These healthy sweet potato chocolate brownies are sugar free, they are sweetened with maple syrup. It's simply 4 ingredients that make these the ultimate fudgy brownies, you would never guess they are actually healthy!!
The concept of sweet potato brownies become 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 or the sweet potato is cooked and blended smooth creating a nutrient-dense ingredient in chocolatey goodness.
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Ingredients
All you need is four simple ingredients to make these rich brownies! They are free of grains, eggs, dairy and refined sugar. For those looking for a flourless, or vegan healthy brownie look no further!
- Raw Sweet Potato! These days you can get all types and colors of sweet potatoes at the store. 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.
Benefits of Sweet Potatoes in Brownies
- Sweet potatoes contain prebiotic fiber which is going to help improve the balance of your gut bacteria. Essentially prebiotics increases the number 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.
- The fiber in these sweet potato brownies supports blood sugar levels (instead of blood sugar levels spiking and falling) compared to a classic brownie.
- 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. It is also 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. And let's be real almond butter tastes amazing! Another awesome chocolate almond protein snack is this recipe for RX bars!
- Maple Syrup. These brownies are free from refined white sugar. Maple syrup is used to sweeten these brownies and complements the flavors of sweet potato and almond butter well! Enjoy these sugar-free brownies!
- Cocoa powder! You can't have brownies without a source of cocoa! I buy my cocoa powder from Organic Matters.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
These healthy sweet potato chocolate brownies without sugar are super easy, follow the step by step photos below to get your own fudgy 4 ingredient brownies.
Start by peeling the sweet potato and cutting it into ½-3/4 inch chunks. Boil them in a small pot with water for 15 minutes until soft and fully cooked.
Place the sweet potato, almond butter, cocoa powder, and maple syrup into a mixing bowl. (It's fine if the sweet potato is still warm).
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.
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 very even on top.
Bake the brownies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-30 minutes until the edges look dry and the middle is soft to the touch. Cool the brownies and place them in the fridge to make them firm, 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, so it spreads evenly) before serving!
Getting a good brownie texture
When testing these I found at first they were almost like mousse, to make them more like a brownie I did a few things. Firstly I shifted the amounts of ingredients to what is in the recipe card below. Secondly baking them longer made the healthy sweet potato chocolate brownies into a fudge like texture instead of mousse. Thirdly cooling the brownies down in the fridge made the texture even better! Enjoy these cold or even frozen!
Equipment
I used my stand mixer (kitchen aid) with the whisk attachment. Any good mixer will work. The brownie batter does get quite thick so you will need something that can handle that. I also tried making these in my vitamix, that was alright but I had to stop and scrape down the sides multiple more 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!).
Storage and Freezing
Keep these healthy sweet potato chocolate brownies in an airtight container. Store them in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. These healthy sugar free sweet potato chocolate brownies are enjoyable cold or even frozen!
FAQ
Yes! These brownies are nutrient-dense! They are high in protein (from almond butter) and low in carbohydrates. Sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamin A, C, and B6, potassium, and fiber. This is also a great recipe to support blood sugar levels as sweet potatoes have a lower glycemic index. And these brownies contain no white sugar as they are sweetened with maple syrup instead.
Did you make these Healthy Sweet Potato Chocolate Brownies? Take a pic and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #besidethemountain & tag @besidethemountain. I’d love to see it, and it would totally make my day!
Healthy Sweet Potato Chocolate Brownies Sugar Free
Equipment
- 1 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
- ½ cup (50 g) cocoa powder
- ½ cup (110 g) maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.
- In a pot with a lid, boil the peeled 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 the sweet potatoes 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 put the sweet potato, almond butter, cocoa powder, and maple syrup. Beat together for 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and with a spatula scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for another 1-3 minutes until everything is completely smooth and incorporated. The brownie mixture will be super 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 times to get the batter completely even on the top.
- Bake (at 350 F) for 25-30 minutes. The brownies will be dry on the edges and a little soft in the middle. For best results let the brownies cool, place the pan in the fridge to make them cold and set completely.
- 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 (1 week) or freezer (up to 3 months).
The nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on the product type, servings, and other factors. Please consult with your nutritionist or doctor if you have specific dietary needs.
Amanda Marshall
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
This is so awesome to hear thanks for letting me know! Glad you liked these brownies!