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Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies

Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies made grain-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free and flourless! This moist and rich fudge brownie recipe is made with wholesome ingredients for everyday eating and special events alike!

Stack of sweet potato brownies - a closeup on the brownies sprinkled with sea salt.

You’re looking at magical Disappearing Brownies!

Disappearing because these luscious lumps last approximately 15.32 seconds in any household. 

Which is about the exact amount of time it takes to consume a batch of brownies without looking like you’re in a food competition. 

Well…I suppose that’s debatable.

Truly, my partner and I consume treats like this with much gusto. We’re both wholeheartedly obsessed with both chocolate and sweet potatoes. 

And let me just tell you. These healthy sweet potato brownies are simply sensational.

We both had to pry ourselves away from the brownie pan. And even still, our resistance was futile because neither of us couldn’t stop at one. 

I enjoy these more than regular brownies made with gluten free all purpose flour!

Tray of sweet potato brownies fresh out of the oven with a golden napkin to the side, sprinkled with sea salt.

Recipe Highlights:

Entirely flourless, grain-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free, paleo and so easy to make, these fudgy brownies are an absolute win all the way around. 

This is one of those recipes you can safely serve at any gathering and feel assured there won’t be someone raising their hand to ask if it fits their laundry list of dietary restrictions.

The simple ingredients are wholesome, easy to find at any grocery store, and have folks with food allergies in mind.

I jest, but I’m typically that inquiring party who wants to know the ingredient details. 

The main ingredient in this sweet potato brownie recipe is mashed sweet potato, which means they’re made with a vegetable, so basically we’re talking about health food here.

In all seriousness, the health benefits of sweet potatoes spread far and wide. 

Sweet potatoes contain more potassium than bananas (fun fact!), They are also a great source of complex carbohydrates, fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Manganese, and more!

Not to mention, sweet potatoes are remarkably satiating. When pairing the sweet potatoes and almond butter in these brownies, you’re left with a remarkably filling dessert or treat. 

Vertical image of sliced sweet potato brownies.

Let’s do a deep dive into the ingredients for healthy sweet potato brownies!

Ingredients for Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies:

Sweet Potatoes: The star of these brownies! Sweet potato puree adds moisture and bulk to a brownie, which helps take the place of oil (or butter) and also flour. Cook your sweet potato up to 5 days ahead of time.

Almond Butter: Used as the healthy fat source in the brownies, unsweetened almond butter plays a crucial role in bringing richness and gooey texture to these dairy-free brownies. You can replace it with any nut or seed butter you like.

For nut-free sweet potato brownies, make my Paleo Sweet Potato Brownies, which are made with coconut oil and coconut flour.

Pure Maple Syrup: Keeping these healthy brownies refined sugar-free, we use pure maple syrup as the sweetener.

Eggs: A couple large room temperature eggs help fluff up the brownies and ensure they hold together when sliced. I haven’t tested a vegan sweet potato brownies recipe yet, but I imagine you could replace the chicken eggs with flax eggs to make super gooey vegan brownies.

Vanilla Extract: Adding warmth and subtle nuance to the brownies, a little vanilla extract provides a beautiful flavor. Skip it if you don’t have it on hand.

Cocoa Powder: The rich dark chocolate portion of this recipe comes from cocoa powder. I use raw cacao powder, which has a creamier (less bitter) flavor than regular cocoa powder, but stick with whatever powder you like. Dutch process cocoa powder works great too.

Baking Soda: A tiny amount of baking soda acts as the leavening agent for these brownies. We don’t use too much to avoid a cake-like texture. Just enough to give a little crispy edge to the brownie.

Ground Cinnamon (optional): Do you love cinnamon and chocolate together? I do! If you’re like me and enjoy a dash of cinnamon in a baked treat, toss some in. If not, skip it!

Sea Salt: Salt is that supporting ingredient that lifts up every other ingredient where it belongs. Essentially, it brings powerful flavor to the brownies. Don’t skip it for the best results!

Chocolate Chips: Adding even more chocolatey goodness and also fudgy texture to the brownies, one cup chocolate chips provide amazing pockets of joy. I use semi-sweet chocolate chips but you can also use dark chocolate chips, sugar-free chocolate chips, paleo friendly chocolate chunks, you name it.

Hand holding a sweet potato brownies

Now that we’re experts on this healthy brownie recipe, let’s bake it!

How to Make Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies:

Cook the sweet potato according to your preferred method. I chop mine into large chunks and boil it in water for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chunks of potato are very tender. Allow the potato to cool (I transfer it to a sealable container and refrigerate it). Once cool, remove and discard the peel.

Cooked sweet potato chunks in a colander.

Note: you can cook the potato and refrigerate it up to 5 days in advance.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.

Mash the sweet potato into a bowl or measuring cup and measure out 1 cup of mashed potato.

Mashed sweet potato in a measuring cup

Add the mashed sweet potato to a large mixing bowl along with the almond butter, eggs, pure maple syrup and vanilla extract and stir well until everything is well-combined (wet ingredients).

Note: you can use a food processor to make this brownie batter if you prefer doing so over a mixing bowl!

Stir in the cocoa powder, baking soda, sea salt, and ground cinnamon until a thick creamy batter forms (no need for a separate bowl here).

Sweet potato brownie batter in a red mixing bowl.

Add in the chocolate chips and stir until they are well-incorporated into the batter.

Sweet potato brownie batter in a mixing bowl with chocolate chips on top.

Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it into an even layer.

