I’m not really a fan of desserts, but if it’s something involving chocolate, you definitely caught my attention. As for these delicious treats – name one person who doesn’t love brownies! I think they’re my favorite dessert also, so I definitely had to find an option to include them in my healthy diet without worrying about the sugar or white flour load. I’m not a specialist in desserts, so I did a little research to find a recipe that fits my needs – gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and vegan. That’s how I came across Deliciously Ella’s recipe of sweet potato brownies, which I think is the perfect healthy version of the classic brownies.
If you are wondering what a veggie like the sweet potato has to do with a dessert, well you would be surprised. Not only does it add sweetness and glorious orange color to the mixture, but it perfectly substitutes eggs, banana or flax, bringing the batter together. It also load the brownies with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, nourishing with high amounts of vitamin A (one cooked sweet potato contains twice the daily recommended intake of vitamin A), vitamin B6, potassium and fiber.
Given the fiber intake, these brownies keep you full for a long time and help maintain a healthy digestion. Studies show that steaming or boiling is the best way to preserve the nutritional properties of sweet potatoes, while combining them with healthy fats increases the uptake of their powerful antioxidants. This is why I decided to add a bit of virgin coconut oil to the brownie batter.
Don’t expect the same taste, texture or sweetness that normal brownies have. This is their healthy version, and it’s absolutely normal to have a slightly different taste, but if you are used to sugar replacements such as dates and with the nutty flavor of the buckwheat flour, you will love these sweet potato brownies. The texture is gooey and moist, just like a brownie should be.
Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Brownie
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes orange flesh
- 1 cup almond meal
- 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
- 1 tbsp virgin coconut oil
- 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
- 3/4 cup sugar-free vegan chocolate
- 2 cups dry pitted dates soaked overnight
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp vegan milk of choice
- 1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F.
- Peel the sweet potatoes, cut in cubes, place in a pan with enough water to cover them, bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes over low heat. Drain well and set aside to cool.
- Add the sweet potatoes, soaked dates and coconut oil in the food processor, and mix to obtain a puree.
- Add almond meal, buckwheat flour, cacao powder, vegan milk, salt and baking powder, and process to create an smooth batter.
- Melt the vegan chocolate and pour over the mixture, then pulse two times, to incorporate.
- Pour the mixture into a lined baking pan and cook for 25 minutes.
- Remove the baking pan from the oven, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- Remove the brownie from the pan, let cool completely before cutting in squares. Store in the refrigerator for a maximum of four days.
Notes
These look DELISH! But I have a few questions… 1) By “sugar-free chocolate” do you mean a 100% chocolate bar? 2) Is almond meal just pulsed almonds? 3) Are these 500 calories each (3,000 for the whole recipe)? Looking forward to baking these soon! Thanks for the recipe (and beautiful photos!).
I used almond meal, if you can’t find it you can use pulsed almonds but I think the result will be quite chunky. Better substitute it with another GF flour (coconut, gram) or buckwheat flour only. Sugar-free chocolate is easy to find at the sugar-free diet section in the supermarkets – 100% chocolate bar is also fine. And yes, is 500 calories/serving (2-3 pieces) but the taste worth each of these 🙂
These brownies look scrumptious!
I’d like to make them tonight but I have a question too : what would be the average weight of 2 medium sweet potatoes ?
Hi Naelya, I think you can consider about 2 cups sweet potatoes peeled and cut in cubes. Let me know how your brownies turned out! 🙂
Hi! These look delicious. I’m wondering though, I can’t eat dates – is there anything I could substitute the dates with and still get the great taste and consistency? Thanks!
Elle, you can replace dates with raisins or dried apricots. Dried figs or plums are also an option to get the same consistency. I hope this helps and enables you to make this delicious recipe – you will love it!
Hello! This recipe looks divine! Quick question. What is the size of your baking pan?
Thank you! I use a small one, I think it’s a 5” or 6” one.
Such an amazing recipe! I’ll definitely try this one. Thanks for sharing.
Here’s the invitation to my blog 🙂
http://thebrunettetofu.blogspot.pt/search/label/Ideias%20saud%C3%A1veis
Continue your amazing work! Kiss
Thank you my dear! <3
Hi there, I was wondering whether there was a way of making these brownies without the pitted dates or if there was a good substitute for them that wasn’t as sweet?
Hi Soph, maybe dried prunes would work here, honestly never tried replacing the dates. I hope this helps!
I am looking forward to trying these. The other healthy brownie recipes I’ve seen have used black beans. I think a sweet potato would be a nicer texture. Thank you for posting.
I’m sure you will love these! Would love to read your feedback!
hi! how much are two sweet potatoes in grams or cups? thnks!!
About 260 g