Tahini sweet potato blondies are HERE and ready to rock your world. These fudgy, caramelly blondies are studded with melty chocolate chips, and no one will guess the secret ingredient: sweet potato!
Just 1 bowl and 10 ingredients required for these vegan, gluten-free, maple-sweetened treats. Let’s get baking!
How to Make Sweet Potato Tahini Blondies
These decadent yet nutrient-infused bars start with a combo of mashed Japanese sweet potato and maple syrup for natural sweetness. Japanese sweet potato is perfect for blondies thanks to its pale color and lower moisture content!
Then it’s time for the second not-so-secret ingredient: tahini! Not only does tahini bring added richness with its creamy texture — it also combines with the sweet potato for a totally amazing flavor explosion. They were basically made for each other!
Next, the blondie batter comes together with the addition of our 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend and some almond flour, which provide the perfect balance of soaking up moisture and preventing gumminess. Then, finally, the chocolate chips. Now we’re talkin’!
A quick trip to the oven (ciao, blondies!) and they’re done. The only thing left to do is decide if you’ll share them, or lie and tell your friends “They’re really not that good” — up to you! We support your decision either way.
We hope you LOVE these sweet potato blondies! They’re:
Caramelly
Fudgy
Decadent
Satisfying
& Perfectly sweet & salty!
Dunk your blondie in a glass of dairy-free milk and prepare to swoon.
More Nutrient-Packed Sweet Treats
- Fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies (V/GF)
- Pumpkin Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies
- 5-Minute Pineapple Sorbet (Dole Whip Dupe!)
- Vegan Chocolate Protein Pudding (Two Ways!)
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!
Tahini Sweet Potato Blondies
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup mashed Japanese sweet potatoes
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup tahini (creamy, drippy // find our favorite brands here)
- 2 Tbsp melted coconut oil (or sub melted vegan butter, avocado oil, or olive oil)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup MB 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend*
- 1/4 cup almond flour (we like Wellbee’s)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks (dairy-free/vegan as needed // we like Enjoy Life)
Instructions
- To make the sweet potato purée, halve a Japanese 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 the 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). Measure out 2/3 cup. Remove any excess sweet potato from the bowl and save for another recipe or enjoy as a snack!
- Adjust oven temperature to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line an 8×8-inch baking pan (or similar-size pan) with parchment paper.
- Return the sweet potato to the mixing bowl and add the maple syrup, tahini, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk well to combine.
- Add the gluten-free flour blend, almond flour, baking powder, and sea salt and stir to combine until no flour pockets remain. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer batter to your parchment-lined baking pan and spread into an even layer using a spoon or rubber spatula.
- Bake the blondies on the center rack for 30-35 minutes — they should look golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out mostly clean. Allow the blondies to cool in the pan for 30 minutes.
- Transfer the blondies to a cutting board and slice. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
*Inspired by our Fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies.
Mary says
Made these for my vegan son’s birthday…wanted to keep them for myself!
I am partial to Garnet sweet potatoes, which are more moist than Japanese, so I added 15 minutes of baking time. Next time I will add a little more flour (AP). The combination of sweet potato and dark chocolate is a very complex flavor and is out of this world!
Wonderful! We’re so glad you enjoy these blondies, Mary. Thank you for sharing! xo
Amanda says
Hi! I’ve been using your recipes for ages but always forget to review. Thank you so much! These were unbelievable! I was looking up adding vegetables to desserts and this was the best I’ve ever made. I modified a lot and they worked well. 5 stars and I’m making another batch as we speak!
Aw, we’re SO happy to hear this, Amanda! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! xoxo
Alex says
I’m always trying to stick vegetables into desserts for the picky eaters in my home. This was one of the best blondies/brownies we’ve tried. The Japanese sweet potato is more starchy compared to the sweet potatoes I’m used to – definitely more like a potato – which was nifty. I used all-purpose wheat flour in place of the GF blend, same weight. I did use the almond flour, though, as was recommended. Decreased the amount of maple syrup to a 1/2 cup because I’ve found some recipes here a bit sweeter than I like. I liked it, especially with the chocolate chips in there. These were a great snack!
