These healthier vegan sweet potato brownies are super easy to make with just 7 healthy ingredients!

Front view of a stack of 4 sweet potato brownies sitting on a marble surface.

If you’re looking for a healthier brownie that still delivers on texture and flavour, you’re going to love these vegan sweet potato brownies! The best part is if you have cooked or canned sweet potato on hand, the brownies are quick and easy to whip up.

This recipe is lightened up by using sweet potato and almond butter to replace oil and butter and they’re made with nutritious whole grain spelt flour. Though made with these healthy swaps, you wouldn’t know – they’re still super decadent, moist and fudgy!

Enjoy these delicious chocolate brownies anytime of day for a sweet treat or snack!

Why You’ll Love these Brownies

  • They’re vegan, oil-free and can be nut-free. Great for those with allergies!
  • They’re easy to make in about 30 minutes in 1 bowl with just 7 simple ingredients.
  • They’re made with whole grain spelt flour.
  • They have a decadent, fudgy texture.
  • Kids and adults love them and they’re great for sharing – no one will guess the ingredients!
  • They’re amazing served warm with your favourite vanilla ice cream.
  • They’re under 100 calories per serving so suitable for an everyday dessert.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in recipe card. This sections covers a few notes on ingredients and possible substitutions.

All the ingredients needed for making a sweet potato brownie recipe with pumpkin, almond butter and whole grain flour.
  • Sweet Potato: You’ll need cooked, cooled and mashed sweet potato or you can use canned sweet potato. You could even used canned pumpkin!
  • Coconut Sugar: This can be substituted with another granulated sugar such as cane sugar.
  • Almond Butter: Any nut or seed butter works as long as it’s not too dry. You can use peanut butter, tahini, sunflower seed butter, etc.
  • Milk: Any non-dairy milk such as almond milk, cashew milk or soy milk works.
  • Vanilla: Enhances the flavour of the brownies but is optional if you don’t have any on hand.
  • Baking Soda: For leavening. Don’t skip this ingredient.
  • Cocoa Powder: Any cocoa powder works. If you can find dark cocoa powder, it will add the best chocolate flavour! Raw cacao powder would also work here.
  • Spelt Flour: This can be substituted with whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour. This recipe has not been tested with gluten-free flrou.
  • Chocolate Chips: Recommended but optional! Use vegan chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips to keep the recipe vegan.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Recipe Note: You’ll need cooked, mashed sweet potato for this recipe or for convenience, you can use canned sweet potato puree.

To cook, peel and chop a large sweet potato into 1 inch cubes. Steam for approx. 7 minutes or boil for approx. 15 minutes until they can easily be pierced with a fork. Strain, mash (you’ll need 1 cup) and proceed with recipe.

Sweet potato can also be cooked in the microwave, Instant Pot or baked in the oven (how-to here).

Before You Start: Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a 8 or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or give it a light coating of non-stick cooking spray. You can also lightly grease with oil or butter.

Step 1. Add the mashed sweet potato, coconut sugar, almond butter, milk and vanilla (if using) to a large mixing bowl and mix until thoroughly combined and smooth.

Raw sweet potato brownie batter mixed together in a large mixing bowl with a spoon.

Step 2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix well until you have a smooth, uniform batter. If you’re adding chocolate chips or any other add-ins such as walnuts or pecans, add those in now as well.

Step 3: Transfer the mixture to a baking pan (sprinkle more chocolate chips on top if you like!) and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes at 350 F.

Raw sweet potato chocolate chip brownie batter in a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Let the brownies cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before slicing or better yet, cool in the fridge for an hour for the best fudge-like texture!

A number of squares of chocolate vegan sweet potato brownies sitting on a marble surface.

Notes & Tips

  • The batter does contain gluten, so try to avoid over mixing. As soon as the flour is incorporated stop mixing and only fold a few times to mix in the chocolate chips.
  • You can slice the brownies after cooling for 5-10 minutes but the longer they cool, the fudgier, firmer and yummier they’ll be!

FAQs

Can I use canned sweet potato puree?

Yes, no problem! Just pop it open, scoop out 1 cup and proceed with the recipe.

What can I use instead of spelt flour?

I haven’t tested it but because spelt is a form of wheat, you should be able to do a 1:1 substitution with whole wheat or all-purpose flour.

Can I make these nut-free?

Yes. To make nut-free brownies, use tahini or sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter.

Are sweet potato brownies healthy?

Sweet potato brownies aren’t considered a health food but this recipe is made with wholesome ingredients making them healthier than your standard brownie.