If desired, sprinkle with extra chocolate chips.

Parchment lined baking pan with brownie batter in it, ready to go into the oven.

Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 23 to 28 minutes, or until the brownies reach desired level of doneness. For fudgy, gooey brownies, bake for 23 minutes.

Tray of sweet potato brownies fresh out of the oven.

Allow the brownies to cool completely (at least one hour) before slicing and serving. You can slice the brownies before they have finished cooling if you’d like, but the slices won’t hold together quite as well. If you’re fine with that, proceed!

Serve with a scoop of ice cream for an even more decadent dessert.

Store any leftover brownies in an airtight container (or a zip lock bag) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. These brownies also freeze very well! Freeze them in a zip lock bag for up to 3 months.

Big hunks of brownies sitting on a white backdrop.

And so here we are with a decadent treat that’s suitable for any occasion. School lunches, daily dessert for your sweet tooth, a lovely sharable treat at holiday gatherings…breakfast (wink wink) and more.

So the next time you find yourself deep in a chocolate craving, whip up a batch of these flourless sweet potato brownies!

Stack of sweet potato brownies sprinkled with sea salt.

If you love brownies, check out these delicious gems from the brownie archives! They are all tried and true reader favorites, each with its own list of fabulous characteristics. 

More Healthy Brownie Recipes:

Enjoy this ooey gooey sweet potato fudge brownie experience!

Stack of sweet potato brownies - a closeup on the brownies sprinkled with sea salt.

Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 22 minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes

Delicious moist and fudgy Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies that are made with all wholesome ingredients! These delicious brownies are flourless, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free, so you can feel great about this guilt-free treat!

Ingredients

Instructions

    Cook the sweet potato according to your preferred method. I chop mine into large chunks and boil it in water for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chunks of potato are very tender. Allow the potato to cool (I transfer it to a sealable container and refrigerate it). Once cool, remove and discard the peel.

    Cooked sweet potato chunks in a colander.

    Note: you can cook the potato and refrigerate it up to 5 days in advance.

    2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.

    3. Mash the sweet potato into a bowl or measuring cup and measure out 1 cup of mashed potato.

    Mashed sweet potato in a measuring cup

    4. Add the mashed sweet potato to a large mixing bowl along with the almond butter, eggs, pure maple syrup and vanilla extract and stir well until everything is well-combined (wet ingredients).

    5. Stir in the cocoa powder, baking soda, sea salt, and ground cinnamon until a thick creamy batter forms (no need for a separate bowl here).

    Sweet potato brownie batter in a red mixing bowl.

    6. Add in the chocolate chips and stir until they are well-incorporated into the batter.

    Sweet potato brownie batter in a mixing bowl with chocolate chips on top.

    7. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it into an even layer. If desired, sprinkle with extra chocolate chips.

    Parchment lined baking pan with brownie batter in it, ready to go into the oven.

    8. Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 23 to 28 minutes, or until the brownies reach desired level of doneness. For fudgy, gooey brownies, bake for 23 minutes.

    Tray of sweet potato brownies fresh out of the oven.

    9. Allow the brownies to cool completely (at least one hour) before slicing and serving. You can slice the brownies before they have finished cooling if you’d like, but the slices won’t hold together quite as well. If you’re fine with that, proceed!

    horizontal image of sliced sweet potato brownies

    10. Serve with a scoop of ice cream for an even more decadent dessert.

    Hand holding a sweet potato brownies

Notes

Store any leftover brownies in an airtight container (or a zip lock bag) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1 (of 12)
Amount Per Serving Calories 336Total Fat 19gCarbohydrates 37gNet Carbohydrates 33gFiber 4gSugar 14gProtein 8g

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Joe

Wednesday 8th of March 2023

Wow. So good. I used a sugar free hazelnut-cocoa spread instead of almond butter, and added pecans, and these are amazing. Mine turned out cakey, but I think I used the wrong measuring spoon, I think I grabbed 1/2 tablespoon instead of 1/2 teaspoon. I’m in love either way.

Julia

Monday 13th of March 2023

Ooh, the hazelnut spread sounds amazing! I'll have to try that myself! So happy you enjoyed the brownies! xo

Alice

Wednesday 8th of March 2023

Could you use applesauce instead of egg?

Julia

Monday 13th of March 2023

Hi Alice! I haven't tested it myself, but I believe the brownies would turn out even gooeier, which may actually be very nice! If you're okay with the texture being less fluffy and more fudgy, it's worth trying. If not, I would google a different recipe to be sure the brownies turn out as expected :) Happy baking!!

Christie

Sunday 26th of February 2023

Wow. I made these last week and could not get over how good they are! It was almost like I had icing on top with a cake type center that was gooey!

Julia

Tuesday 28th of February 2023

I'm happy you enjoy them, Christie! I love how rich and fudgy they are too! :D

Sophia

Sunday 26th of February 2023

Are your chocolate chips sugar free/dairy free?

Julia

Sunday 26th of February 2023

Hi Sophia! I don't use sugar-free dairy-free chocolate chips, but you certainly can! Any type of chocolate chips that you love will work in the brownies :) Enjoy!

Laura Wheelock

Friday 24th of February 2023

Thank you so much for all these recipes!! I feel like I’ve found my “home” for recipes! So glad you’ve adapted so many recipes I love into being much more healthy but still delicious! Can’t wait to try these!

Julia

Sunday 26th of February 2023

Aww I'm so happy to hear that, Laura! Thank you for the sweet note! xoxo

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