Whoop! We’re so glad these blondies were a hit in your house. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modification, Alex! xo
Ashley says
I love this recipe! I’ve made it twice now. They can be a bit soft but they firm up in the fridge or to store longer I’ll freeze them and microwave them whenever I’m craving a treat. I do use a bit less maple syrup than what’s listed and it’s still super tasty and decadent. Thank you for this amazing recipe! :)
We’re so glad you’re enjoying these blondies, Ashley! Thank you for sharing your experience! xo
Kalena says
I’ve tried multiple Blondie recipes trying to find a good one, and this is by far the winner! I can’t decide which I like better, fudgy sweet potato brownies (most requested recipe) or these. I can’t wait to bring these to the next potluck.
Whoop! We’re so glad to hear it, Kalena. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Susie says
Hello there :)
I’m just wondering if I would be able to replace sweet potato with pumpkin ? I’m sure the flavor would be slightly different but would the ratios be the same ?
Hi Susie, We think pumpkin will make them too dense and gummy, but let us know if you give it a try!
Donna says
I make this as a regular sweet treat for my husband. He loves them!!! I recently made them for the pastor of the church we attend, who recently has been working on improving his diet. He was blown away by them. Every recipe from MB I have made so far has been a hit!
Amazing! We’re so glad you all enjoyed these blondies :) Thank you for the wonderful review, Donna! xo
gabby says
Hi! Is there anyway I could make this nut free?
Thanks!
Hi Gabby, if you’re not gluten-free, we think replacing the almond flour with approximately half the amount of all-purpose flour could work! If you are gluten-free, we would suggest replacing the almond flour with a seed meal (raw unsalted sunflower or pumpkin seeds ground into a fine meal in the blender). Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Sydney says
Hi,
By Japanese sweet potatoes do you mean the purple sweet potatoes?
Hey Sydney! They are the sweet potatoes that are purple on the outside, but very pale yellow on the inside!
Saff says
Hi all :)
If I’m subbing with spelt flour do I still need the ground almonds?
Thank you for this deliciousness☺️🙏🏼
Hi Saff, for best texture, we would still recommend using the almond flour!
Saff says
Thank you guys! And I don’t suppose you’d know how much to sub out the maple syrup for unrefined cane sugar (panela) or if that’s possible?
Hmm, it might be tricky because the dough will be very thick and hard to spread without the liquid sweetener.
S says
So, I added about 120ml of soya milk and 140g of panela and although it looked a little wetter than your dough (I was compensating for the dryness of the wholewheat spelt) it was amazing! So if anyone else is subbing heavily – this worked a treat! :)
Yay! We’re so glad it was a success. Thank you for sharing! xo
Sue Cox says
I’ve made these several times and absolutely LOVE them!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, Sue. Thank you for sharing! xo
Maureen Marriott says
Made these in a heart-shaped muffin pan for my vegan fam members for a Valentine’s treat and they were a big hit. Had to make a second batch the next day to meet demand. Subbed AP flour 1:1 and they came out perfectly. Will definitely be making again.
Aw, we love this! What a fun twist for Valentine’s Day. We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed the blondies. Thank you for sharing, Maureen! xo
Hester says
I made these last night and they were awesome! I’m not GF so I swapped for 2/3c all purpose flour. Maybe the texture is different with GF but the AP worked great! The tahini makes it really fudge. Thanks for another great recipe!
Yay! We’re so glad it turned out well with that modification. Thank you for sharing, Hester! xo
Allison says
These are absolutely amazing!! I am making them for a second time ♥️
Yay! We’re so glad you’re enjoying the recipe, Allison. Thank you for sharing! xo
Nancy McMillan says
I was interested to see the use of sweet potatoes, which I loved, and tahini, whose taste can dominate.. But in this case, the combo worked and my blondies turned out delicious.
I tweaked a few things:
1/ I used 1/3 cup tahini instead of 1/2 cup because I was concerned the tahini flavor would be too strong. That amount worked.
2/ I cut the maple syrup in half and it was plenty sweet for me.
