Sweet Potato Brownies are so rich and fudgy, I’m not sure anyone will believe you when you tell them that there’s sweet potato inside. They taste just as good as my popular Avocado Brownies, only this version is egg-free!
Why Add Sweet Potatoes to a Brownie Recipe?
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, helping to bind the brownies while keeping them moist and rich in texture.
They also add some extra nutrition! Sweet potato are loaded with fiber and are a good source of beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is important for maintaining a healthy immune system (source), and may also help to lower inflammation in the gut. (source)
How to Make Them
To make sweet potato brownies, you’ll need to start with pre-cooked sweet potatoes. You can bake them, pressure cook them (try Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes to avoid heating up 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.
What Do They Taste Like?
Sweet Potato Brownies taste remarkably like “real” brownies to me, but they are 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. I actually recommend storing these in the fridge to help them firm up a bit.
The flavor gets even better the next day!
Can you Freeze Brownies?
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.
Sweet Potato Brownies (Perfectly Fudgy!)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup sweet potato (203 grams; mashed with fork)
- 1/2 cup creamy almond butter (140 grams; use raw almond butter for best flavor)
- 1/2 cup cacao powder (40 grams)
- 1 cup coconut sugar (140 grams)
- 1/3 cup gluten-free flour mix* (47 grams; I used King Arthur's all-purpose mix)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (4 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (4 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (2 grams)
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (90 grams; optional. 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.
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Reader Feedback: Have you tried adding sweet potato to brownie before? I tried it a few years ago and didn’t love the recipe I used, so I’m happy to finally have a successful version to share with you!
I look forward to trying these brownies, Megan. I like the fact that you added sweet potatoes to the recipe. They look fudgy and delish! Thanks for all you do in creating these recipes for all of us!❤️
Has anyone made this sweet potato brownie recipe with dates instead of using coconut sugar?
And substituted oat flour instead?
I made these with pumpkin instead of sweet potatoe and used almond flour for the butter (one cup) & half the sugar.
DELICIOUS!
These look delicious! Do you think you can use thawed frozen sweet potato or would it be too watery? If not, I may try canned pumpkin and see how that works out. Thanks!
Hi! Thank you for this recipe! It sounds soooo delicious! But I have a question. In my country sweet potatos are hard to find. May I replace them with regular plain potatoes?
I think that would work, but I haven’t tested it to be sure. Please come back and let me know if you try it!
These are delicious! I’ve tried them twice and the batter is turns out quite dry upon mixing – doesn’t look like what used in your picture.
What do you think would be the reason? I am using exactly 1/3 cup flour with the correct method of measuring.
Hmm… the two moist ingredients in this recipe are the sweet potato and almond butter. Is your almond butter very runny, or is it thicker? Mine is very drippy in consistency. Overall, the batter will still be very thick and NOT runny like a traditional brownie batter. But if they bake up okay, it sounds like you’re doing it right!
I was pleasantly surprised how good these are. Even my 6 year old liked them and could not tell the difference from box brownies loaded with sugar. Trying to get healthier eating habits for my family so will definitely be making these in the future.
These are SO good! I only had white sweet potatoes and it came out great. Highly recommend!
Terrific and tasty treat!
Warning: hard to stop eating them.
Hi Megan: Will these hold up if I wrapped individually and shipped across country? (2 day) If not, can you recommend any of your vegan and GF desserts that will hold up?? Want to send some treats to my daughter @ school. Thank you.
These brownies are insanely good!!! It worked perfectly fine with regular wheat flour, I also added less almond butter, they were still delicious and super fudgy. Also, you would never guess they are made of sweet potatoes.
These are the best gf brownies I’ve ever had. Wow!
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!
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.
These are my favorite brownies ever! Made them twice this week. So easy as well. Thank you!
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.
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!
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
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!
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
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.
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
absolutely delicious! I swapped the coconut sugar for maple syrup (1/2 cup) and used regular flour (about 2/3 cup). Even my picky 6 year old loved it. Thank you so much Megan! I‘ve tried several of your recipes and all of them were great! Lots of love from Germany – Nina
AMAZING ❤️❤️
Absolutely amazing! Can’t taste the sweet potato, delicious little treat with half the guilt!
Swapped out 1/4 of a cup of almond butter for extra sweet potato and it still worked prefect!
Excellent recipe! Love the secret ingredient! (sweet potato)
Here are my few changes –
1. 1/2-3/4 cup date paste in place of coconut sugar
2. Added 1/8- 1/4 cup extra flour. I used white whole wheat flour because that is what I had in my fridge.
3, Sprinkled mini vegan chocolate chips on top before baking. Then swirled them after
coming out of the oven.
Thank you! All my other brownie recipes will be tossed!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing all your notes!
Made these with normal flour and they’re deliciously fudgey straight from the fridge 😍
I did this today as I had some sweet potato left . I used normal flour and normal sugar ..
They are amazing 😉
And I used peanut butter instead almond 🙂 my roommate loved the.
