the toasted marshmallows, a good dairy-free cream cheese frosting is a great choice as an alternative. Many store-bought options are dairy-free.
Instructions
You’ll find the full recipe amounts and instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s a helpful overview with photos.
Start by mixing together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
In a separate large bowl, mix together the sugar, sweet potato puree, egg, oil, almond milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Avoid overmixing as it can make the cupcakes a bit dense.
Pour the batter into a 12-count muffin tin, dividing evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-23 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cupcakes cool down for about 20-30 minutes. Letting them cool a little first prevents the honey from running off of it immediately in the next step.
Drizzle a little honey over the top of a cupcake. Stick about 10 mini marshmallows on there, pressing down a bit to get it to stick to the honey. Repeat with all the cupcakes.
Pop those under the broiler for a minute, until the marshmallows are puffed and golden. Watch them closely – marshmallows go from perfectly toasted to burnt in seconds (ask me how I know, haha).
Let them cool for a few minutes before digging in. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Modifications
Storage: These are best enjoyed the day they’re made, while the marshmallows are soft and toasty. If you plan to save some for later, I recommend storing the untopped cupcakes and then adding the marshmallows the day you plan to eat them. They can be stored for up to 2 days in an airtight container at room temperature, or you can freeze for up to 3 months (for best quality).
Make ahead: Bake the cupcakes a day in advance and keep them covered at room temperature. When you’re ready to serve, add the honey and marshmallows and give them a quick broil. Perfect for Thanksgiving when your oven is in high demand!
No broiler? If you have a kitchen torch, that will give you the best result without a broiler – but I realize that’s not something everyone has lying around, haha. A 400 degree oven (fully preheated!) for about 3-4 minutes will give good-enough results.
Swapping the topping: If you’re not a marshmallow fan, these are also delicious with a swirl of dairy-free cream cheese frosting or dairy-free vanilla buttercream. You can make ‘em from scratch or you can buy a store bought jar – just double check labels to ensure they fit your needs.
Allergens in this Recipe
Disclaimer: Always double check ingredients and labels yourself prior to making a recipe. While I try to check all ingredients for allergens, there’s always the chance I may miss something, or manufacturer formulations can change.
This recipe is dairy free.
This recipe does contain egg (in the egg), wheat/gluten (in the flour), and tree nuts (in the almond milk). It is also made with vegetable oil, which is derived from soy – and while that technically isn’t labeled for allergen purposes, I’m calling it out here as I know people with soy allergies often choose to avoid it. Some substitutions:
- Make it nut free: Swap out the almond milk for oat milk or another dairy-free milk. I’ve made this recipe with oat milk before, it works great.
- Make it soy-oil-free: Use avocado oil in place of the soy oil. I have tested this substitution and it works well.
- Make it gluten-free: I haven’t tested this substitution, but based on past experience, I would anticipate that using a measure-for-measure gluten free flour should work (like King Arthur gluten free measure-for-measure).
- Make it egg-free: I haven’t tested this substitution, but going off the recipe, I would imagine that adding an additional 2 tbsp almond milk + 1 tbsp vinegar should work in this recipe.
More Dairy Free Fall Treats
If you’re looking for more cozy dairy-free recipes to try this season, here are a few of my favorites:
- Fluffy gluten free sweet potato pancakes
- Dairy free pumpkin oatmeal cookies
- Dairy free pumpkin cookie cake
- Pumpkin olive oil cake
- Dairy-free pumpkin whoopie pies
I hope you enjoy these dairy free sweet potato pie cupcakes. If you get a chance to make ’em, feel free to leave a recipe rating or comment below.
Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallows
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup sweet potato puree
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the topping (optional, can use frosting instead):
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 ¼ cup mini marshmallows
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners (or grease the muffin tin).
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In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
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In another large mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, sweet potato puree, oil, almond milk, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir until well combined.
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Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
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Portion the batter into the 12-count muffin tin, dividing evenly. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-23 minutes, or until the cupcakes are cooked through and a toothpick inserted into the center pulls out clean.
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Let the cupcakes cool for about 20-30 minutes. Drizzle each cupcake with a little honey, immediately pressing about 10 mini marshmallows on top of each one.
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Preheat the broiler for a few minutes, then place the cupcakes under the broiler for about 1 minute, until the marshmallows are toasty (keep a close eye on them; they toast quickly). Remove and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- If you don’t have leftover sweet potato puree for this recipe, you can microwave a large sweet potato, or peel, cut into chunks, and boil. Then process into a puree in a mini food processor.
- As an alternative to marshmallows, a dairy-free cream cheese frosting or dairy-free buttercream works very well on these cupcakes. Many store bought options are dairy free if you don’t want to make frosting from scratch; check labels.
Nutrition analysis (approximate per cupcake): 252 calories, 10 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 220 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 23 g sugar, 2.5 g protein, Vitamin D: 1%, Calcium: 2%, Iron: 6%, Potassium: 2%
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