3/ Instead of 1/2 cup chocolate chips, I chopped up half a bar of Chocolove 70% chocolate. It made 1/3 cup and that was the right proportion for my tastes.
I didn’t see the tip to add more GF flour, so the blondies turned out soft. Next time I will add more flour and bake them longer. In any case, they didn’t last long. :~)
Thank you for sharing, Nancy! We’re glad you enjoyed the recipe overall! xo
Ana says
Do you think cassava flour would work well as a sub for the GF flour blend to keep it grain-free?
Hi Ana, we think cassava flour would make the blondies too dry and dense, but if you want to try it, we would suggest using less. Hope that helps!
Al Bell says
Hi there! Did you end up trying it with the cassava flour? I was thinking about doing the same thing and would love to know how yours turns out. Thanks so much!
Cindy says
Made these for the first time and SO happy with the results! Truly like a fudgy brownie but blonde :) Loved how easy they were. Sprinkled some maldon salt on top for a salty finish. 10/10!
Yum, love that addition, Cindy! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Stephanie says
I have some baked white sweet potatoes, I’m not sure if they’re Japanese potatoes but they are already cooked. Can I use those instead? Would that impact the moisture content?
Hey Stephanie! It sounds like you have the right kind of sweet potato! They should work well.
Stephanie Denton says
Great! Thank you! 😊
Paula Roth says
Can you use reg sod instead of 1:1?
Hi Paula, we’re not sure what you mean. Are you hoping to use all-purpose flour? If so, AP flour should work here as a swap for the gluten-free 1:1 flour. We would suggest starting with 1/3 cup and adding a bit more at a time until the consistency matches the video and photos. Hope that helps!
Kelly Smith Trimble says
These are delicious. I used white sweet potatoes to keep the blonde color, and like another commenter mentioned, pureed the sweet potato in a food processor to be smooth. I also baked in a smaller pan, about 8×5 loaf pan, and for a longer, about 45 minutes. They’re so good, I will definitely make again!
We’re SO glad you enjoyed them, Kelly! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
Christy Dugan says
If I used regular flour in place of GF would I adjust the amount? And would the amount of almond flour be the same?
Hey Christy! AP flour should work here as a swap for the gluten-free 1:1 flour, we would suggest starting with 1/3 cup and adding a bit more at a time until the consistency matches the video and photos! We would suggest keeping the almond flour the same for texture!
Paula Roth says
Can we use regular apf? Usually swaps are 1:1. Am not gf and want these now
Hey Paula! AP flour should work here as a swap for the gluten-free 1:1 flour, we would suggest starting with 1/3 cup and adding a bit more at a time until the consistency matches the video and photos! We would suggest keeping the almond flour for texture!
Jennifer says
Could you use coconut flour or all almond flour instead of gluten free 1:1 flour (I can’t do many of the ingredients in that type of flour)? These look amazing otherwise. I love all of your recipes. My all time favorite cake us you tahini chocolate chip cake.
Hey Jennifer! We find coconut flour to be too drying by itself. Is there anything you specifically can’t have in the gluten-free flour blend? We can help find substitutes for those!
Th says
Not cool. The metric conversions are wrong. 1 cup of flour is between 120 and 125 g. The “metric” instructions say 80g. I didn’t even check the US measurements until I added the flour and my batter looked nothing like yours. 1/2 cup of flour is about 60 g. I added 33% more based on your conversion!
You should fix whatever conversion factor you have.
They are in the oven right now. I figured it’ll be a very good tasting cake, but no blondies by any means… :/
Hi, sorry to hear your batter didn’t look the right texture. We’re curious what type of flour you used? The weight will vary depending on the flour used. We made this recipe with our homemade gluten-free flour blend and have found that 1/2 cup is 80 grams. Based on our metric notes, the metric measurement for all-purpose flour (NOT gluten-free) would be less (68 grams – which is also in line with Bob’s Red Mill brand all-purpose flour). We hope that clears up any confusion and that your blondies turn out nicely!
Marcene Austin says
Can regular sweet potatoes be used?
Hey Marcene! Other readers have had success using regular sweet potatoes!