Fudgy, rich, and perfectly sweetened, it doesn’t get better than sweet potato brownies! Made with no added sugar or flour, I can’t get over how decadent they are!

I’ve made my friends, partner, and family eat some pretty wild things over the years. Out of every oddball flavor combo I’ve tested, though, nothing’s been as big a hit as these sweet potato brownies. 

They’re naturally sweetened with- you guessed it- sweet potatoes, which gives them that perfect fudgy texture without loads of sugar or oil. I didn’t reinvent the wheel, though. I adapted my pumpkin brownies, adding extra maple syrup for sweetness and moisture. These turn out dense and gooey, and taste every bit as rich as the classic kind. My picky partner didn’t even know they had sweet potatoes in them… and now he doesn’t trust any of my desserts!

Table of Contents

1. Key Ingredients
2. How to make sweet potato brownies
3. Arman’s recipe tips
4. Storage instructions
5. More sweet potato recipes
6. Sweet Potato Brownies (Recipe Card)

Recipe highlights

• 4 ingredients. Aside from the sweet potatoes, everything else is simple baking staples. 
• A healthy treat. Without even trying, these brownies are dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, and sugar-free. Plus, sweet potatoes add tons of antioxidants and fiber. 
• Bake for 20 minutes. That’s half the time of traditional brownies!

Key Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make my healthy sweet potato brownies, plus some kitchen notes. The complete list with measurements is in the recipe card.

• Sweet Potato. Mashed with a fork until smooth, then cooled completely. This will give the brownies a starchy base and replace the eggs. Save time and make either my microwave sweet potato or air fryer baked sweet potato. It’s quicker than oven roasting!
• Maple Syrup. My favorite sticky sweetener, especially for pairing with sweet potatoes. I used 100% pure maple syrup. 
• Almond Butter. Drippy, smooth almond butter gives the brownies the richness butter or oil provides, while complementing the chocolate flavor.
• Cocoa Powder. I typically use unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Avoid using cacao powder, which is much more pungent and bitter. I have had success with dark or black cocoa powder, too.
• Chocolate chips. Optional, but I like to fold through some chocolate chips for extra chocolate goodness.
• Frosting. Optional, but I love a generous lathering of either my dairy free frosting or healthy frosting.

How to make sweet potato brownies

Arman’s recipe tips

• Canned sweet potato puree. Use store-bought sweet potato puree instead (I like the Del Monte canned variety- it only has sweet potato).
• If I don’t have enough sweet potato puree for the recipe, I’ll fold in a little pumpkin puree. It’s not cheating if it works!
• Swap the almond butter. Any type of nut butter will work, like peanut butter or cashew butter. For nut-free brownies, use tahini or sunflower seed butter instead. 
• Adjust the consistency. When I tested this recipe, sometimes I noticed the brownie batter turned out quite thin and liquid. If you notice this, add a tablespoon or two of coconut flour or oat flour to thicken it back up. It should be the consistency of traditional brownies. 
• Add flavor. Fold in 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, or top the brownies with sea salt for an extra boost of flavor.

Storage instructions

To store. Place cooled brownies in a sealed container and keep them in the fridge. Brownies refrigerated will keep fresh for up to 1 week.

To freeze. Wrap brownies individually in parchment paper and place them in a ziplock bag. Brownies kept in the freezer will keep fresh for up to 6 months. 

More sweet potato recipes

• Sweet potato muffins
• Sweet potato chocolate cake
• Sweet potato pancakes
• Healthy sweet potato casserole

Originally published 2015