Vegan Sweet Potato Brownies
on Feb 28, 2021, Updated Aug 27, 2024
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These easy vegan sweet potato brownies are easy to make in one bowl with just 7 healthy ingredients!
About the Recipe
If you’re looking for a healthier brownie that still delivers on texture and flavour, you’re going to love these! 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. Here’s some details on the recipe:
- Vegan, oil-free and can be nut-free. Great for those with allergies!
- Easy to make in about 30 minutes in 1 bowl with just 7 simple ingredients.
- Decadent, fudgy texture – no one will guess the ingredients!
- Amazing served warm with your favourite vanilla ice cream.
- Under 100 calories per serving so suitable for an everyday dessert.
For more sweet potato desserts, don’t miss these vegan sweet potato cookies and sweet potato smoothie and if you’re craving brownies, these vegan avocado brownies and healthy vegan zucchini brownies are both yummy.
Ingredients
- 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.
- 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 pastry flour or all-purpose flour. This recipe has not been tested with gluten-free flour.
- Chocolate Chips: Recommended but optional! Use vegan chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips to keep the recipe vegan.
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
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.
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. Or bake them in the oven according to How to Bake Sweet Potatoes.
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.
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.
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!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, no problem! Just pop it open, scoop out 1 cup and proceed with the recipe.
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.
Yes. To make nut-free brownies, use tahini or sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter.
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.
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.
• 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.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to comment section below to leave your star rating and review.
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Vegan Sweet Potato Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup peeled, cooked and mashed sweet potatoes , 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 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
- 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.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). 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.
- Add the mashed sweet potatoes, coconut sugar, almond butter and coconut milk to a mixing bowl and mix well until completely combined and smooth.
- 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. 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.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle more chocolate chips over top, if desired. Bake for 25 minutes.
- 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.
- Slice the brownies and serve as is or lightly warmed with a scoop of your favourite ice cream or whipped cream!
Oh wow these do not taste like healthy brownies. They taste totally decadent. I would never guess what the ingredients are and for sure you cannot taste sweet potatoes or the lack of oil. This recipe is the absolute best. I can’t wait to make these for my picky granddaughter.
Thanks so much for the review and trying the recipe!
These are my go to week Day dessert. I don’t care who you are, vegan, vegetarian, dessert fan, whatever, you need these in your life.
So glad you love them, Kori!
My god these brownies are amazing!!! Bravo!