These healthy sweet potato chocolate brownies are naturally sugar-free since they are sweetened with maple syrup, and they are flourless. It's simply 4 ingredients that make these fudgy brownies.
My goal since I started recipe creating more than 10 years ago has been to make treats you would never guess are healthy. This is one of those, just like my gooey brownie cookies and these homemade fudgecicles with almond butter caramel.
Jump to:
- What to note about flourless sweet potato brownies
- Ingredients needed
- Why we want sweet potatoes in brownies
- Step-by-step photos from my kitchen
- How I discovered a good brownie texture
- What kind of mixer to use
- Other healthy chocolate snack recipes to make
- Amazing Sweet Potato Brownies (No Sugar & Flourless)
- Danika Vanderpyl, C.H.N
What to note about flourless sweet potato brownies
The concept of sweet potato brownies became popular from a plant-based food blogger in the UK, Deliciously Ella. If you have ever made black bean brownies it's quite similar, as the black beans - like the sweet potato in this recipe - are cooked and blended smooth (I use my kitchen aid mixer) creating a nutrient-dense brownie along with maple syrup and almond butter!
Ingredients needed
These healthy sweet potato brownies have no grains, no eggs, no dairy and no refined sugar. For those looking for a flourless, or vegan, healthy brownie, look no further.
- Raw sweet potato increases the fiber and makes these brownie fudgy without flour. Make sure to buy a bright orange potato with reddy brown skin, you can scratch the skin a bit to make sure it's bright orange inside (and not white). You will need about 1 medium potato for this recipe.
Why we want sweet potatoes in brownies
I became passionate about eating whole foods like sweet potatoes after I studied nutrition. Here's some insight about this recipe.
- Sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamin A, C, B6, potassium, and fiber. Their lower glycemic index, combined with healthy fats, can help support blood sugar levels.
- Sweet potatoes contain prebiotic fiber which is going to help improve the balance of your gut bacteria. Essentially, prebiotics increase the amount of good bacteria in your intestines. Cold, or cool, sweet potatoes increase prebiotic fiber even more, therefore, cold brownies are a win win!
- Rich in antioxidants, including beta-carotene, sweet potatoes can help protect against oxidative damage.
I created these brownies to be nutrient-dense, with protein from almond butter and fewer carbohydrates than classic brownies. Enjoy!
- Almond butter is a crucial ingredient, as there is no butter or oil in this recipe, the almond butter has the necessary fat needed to provide tender brownies. I like using almond butter because it's an awesome source of healthy fat (and protein) as it is a whole food containing more nutrients than just having oil in brownies, which is high calories for low vitamins and minerals. If you want to make your own almond butter, use this recipe.
- These brownies are free from refined white sugar; I used maple syrup to sweeten these brownies. For another recipe sweetened with maple syrup, make these cookie dough bars.
- Cocoa powder makes these brownies super chocolatey (instead of melted chocolate). I buy my cocoa powder from Organic Matters.
Step-by-step photos from my kitchen
Step 1: Start by peeling the sweet potato and cutting it into ½-3/4 inch chunks. Boil the chunks in a small pot with water almost covering them for 15 minutes, until soft and fully cooked.
Step 2: Place the cooked sweet potato, almond butter, cocoa powder, and maple syrup into a mixing bowl. It's fine if the sweet potato is still warm.
Step 3: Use a whisk attachment on a mixer to make this batter super smooth. Beat for 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and beat for another 1-2 minutes; it will be thick. Beat until everything is incorporated and smooth.
Step 4: Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper (or grease an 8x8 pan). Use a spatula to scrape the batter from the mixing bowl into the prepared pan. Spread the batter evenly into the pan, then slam the pan down on the counter a few times to get the batter even on top.
Step 5: Bake the brownies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175C) for 25-30 minutes until the edges look firm and the middle is soft to the touch. Cool the brownies and place them in the fridge to make them firm, for about 1-2 hours. Then cut the brownies into 12 squares.
Hint: If you want these brownies to have that extra pretty look, sprinkle cocoa powder on top of the brownie through a sieve before serving!
How I discovered a good brownie texture
When testing these flourless brownies, I found at first they were too soft - almost like mousse. To make them more like a brownie, I did a few things. First, I increased the almond butter and cocoa powder. Second, baking them longer made the healthy sweet potato brownies into a fudge-like texture instead of mousse. Third, cooling the brownies down in the fridge made the texture even better!
What kind of mixer to use
I used my KitchenAid stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Any good mixer will work. This healthy brownie batter does get quite thick so you will need something that can handle it. I also tested making these in my Vitamix, which was alright, but I had to stop and scrape down the sides multiple times.
If you don't have a good stand mixer, the next best thing would be a food processor, as you need to make the sweet potatoes super smooth (mashing them with a fork won't be enough!).
Other healthy chocolate snack recipes to make
⚡Did you make these healthy sweet potato brownies? I want to hear what you think! Leave a comment and a star rating below the recipe; this is really helpful for other bakers.
Amazing Sweet Potato Brownies (No Sugar & Flourless)
Equipment
- Mixer (I use my kitchen aid with the whisk attachment)
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw sweet potato about ½ inch cubes, about 1 medium sweet potato
- 1 cup (255 g) almond butter (or other nut butter)
- ½ cup (50 g) cocoa powder
- ½ cup (110 g) maple syrup
- ⅓ cup optional: chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175C). Peel the sweet potato and chop it into ½-inch cubes. In a pot with a lid, boil the sweet potato cubes in about 1 cup of water (you want about 2 inches of water in your pot, but you don't need to cover the sweet potatoes in water). Boil for 15 minutes until they are fully cooked, they will be bright orange and easy to slice through when cooked. Then drain the water from the pot.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the sweet potato, almond butter, cocoa powder, and maple syrup. Beat together for 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat for another 1-3 minutes until everything is completely smooth and incorporated. The brownie mixture will be thick.
- Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper or grease the bottom and sides of the pan. Spread the brownie mixture into the prepared pan. Slam the pan down on the counter a couple of times to get the batter even on the top. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top if desired.
- Bake (at 350 F) for 25-30 minutes. The brownies will be fully cooked on the edges and a little soft in the middle. For best results, let the brownies cool by placing the pan in the fridge to make them cold and set.
- Cut into 12 squares. Optional: use a small sieve to sprinkle cocoa powder on top. Enjoy these fudgy brownies cold or even frozen! Keep in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freezer up to 3 months (after this they won't go bad, just start to lose flavor).
Autumn says
This has got to be one of my favorite recipes! I have made it close to 10 times and each time I have had friends ask for the recipe.
Danika Vanderpyl says
Thanks so much for sharing this! I love hearing this and so glad you can enjoy this recipe!!!
Meagan says
Delicious spin on such a classic treat. My kids are GF and was so easy to make, loved not having to mix flours.
danikavanderpyl says
Great to hear you enjoyed this Meagan!!
Amanda Marshall says
These are so good! Thanks for sharing, I’ve tried quite a few of your recipes this week and all have been delicious and easy to make!
danikavanderpyl says
This is so awesome to hear thanks for letting me know! Glad you liked these brownies!