Sweet Potato Brownies
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Last updated on Nov 13, 2024
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These healthy sweet potato brownies are naturally sweetened and easy to make. They’re so rich and fudgy no one will be able to tell that they’re made with veggies!
As you may know, I’m a fan of sneaking veggies into my recipes whenever I can. I’ve shared zucchini overnight oats, cauliflower oatmeal and butternut squash pancakes, but these brownies might just be my favorite way to sneak veggies into my diet (plus, my kids love them!).
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- Healthy – These brownies taste just as fudgy and decadent as your store-bought box brownies, but these ones are naturally sweetened with maple syrup and made with sweet potato to replace some of the oil and coconut flour to keep these brownies gluten-free and grain-free. One brownie has only 11 grams of sugar and 154 calories!
- Fudgy – The sweet potato makes these brownies extra soft and the chocolate chips add that extra fudginess. It’s that melt-in-your-mouth texture you want in a brownie!
- Easy – You only need 10 simple ingredients and one bowl to whip up these brownies. Yay for less dishes!
Ingredients Needed
- sweet potato – the sweet potatoes help to add moisture to the brownies without a ton of oil. Plus, they pack a nutritional punch! We’re baking the potato in the oven then mashing it, but you can always steam the potato or used canned sweet potato instead.
- eggs – these are needed to help bind the ingredients and add structure to the brownies.
- pure maple syrup – I love using maple syrup because it’s a natural sweetener. Just look for pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup that’s loaded with corn syrup and artificial ingredients!
- coconut oil – this replaces butter and adds moisture to the brownies. Make sure you’re measuring the oil in its melted state.
- coconut flour – I haven’t tested this recipe with another flour and I don’t recommend swapping it as coconut flour can’t be subbed 1:1 with other flours.
- cocoa powder – a much-needed ingredient for that rich chocolatey flavor! Make sure to use unsweetened powder. Cacao powder works for this recipe as well.
- dark chocolate chips – I’ve been loving Lily’s chocolate chips for a sugar-free option, but Enjoy Life is also a great option if you need dairy-free chips.
Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
Recipe Substitutions
- Make them vegan: The original recipe for these sweet potato brownies was made with 2 flax eggs, so you can definitely swap the eggs with flaxseed eggs to make the brownies vegan.
- Don’t have coconut flour? I haven’t tested this recipe with a different flour and I don’t recommend subbing the coconut flour. Coconut flour soaks up way more liquid than other flours and can’t be subbed 1:1. If you want you could make my pumpkin brownies or avocado brownies and swap the pumpkin or avocado for sweet potato instead. You can also try my oat flour brownies instead.
- Swap the sweetener: You can use honey, agave syrup or monk fruit maple syrup as a replacement.
- Use a different mix-in: Feel free to skip the chocolate chips or swap them with a different mix-in like chopped nuts.
How to Make
Step 1: First preheat the oven. Then pierce sweet potato with a fork in 2-3 spots. Wrap in foil and roast until tender, about 30 minutes.
Step 2: Let the sweet potato cool, then peel and mash with a fork until smooth. Measure out 1 cup for the recipe.
Step 3: Combine the mashed sweet potato with the rest of the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
Step 4: Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix to fully combine.
Step 5: Stir in the chocolate chips to the sweet potato brownie batter.
Step 6: Add the batter to a square pan, top with additional chocolate chips and bake for about 45 minutes. Let cool, then enjoy!
Brittany’s Tip!
Since these brownies are fudgy, it can be tricky to tell when they’re done. Use a toothpick to check the center—if it comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs, they’re ready to go. Don’t wait for the toothpick to come out completely dry or you might overbake them.
How to Serve Sweet Potato Brownies
These brownies are delicious on their own, especially when warm from the oven, but here are a few ideas to elevate them even more:
- Vanilla ice cream: A scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of a warm brownie is the ultimate treat. The cold ice cream with the fudgy brownie is such a good combo! You could also keep things dairy-free with my easy banana ice cream.
- Coconut whip: A scoop of coconut whip cream would be so delicious on top of these sweet potato brownies.
- Greek yogurt: If you want to keep things on the lighter side, serve the brownies with a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt for some extra protein and creaminess.
- Nut butter: A drizzle of your favorite nut butter would not only taste great but add some extra protein to your brownie. You can’t go wrong with almond butter, especially if it’s homemade. Other great options are cashew butter, peanut butter or tahini. This pumpkin almond butter would also be delicious for a touch of fall.
- With a ganache topping: For more chocolatey goodness you could make a chocolate ganache topping by melting 1/4 cup chocolate chips in the microwave. Once melted, add 1/8 cup milk of choice then spread it over the cooled brownies. As the brownies sit, the chocolate topping will start to a harden a bit. You can put them in the fridge to speed up the process.
- Healthy hot chocolate: If you really want to amp up the chocolate, enjoy a brownie with a warm cup of hot chocolate. My healthy hot chocolate is the perfect, guilt-free pairing for these rich, fudgy brownies.