These are great, will definitely make again. I swapped peanut butter for almond, about 3/4 cup of brown sugar for the coconut sugar, and used regular (gluten) all purpose flour. They were just ever so slightly on the “healthier” tasting side but perfectly satisfying for me. Thanks!
Love this recipe! I tried a recipe for sweet potato brownies in the past and they were too soft and mushy but with this, totally love the fudgy consistency and instructions for cooling that I wasn’t aware of. My skeptical family also loved it!
Made these for the first time and they taste great, i used almond flour and almond butter and added as little extra almond flour as others had suggested, they turned out great and taste better the day after once they have firmed up in the fridge.
I’m quite sad they didn’t rise at all, but then I did use Oat flour and peanut butter instead of almond butter, maybe that makes a difference.
Plus the batter was so so hard that I had to put a bit of almond milk to be able to mix it. I also put an extra 1/2 tsp of baking powder to help them rise but not luck. Any suggestions? Many thanks! I love your website and recipes ❤️
Hi loved this recipe I used baking flour and it was perfect thank you
Hi loved this recipe I used baking flour and it was perfect thank you oh Ang used raw peanut butter
I couldn’t find your 1 minute video…hmmm. I’d love to see it – especially since you do such a great job on those visuals
Sorry, the videos take longer to load than the rest of the text on the page. It should show up for you if you stay on the page for a minute or so.
I modified this slightly with what I had available – peanut butter, almond meal and brown sugar. Didn’t have choc chips. It was delicious! Chewy, chocolately like a “proper” brownie. Thanks 🙂
Tried then and they came out great!!! I used PB2 instead of almond or peanut butter as well as monkfruit sugar. My question is, how big is a serving? Could you tell the nutrition facts measuring a serving in grams, please?
How much PB2 did you use?
I have tried so many healthy brownie recipes, and this is the winner! Fudgy brownies with clean ingredients is a win-win. I substituted almond flour for the gluten free all purpose and it turned out perfect. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi Megan,
Just made these brownies and let them cool for a few hours. They are the “bomb”, so gooey and good. I can’t wait to put them in the fridge and eat them cold for tomorrow’s dessert.Thank you so much, you have a great flair for making great tasting desserts.
Sending Love from N. CA
Debra.
Hi Megan: These look amazing!! I’m wondering, we’re HUGE fans of your Black Bean Brownies and hesitant to mess with a loved brownie recipe.
What would you say are the biggest differences in flavor/texture between the two??
Oh. My. Gawsh. These brownies are 100! And I agree, the second day after being in the fridge, they are even better! The whole family LOVES them!
I majorly messed this up and it STILL tasted good. I did not cook the sweet potato and blended everything in a high speed blender. Also used all purpose flour and all worked out.
Oh, I’m glad to hear it still worked out for you! Thanks for sharing!!
OMG! How delicious this looks. I am going to make this for my family at Christmas. It will truly make them amazing.
Never heard of a dish named Sweet potato brownie. I think I should give it a try. I will share my experience here after trying it.
I love this recipe, the brownies turned out to be delicious! They didn‘t rise and are a little on the flat side- maybe due to the flour.
I used spelt flour, cashew butter and only half of the coconut sugar (we don‘t use much sugar in general).
Will definitely make those again!
I’ve tried lots of brownie recipes. Cocoa only, Stella Parks’ brownies, Audrey Hepburn’s brownies, black bean, almond flour, box mix, you name it. These beat all of them! Chocolatey, fudgey, gooey, amazing! You get a faint hint of sweet potato which I love. The kids love them and immediately asked for more. Trust me, they do not like all my baking experiments. The only non -fan is my husband who said it was too gooey. More for us! Used one large garnet yam and 2 to 1 ratio of coconut sugar to white sugar.
Hi I was wondering if I could use almond pulp, coconut pulp or one of those flours instead of the gluten free flour? I have a serious egg, wheat, oak, millet and honestly most grains except buckwheat and quinoa allergies. I made the almond pulp brownies but they were a little runny with the chickpea flour like you said as the egg replacer. If I do use an alternative to the gluten free flour do I need to add xanthum gum or something else too? I read most of the comments and only saw one about an alternate flour( oat) it didn’t turn out well. Just wondering if you had any suggestions? Thank you!
OK I used one and a half times (maybe double) the sweet potato and used Almond flour in lieu of almond butter… And I didn’t have enough cacao so I ground up some nibs in my coffee grinder LOL so they were extra rough And probably included some coffee grounds :-)and a left out the chips. Probably could use an extra five minutes cooking time. Chewy and delicious
Question – if u don’t have almond butter – can you leave out?
Umm wow! These are soooo good! So so delish and fudgy!
Just wondering I see you suggest storing in the fridge but do you know if it’s bad to keep them at room temp? Or is having cooked sweet potato out of the fridge not safe?
Thanks ☺️
Soooo good! I used oat flour and hazelnut butter and it was great
I am Patient Of Sugar. I want Sugar Free Sweet Potato Brownies Recipe Can anyone Share this. Thanks in Advance.