These whole wheat sweet potato squares are infused with chai spices and have a gooey, delicious peanut butter glaze. This is perfect breakfast food, and it's super kid-friendly.Spring is finally here and if you need confirmation (which you might if you live here in the DC area where there's still a bite in the air) you only have to look at the deep pink magnolia blossoms blanketing tree limbs that were bare only yesterday.
This is my favorite time of year, not just because everything's so gorgeous after a long, bleak winter but because Spring is a reaffirmation of life and a reminder that the cold and the dreary and the dark always gives way to resplendent, perfect beauty.
Very soon the cherry blossoms will be out on the Tidal Basin and if you've never been, you must. A manmade reservoir that runs along the spectacular Jefferson Memorial, D.C.'s Tidal Basin is home to thousands of cherry trees -- a gift of friendship from Japan a century ago. Early each Spring the trees flower, creating a profusion of pink and white blooms that turns an already beautiful landscape into something almost other-worldly. It has to be seen to be believed.
You know how, when you have something in your backyard, you get blase about it. I haven't been to see the cherry blossoms in years now, and this year I am putting it on my list of Things I Absolutely Must Do This Spring. That, and keeping my eye open for great yard sales. And giving my brown thumb another workout in the vegetable garden.
What are your plans this Spring?
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I have for you today this delicious -- and healthy -- recipe for my Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Squares with a Peanut Butter Glaze, which are just about the most perfect breakfast food ever invented. Honest.
I used a muffin batter to make these squares partly because I was too lazy to scoop out individual muffins (yes, I am just THAT lazy sometimes) and partly because I thought the squares would look rather cute. The squares are all whole wheat and low fat and they are yummy without being cloyingly sweet.
I love sweet potatoes because they put a healthy halo around just about any food. They are particularly perfect for breakfast and a great way to sneak some nutrition into a kid-friendly snack. The peanut butter glaze complements the sweet potato flavor and adds some more sweetness and crunch to the cakey squares.
Here's the recipe. Happy Spring, all, and may yours be filled with all the beauty in the world.
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More recipes to try:
- Peach Streusel Breakfast Pizza
- Healthy Vegan Chia Waffles
- Vegan Maple Wheat Germ Waffles
- Vegan Mango Muffins
- Orange Almond Breakfast Loaf
- Strawberry Bread
- Applesauce Sandwich Bread
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Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Squares with Peanut Butter Glaze
Ingredients
- For the squares:
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup cooked sweet potato, about 1 small sweet potato, well mashed
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups non-dairy milk
- 2 teaspoon chai spices. I used a combination of cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom and nutmeg. You can go with just cinnamon if you'd rather
- For the peanut butter glaze:
- ¼ cup crunchy peanut butter
- ¼ cup water
- A few drops of vanilla extract
- 6 teaspoon powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the applesauce, oil, sugar, vanilla extract, sweet potato and non-dairy milk until well mixed.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until you have a smooth batter.
- Grease a 9-inch square cake pan or, for easier removal, line the bottom of the pan with parchment or foil and oil the surface.
- Pour the batter into the pan and with a spatula or ladle spread evenly and smooth out the top.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake in the oven 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Make the glaze by whisking together the peanut butter, water, vanilla and powdered sugar until you have a smooth mixture.
- Let the muffin "cake" cool for 10 minutes. Unmold the cake, place on a rack, then pour the glaze over with a spoon, ensuring you spread it evenly.
- Cool thoroughly before serving.
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Helen
A stupid question I'm sorry, I'm from the UK!
How do I measure the sweet potato using a cup. Is it 1 cup of mashed potato (measured after cooking and mashing)? I can't tell from the directions whether you chop cook measure mash, or chop cook mash then measure!!
I'm just not familiar with US measurements I'm sorry, we tend to use grams here.
So sorry
Thank you
Helen
ramya
Hi, this looks absolutely delicious. I have recently found your website and am planning to try out everything, starting with this 🙂 one question though.. my husband is just lactose intolerant. So is it alright to add eggs to this recipe? Thanks!
Vaishali Honawar
Hi Ramya, welcome to Holy Cow! 🙂 I am a little confused by your question-- there is no milk in this recipe and non-dairy milks like soy, almond or cashew milk do not contain lactose.
Prema
Vaishali.......
I am so happy today. This came out so well. Thank you!
Vaishali Honawar
Thanks for the feedback, Prema! 🙂
Anjali
Wanted to pop by and say that theses turned out fabulous. Thanks for another keeper (your tikka masala pot pie is one of our fav meals!).
Vaishali
Anjali, so glad you liked them. And ooh, that tikka masala pot pie is one of my faves too. Thanks for the feedback, and so happy you enjoyed these recipes. Hugs.
Shonalika
These look just wonderful! Peanut butter does compliment sweet potato beautifully. I've never come across whole-wheat pastry flour in the UK though, and without much luck on the internet either... unless I want to order overseas for extortionate prices:P Any possible substitutes?
Vaishali
Shonalika, the durum wheat flour used in chapatis works well. Or try half regular whole wheat and half all purpose.
Anjali
These are so tempting! i think my 7yo would love some for breakfast (besides the added bonus of helping make them!). Apples are just crazy expensive in India right now for me to make any applesauce. Could you please suggest a substitute - banana puree, yogurt? I'm not vegan, just vegetarian but I <3 your site and your recipes! Thanks for sharing this.
Vaishali
Hi Anjali, Banana purée would work well. Your squares would taste of banana but along with the peanuts it should taste fabulous. Hope your child loves them! 🙂
Anjali
Thank you! Will be making them tomorrow. Will pop back and let you know how it went. Cheers.
Lana
This is a silly question. I don't like glazes. Could I incorporate all the glaze ingredients with the cake ingredients and just bake it? Has anyone tried it this way?
Thanks.
Vaishali
Hi Lana, you could try mixing some peanut butter into the batter, but given how small the amount is the peanut butter flavor might not come through.
Ellen Lederman
I'm drooling over this! I loved your peanut butter icing with the muffins. This sounds just as good. I do have a cup of pumpkin puree in the freezer, but I will try this with sweet potato first. Do you actually make applesauce from scratch? Sometimes when I use it for baking I just puree some apples in the blender and that seems to work. Just got silicone muffin cups so may make them as muffins.
Vaishali
Hi Ellen, so glad you liked the peanut butter icing. I don't make applesauce from scratch-- I am not that diligent. 🙂 No, it comes out of a jar from the supermarket. Although I'd love to make some one day.
Priya
Omg, cant resist to those squares, that peanut butter glaze is just irresistible.;
Vaishali
Thanks, Priya!
Pallavi Kulkarni
Oh look at that glorious glaze! What I would give to be able to scarf down peanuts like before..
I am amazed by the combinations you come up with, Vaishali! I also like the idea of baking it all in a pan and cutting squares, they do look nice.
Vaishali
Hi Pallavi, I know-- what would I give to be able to scarf ANYTHING like before. 🙂
Eileen
This is such a great idea! I love the combination of sweet potato and peanut--it's almost like an African stew in muffin form. 🙂
Vaishali
Hi Eileen, 🙂 African stew in muffin form indeed.