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Fudgy 3 Ingredient vegan sweet potato brownies that are equal parts decadent & healthy! They are vegan, oil-free, grain-free, gluten-free & Paleo.
Table of Contents
- Healthy Brownies for a New Year
- Use Sweet Potatoes to Make 3 Ingredient Brownies
- Recipe Benefits
- Ingredients for 3-Ingredient Sweet Potato Brownies
- Step by Step Directions
- Optional Flavor Enhancements
- FAQ
- How do I make mashed cooked sweet potato?
- What goes well with these brownies?
- Related Recipes
- 3 Ingredient Vegan Sweet Potato Brownies (Oil-free, Grain-free) Recipe
Healthy Brownies for a New Year
While I am still enthusiastic about New Year’s focus on vegetables, I nevertheless must call a spade a spade: it’s late January, the days are short, the weather chilly and wet, and the air palpable with a post-holiday malaise.
Moreover, just as I am gearing myself up to tackle re-organization of my bedroom closet, I caught a glimpse of my exhausted reflection in the mirror. I look pooped, I feel pooped, and the weeks and months until spring may as well be an eternity away.
I need a good night’s rest, a hiatus, a small miracle.
I need brownies.
And so I am having them (I plan on digging in following completion of this entry–must type fast!). You can have them, too, with my fudge-y but super-nourishing brownie recipe.
Use Sweet Potatoes to Make 3 Ingredient Brownies
Everyone has a recipe for the best brownies, and they also have different ideas about what a brownie should be like. Those who are passionate about chocolate argue in defense of their favorite. Some prefer cake-y brownies; others crave moist and light varieties; and some like dense and chewy brownies with frosting, nuts and the works.
I think that a brownie should have an intense chocolate flavor, but beyond that? I say listen to everyone, follow no one. Which is exactly what I did with these brownies.
Which are made with sweet potatoes. It may sound strange, but it results in the most decadent brownies imaginable, all without eggs, dairy, and oil. Moreover, they only require three whole ingredients!
And these treats are amazing. Plus, they double as energy bars (exactly what I need!).
Recipe Benefits
- Only 3 ingredients
- Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
- Oil-free (no avocado oil, no melted coconut oil, no melted plant butter)
- Grain-free
- Gluten-free
- Packed with nourishing, empowering ingredients
- Flourless (no wheat flour, oat flour, or any other kind of flour)
- Loaded with Vitamin A
- No leavening agents (e.g., no baking soda or baking powder)
Ingredients for 3-Ingredient Sweet Potato Brownies
The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- cooked and finely mashed sweet potato (super soft and mushy)
- almond butter (or nut/seed butter of choice, such as sunflower seed butter, peanut butter, pumpkin seed (pepita) butter, or cashew butter)
- Optional: miniature semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
Step by Step Directions
Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.
- Preheat oven to 325F (160C).
- Line an 8-inch (20 cm) baking pan/ baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, sweet potatoes, and almond butter, until blended and smooth. The batter will be thick.
- Stir in the chocolate chips, if using.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about twenty to twenty five minutes, until just set at edges (the brownies will look underdone) and a toothpick inserted near the center come out with only moist crumbs attached. Cool completely in the baking pan.
- For perfectly cut squares, refrigerate (or freeze for one hour) the brownies until very cold. Remove from pan using the parchment paper and cut into squares.
Optional Flavor Enhancements
- Vanilla extract (about a teaspoon)
- Salt (a generous pinch)
- Chocolate (dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate)
- Cacao Nibs
- Chopped nuts or seeds, raw or toasted (e.g., pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds)
FAQ
- How do the brownies taste? They are rich, fudgy, and, well, undeniably brownies. Prepare to go a bit bonkers over the chocolate flavor and the decadent fudge texture of this simple, yet, healthy, dessert.
- How should I store the 3 ingredient vegan sweet potato brownies? Store the cooled, cut brownies in an airtight container at cool room temperature for one day, the refrigerator for five days, or the freezer for up to six months.
- My almond butter is very firm. What would I do? If the almond butter is very firm, warm it in the microwave until runny, or place the jar in a bowl of very hot water until the nut butter is runny.
- What are some almond butter alternatives? You can use runny sunflower seed butter, tahini (sesame seed paste), natural peanut butter, pepita butter, or cashew butter in place of the almond butter.
- What can I use in place of the sweet potato puree? An equal amount of unsweetened pumpkin puree can be substituted. However, you will want/need to add some sweetener, too (to taste), since the pumpkin is not as sweet as sweet potatoes.
- Can I Use raw cacao powder in place of cocoa powder? Yes! I typically use raw cacao powder as my go-to cocoa powder.
How do I make mashed cooked sweet potato?
Microwave, boil, or steam a large sweet potato until very soft. Finely mash with a fork or handheld (stick) food processor, or puree the flesh in a food processor or blender until smooth.
It is very important the finished mashed sweet potatoes are very moist and mushy. Add a few teaspoons of water if they are not moist.
What goes well with these brownies?
Once the brownies are warm from the oven, the perfect match is cold milk: coconut milk, almond milk, hemp milk, oat milk…whtever you prefer.
