Sweet Potato Brownies
47 Comments
Updated Apr 03, 2023
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These vegan sweet potato brownies are a game changer. They’re soft, subtly decadent, and taste like the pure chocolate brownie we all know and love!
I’ll admit, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free baking is always a hit or miss. I’ve experienced plenty of failures! So I wasn’t sure how these sweet potato brownies would turn out. But with a few minor tweaks to my tried and true paleo brownie recipe, what do you know – they turned out perfectly!
The sweet potatoes help to lend a natural soft bite and sweetness. And amazingly, you can’t even taste them in this vegan dessert. All you taste is good old chocolatey goodness!
And if you ask me, that’s why sweet potatoes will always have a special place in my kitchen. They’re delicious (sweet or savory), have the creamiest texture, and never cease to amaze me with how versatile they are.
Sweet Potato Brownie Ingredients
The ingredients for these sweet potato brownies are pretty minimal. And ones you’ll likely have if you bake often. But here’s a quick overview of wet and dry ingredients you’ll need.
- Wet Ingredients: You’ll need just a few things. Freshly pureed sweet potato, almond butter (or other nut and seed butter), coconut oil, and a dash of vanilla extract.
- Dry Ingredients: The bulk of the dry ingredients is a mix of cacao powder, coconut sugar, and tapioca flour. The remaining are teaspoons of baking soda, espresso powder, salt, and mini chocolate chips.
Helpful Tips and Substitutions
- Tapioca Flour: If you can’t find tapioca flour, you can also use arrowroot flour for a similar texture.
- Espresso Powder: I highly recommend using espresso powder to create a richer chocolate taste. And no, you won’t taste any coffee-like flavor.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Easy Sweet Potato Brownies
First, make the sweet potato puree. There are a few ways you can approach this. I went the easy route and microwaved my sweet potatoes, then scooped and mashed the flesh. But you can also reference my mashed sweet potato recipe or baked sweet potato recipe for other heating methods.
Second, combine the wet ingredients in a bowl. Use a hand mixer on low speed to blend the sweet potato, almond butter, oil, and vanilla extract.
Third, mix the wet with dry ingredients. Add the cacao powder, coconut sugar, tapioca flour, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt – and blend!
Then… fold in the mini chocolate chips! Just don’t forget to save some of the chocolate chips for sprinkling on top.
Lastly, it’s baking time. Make sure to prep your pan with parchment paper before you start pouring the batter into it. Then flatten the top of the batter with either a spatula or another piece of parchment paper. Let it bake at 350°F for about 23 minutes.
Let the brownies cool for half an hour before slicing them into squares! It’s tempting to dig right in. But trust me, let them firm up a bit.
Storage Tips
- To store: These sweet potato brownies will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
- To freeze: I love to sneak a few slices in the freezer for when the chocolate cravings hit in the future. Store them in a freezer-safe container (with parchment paper in between) for up to 3 months.
More Easy Chocolate Recipes
Once you get on a baking kick, you’ll want to make these chocolate baked goods. They’re pretty easy (just like these brownies) and downright delicious!
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Paleo Chocolate Cake (or these paleo chocolate cupcakes!)
- Paleo Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Chocolate Mug Cake
I hope you enjoy these sweet potato brownies! Let me know how they turned out in a comment below.
Sweet Potato Brownies
Description
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup sweet potato puree (from 1 to 2 sweet potatoes)
- ¾ cup almond butter (or other nut or seed butter)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- ½ cup cacao powder
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup tapioca flour (or arrowroot flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder (optional, but I recommend!)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- To make the sweet potato puree: wash the sweet potatoes thoroughly, pat dry, and poke 3 to 4 times with a fork. Place them on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 8 to 10 minutes, turning halfway through, until fork tender. Let the potatoes cool to the touch, then slice in half, scoop out the flesh into a bowl, and mash until smooth. Alternatively, you can follow my mashed sweet potato recipe (which uses the stove) or baked sweet potato recipe (which uses the oven).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch square pan with parchment paper (with extra coming up the sides), and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the sweet potato, almond butter, oil, and vanilla extract. Use a hand mixer on low speed to gently blend the ingredients for 30 seconds.
- To the same bowl, add the cacao powder, coconut sugar, tapioca flour, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt. Blend again with the hand mixer on low to medium speed for another 30 seconds, or until fully combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. The batter will be thick like playdough and not pourable.
- Transfer the brownie batter into the pan and use another piece of parchment paper on top to smooth it flat in the pan. Optional: top with a few extra chocolate chips. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until the brownies are set, but still soft in the center.
- Let the brownies cool for 30 minutes in the pan, then cut into squares and enjoy!
Lisa’s Tips
- I love to use this espresso powder for all my baked goods!
Nutrition
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My favorite gluten free dessert!
Yay! I’m happy to hear you love these sweet potato brownies, Jessica.
LOVE IT! Moist, fudgy and chocolatier. A very decadent but healty treat :)
If you don’t make it, you would have no clue it has sweet potatos in it.
Fantastic recipe and bonus track on how to do sweet potatos on the micro (#newkitchenhack for me) :)
The only thing, and maybe because of the type of sweet potato I used, it was a bit to dry the mixture so I added a bit of vegetable milk and it work perfectly :)
Thanks for creating and sharing this!
