Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies made grain-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free and flourless! This moist and rich fudge brownie recipe is made with wholesome ingredients for everyday eating and special events alike!
You’re looking at magical Disappearing Brownies!
Disappearing because these luscious lumps last approximately 15.32 seconds in any household.
Which is about the exact amount of time it takes to consume a batch of brownies without looking like you’re in a food competition.
Well…I suppose that’s debatable.
Truly, my partner and I consume treats like this with much gusto. We’re both wholeheartedly obsessed with both chocolate and sweet potatoes.
And let me just tell you. These healthy sweet potato brownies are simply sensational.
We both had to pry ourselves away from the brownie pan. And even still, our resistance was futile because neither of us couldn’t stop at one.
I enjoy these more than regular brownies made with gluten free all purpose flour!
Recipe Highlights:
Entirely flourless, grain-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free, paleo and so easy to make, these fudgy brownies are an absolute win all the way around.
This is one of those recipes you can safely serve at any gathering and feel assured there won’t be someone raising their hand to ask if it fits their laundry list of dietary restrictions.
The simple ingredients are wholesome, easy to find at any grocery store, and have folks with food allergies in mind.
I jest, but I’m typically that inquiring party who wants to know the ingredient details.
The main ingredient in this sweet potato brownie recipe is mashed sweet potato, which means they’re made with a vegetable, so basically we’re talking about health food here.
In all seriousness, the health benefits of sweet potatoes spread far and wide.
Sweet potatoes contain more potassium than bananas (fun fact!), They are also a great source of complex carbohydrates, fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Manganese, and more!
Not to mention, sweet potatoes are remarkably satiating. When pairing the sweet potatoes and almond butter in these brownies, you’re left with a remarkably filling dessert or treat.
Let’s do a deep dive into the ingredients for healthy sweet potato brownies!
Ingredients for Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies:
Sweet Potatoes: The star of these brownies! Sweet potato puree adds moisture and bulk to a brownie, which helps take the place of oil (or butter) and also flour. Cook your sweet potato up to 5 days ahead of time.
Almond Butter: Used as the healthy fat source in the brownies, unsweetened almond butter plays a crucial role in bringing richness and gooey texture to these dairy-free brownies. You can replace it with any nut or seed butter you like.
For nut-free sweet potato brownies, make my Paleo Sweet Potato Brownies, which are made with coconut oil and coconut flour.
Pure Maple Syrup: Keeping these healthy brownies refined sugar-free, we use pure maple syrup as the sweetener.
Eggs: A couple large room temperature eggs help fluff up the brownies and ensure they hold together when sliced. I haven’t tested a vegan sweet potato brownies recipe yet, but I imagine you could replace the chicken eggs with flax eggs to make super gooey vegan brownies.
Vanilla Extract: Adding warmth and subtle nuance to the brownies, a little vanilla extract provides a beautiful flavor. Skip it if you don’t have it on hand.
Cocoa Powder: The rich dark chocolate portion of this recipe comes from cocoa powder. I use raw cacao powder, which has a creamier (less bitter) flavor than regular cocoa powder, but stick with whatever powder you like. Dutch process cocoa powder works great too.
Baking Soda: A tiny amount of baking soda acts as the leavening agent for these brownies. We don’t use too much to avoid a cake-like texture. Just enough to give a little crispy edge to the brownie.
Ground Cinnamon (optional): Do you love cinnamon and chocolate together? I do! If you’re like me and enjoy a dash of cinnamon in a baked treat, toss some in. If not, skip it!
Sea Salt: Salt is that supporting ingredient that lifts up every other ingredient where it belongs. Essentially, it brings powerful flavor to the brownies. Don’t skip it for the best results!
Chocolate Chips: Adding even more chocolatey goodness and also fudgy texture to the brownies, one cup chocolate chips provide amazing pockets of joy. I use semi-sweet chocolate chips but you can also use dark chocolate chips, sugar-free chocolate chips, paleo friendly chocolate chunks, you name it.
Now that we’re experts on this healthy brownie recipe, let’s bake it!
How to Make Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies:
Cook the sweet potato according to your preferred method. I chop mine into large chunks and boil it in water for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chunks of potato are very tender. Allow the potato to cool (I transfer it to a sealable container and refrigerate it). Once cool, remove and discard the peel.
Note: you can cook the potato and refrigerate it up to 5 days in advance.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
Mash the sweet potato into a bowl or measuring cup and measure out 1 cup of mashed potato.
