Getting the Mix Just Right

It’s taken a few tries, but I got my sweet potato brownies recipe just right, with this last batch. OMG so good! 

Because of the sweet potato, these taste a little bit different from regular brownies. But, if you’re a health-nut like me, you’ll love that they are chock full of nutrients AND they’re luxe and delicious. And I made sure that the sweet potato flavor is not overwhelming. Honestly, that’s the reason I had to fiddle with this, so much. 

I’m thinking of making up a batch for Halloween, actually (which is tomorrow), so I have something relatively healthy on-hand, as a treat, rather than all the candy that’s going to be passed around. 

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, No Baking Powder

There’s no flour in this recipe, so it’s gluten-free. And while butter is one of the main ingredients of regular brownies, there’s none in these, so it’s also dairy-free…unless you choose to have a glass of milk, alongside it, like I do. Up to you.

I don’t use baking powder, as I find that the eggs give it plenty of lift, so you don’t have to worry about corn starch or aluminum getting into your brownies, either. 

There are vegan versions of this. If you want to go that route, I would recommend checking out this vegan sweet potato brownies recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie, which was the original inspiration for mine. 

Puree, Puree, Puree

I tried making these without pureeing the sweet potato, first, because I wanted to save time and energy. All I can say is “BLECH!!!”. I don’t know how y’all feel about textures, but I am very particular about them. Because I didn’t take the time and care to break up the fibers of the sweet potato, the mix came out stringy and that was a huge turnoff for me. Now, if you get your hands on a massive sweet potato, like I did, recently, you could get 3 cups of pureed sweet potato, which would last you for three regular batches, if you portion and freeze the extra. I can’t stress this enough: pureeing the sweet potato is essential for having the right (super luxe) consistency.

Coconut Makes it Extra Luxe

The coconut oil is a new addition to this recent batch of sweet potato brownies, because I felt that the mix needed a bit more moisture than the peanut butter and eggs were providing. I was concerned that it would taste like coconut, but what it did was help to balance out the assertive flavor of the sweet potato.

Moist and Cake-Like

Even though these sweet potato brownies don’t have any flour, the mix comes out sort of cakey. I think that’s from the starch in the sweet potato. You know how you can easily plow through a sheet of regular brownies, because they’re so light and mostly fluff? These are not that. In fact, I eat this brownie in a dish with a spoon, LOL. It’s very filling and more like a meal, than a snack or dessert. It tends to keep me satisfied for 3-4 hours, especially if I have it with a glass of milk.

Ruh Roh! Out of Peanut Butter?!

Any nut butter can be used in this sweet potato brownie recipe, because it doesn’t inform the flavor overly much. Peanut butter is the one that’s highest in protein, of all the nut butters. That’s one reason why I use it. I’m Flexitarian, so I try to get most of my protein from plants. I originally made this with almond butter and swapped that out for peanut butter, because a) I had so much of it in my pantry, b) almond butter is more expensive, and c) the protein content. 

But, if you’re not concerned about that, you could swap out the peanut butter for cashew butter, almond butter, or whatever other nut butter you have on-hand and like the taste of. Don’t skimp on the nut butter, though, because it IS important for the lush consistency of the brownies, as well as balancing out the unique flavor of the sweet potato. 

A Little Carby, but Worth It

There are 31 net carbs, per serving…which is a bit on the high side, but did I mention how dense and filling these are? That’s really not bad for a dessert, as long as you’re not doing keto. If you are, you could potentially have one of these before a power-lifting session, to give you enough energy FOR the workout. Or you could have it for a treat after lifting, to help repair and build your muscles. Or maybe you’d need to do some form of exercise for 30 minutes, to work off the carbs. But, if you love this recipe as much as I do? Totally worth it.

Tricks for Treats

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a food addict and I have a really hard time with anything sweet. Having a sheet of brownies around is really NOT a good idea for me, because I’m working hard to lose weight and heal my body.

This time, I was miraculously able to make this batch last over a number of days. What helped was baking it in two small glass storage containers. I ate one and froze the other serving, once it had cooled completely. I liked that I didn’t have to use any foil or plastic. I just popped the lid on the container and put it in the freezer. I was able to tell myself that that one was enough. That was a full serving. That boundary kept my food addict in check. 

Small Ceramic Ramekins

I’ve been meaning to try baking the brownies in smaller ramekins, like these gorgeous red ones on Amazon, that come with lids (very important for storage).

If you want to use something that’s a little more elegant than glass dishes, this would be a lovely way to go.

Love and Blessings!

Claire Amber, Fired Up Diva