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These amazing sweet potato brownies will wow everyone! Fudgy and chewy, they’re loaded with flavor…good stuff, too. One swap and these vegan sweet potato brownies are also gluten-free.
They’re fudgy, chewy, chocolaty, and one of the favorite things to come out of our kitchen to date. Try these Sweet Potato Brownies! Why hide vegetables in desserts when you can proudly proclaim them? These brownies could not be more thrilled by their sweet potato interior. It makes the best chewy texture and loads them with nutrients. In fact, these are super plant-powered vegan sweet potato brownies! But most importantly: they’re irresistibly delicious, with a rich nuance in flavor that makes them taste loads better than a standard brownie. Come, see how it’s done!
Tricks to the best sweet potato brownies
These sweet potato brownies are next level. Everyone who’s tried them comes back with one word: “Wow!” Over here we’re partial to a chewy brownie, and the sweet potato adds just the right moist, chewy texture. It also brings a richness that somehow tastes more real than using loads of butter and sugar. We like these better than a standard brownie: hands down. Here are some of the major ingredients that make this recipe work:
- Mashed sweet potato brings richness and texture, and stands in for some butter and flour
- Almond butter adds fat while adding protein
- Sugar sweetens it just right: you can use granulated, coconut or your favorite solid sugar here
- Flour is much less than a standard recipe, and you can substitute to make them gluten free
- Cocoa powder brings rich chocolaty flavor
- Olive oil is a healthy oil and you’ll only need a touch
- Dark chocolate chips are required for the final touch of chocolate!
Roasting the potatoes (and a shortcut or two)
The only difference from these sweet potato brownies and a traditional dump-and-stir recipe? Roasting the sweet potatoes. Here are a few notes on this process, and a shortcut or two:
- Roasting the potatoes caramelizes them and brings out the sugars. It’s absolutely worth the 30 minutes of roasting time.
- Cut them in half before roasting! This cuts down on the time needed to roast, versus roasting them whole.
- You can microwave the potatoes as a shortcut. Go to Microwave Sweet Potato for all our tips! Keep in mind: the timing can vary based on size and the microwave can be uneven in cooking. Also, roasting brings out the natural sugars, whereas the microwave does not. So use this in a pinch!
Make them gluten free!
Want to make these vegan sweet potato brownies gluten free? It’s an easy swap for the flour! Using the sweet potato lets you use much less flour than a traditional brownie. There’s only ½ cup flour in the entire pan! Here are a few swaps for the flour:
- Try oat flour (or make your own). Oat flour is our favorite gluten-free flour: it makes for beautifully delicious gluten free goods like healthy pumpkin bread or oatmeal pancakes. It’s easy to make, too: just whiz oats in a blender or food processor until they become powdery. It’s an easy swap here.
- Or use your favorite gluten free flour. Most 1-for-1 gluten free flour blends will work here!
Let us know what you try in the comments!
Are these vegan sweet potato brownies…healthy?
You’ll never miss the traditional butter and eggs in these vegan sweet potato brownies. Almond butter and olive oil stand in for the butter, and the sweet potato gives them just the right texture. But can they be considered healthy? Here’s what to know:
- These are a treat: they’ve got lots of sugar! Don’t be fooled: these are a treat food for sure.
- Sweet potato adds fiber, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Brownies don’t normally have fiber and vitamins, so that’s a plus! One pound of sweet potatoes has 357% of the daily recommendation for Vitamin A and 13 grams of fiber.
- Almond butter adds protein and heart-healthy fats. Instead of butter, almond butter adds plant-based protein and makes these a filling treat.
Bottom line: These vegan sweet potato brownies are not a health food, but they’re a healthier treat when compared to a standard brownie.
This sweet potato brownies recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free. For gluten-free, use oat flour.
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Fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies (Family Favorite!)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
Description
These amazing sweet potato brownies will wow everyone! Fudgy and chewy, they’re loaded with flavor…good stuff, too. Vegan with gluten-free swap.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups mashed sweet potato (about 1 pound or 2 medium potatoes)
- ½ cup creamy almond butter (substitute cashew butter or sunflower butter for allergies)
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ¾ cup sugar (granulated or coconut)
- ½ cup all purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips (dairy free if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash the sweet potatoes and slice them in half. Place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and rub them with olive oil, just enough to coat. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Place cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake until tender and lightly browned on the edges, about 30 to 35 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes (smaller potatoes may take 25 minutes; prick with a fork to assess doneness).
- Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9 x 9 or 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper (allowing it to extend out the sides to lift it out later, or just a square if you plan to cut them in the pan). Then grease the entire pan and parchment paper.
- Pull the skin off of the sweet potatoes and mash them, measuring out 1 ½ cups. Add the almond butter, cocoa powder, sugar, flour, oil, baking powder, vanilla, and kosher salt until a thick dough forms. Fold in ¼ cup of the dark chocolate chips. Place the batter in the pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips on top.
- Bake 30 minutes, until set but soft in the center. Cool 1 hour. degrees Fahrenheit. Store at room temperature for 3 days, refrigerated for 1 week, or in the freezer for 3 months.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Brownies
- Diet: Vegan
Keywords: Sweet potato brownies, vegan sweet potato brownies
I love sweet potatoes but brownies, kinda, my issue is too chocolate overload, but seriously worth trying if sweet potato helps to cut back on the chocolate on chocolate in conventional brownies, so thank you!
These are great! Made them with sunbutter and coconut sugar.
★★★★★
I tried your recipe and these were delicious! I had to add 1/4c water and added 2 tbsp of pure maple suryp too, to increase sweetness but very good! I knew from the batter they would be good, no eggs yayh so I could taste it. The last thing I will say is mine rose as tall as a cake in an 8×8. I will definitely use a larger pan next time.
★★★★★
Have you tried Black Bean Brownies???
Carbs 21 Not sure what BBB have!
I made this on a whim—and I am astounded at the result! I’ve only made sweet potato pie before, but these brownies were really, really yummy. I used peanut butter instead of almond butter, and used one large sweet potato for the whole pan. This was a fun recipe to improvise a little with. I will say, my peanut butter certainly thickened up the brownies and made them more fudgey. However, I loved the result! If you are worried about having all the ingredients—don’t be! Just keep the main road in sight and add your own touches! (I also dusted them with powdered sugar at the end. Yum! :)
★★★★★
These are incredibly delicious & moist. Thanks for a great recipe, Sonja & Alex! I hope you don’t mind that I tweaked them to be SOS brownies (minus the 85% cocao chips I used lol). I replaced the oil with mashed bananas, reduced the salt and added date paste to replace the sugar. I also used intact oats instead of oat flour, and with the adjustments, they turned out scrumptious, so I only can imagine how amazing these would be using the original recipe. Thank you for sharing it :)!
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed!
These were so delicious. Moist and super rich brownies. I substituted semi sweet chocolate chips because I had half a bag to use… which perhaps added some sweetness. Will for sure make these again. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Can I substitute almond butter with peanut butter ?
That should work!
I made a few changes, nibs instead of chips, chunky pb, rice flour, topped with raw sugar and it turned out great! Would definitely make again.
★★★★★
Absolutely fabulous alternative to regular brownies. They’re almost indistinguishable from my favorite “normal” brownies. Fudgy, but not too fudgy, sweet, but not too sweet. Slightly on the crumbly side – not that we let any crumbs escape too far. No idea if these keep well beyond 12 hours because that’s how quickly they were gone. These will be a staple in our house going forward.
★★★★★
These are dangerous…I couldn’t stop eating them!
★★★★★