Add the mashed sweet potato to a large mixing bowl along with the almond butter, eggs, pure maple syrup and vanilla extract and stir well until everything is well-combined (wet ingredients).
Note: you can use a food processor to make this brownie batter if you prefer doing so over a mixing bowl!
Stir in the cocoa powder, baking soda, sea salt, and ground cinnamon until a thick creamy batter forms (no need for a separate bowl here).
Add in the chocolate chips and stir until they are well-incorporated into the batter.
Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it into an even layer.
If desired, sprinkle with extra chocolate chips.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 23 to 28 minutes, or until the brownies reach desired level of doneness. For fudgy, gooey brownies, bake for 23 minutes.
Allow the brownies to cool completely (at least one hour) before slicing and serving. You can slice the brownies before they have finished cooling if you’d like, but the slices won’t hold together quite as well. If you’re fine with that, proceed!
Serve with a scoop of ice cream for an even more decadent dessert.
Store any leftover brownies in an airtight container (or a zip lock bag) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. These brownies also freeze very well! Freeze them in a zip lock bag for up to 3 months.
And so here we are with a decadent treat that’s suitable for any occasion. School lunches, daily dessert for your sweet tooth, a lovely sharable treat at holiday gatherings…breakfast (wink wink) and more.
So the next time you find yourself deep in a chocolate craving, whip up a batch of these flourless sweet potato brownies!
If you love brownies, check out these delicious gems from the brownie archives! They are all tried and true reader favorites, each with its own list of fabulous characteristics.
More Healthy Brownie Recipes:
- 4-Ingredient Flourless Healthy Brownies
- Almond Flour Brownies
- Gluten-Free Rolled Oat Pumpkin Brownies
- Coconut Flour Brownies
- Grain-Free Vegan Peanut Butter Brownies
- Espresso Keto Brownies
- Flourless Avocado Brownies
Enjoy this ooey gooey sweet potato fudge brownie experience!
Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed sweet potato
- 1 cup unsweetened almond butter
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon optional
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Cook the sweet potato according to your preferred method. I chop mine into large chunks and boil it in water for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the chunks of potato are very tender. Allow the potato to cool (I transfer it to a sealable container and refrigerate it). Once cool, remove and discard the peel. Note: you can cook the potato and refrigerate it up to 5 days in advance.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
- Mash the sweet potato into a bowl or measuring cup and measure out 1 cup of mashed potato.
- Add the mashed sweet potato to a large mixing bowl along with the almond butter, eggs, pure maple syrup and vanilla extract and stir well until everything is well-combined (wet ingredients).
- Stir in the cocoa powder, baking soda, sea salt, and ground cinnamon until a thick creamy batter forms (no need for a separate bowl here).
- Add in the chocolate chips and stir until they are well-incorporated into the batter.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it into an even layer. If desired, sprinkle with extra chocolate chips.
- Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 23 to 28 minutes, or until the brownies reach desired level of doneness. For fudgy, gooey brownies, bake for 23 minutes. Brownies are best when baked to an internal temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Insert a digital thermometer into the center of the brownies and wait until the numbers stop moving to get an accurate read on their temperature.
- Allow the brownies to cool completely (at least one hour) before slicing and serving. You can slice the brownies before they have finished cooling if you’d like, but the slices won’t hold together quite as well. If you’re fine with that, proceed!
- Serve with a scoop of ice cream for an even more decadent dessert.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
I ended up doubling the recipe but didn’t quite have the bough almond butter so I added some flour, and they are still insanely fudgey!
Yaaay! That’s great to know! Thanks so much for sharing your changes! xo
These have got to be the best/healthiest brownies I have ever had. The brownies are more like a cake texture than a fudge brownie, but I do not mind. They are worth making for friends, families, parties, and even just for myself. I am definitely going to be making these more often. Also, I substituted maple syrup for honey, for natural sugar, and it came out great.
I’m so thrilled you enjoy them, Kaden! Thanks so much for sharing your changes – this is super helpful to those who want to try the same thing. So happy you’re loving them! xo
This was my first time making sweet potato brownies and they were awesome! I used peanut butter rather than almond. I will definitely be making them again
That’s so great to hear, Leianah! Thanks so much for swinging back around to let us know. Happy baking! xo
These may be the best brownies ever, healthy or not! I made them 2 days ago and took some to work where they were devoured and one of my coworkers asked for the recipe. I will definitely be making these again very soon; they are rich, moist and dangerously delicious (dangerous because I want to keep eating the whole pan)! Good thing I can get the almond butter and maple syrup at Costco.
