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These vegan Sweet Potato Brownies are so rich and fudgy that I’m not sure anyone will believe you when you tell them there’s sweet potato inside. They taste as good as my popular Avocado Brownies, but this version is egg-free!
Sweet potatoes are definitely not the “norm” in a brownie recipe, but they help act as an egg substitute (similar to flax eggs) in this recipe.
They bind the brownies while keeping them moist and rich in texture.
How to Make Vegan Sweet Potato Brownies
To make sweet potato brownies, start with pre-cooked sweet potatoes. You can bake them, pressure cook them (try Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes to avoid heating your kitchen), or steam them until tender.
For the fastest method, peel and cut them into 1-inch cubes, then steam for 10 minutes, or until a fork can easily pierce them.
You’ll use a fork to mash the sweet potatoes into a puree, then measure that for this recipe.
You can save any leftover cooked sweet potato for use in my Sweet Potato Smoothie, Sweet Potato Muffins, or in something more savory like my Sweet Potato Queso.
Once the sweet potato is cooked and measured, you’ll just stir the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl! Pour the batter into a pan, decorate with few extra chocolate chips, if you like.
Then bake until the edges of the pan start to look dry and the center of the pan has puffed up, about 35 to 40 minutes.
These brownies are very fudgy, so it’s normal for them to stick to your knife as you cut them. If you prefer a less-fudgy brownie, I recommend adding 1/4 cup more flour to this recipe to help cut-down on the sticky factor.
I personally like desserts with a slightly under-baked texture, so if you’re like me, try them as-written below.
Frequently Asked Questions
These taste remarkably like “real” brownies but slightly less-sweet than a boxed brownie mix because they call for low-glycemic coconut sugar. If you replace that with white sugar or brown sugar, they will taste even more like the real thing. You can taste the slightest hint of sweet potato when these are warm from the oven, but as they cool I think it becomes more undetectable.
If you can’t finish this whole batch of sweet potato brownies in one week, you can freeze the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. I would let them thaw overnight in the fridge before you want to serve them again.
Looking for more sweet potato recipes? Try Sweet Potato Smoothie, gluten-free muffins, or sweet potato & lentil curry for more ideas.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sweet potato puree
- ½ cup creamy almond butter (use raw almond butter for best flavor)
- ½ cup cacao powder
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup gluten-free flour mix* (I used King Arthur's all-purpose mix)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips (use a dairy-free brand to keep these vegan)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the mashed sweet potato, almond butter, cacao powder, coconut sugar, flour, baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir well, until a relatively smooth batter is formed. (You can do this in a food processor, if you prefer.)
- Fold in the chocolate chips, if using. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth the top. Bake at 350ºF until the edges look dry and the center of the brownies have puffed up, about 35 to 40 minutes.
- Let the brownies cool completely before slicing, or they will be too soft. Cut them into 16 small squares, and store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. I think they taste even better when you serve them cold from the fridge the next day! Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Additional Recipe Notes:
- I have not tested this recipe with a traditional flour, but I imagine it might work if that’s what you keep on hand. If you try it, please leave a comment below letting me know how it works out!
- For a sugar-free brownie, try my Date Brownies, which are 100% fruit-sweetened. (They seriously fool my kids– and they are picky!)
- For a nut-free brownie, you might want to try using coconut butter instead of almond butter, or you can use sunflower seed butter, too. Just keep in mind that any changes you make will change the flavor slightly.
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it! And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear how that works out for you, too. I can only test so many options in my own kitchen, so we can ALL benefit from hearing about your experience, too.
I LOVE these brownies. I don’t really play with the recipe too much(which I have a tendency of doing). If I notice the batter is a little too try I’ll throw just a tad bit of coconut oil in there and it just smooths it out if need be. The taste of these are so rich and fudgy it’s amazing. I love the fact that these are a treat that uses functional foods!! It’s easier to eat and not feel so guilty knowing that they are not only delicious but filled with protein, fiber and tons of vitamins. If you’re thinking of trying these, stop thinking..DO IT! You will NOT be disappointed
Please tell me that organic raw stevia or monk fruit can be used in place of coconut sugar. 🙂
Ooh, I have no idea how those would work. My body doesn’t seem to tolerate zero calorie sweeteners, so that’s something I can’t experiment with, but please report back if you try one of these! My guess is that monk fruit would be a closer swap for coconut sugar, but I’d google it to see if there’s a substitute suggestion.
Brownies came out amazing I used whole wheat flour, natural peanut butter, light brown sugar to substitute. They came out amazing I got natural cocoa that my sister brought from St.Lucia.the kids and hubby loves them
Made these tonight! My husband asked why I couldn’t just make “normal brownies” from the box. He tried them and said, “ok you were right, these are actually really good.” Just forwarded the recipe to my friends. I love how these taste so good and yet don’t leave me feeling sick from all the oil and white sugars in the boxed brownies. Definitely making these again with the other half of my sweet potato I have left and freezing them. Thank you!
These were whole family approved! I used homemade date paste in place of the coconut sugar and they turned out wonderful. They are more on the fudgy side, but we like them like that. Thanks for the great recipe! x
I love sweet potato brownies and your recipe is amazing. I added the 1/4 cup of flour and they turned out heavenly. Thanks for such a great recipe!
I so wanted to love these brownies, but the coconut sugar ruined it for me. I couldn’t get past the bitter, sorghum-like flavor. The texture was good; the chocolate factor was good; the almond butter couldn’t get past the coconut sugar either – it was over-powering. I did add the extra 1/4c flour since I prefer brownies have a little more structure versus just gooeyness, but probably should have only added 1/8c instead. I also added chocolate chips and toasted walnuts, but they were still a no-go with the coconut sugar.
These are my favorite brownies ever! Made them twice this week. So easy as well. Thank you!
These brownies are AMAZING!!!! SO FUDGY AND MOIST and absolutely delicious!! Thank you so much for creating fabulous food!!
I’m so glad you loved them! Thanks for letting me know.
I suspected this recipe was, “The One” to use my stunningly beautiful deep purple sweet potatoe in. If you can find them they will add to the plate appeal and it is worth it.
Anyway, about the recipe itself, I used about a teaspoon of organic instant coffee because that I s what I do with brownies. Next batch will have Bliss brand dried cherries in them.
Fast and easy to make a 5 Star recipe!