How to Store These Brownies
These brownies aren’t lasting long in our house, but my recommendation is to store leftover brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week or freezer for up to 3 months. If freezing, let them thaw overnight in the fridge before enjoying.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re wondering why the heck I’m putting vegetables in my dessert, I’ve got plenty of reasons why! So I don’t scare you off, I’ll start by saying that sweet potatoes add an amazing texture to these brownies – they help to keep them soft and moist without a ton of oil. Beyond that, sweet potatoes add a nutritional punch! They’re high in fiber and a variety of important vitamins and minerals like beta-carotene, vitamin C and potassium. (Source)
Roasting brings out the natural sweetness in the potato, but if you’re short on time, you can microwave it. Prick the sweet potato with a fork, wrap it in a damp paper towel, and microwave for about 8-10 minutes until soft. The flavor won’t be as rich, but it works in a pinch! You can also steam or boil sweet potato chunks, then mash it once soft.
I personally didn’t think you can taste the sweet potato at all in these brownies! The flavor goes undetected thanks to the cocoa powder, maple syrup and chocolate chips. Trust me, even sweet potato-haters will love this recipe!
More Desserts to Try
- Zucchini Brownies
- Sweet Potato Cupcakes
- Ultimate Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Almond Cake
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Healthy Cheesecake with Cottage Cheese
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Sweet Potato Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato, 1 cup mashed
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips, plus more for topping (I used Lily's dark chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Pierce sweet potato with a fork in 2-3 spots. Wrap in foil and roast until tender, about 30 minutes. Let cool. Peel sweet potato and mash with a fork until smooth. Measure out 1 cup of mashed sweet potato for the recipe and save the rest for something else. Lower oven temp to 350ºF.
- Add mashed sweet potato, maple syrup, coconut oil, eggs and vanilla into a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Add coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine.
- Gently stir in chocolate chips.
- Scoop batter into a greased 8×8 baking dish and top with additional chocolate chips. Bake brownies for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool before slicing. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Chocolate ganache topping: For more chocolatey goodness you could make a chocolate ganache topping by melting 1/4 cup chocolate chips in the microwave. Once melted, add 1/8 cup milk of choice then spread it over the cooled brownies. As the brownies sit, the chocolate topping will start to a harden a bit. You can put them in the fridge to speed up the process.
- To store: Store leftover brownies in the fridge for up to 1 week or freezer for up to 3 months. If freezing, let them thaw overnight in the fridge before enjoying.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Super impressed with this recipe and thank you for it!! Do you have any experience freezing them?
Hi Suzi! I am so glad you are loving these brownies and they turned out great for you. I haven’t tried freezing them, but I’m sure they would be okay to freeze in an airtight container for up to three months. If you’re freezing them, I would recommend putting parchment paper in between layers so the chocolate ganache doesn’t stick!
I just LOVE your recipes! These are so tasty and feel indulgent, without the garbage ingredients!
Yay! I am so glad you are loving my recipes, Ashley. Thank you so much for coming back and sharing your review + star rating, I really appreciate it.
These are amazing!
This was easy to make. I cooked the sweet potato in the microwave for 10 minutes and then scooped out the center. I used 1/2 the amount of maple syrup and added a tablespoon of applesauce for sweetness and moisture. I added chopped walnuts and used 2 eggs. I skipped the frosting and didn’t think any flavor was missing!
Yay! Thanks for sharing your swaps, Sherry! I’m glad these brownies were a success for you!
This is so incredibly good! Thank you for this decadent treat. I skipped chocolate chips and the topping. Added 3 dates in place of the maple syrup.
Thank you thank you thank you!! Love your recipes 🙂
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that, Sonia 🙂 Thank you so much for coming back to leave a review and star rating, I really appreciate it!
I would love to make these, but sugar free is there anyway I can swap the maple syrup for?
You could try using monkfruit maple in place of the regular maple syrup?
I love IT. Its my favourite!!! And my Kids love IT, too. They could not believed me, its made from sweet potato 😊
Yay!! I’m so pumped everyone enjoyed these brownies, Lenka! Thanks so much for making them and coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!
I made 2 batches. One as a gift and one for us to try and make sure they taste good first lol. Both came out great. We used light colored organic EVOO for one and it worked same as Coconut oil. So that’s a good sub. Also the ganache isn’t needed but it’s good. Thanks for a great recipe!
So glad these brownies were a hit, Erica! Thanks for the review. It means the world to me.
I just made these and they tasted great but the consistency was so moist we basically ate them with a spoon. Not the consistency of a brownie. Any thought what could have gone wrong? Only thing I did differently was cook in a round 9×9 metal pan.
Mmm!! That’s so weird. I haven’t heard of that happening before. So you didn’t change anything else about the recipe? How long did you cook them for?
I cooked them a little bit longer than the 45 minutes. For the coconut flour I spooned into the measuring cup vs packing it in. Possibly I didn’t use enough.
Mmm, that could have been it. I’m sorry about that, Lindsay!
Eating one of these brownies right now. These are really good and I love that they have healthy ingredients in them. My 15 year old daughter thinks they’re pretty good too 😉. Your recipes are the best
Woo!! So glad these brownies were a hit. Thanks for the review, Mary. I so appreciate it!
These were soooo yummy! Dense, moist and sweet, but not death by chocolate. Ended up using 2 chicken eggs, but next time I want to try aquafaba… Also had to sub coconut for 2/3 cups regular flour I already had on hand (so thankful for othercommenters’ questions and suggestions). Topped them with walnut pieces and we ate half the batch that night! Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe. : )
So glad you enjoyed these brownies, Cait!! Thanks for making them and for coming back to share the subs you made. It’s super helpful for other readers, so I appreciate it. 🙂