Enjoy! Don’t forget to feel virtuous–vegetables!– with every decadent bite of these healthy vegan brownies..
Related Recipes
3 Ingredient Vegan Sweet Potato Brownies (Oil-free, Grain-free)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1.33 cups finely mashed cooked sweet potato , (see note)
- 1 cup runny almond butter, or nut/seed butter of choice
- Optional: 1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F (160C). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, sweet potatoes, and almond butter until blended and smooth.
- Scrape and spread the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top,
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until just set at edges (they will look underdone). Cool completely in pan.
- For perfectly cut squares, refrigerate the brownie until cold. Remove from pan using parchment and cut into squares. Store in the refrigerator.
Yummy! I used canned sweet potato purée to save time so these were incredibly easy! I added chopped up remains of a dark chocolate bar and baked in a mini muffin tray for bite size treats. Baked for about 12 minutes or so do they’d still be fudge-y. Love these. Next time I might try add a few tablespoons of protein powder.
I love these. I used roasted sweet potatoes since they have a really good roasty caramel flavor. I added a teaspoon and a half of vanilla. I keep them froen in the fridge and pull out one at a time so i do not eat too many at once!
I am so glad you like the brownies, Mia! Thanks for sharing your tip about the roasted sweet potatoes 🙂
Absolutely delicious
I am so glad you like them, Anita! Thanks so much for leaving a comment, it is very appreciated 🙂
I wish these had worked out for me. I’m new to this sugar free, gluten free, oil free, vegan baking, so maybe I’m just not used to what to expect. I would say they are tasty, but they are not brownies. The texture is more like… pudding? or very very soft fudge? Hard to describe. But definitely not a “brownie” texture at all, not even a very fudgy brownie. I tried them when they were not quite room temperature cool, and then I froze them for an hour as recommended for clean cuts. Very little change to the texture, even straight out of the freezer. Flavour is good, though. Has anyone tried baking them a LOT longer? Maybe that would help?
Hi Jennifer,
I am so sorry that these did not turn out for you. I am not sure what could have gone wrong–the brownies are fudge, but they should not be soft as fudge, and definitely not like pudding. The cup of almond butter plus the starchiness of the cocoa powder gives the recipe a brownie texture. Might you have added more sweet potato thank called for in the recipe?
Hello,
Has anyone tried to use coconut butter in place of the other recommended butters? Many thanks!
These were not quite sweet enough for us to put this on the regular rotation (absolutely fair given what’s in them!) but the texture is excellent and they are flavoursome and tasty enough that we will enjoy the batch.
Excellent, Bev! Yes, add some other sweetness to your liking! I have noticed, too, that the sweetness can really vary from one batch of sweet potatoes to another (some sweet potatoes simply sweeter than others), so worth tasting the batter each batch to get the right degree of sweetness 🙂
So gooood! I’m addicted to this: the no-sugar added, the rich cocoa flavour, the buttery consistency, everything is just…chef’s kiss. I tried this recipe with peanut butter, almond butter, white/semi-sweet choc chips and it always tastes amazing.
Iggy, your comments inspire me to carry on, I am so very serious! I am so happy you like the brownies (yay), and hooray for trying different flavors of nut butter and adding extras 🙂
I used melted peanut butter from the microwave. They have turned out perfect. I love the idea. I think we will add this to our regular snacks as my other half cannot have sugar products so it’s a win-win.
I am so glad they were a hit, Tena! Enjoy 🙂
My daughter tried making these today and the batter was wayyyyy too thick. Told her to add some milk. The peanut butter was super runny so don’t know what went wrong. She said the cocoa was overpowering.
Hi Ley,
Oh no, I am sorry the brownies did not turn out as expected. Since you mention that the peanut butter she used was very runny, I am wondering about the sweet potatoes. Were they super mushy and moist after cooking and mashing? If they stiff and or dry, the batter will be too dry. Regarding cocoa powder: you are welcome to adjust the amount of cocoa powder! You can use as little as 1/4 cup, adding more as desired. Some brands/varieties of cocoa powder will be stronger than others.
Hello
Thank you for the recipe, it is amazing. Is it possible to replace the sweet potato with pumpkin puree?
Many thanks in advance!
Hi Enos
Glad your like the brownies! I do not think the brownies will be sweet enough with just pumpkin puree. If you do try it, I suggest adding a small amount of sweetener .
These are SOOOOOO incredibly good. Whole family loved them, they were devoured QUICK.Thank you!!!
That is some serious awesome-sauce, Madison! 🙂 I am thrilled the whole family loved them (major score!)
I love these! I made them with half carob powder and half cocoa powder and added some vanilla. I used pureed roasted sweet potatoes that I roasted in thier skins so they were really flavorful and sweet. I will DEFINITELY make these again.
I am so glad that you love these, Janelle! You are reminding me to purchase some carob powder for experimenting :).
OMG these are amazing!!!!!
The brownies were amazing!! The BEST vegan, grain free, sugar free brownies I’ve made so far and I’ve tried several recipes and variations. added some sugar free chocolate chips and they were perfect!
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So glad that you like the brownies, Hiroko!