Sweet potatoes are definitely not the “norm” in a brownie recipe, but they help act as an egg substitute (similar to flax eggs) in this recipe. They bind the brownies while keeping them moist and rich in texture.
How to Make Vegan Sweet Potato Brownies
To make sweet potato brownies, start with pre-cooked sweet potatoes. You can bake them, pressure cook them (try Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes to avoid heating your kitchen), or steam them until tender. For the fastest method, peel and cut them into 1-inch cubes, then steam for 10 minutes, or until a fork can easily pierce them. You’ll use a fork to mash the sweet potatoes into a puree, then measure that for this recipe. You can save any leftover cooked sweet potato for use in my Sweet Potato Smoothie, Sweet Potato Muffins, or in something more savory like my Sweet Potato Queso. Once the sweet potato is cooked and measured, you’ll just stir the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl! Pour the batter into a pan, decorate with few extra chocolate chips, if you like. Then bake until the edges of the pan start to look dry and the center of the pan has puffed up, about 35 to 40 minutes. These brownies are very fudgy, so it’s normal for them to stick to your knife as you cut them. If you prefer a less-fudgy brownie, I recommend adding 1/4 cup more flour to this recipe to help cut-down on the sticky factor. I personally like desserts with a slightly under-baked texture, so if you’re like me, try them as-written below. Looking for more sweet potato recipes? Try Sweet Potato Smoothie, gluten-free muffins, or sweet potato & lentil curry for more ideas. Additional Recipe Notes:
I have not tested this recipe with a traditional flour, but I imagine it might work if that’s what you keep on hand. If you try it, please leave a comment below letting me know how it works out! For a sugar-free brownie, try my Date Brownies, which are 100% fruit-sweetened. (They seriously fool my kids– and they are picky!) For a nut-free brownie, you might want to try using coconut butter instead of almond butter, or you can use sunflower seed butter, too. Just keep in mind that any changes you make will change the flavor slightly.
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it! And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear how that works out for you, too. I can only test so many options in my own kitchen, so we can ALL benefit from hearing about your experience, too.
