These brownies contain two secret ingredients – sweet potatoes and dates! These ingredients are naturally sweet and reduce the need for refined sugars. Sweet potatoes and dates are also high in fibre, which is important for a healthy gut.
Don’t be put off by the use of more natural sweeteners; these brownies are rich, chocolatey and delicious!
Traditional brownie recipes tend to feature dairy products as well as relying on eggs to provide texture. The cooked sweet potato and dates act as a binding ingredient, in place of egg or vegan egg-alternatives.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Most people don’t reach the recommended 30g of fibre per day, but the inclusion of sweet potato and dates add a real fibre boost to this recipe.
How To Make Sweet Potato Brownies
This recipe uses everyday ingredients and doesn’t require vegan egg replacement products. Pitted dates work just as well as the more expensive varieties, so these brownies can easily be made on a budget as well.
This recipe makes 12 brownies.
Equipment You’ll Need
Knife
Chopping board
Vegetable peeler
Roasting tin
Measuring spoons
Wooden spoon or spatula
Microwave safe bowl
Microwave
Oven
Mixing bowl
Weighing scales
Measuring jug
Food processor or blender
Brownie tin or loaf tin
Ingredients
450g sweet potatoes, cubed
15 pitted dates
250ml oat milk
200g plain flour
100g soft light brown sugar
50g cacao powder
100g vegan dark chocolate (melted)
45ml vegetable oil
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Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Peel the sweet potatoes and chop into small cubes. Add to a roasting tin with a drizzle of oil and bake for 30-35 minutes until soft.
Break up the chocolate and add the squares to a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 30 second blasts, stirring after heating process. Once fully melted, set aside to cool slightly.
Once the sweet potato is cooked, add it to your food processor or blender, along with the dates and oat milk. Blend until a smooth paste is formed and add this to your large bowl.
Add the flour, oil, brown sugar, and cocoa powder to the large bowl containing the paste. Mix until the mixture is well combined.
Pour the mixture into a lined tin and bake for around 30 minutes. The brownies will likely still be soft when they come out, with a slight sheen over the top. Leave to cool in the tin, then serve.
Baking Tips
Soaking the dates in boiling water for 5-10 minutes can help to soften them for easier blending. Make sure to drain the water before adding the dates to the food processor.
To make these an extra chocolatey treat, add some chunks of dark chocolate, or drizzle with additional melted chocolate and leave to cool.
Try to make sure the potato, oat, and date mixture is well blended – you want to try and avoid lumps of sweet potato in your brownies!
Store these in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. These brownies freeze well; cut the brownies to your desired size prior to freezing.
Nutritional Information
Nutritional Facts
Amount per serving
Calories
256
Total Fat
7.3g
Saturated Fat
1.8g
Total Carbohydrates
41.4g
Dietary Fiber
4.5g
Sugar
21.5g
Protein
4.3g
Take Home Message
These high-fibre, lower sugar brownies are the perfect chocolate treat! Simple to make, using everyday ingredients, you’ll have everyone asking for the recipe!
This brownie recipe contains no animal products, so is suitable for vegans! Sweet potatos are
How many calories are in a sweet potato brownie?
Each brownie contains around 256 calories; this is similar to a brownie using traditional ingredients, but these brownies contain additional health benefits such as increased fibre and reduced refined sugars.
Do you have to wash sweet potatoes before baking?
If you are planning to eat sweet potatoes with the skin on, it’s a good to give the potatoes a light rinse and a gentle scrub with a vegetable brush. This recipe uses peeled sweet potatoes so washing them isn’t essential.
Is it better to cook sweet potatoes with skin on or off?
The skin of sweet potatoes is a good source of fibre; if eating sweet potatoes in a savoury dish, then it may be beneficial to leave the skin on. However, for this recipe the skin is removed, as we want the brownies to have as smooth a texture as possible.
Rachel is a qualified Associate Nutritionist (ANutr) who holds an MSc in both Applied Human Nutrition and Physician Associate Studies. Over the last year, Rachel's been working as a freelance nutrition writer and coach, with her areas of interest including weight loss and specialist dietary requirements. As well as this, she's contributed towards published research on weight loss, and is currently studying the role of plant-based diets in health-conscious individuals.