I’m happy you loved the brownies, Eileen!
Just made these for the first time! i think i should have cooked them a little longer but they taste amazing! thank you for another awesome recipe!
I’m happy to hear enjoyed these sweet potato brownies!
I wasn’t sure what to think before trying this recipe and all I can say is that it is absolutely delicious! They are fudgy and very chocolatey and you would never know there was sweet potato hidden in there!
Thrilled to hear you love these sweet potato brownies, Adrienne!
I’ve been meaning to make these brownies for a long time and now I’m sorry it took so long. These may be my favorite brownies ever. I could have just eaten the batter. Lisa, you hit this recipe right out of the park!
Oh wonderful! I’m so happy you loved them, Alan! And yeah, it’s hard to not want to eat the batter as well. ;)
I’m going to try them next, Alan. You’re always a step ahead of me!
Thank you for this recipe. I tried it, its very yummy!
Glad you enjoyed these sweet potato brownies!
I love, love, love this sweet potato brownie recipe. The brownies turn out perfectly every single time I make them. I’m so grateful to Lisa for concocting this delightful recipe. I do have one question… could I substitute pumpkin puree for sweet potato puree?
Aw, thanks so much, Juliana! I’m happy you love them. And yes, you could definitely swap the pumpkin puree for sweet potato puree. Enjoy!
Incredible! I’m still thinking about these from last winter. Now it’s fall and I can’t wait to make them again. I’ve made them several times. I just wanted to share that I have found the taste will vary depending on which brand of almond butter you use (my favorite for these is Barney’s). Also the sweetness of your potato can affect it. So if you bake some sweet potatoes that aren’t very sweet use that for something else and try again in order to have the best outcome.
Thanks for sharing those tips, Jackie!
These are absolutely phenomenal! They are so rich and decadent. I made them and didn’t tell my family they had sweet potato. They kept coming back for more. Lisa, your recipes are always a hit in my home. They never disappoint. Thank you for sharing them with us!!!
Nothing beats a secretly healthy recipe (where people don’t know!).
The best brownies I’ve had that are vegan , and so moist… ingenious, the ingredients.
Yay, happy you loved them!
If I hadn’t just made these myself I’d never believe they contain sweet potato and almond butter as the main ingredients. Super moist and taste just like you expect brownies to taste.
Glad you enjoyed these brownies Craig!
Where do you get espresso powder
I just linked the espresso powder in the recipe notes :)
I substituted the sweet potato with pumpkin puree as I’m trying to use up all my frozen pumpkin from Halloween. Ended up being more of a cake texture vs brownie, guessing because of this but worked perfectly and tasted amazing.
These are FABULOUS!! I love how simple and clean these are. Subbed in sunflower seed butter for the almond and reduced the amount of sugar. Will be making again!
Glad you enjoyed these sweet potato brownies!
Can you substitute almond flour for tapioca flour? If so, I have all ingredients!
I would use a gluten-free flour blend instead of tapioca flour.
I’m out of coconut sugar eeeeep would brown sugar be a suitable replacement?
Yep, that’s fine!
These are amazing! I used carob powder instead of the cacao powder. I try to avoid chocolate as its kinda a migraine trigger for me. I let them sit overnight before eating to let the flavors blend and OMG! They taste just like brownies! They are so moist and delicious! wow! Something chocolatey i can eat with out fear of migraine!
Great ingredient swap and I’m thrilled to hear that these sweet potato brownies work well for your body – yay! Enjoy!
These were so chocolaty! I substituted peanut butter for almond butter, and it taste like a peanut butter brownie bite. Delicious and decadent.
Awesome! And that flavor combo sounds amazing as well!
Is there a substitute for coconut sugar? My only sweetener in my kitchen is maple syrup. Is there a way to use that with some obvious wet/dry adjustments?
I’m sure you could, I just don’t know what the tweaks to the ratios would be without having tried it.
Love this recipe and can’t wait to make it again! Would it work with tahini or crunchy peanut butter instead of almond butter? My local store is out of organic almond butter but I have the other two on hand! Thank you!!
Either one should be fine, as long as the peanut butter is a smidge pourable!
This recipe was very delicious. I love how smooth and chocolaty it tastes. Made from sweet potatoes 🤯
I made them with pumpkin puree. Best brownies ever!! 😍😍
Glad this turned out great with pumpkin puree!
I absolutely love this!!
My five-year-old son is allergic to gluten and dairy and when it comes to trick-or-treating, he has lots of limits of what he can eat. But this year, I made this special treats for him with lots of dairy-free chocolate chips and he LOVED it!
It’s also guilt-free because it’s not only delicious, but also nutritious for kids to eat. Thank you for sharing this with us, Lisa!!
Oh wonderful! I’m so happy to hear your son loved the brownies, Misaki! That definitely puts a smile on my face. :)
These look so good! Can’t wait to try. Do you recommend cacao powder over unsweetened cocoa powder, or could that generally be used as a substitute in your recipes that call for cacao?
Hi Madison – yes, you can always use cocoa powder to replace cacao powder. Hope you enjoy them!