While attempting to create a more nutrient-rich brownie, we ended up creating our new favorite brownie recipe! It’s happening.
Introducing super fudgy, naturally-sweetened, whole grain, healthier brownies made with just 10 ingredients. Let’s bake!
First, we make sweet potato purée by baking a sweet potato, removing the skin, and mashing in a bowl or food processor.
The sweet potato purée is then mixed with maple syrup, almond butter, vanilla, and avocado oil.
Cocoa powder adds a rich, chocolatey flavor, oat flour keeps these whole grain and healthier than your average brownie, baking powder adds rise, and sea salt brings everything together.
Pecans and chocolate chips (optional) are added to the top for morsels of melty chocolate and a little toasty crunch with each bite. We highly recommend!
We hope you LOVE these brownies. They’re:
Fudgy
Rich
SUPER chocolatey
Naturally sweet
Healthier than your average brownie
& Incredibly delicious!
These brownies are delicious on their own but elevated with a scoop of vegan ice cream (vanilla, salted caramel, and coffee ice cream would all be incredible).
Love Brownies? Try Our:
- 4-Ingredient Easy Vegan Brownies
- Vegan Gluten-Free Brownies
- Easy Raw Vegan Brownies
- Vegan Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies
- Vegan Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownies
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies (V/GF)
Ingredients
BROWNIES
- 1 cup sweet potato purée (see instructions)
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup almond butter or peanut butter
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ Tbsp avocado oil (or sub melted vegan butter, melted coconut oil, or olive oil)
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder or cacao powder (the higher quality the better // such as this one)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2/3 cup oat flour (we also tested almond and coconut flour, and while they did work, we preferred oat // GF all purpose should also work)
- 1/2 cup chopped raw pecans (or sub walnuts, but we liked pecans better)
- 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (optional)
FOR SERVING optional
- Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream (for store-bought, we prefer Luna and Larry's vanilla coconut ice cream)
- Salted Caramel Coconut Ice Cream
- Vegan Coffee Ice Cream
Instructions
- To make sweet potato purée, halve sweet potato and brush the cut sides with oil (optional). Add to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 F (190 C) for ~25-30 minutes or until tender to the touch. Move to one side of pan and wrap the parchment paper over top to steam. Let steam for 5 minutes. Then peel away skin and mash in a mixing bowl (or food processor). Set aside.
- Adjust oven temperature to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line an 8×8-inch baking pan (or similar-size pan) with parchment paper. Set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl, add sweet potato purée, maple syrup, almond butter, vanilla extract, and avocado oil and stir to combine.
- Add cacao powder, sea salt, and baking powder and stir to combine. Then add oat flour and stir until a thick, scoopable batter is achieved (see photo).
- Transfer batter to your parchment-lined baking dish and spread into an even layer using a spoon or rubber spatula. Then top with pecans and chocolate chips (optional).
- Bake on the center rack (at 350 F / 176 C) for 28-32 minutes. The brownie edges should appear slightly dry and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out mostly clean (a few crumbs are okay, but it shouldn’t be overly gooey). Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
- Lift out of pan and slice. Enjoy warm or room temperature. Store leftovers covered at room temperature up to 3 days, in the refrigerator up to 5-7 days, or in the freezer up to 1 month. These brownies are delicious on their own but elevated with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream.
Video
Notes
*Photos show batch sliced into 9 brownies.
*Prep time includes preparing sweet potato purée.
MicahC says
This is the best alternative to a classic brownie that I’ve ever had. I’m an avid professional baker and I’ve tried all kinds of recipes to at some extra nutrition to my brownies. My versions never came close. I actually prefer these to regular brownies. They are fantastic!!!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, Micah. Thank you for the wonderful review! xo
Julianne Kravetz says
My sister makes these as directed, and they are so decedent and rich! I decided to modify it to reduce the fat and sugar and oh my goodness! Delicious! Instead of the peanut butter, I used 1/2 C of PB2 and 1/4 C of plant milk plus 2 T. I also used 1/3 C of Date syrup and 1/3 C of maple syrup instead of the 2/3 C of maple syrup. The texture was less fudgy than the ones my sister makes, and more like a dense, rich cake. They hold together well. I added dark chocolate chips and chopped pecans, and baked them in a silicon brownie bar pan with a pecan 1/2 on top. Perfect! My husband exclaimed “Don’t lose this recipe!”
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you and your husband both enjoyed it, Julianne! Thank you for sharing! xo
Kaitlyn Kim says
Can I make this not vegan or gluten free? Like using just regular AP flour, will it affect the recipe?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Kaitlyn, you could try a lesser amount of all-purpose flour, though we love the fudgy texture oat flour adds!
