Sweet Potato Brownies
Going on an elimination diet has pushed me to get creative with my baking, and these sweet potato brownies are a result of that. I’d seen recipes using sweet potatoes before but never got around to trying them. Finally, I gave it a go and came up with this vegan and gluten-free recipe. Brownies seemed like the perfect choice because they let you see how the mixture bakes—whether it stays gooey or sets properly. These brownies are cakey around the edges and soft and gooey in the middle. They’re not as rich or chocolatey as dairy-based brownies since they’re cocoa-only, but the sea salt flakes add a luxurious touch. For the flour, I used Sainsbury’s gluten-free plain flour, which worked perfectly. I opted for almond butter to keep the flavour subtle, but peanut butter would work too. And if you want to sprinkle nuts on top, I highly recommend pecans.
Serves 18-24
Hands-on Time 15 minutes
Baking Time 1 hour
Ingredients
1 medium sweet potato (approx. 350g)
150g light brown sugar
200g nut butter
30ml olive oil
1½ tsp vanilla extract
60g plain flour (gluten-free)
50g cocoa powder
1 tsp instant coffee powder (fine)
1¼ tsp baking powder (gluten-free)
¼ tsp fine salt
50-100g nuts (optional)
Pinch of sea salt flakes
Equipment
Roasting pan
Knife
Spoon
Food processor
Spatula
Deep-sided baking pan (25cm x 20cm)
Baking parchment
Wire rack
Method
1. Preheat the Oven
Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C (fan)/375°F/Gas Mark 5.
2. Roast the Sweet Potato
Place the sweet potato in a roasting pan and bake for 30 minutes until soft in the centre when poked with a knife.
Let it cool until easy to handle. Reduce the oven temperature to 170°C/150°C (fan)/325°F/Gas Mark 3.
3. Make the Brownie Batter
Halve the sweet potato and scoop 250g of flesh into a food processor. Blend for 1 minute until smooth.
Add the sugar, nut butter, olive oil, and vanilla extract. Blend until combined.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, coffee powder, baking powder, and fine salt. Blend again until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
4. Bake the Brownies
Line the baking pan with parchment. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Sprinkle the nuts and a pinch of sea salt flakes over the batter.
Bake on the middle shelf for 30 minutes.
5. Cool and Serve
Let the brownies cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift them out using the parchment and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy!
