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
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I made these. You should make these. I’m an ok cook, I’m not a baker. These were sooooo good. I tripled the batch and ended up using three different types of nut butters because I ran out of almond butter. All these flavors come together and create chocolate brownies. It’s weird. There’s no sweet potato, maple syrup, or peanut butter taste. They’re gooey, soft and decadent. Make these brownies.
Hi Diana! Great success! I’m thrilled you enjoy the brownies 🙂 I can’t taste the almond butter or sweet potato either so they are quite the fun little surprise for me too. Thanks so much for following up with your experience! xo
@Diana, ah I literally just asked this question about the nut butter flavor. Should’ve kept scrolling first, thank you for commenting this!!
Happy you found the answer you needed 🙂 If you use peanut butter you’ll be able to taste a little bit of peanut butter flavor; however with almond butter you get mostly rich chocolate flavors. Enjoy! xo
THESE ARE SO GOOD!!!!
I skeptically made a batch not thinking they would be good. Usually when you make brownies from scratch if you don’t add a crap-tun of sugar they taste really bitter because of the cocoa. These brownies don’t have any regular sugar at all—instead just maple syrup (and I guess the sweet potato is sweet too haha).
Anyway, I was adding my maple syrup and realized I only had about 4/5 of the 2/3 of a cup that I needed… more panic.
I ended up just making them (I baked them for 35 mins instead of 25min) and hoped for the best.
Best brownies I’ve ever had. Even comparing them to regular ones.
The flavor is so rich and the texture is perfectly smooth and moist yet firm. They taste like a dark chocolate bar but with an incredible texture.
Will never go back to regular brownies.
Thank you Julia!!!
@Jimena, , do these have a strong peanut or almond butter / chocolate flavor or is more of a rich chocolate flavor with hint of the nut butter flavors?
Sweet potato: Do you mean the yellow or the orange?
To some people sweet potato is yellow and yam is orange. The opposite for some people.
Hi there! I use either yams or white sweet potatoes for the brownies 🙂 Both will work in this recipe interchangeably. xo
I tried making these but they were very confusing and there were no measurements, and when the brownies came out they tasted really bad. I did not enjoy making them and I was really excited to at first because I would like to eat healthier options to serve at a party, but sadly it did not live to the satisfaction that you showed on the screen. I’m sorry for giving such a negative review, but can you please show me some sort of measurement and example of instruction for this recipe?
Hi Bill, You must scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post to get to the measurements and instructions. You can either click the “Jump To Recipe” button at the top of the article, which will take you right to the recipe, or you can simply scroll down until you see the recipe card, which is at the bottom of the article. Let me know if you’re still unable to find it.
Freakin delicious. Didn’t have almond butter so I did all natural peanut butter and cooked for about 28-30 min to get them to be nice and cakey. My new go to brownie recipe!!!
I’m so happy to hear you enjoy the recipe, Emma! Also great to know that it works well with natural peanut butter too – this is very helpful information! xo
my stepdad sent me this recipe because he wanted me to make these for him. Well today I did and he loved them! Even I was surprised at how good they were despite no sugar (aside from the chocolate chips) I’ll definitely be making these again soon!
I’m so thrilled to hear you and your stepdad enjoy the brownies! Thanks so much for swinging back around to share your experience! xo
I’ve made this 3 times and I and everyone that eats it LOVES it…Because I make it fir potluck and almost all want more!!! I double the recipe but haven figured how m7ch longer to cook? Mine have always turned out gooey; like eat with a spoon!! Everyone still loves them and I continue to 8ncrease bak8ng time bit just was hoping to get your input!, By the way I lived on other side of lake in Tahima for 20 years!! Have lived in Grass Valley for 35 years now!!
I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying the brownies! This is one of my favorite dessert recipes on my site so I’m thrilled to hear you and your friends/family are enjoying it too. If you’re baking the bigger batch in a 13″ x 9″ pan, the brownies should take about 35 to 40 minutes. That’s awesome you lived in Tahoma – that’s actually one of my favorite parts of the lake to visit – it’s so quiet and serene over there. And Grass Valley is beautiful too! I visit that area ever so often as well. xoxo
these are amazing, my family couldn’t believe they had sweet potato in them!! thank you for all you do 🤍
Wahoo! Great success! Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Asher! xo
Omg I made these for my menstrual cycle and they were amazing!! So dense and moist and fluffy. Perfect for a sweet craving when you want to eat healthy
Aww I love that! So thrilled to hear you enjoy the brownies, and cheers to feeding those cravings! xo
These are spectacular. I made them over the weekend using butterscotch chips and peanut butter as that was what I had handy. Hubby and I were both mildly skeptical but we haven’t gone wrong with other Roasted Root recipes we’ve tried. These will definitely be regular occurrences in our house.
Aww I love that! I’m thrilled you took the leap of faith and it worked out. I must try the brownies with butterscotch chips – that sounds amazing!
Wow. So good. I used a sugar free hazelnut-cocoa spread instead of almond butter, and added pecans, and these are amazing. Mine turned out cakey, but I think I used the wrong measuring spoon, I think I grabbed 1/2 tablespoon instead of 1/2 teaspoon. I’m in love either way.
Ooh, the hazelnut spread sounds amazing! I’ll have to try that myself! So happy you enjoyed the brownies! xo
@Julia, is sweet potato the same as yam? In Asia, our sweet potato is not the same as yam. Here in America I only see yams
Thank you
Hi Ava! There isn’t a noticeable difference in the flavor and texture between yams and sweet potatoes, so you can use them interchangeably in baked goods. The two plants are different but the end result is very similar 🙂
Could you use applesauce instead of egg?
Hi Alice! I haven’t tested it myself, but I believe the brownies would turn out even gooeier, which may actually be very nice! If you’re okay with the texture being less fluffy and more fudgy, it’s worth trying. If not, I would google a different recipe to be sure the brownies turn out as expected 🙂 Happy baking!!
Wow. I made these last week and could not get over how good they are! It was almost like I had icing on top with a cake type center that was gooey!
I’m happy you enjoy them, Christie! I love how rich and fudgy they are too! 😀
Are your chocolate chips sugar free/dairy free?
Hi Sophia! I don’t use sugar-free dairy-free chocolate chips, but you certainly can! Any type of chocolate chips that you love will work in the brownies 🙂 Enjoy!
Thank you so much for all these recipes!! I feel like I’ve found my “home” for recipes! So glad you’ve adapted so many recipes I love into being much more healthy but still delicious!
Can’t wait to try these!
Aww I’m so happy to hear that, Laura! Thank you for the sweet note! xoxo
Wow – so glad I tried these. I’m on an elimination diet, and it’s my birthday, so I was looking for something to bake that would fit within the plan. I normally eat all the things, and bake with reg ingredients, so I honestly didn’t have high hopes that I would be crazy about the outcome, but figured it was worth a shot. I used cashew butter and 3 egg yolks (again, limitations) and probably only just over half the chocolate chips, and these turned out rich and fudgy – incredible taste. I also used a tablespoon or so of black cocoa. I also underbaked by a few minutes out of caution, and when I make these again, I’ll adjust accordingly.
Grain and dairy free for the win. Thanks so much for sharing!
Wahoo! Sounds like a great success story to me! I love that the brownies turn out tasting so decadent in spite of using all whole food ingredients. Thrilled you can enjoy them on your elimination diet! xo
@Julia, I’m on an elimination diet, too, but can’t use almond, cashew, or peanut. Thinking about using avocado. Can that be used 1-1 do you think?
@Norma R, the OP says Sunflower butter also works.