Hettie says
I had leftover sweet potatoes, so I decided to use them to make your brownies. I ground up rolled oats to use as oat flour and used butter instead of avocado oil. I used crunchy peanut butter and threw a few pecans in the batter well as scattering them atop the brownies along with dark chocolate chunks. They turned out to be delicious! I’m at the point where I can’t eat regular baked goods because I like all my food to give me some nutrition. Do you think I could sub some of the cocoa for protein powder? Thanks!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Sounds lovely, Hettie! That could work, but it might change the texture a little. Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications. xo
Monica says
I made this to the exact recipe and omg these brownies were absolutely delicious and easy to make! My husband was raving about how good they are and wants me to make them often. Thank you for this recipe ❤️
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Whoop! We’re so glad you and your husband enjoyed the brownies, Monica. Thank you for sharing! xo
Hettie says
Thanks so much for this lovely recipe. I made a few changes to suit our family: honey instead of maple syrup; crunchy peanut butter; mayonnaise instead of oil; buckwheat flour in place of oat; upped from 1/4 to1/2 tsp of salt; 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips mixed in; 1/3 cup of pecans; 4 squares of chopped bittersweet chocolate on the finished brownies then melted and spread. Finally, a light sprinkle of Maldon salt.
I lifted the brownies from the pan with the parchment and immediately cut them into 16 squares. Then, I layered them in a container (parchment between layers) and refrigerated them. When we ate them about three hours later they were absolutely fantastic: held together beautifully with an appealing chewiness.
Again, thanks for your sweet potato-based brownie recipe. It was a lot of fun to make and I’ll definitely be making it regularly.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you had fun with this recipe and will be making it regularly! Thank you for the lovely review, Hettie! xo
Tabea says
The taste is delicious but the texture turned out way too soft for me. I baked them for 40min in a 8inch pan and still they are so gooey/soft you have to eat them with a spoon and can’t really cut them into pieces. I wonder why? I followed the meteic measurements precisely… used almond flour. Thanks
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Tabea, Sorry to hear the brownies turned out too goey! It sounds like they needed more flour. We think it’s the combination of switching to metric measurements and using almond flour that’s the issue. The metric measurement is for oat flour. If switching to almond flour, 2/3 cup almond flour would be 74 grams. Even at that measurement, the brownies will be more tender because almond flour is less absorbent than oat flour. Adjusting the amount of flour in step 4 to achieve a thick, scoopable batter will help!
Em says
Just made this over the weekend! I love the taste and texture – I didn’t have almond butter at hand so swapped with crunchy peanut butter, which gives the brownie some crunch and I loved it without being too soft and single dimension.
The brownie was a bit flat though I followed all the measurements. It also didn’t fill up my 8×8 inch pan and I had to spread it out quite thinly. I wonder if I needed to add an egg or more sweet potatoes like others suggested next time to give it a bit more rise?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thank you for sharing, Em! We’re glad you enjoyed the taste and texture. Is it possible your baking powder isn’t fresh? We’re also curious which flour you used as that can impact how fluffy they turn out!
Lisa P says
I put my sweet potatos in a covered crock pot – skin on, totally dry – overnight on low. Perfectly cooked the next morning! The skin peels right off and it’s ready to mash. Saves a lot of time and effort.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks so much for sharing Lisa!
Kristina says
I once again proved myself and hubby that if you can’t eat proper stuff then don’t eat healthy version. While I understand how some people love it, neither me, my husband or my girls liked it. We are probably far beyond sugar addition faze.
I didn’t like the texture, also the taste was off ( I am guessing it was avocado oil I didn’t like the taste of ).
Anyway I will be back to non healthy but delicious treats once in a while. Have fun baking !
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Bummer, we’re sorry you and your family didn’t enjoy the brownies, Kristina. This one is usually a favorite even among those who eat a more standard American diet (or something similar). It’s such a small amount of avocado oil that it shouldn’t impact the flavor. Is it possible the oil or nut butter was rancid?
Nay says
What else can i use instead of the nut butter? Thank you!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Nay, you could use a seed butter if looking for a nut-free option! Otherwise, you could experiment with a neutral oil, though you likely won’t need as much and the texture will vary. Hope that helps!
Leandra says
Absolutely delicious! Replaced the maple syrup with homey, and it tasted amazing. Would definitely recommend
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed the brownies, Leandra. Thank you for sharing! xo
Alexandra says
Scrumptious! I baked it for 28 minutes in a 9 inch square pan. I also added 1 egg and topped with unsweetened chocolate chips. It is quite soft, pecans or another type of nut would be a nice crunchy addition to contrast the softness of the brownie. I will top with nuts next time, because there will be a next time!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Whoop! We’re so glad there will be a next time :) Thank you for the lovely review, Alexandra! xo
Emma Trocino says
Okay I’ve never left a recipe review before, but these were so good!!! So much so my boyfriend who doesn’t even like sweet potatoes- loved them!! I was worried about them being too dense or dry but they were perfect! Didn’t even need chocolate chips in my opinion. Very satisfying 😍
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Whoop! We’re so glad you and your boyfriend both loved the brownies. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, Emma! xo
Mark says
LOveeeeeee these brownies!!!!.. have made them so many times now. The only thing I do differently is add 1 egg and 1/2 cup of dark brewed black coffee. EVERYONE asks me for the recipe :) P.S. I add chopped 70% dark chocolate and walnuts … will try pecans at some point :P
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
YUM, coffee sounds like an excellent addition! Thanks so much for sharing, Mark!
