Sweet Potato Brownies
Don't knock it until you try it! These fudgy, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan brownies are everything you love about chocolate without the guilt! Plus, they are made with sweet potato, so you get a dose of vitamins, minerals and fiber with each bite!
Prep + Cook time: ~ 1.5 hours
Yield: 16 brownies.
Ingredients:
1.5 cups mashed, roasted sweet potato (about 2 medium sweet potatoes)
1/2 cup creamy almond butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder (I use raw cacao)
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup gluten-free flour (I use King Arnold all-purpose flour)
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for roasting the potatoes
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips (if dairy free, use Enjoy Life brand)
Directions:
Preheat over to 400°F. Wash the sweet potatoes and slice them in half. Place them in a parchment-lined baking dish, rub them with olive oil, and place them cut-side down. Add a sprinkle of sea salt. Bake until fork-tender (honestly it took me 45-50 minutes, but depending on the size and shape of your potatoes, it could be as quick as 30 minutes). Note: this is a good time to also meal prep baked sweet potato for the week!
Reduce oven heat to 350°F. Line an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with parchment paper- I like to use two crossing strips that hang over the edge of the pan for easy brownie retrieval- and then grease the pan with olive oil or coconut oil spray.
Whisk together the cocoa powder, gluten-free flour, baking powder, and sea salt in a medium bowl so there's minimum clumps. You might have to sift it together.
In a separate larger bowl, pull the skin off the sweet potatoes and mash them smooth. You'll need about 1.5 cups, but a little extra won't hurt. Mix in the almond butter, coconut sugar, olive oil, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and stir until a thick dough forms. Fold in 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips. Place the batter into your prepared pan, smooth with a spatula, and sprinkle the other 1/4 cup of chocolate chips on top.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, until set but still soft in the center. You can poke the center with a toothpick to see how done it is. Note: I used an 8x8 pan and a little extra mashed sweet potato, and my brownies took 45 minutes to bake. Cool for at least an hour before cutting.
Brownies will keep for 3 days at room temperature, 1 week in the refrigerator, or 3 months in the freezer (make sure they're air-tight!).
Enjoy!