We’ve been home a LOT recently, which leads to more time to get bored, and more time to spend eating. We can thankfully say that coming out of lockdown times we didn’t gain weight, but I do think we have been eating too much, and worse than what we are used to. So I’ve been trying to find healthier alternatives to what we are craving, in this instance healthy vegan sweet potato brownies. They are free of refined sugar, and contain some natural sweetness from the sweet potato! Can you say YAY for a sweet that is guilt-free and still tastes good?
These brownies are so dense and fudgy, they were a real surprise. I have never been a huge fan of those dry brownies, or the real cakey ones either. So trying these came as a pleasant surprise. Not only that but being they are made with a base of sweet potato, they are healthier than regular brownies. One other perk of these brownies is when I use cacao powder, there are tons of health benefits to using it such as a good source of fiber and antioxidants. Sweet potato contains carotenoids which are also good antioxidants.
What you’ll love about these vegan sweet potato brownies?
- They are vegan. A good fudgy brownie doesn’t need to contain eggs and butter. These are great!
- Super moist and dense. If you like fudgy brownies, you will like these. They’re nice and moist, and thick like fudge.
- Easy to make. One bowl and they’re done! Skip all the extra dishes.
- Guilt-free dessert. They don’t contain refined sugar and they contain a good amount of natural sweetener so you can munch on dessert guilt-free.
How to make vegan sweet potato brownies?
Make the Sweet Potato
- Bake the sweet potato. I skip the oven and the hour it takes, by throwing it in the microwave. Place it in a microwave-safe bowl with a lid covering it mostly but leaving some room for venting. Prior to putting it in the microwave, stab it with a fork or knife all around the potato so heat can get in faster.
- Place the potato in the bowl with the lid mostly covering it, and heat it in the microwave for 5 minutes.
- Check the potato is done by puncturing it with a knife. If you can easily puncture it to the center it is done. If not place it back in with the lid on venting for 1-minute intervals until it is easily punctured. Remove the potato and allow it to cool. Once it’s cool to touch, peel the skin off the outside, it should easily come away from the insides.
Make the Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place the inside of potato in a bowl and mash it up to a smooth consistency. Then add the remaining liquid ingredients. Mix together until a smooth batter is formed.
- In the same bowl, add the cacao powder, flour, and salt. Mix together until a smooth batter is formed and everything is well incorporated. If it’s too thick (shouldn’t be runny like a cake batter, but should have some give), pour 2-4 tbsp of plant-based milk into the bowl. Start with one at a time and add until it gets to a point where it moves when you tilt the bowl, but you don’t want it pouring out.
- Scoop the batter into a parchment paper-lined or generously greased loaf pan or small brownie pan (8×8). Using a rubber spatula, spread the batter across the whole pan and evenly flatten the top.
- Bake for 26-28 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Bake for an additional 2-3 minutes if they’re not quite done.
- Cool to room temperature and serve fresh. Leftovers can be stored for 2-3 days on the counter in a sealed container at room temperature or 5 days in the fridge. They are best fresh!
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Vegan Sweet Potato Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato cooked and mashed
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup cocoa powder or cacao powder
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ¼ cup wheat flour
- pinch salt
Instructions
Cook the sweet potato
- Stab the sweet potato all over with a fork or knife to allow for venting while cooking.
- Place in a microwave-safe bowl and cover leaving room for venting. Microwave for about 5 minutes. When it's done, it should easily be pierced with a knife all the way through to the center. If it isn't done after 5 minutes, continue cooking on 1-minute intervals until it's easily pierced.
- Peel the skin off, it should easily be removed. Let it cool till you can touch it or be careful not to burn yourself.
- Place the peeled potato in a bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork.
Sweet Potato Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line a small pan (8×8 or loaf pan) with parchment paper or generously grease with oil.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together the liquid ingredients (sweet potato, almond butter, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and vanilla) until smooth.
- Mix in the cocoa powder, wheat flour, salt until it's all uniformly mixed together. Then stir in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the greased or lined pan. Using a spatula, spread the batter so it is uniform across the top. If you would like to top them with any additional chocolate chips, now is the time to sprinkle them over top.
- Place in the oven and bake for 28 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean when they are done. If they are not done, add an additional 2-3 minutes and check again.
- Allow to cool and enjoy warm! If you have any leftovers they will keep on the counter for 2-3 days, but are best served fresh!
Nutrition
I’d love to know what you thought of these brownies? Did you make them gluten-free with a different flour? Let me know in the comments below. A star-rating is also helpful to keep us going. Thanks for reading! 🙂
-Cassie
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