Last updated on January 12th, 2024
Deliciously fudgy, these vegan gluten-free brownies are an instant hit. They’re free from the top food allergens, and easy to make. Ditch the blender. Forget the food processor. This is the best recipe for flourless sweet potato brownies, and cleanup’s a breeze!
Sweet Potato Brownies
Sweet potatoes work double duty in this recipe: they lend a natural sweetness and provide much needed moisture. You probably already know how dry gluten-free brownies can come out. Not a problem with these fudgy vegan brownies!
Are sweet potato brownies healthy?
Hmm, let’s go with healthy-ish. They’re a treat, and, you know, everything in moderation. But they’re healthier than most brownie mixes, so you can feel good about serving them.
- Free from the top food allergens. Just be sure your ingredients are free of any allergens or chances of cross-contact on the manufacturer’s end.
- Less refined sugar. The sweetness comes from the sweet potatoes and maple syrup. Any refined sugar would be in the components like chocolate chips or sunflower seed butter.
- Bonus nutrients. Sweet potatoes add healthy vitamins and minerals to these gluten-free brownies.
How to select sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes should be firm with smooth skin. They come in all sizes, so aim for 8 to 12 ounces (an average-sized sweet potato will usually fall in this range). You want a yield of about a cup of mashed sweet potatoes for the brownie recipe.
How to boil sweet potatoes
Although you could roast, steam, or pressure cook the sweet potato, this brownie recipe is optimized to save you time in the kitchen, so boiling is the way to go. Once the sweet potatoes are cooked all the ingredients are mixed into the same pot, meaning fewer dirty dishes in the end.
First fill a medium pot (say, 3½ quarts) 2/3 full with cold water. Place it on the burner, but don’t turn on the heat yet.
Wash and pat dry the sweet potato, and then peel it, removing any blemishes or bruises. Cut it into large chunks. They don’t have to be exact, as long as they’re all about the same size so they cook evenly.
Next, place the sweet potato chunks into the cold water, then turn on the burner to high heat. Once the water comes to a boil, turn down the heat to maintain a simmer.
The sweet potatoes will cook in about 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces. They should be very soft when you test them with a fork or a sharp knife, but not falling apart in the water.
Turn off the burner and carefully drain the water, leaving the sweet potatoes in the pot. To be on the safe side you might let the pot cool a little before you move on with mashing and adding other ingredients.
One Pot Recipe
Here’s where the recipe stays simple. Rather than hauling out kitchenware like a food processor or a blender, combine all of your ingredients with a potato masher.
Nothing to set up, and no messy equipment to deal with when you’re done.
Plus, it’s not labor intensive. All of the ingredients are soft and blend together smoothly.
Sweet Potato Brownie Baking Tips
Head’s up: go easy when you mix in the cocoa powder. It’s so fine that it has a tendency to poof out of the pot if you mash too enthusiastically before it’s incorporated.
The brownies are done when the top is set and an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs stuck to it. If you wait until the toothpick comes out clean the brownies will be overdone.
From here, patience is the name of the game. Allow the brownies to cool before slicing them. You can airlift them out of the baking dish and set the parchment paper on the counter or a cooling rack, or chill the brownies to speed things up.
• Most sunflower seed butter on the market comes slightly sweetened. If you opt for unsweetened sunflower seed butter mix in 2 additional teaspoons of maple syrup for the right sweetness balance.
Check out this coconut flour blueberry muffin recipe
Double Chocolate Sweet Potato Brownies
Ingredients
- 10 ounces sweet potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
- ½ cup sunflower seed butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
Place sweet potatoes in a medium pot filled with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce heat to simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until sweet potatoes soften and can be easily pierced. Drain the water, but leave the sweet potatoes in the pot.
Preheat oven to 350°. Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper; be sure the paper covers the sides of the dish and allows for overhang.
Mash sweet potatoes in the pot. Add sunflower seed butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract; mash to combine. Add cocoa, salt, and cream of tartar and combine with masher, taking care to keep the dry ingredients in the pot. Scrape down sides of pot as needed. The mixture will be very thick. Use the scraper to fold in ¾ cup of the chocolate chips.
Scoop brownie mixture into prepared baking dish. Smooth down into an even layer that reaches all sides of the dish. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips.
Bake 28-30 minutes, until the top sets and an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
Allow brownies to cool completely before cutting. Lift the parchment paper out of the dish and cool on the counter or cooling rack, or chill brownies to save time.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
MAKES 16 BROWNIES.
Make Teff Apple Cobbler your next gluten-free baking project!
Double Chocolate Sweet Potato Brownies
Ingredients
- 10 ounces sweet potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
- ½ cup sunflower seed butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup chocolate chips, divided
Directions
- Place sweet potatoes in a medium pot filled with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce heat to simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until sweet potatoes soften and can be easily pierced. Drain the water, but leave the sweet potatoes in the pot.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper; be sure the paper covers the sides of the dish and allows for overhang.
- Mash sweet potatoes in the pot. Add sunflower seed butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract; mash to combine. Add cocoa, salt, and cream of tartar and combine with masher, taking care to keep the dry ingredients in the pot. Scrape down sides of pot as needed. The mixture will be very thick. Use the scraper to fold in ¾ cup of the chocolate chips.
- Scoop brownie mixture into prepared baking dish. Smooth down into an even layer that reaches all sides of the dish. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips.
- Bake 28-30 minutes, until the top sets and an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
- Allow brownies to cool completely before cutting. Lift the parchment paper out of the dish and cool on the counter or cooling rack, or chill brownies to save time.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
Notes
Do you love these fudgy brownies? Leave stars and a review in the comment section!
These look so yummy! And moist! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Diane!
I will make these brownies 💞💞💞
Awesome, Abby! Let us know how they turn out 😊