Alex says
I’m hesitant to leave a comment/rating because I changed this up so much, but it worked out so well that I wanted to mention it.
I was trying to up the protein and lower the fat, so instead of using sweet potato, I used greek yogurt, and instead of the nut butter, I used applesauce + 60g of Barney’s almond powder. It ended up tasting like a cross between a chocolate cheesecake and a fudgy brownie.
Next time I’ll try pumpkin or sweet potato puree for the applesauce because the flavor tang stuck out just a tad more than I wanted.
Thanks for such a flexible recipe!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad it turned out well with those modifications. Thank you for sharing, Alex! xo
Leanne Pratt says
Listen, this has a great potential to be a great recipe. But, under no circumstances, should you use olive oil. I used olive oil. It tasted horrible. Now, the texture, the sweetness, the overall appearance, were fabulous. And I look forward to making this recipe without olive oil in the future!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so sorry you didn’t enjoy it with olive oil, Leanne! It’s such a small amount of olive oil that it shouldn’t have any impact on the flavor. Is it possible one of your ingredients was spoiled? Or that you were using a particularly punchy/bitter olive oil?
Stephanie says
Kid and grown up approved! All made a point to say how good these were. Exactly what I was looking for, thanks for sharing!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We’re so glad it’s what you we’re looking for and the brownies were enjoyed by all. Thank you for sharing, Stephanie! xo
Lori says
These are absolutely decadent! I gave these to my neighbor and he swore these were from a famous bakery I’ll not name here 😉. I cut into 16 squares, used butter pecan flavoring instead of vanilla, and chopped pecans. I’ve made these multiple times and this is my all time fave gluten free sweet option!! Definitely 5 stars!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Exciting!! We’re so glad you and your neighbor both enjoyed the brownies. Thank you for sharing, Lori! xo
Sheryl says
Hi, do you think cashew butter would work? I have both peanut and almond allergies in the family. Thanks!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yes!
Jan says
I have made this and it is delicious. I used Alfa One Rice Bran Oil as I didn’t have avocado oil. It is divine. soft, fudgey, chocolatey, rich, just lovely. Thank you for the recipe. Even my partner could eat it, and he normally turns his nose up at my GF, DF, Egg free baking (he is convinced my taste buds died the day I was told I could no longer eat gluten, dairy, eggs, soy etc. etc. etc. as all the recipes I have found and used to date have been dire), but this one turned out really lovely, in my opinion, and he actually agreed on this occassion. win win.. It is such an achievement being able to find “normal” treat food that I can bake and eat again . Thank you so much
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Ha! That sounds like a big win :) We’re so glad this is one you both enjoy. Thank you for sharing, Jan! xo
nicole jewell says
These are actually delicious I also added cinnamon as I love it in all baking and added DF chocolate chips inside to! I’m totally impressed
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy these brownies, Nicole. Thank you for sharing! xo
Donna says
Made this! Doubled the batch. Really enjoyed the brownie.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Donna. Thank you for sharing! xo
Emmy says
Always a hit!! I do small-scale private “catering” for my family’s business, and I’m always looking for ways to adapt to any dietary needs or preferences!
I’ve made this particular recipe a handful of times and I can honestly say it’s 100% worth a try at home, or to bring to a gathering.
I’ve even substituted the sweet potato for a 1-1 ratio of pumpkin, and it works just as well!
I also reccommend putting cashews on top and experimenting with some melted dark chocolate as part of the batter. This is such a simple, effective guide for a host of different variations and adaptations! …maybe one day I’ll be brave and stupid enough to attempt it with white potatoes
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe and have been having success with different variations. Thank you for sharing, Emmy! xo
Michelle Ilievski says
This was sooo good! Everyone home loved it and couldn’t tell it had sweet potato in it! I did changed a few things according to my pantry though: I reduced to 1/3 cup of date syrup, as I find it sweeter than maple syrup, and used coconut oil and peanut butter. I also reduced the cocoa powder a bit because the dutch one I use is very strong. 20 minutes of baking time was perfect because the pan I used was slightly bigger and the batter wasn’t that high. I wouldn’t skip the walnuts and dark chocolate on top 😉
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad everyone enjoyed the brownies! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Michelle! xo
Brit says
Hmm somewhat surprised by all the rave reviews. These are surprisingly flat on flavor. The batter smelled divine when I was making it, but the end result has no depth to the flavor. I tried to fix it by sprinkling sea salt on top and a powdered sugar dusting, but it still falls flat. The texture is also a bit more chewy than fudgey. I’m not sold. I made these for my friend who is about to give birth at any moment — at least they have fiber and some nutritional value.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Brit, We’re so sorry the brownies didn’t turn out well! It sounds like something went wrong because these brownies should definitely be fudgy, not chewy. Which flour did you use? Did you make any modifications?