I feel the same way, Susan! I have a difficult time stopping at one. They’re just so rich and fudgy! So happy you and your coworkers enjoy the brownies! xoxo 🙂
I have lots of canned pumpkin left, do you think it would work instead of the sweet potato? I think the pumpkin my be a little more wet than the sweet potato.
Hi Methia! I would try using slightly less canned pumpkin and see what the batter is like. If it needs more, you can always add more. 🙂 I bet they will turn out great with pureed pumpkin!
Super skeptical but wanted to give it a shot. I substituted unsweetened peanut butter for almond butter since I had it on hand. Also only used about 1/2 cup of Lily’s semi-sweet chocolate chips. So delicious! Very pleasantly surprised. Give it a try!
So thrilled you enjoy the brownies, Andrea! Thank you for sharing your changes 🙂 xo
Thank you Julia for sharing your recipes. Healthy sweet potato brownies are excellent. I did not use the maple syrup as I am allergic to maple. I used brown sugar instead and I made my own pistachio nut butter. It’s really quite simple with a food processor. I did not use the chocolate chips because they don’t totally melt. I also used dark chocolate . I have had many brownies but these are the best. It is amazing how delicious they are.
Your changes sound delicious! Thank you for sharing them 🙂 I appreciate the glowing review and feedback! xo
I am diabetic so replaced maple syrup with erythritol granulated. They were so good, no one could believe that they had no added sugar, no flour and were made with sweet potato! I just made them for the second time. So good with sugar free ice cream! So good by themselves! Wow!
I’m so happy you enjoy them! It’s great to know they work out well with erythritol – this is so helpful to others who want to try the same thing! xoxox
@Amy, What quantity of erythritol worked as a substitute?
I used flax egg, taste amazing!! I couldn’t wait for them to cool so it didn’t hold shape very well when I was cutting ( could have also been the fact that I used flax egg).
Will definitely make again!!!
I’m so thrilled you like them, Darcy! I know it’s so hard to let them cool to set up! It does make all the difference in keeping them held together nicely. Nevertheless, I’m so happy you enjoy the recipe with flax eggs! Thanks so much for reporting back xooxoxox
Thanks so much for the recipe. Any recommendations for an egg free adaptation?
Hi JJ! Another reader tried flax eggs and said they turned out well. Just be sure to allow the brownies to cool completely before slicing them or else they have a tendency to crumble 🙂 xoxox
I am excited about making these because these are 2 of my favorite things, sweet potatoes and brownies. However, I am interested in knowing if I could eliminate the chocolate chips?
Hi Theressa! You can definitely omit the chocolate chips! The brownies won’t be as sweet or fudgy but they will still be nice and rich! Hope you love them! xoxo
@THERESSA,
Thank you for doing what you do!
My pleasure!! Thank you for the sweet note! xo
I know it’s hard to believe but I’m just not a big chocolate fan. How do you think it would affect the batter if I didn’t use cocoa. What I need to add something else to firm up the batter? I think this recipe has the potential to make great blondies but I’m just not sure how to make the batter work. Any thoughts?
Hi Patricia! I think replacing the cocoa powder with an equal amount of almond flour or cassava flour would do the trick! If you want to use a GF blend, I would add slightly less (say 1/2 cup to start) since they tend to be fairly absorbent. Hope you enjoy!! xoxox
Yum yum yum
They’re my current favorite! 🙂
Good morning. I made these sweet potato brownies yesterday and they’re amazing! I used mixed nut butter. You bet having one with coffee! Thanks for the recipe 😊.Nell Clymer.
I’m so happy to hear it, Nell! They’re seriously one of my favorite desserts of all time…I struggle to think of anything better! 🙂 xoxox
Truly? The recipe is awesome..but having alternatives to ingredients would be better as not all have access to almond butter etc
Hi there! I mention in the blog post that you can replace the almond butter with any type of nut or seed butter, including peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, cashew butter, etc. 🙂 Hope that helps! xoxo
@Vidia, If you can get almonds you can make almond butter. 🙄
These brownies look so moist, our favorite kind!
They’re so rich and fudgy! We couldn’t stop eating them 🙂 xoxo