They’re made with whole grain spelt flour, almond butter instead of butter or oil and coconut sugar instead of white sugar. Sweet potato also adds plenty of nutrition!

These sweet potato brownies are also under 100 calories per serving so are easy to fit into a calorie-reduced diet or daily treat.

Do sweet potato brownies taste like sweet potato?

Not really, no! The mashed sweet potato blends beautifully into the other ingredients you can’t really taste it in the baked brownies. They may taste a little like sweet potato when they’re fresh from the oven but as they cool and firm and the flavours settle, you can’t taste it.

Front view of a stack of 4 vegan sweet potato brownies sitting on a marble surface. There is a jar of milk in the background.

Variations

  • Peanut Butter Sweet Potato Brownies: Use peanut butter instead of almond butter.
  • Pumpkin Brownies: Use canned pumpkin instead of sweet potato.
  • Nut-Free Brownies: Use tahini or sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter.
  • Chocolate Ganache Layer: For an extra treat, add a layer of this chocolate ganache over your brownies after baking and cool in the fridge until firm. You can also just add a layer of melted chocolate chips on top.
  • Walnut Brownies: Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts when you add the chocolate chips.

Storing Instructions

  • Let cool completely before storing.
  • Fridge: Up to 1 week in a sealed container. I love them straight from the fridge…so fudgy!
  • Freezer: Can be frozen in a sealed container or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge or microwave before enjoying.
  • Room Temperature: I’d recommend storing them in the fridge but they’re ok at room temperature for a couple days if you’re taking them to-go.

More Brownie Recipes

For more sweet potato desserts, don’t miss these sweet potato cookies, sweet potato smoothie and sweet potato chia pudding.

You might also want to bake some extra sweet potatoes for these sweet potato breakfast bowls, black bean stuffed sweet potatoes or buffalo chickpea stuffed sweet potatoes.

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Click here to leave a review.

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
A number of sliced chocolate brownies sitting on a marble surface.

Vegan Sweet Potato Brownies

★★★★★ 5 from 11 reviews
  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 16 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

Decadent but healthy sweet potato brownies that are super easy to make with just 7 ingredients! Enjoy any time for a snack or serve warm with dairy-free ice cream for a delicious dessert.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup peeled, cooked and well mashed sweet potatoes (240 g)
  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (80 g)
  • ½ cup drippy almond butter (120 g)
  • ½ cup plant-based milk  (100 g)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract, optional
  • 1 ½ teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (30 g)
  • ½ cup spelt flour (55 g)
  • ½ cup dairy-free chocolate chips, optional (85 g)

Instructions

  1. Prepare Sweet Potato: If you don’t have sweet potato on hand, you’ll need to prepare that first and allow time for it to cool. Either peel, cube and steam for 15 minutes before mashing and cooling or bake in the oven on a baking pan, poked with a few holes, until fork tender. Let cool then scoop flesh out of peel, mash and cool.
  2. Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C).
  3. Prepare Baking Pan: Prepare an approximately 8-9 inch square baking pan with a light coating of non-stick spray, lightly grease with oil or line with parchment paper.
  4. Mix Wet Ingredients & Sugar: Add the mashed sweet potatoes, coconut sugar, almond butter and coconut milk to a mixing bowl and mix well until completely combined and smooth.
  5. Mix Batter: Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until the flour is incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using. If you’re adding anything else, like chopped walnuts, add those now as well.
  6. Add to Pan & Bake: Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle more chocolate chips over top, if desired. Bake for 25 minutes.
  7. Cool Brownies: Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes. The longer they cool, the denser, fudgier and firmer they’ll be, so completely cooling in the pan is ideal.
  8. Slice & Serve: Slice the brownies and serve as is or lightly warmed with a scoop of your favourite ice cream or whipped cream!

Notes

Coconut sugar can be substituted with cane sugar.

Nut-Free Option: Almond butter can be substituted with peanut butter or for nut-free brownies, sunflower seed butter or tahini.

Storing: Let cool before storing. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freezer for up to 3 months. Ok at room temperature for a couple of days if taking to-go. If frozen, thaw at room temperature or in the fridge or microwave. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 98
  • Sugar: 6.5 g
  • Sodium: 47 mg
  • Fat: 4 g
  • Carbohydrates: 14 g
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Protein: 3 g

Keywords: sweet potato brownies, vegan sweet potato brownies

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @runningonrealfood on Instagram and don’t forget to leave your review below.