Jennifer B. says
These are INCREDIBLE!! Thank you so much for this 5 star recipe! I omitted the chocolate chips & used unrefined coconut oil. 29 minutes of baking time was perfect & I’m so impressed with how delectable these turned out. I like them cold so I keep them in the fridge. One day I’ll make some homemade whipped cream or vanilla ice cream & have it on the side to complete this masterpiece of a treat!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy the brownies. Thank you for the lovely 5-star review, Jennifer! xoxo
Lena says
Followed all measurements. I substituted the maple syrup for the same amount of honey and substituted oat flour for the same amount of almond meal. They were nice and moist on the inside but set on the outside. Everyone loved them and at no point questioned them being a vegan alternative. Have made a few batches following the recipe and never failed.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We’re so glad you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Lena. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Jen says
This is an amazing recipe! I used just sugar instead of maple syrup and I used pb powder and oil as I ran out of peanut butter (tree nut allergy) and it worked divinely. I microwaved the sweet potato to cook it. And no issues at all with texture. You could make it with a lighter oil instead of nut butter if there’s an allergy. My pb was not very thick. And i used pumpkin seeds in place of nuts. This recipe made it into my recipe box. And I love how the texture is amazing out of the fridge too (it’s hotter than hades here in the summer, we can’t leave food out). Than your for your dedication to great recipes. With a whole bunch of allergies in our house. Easy ones like this make everyone happy 😊
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thank you for your kind words and lovely review, Jen! We’re so glad you enjoyed the brownies! xo
Donna says
Thanks so much for your review with the modifications you made. It’s very helpful as we have a TOTAL nut anaphylactic allergy & most seeds, along with eggs & gluten in our house. Many healthier brownie recipes use nut butter which sometimes can be subbed with oil &/or apple sauce but the outcome is always an experiment.
Jayme Catalano says
Can I substitute anything for the maple syrup? I don’t have any on hand.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Jayme! Brown sugar might work, but we haven’t tried it. Let us know how it goes!
Lena says
I substituted it with the same amount of honey and it worked great.
Michelle says
I used 1/3 cup of date syrup and it was perfect!
Eve says
Even the batter for this tastes good. I reduced to 1/3 cup of maple syrup and used coconut oil and dessicated coconut.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Eve! Thank you for sharing! xo
Karen Press says
These are delicious! I didn’t have a sweet potato but I did have baby sweet potato puree (2nd foods/single ingredient – just sweet potato). I ground up my own oat flour using a Vitamix and whole oats and that also worked well. Thank you for a great recipe. I’ve made them twice!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoy the brownies, Karen! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Madeline Janning says
Hi! If making nut free, could you use tahini?
Thanks!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Madeline, that could work. Tahini may add a little bitterness, but it pairs well with maple syrup and sweet potatoes so it could be really lovely! Let us know if you try it! xo
Heidi says
I’ve used sunbutter and it worked great
Amy says
Going to try this recipe with frozen and then basked sweet potato! Do you think you could replace the apple sauce with coconut/soy yogurt?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
That could work. Let us know how it goes!
Lindzy says
Have you tried this as cupcakes? If so, are there any adjustments you would recommend? Thank you!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Lindzy, we haven’t tried it in a cupcake tin. If you to try it out, we’d suggest baking for less time so the brownies stay fudgy. Hope that helps!
Aimee says
So delicious! I needed to use up some baked sweet potatoes and this did the trick. My son licked the spatula before putting them in the oven and he said we didn’t even need to cook them, he’d happily eat the batter all up. Thanks for this great recipe!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! Love it :) Thank you for sharing, Aimee! xo
Mika says
This is the BEST fudgy brownie recipe…ever! I’ve tried this recipe a few times—once with oat flour and another time with almond flour, and each time I made it, it was delicious! This recipe is so great, because it can be so versatile–you can substitute and try different things. Can Minimalist Baker please come out with a desert cookbook?! 🥹
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Aw, thank you for amazing review and suggestion, Mika! We’re so glad you love this recipe. We don’t have plans for a cookbook at this time, but you might like this round-up of healthier dessert recipes :)