Gluten-free sweet potato brownies

Gluten-free sweet potato brownies with almond butter, cocoa, maple syrup and dark chocolate: moist, chocolatey and made without refined sugar.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 15 min
• Cooking time: 40 min
• Total time: 55 min
• Calories: 190 kcal per serving
• Protein: 4 g
• Fat: 9 g
• Carbs: 24 g

Ingredients

• 300g sweet potato
• 30 g dark chocolate (sweetened with dates, vegan), chopped
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 100g almond butter
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

You’ll need: oven · chopping board · knife · mixing bowl

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C fan) and line a small tin with baking paper.
2. Stir the sweet potato purée with the almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt in a bowl until smooth and even.
3. Carefully stir in the cocoa powder and fold some of the chopped chocolate into the batter.
4. Spread the batter in the tin and scatter the rest of the chocolate over the top.
5. Bake at 180 °C for 25–30 min, until the mixture has set but the middle still looks slightly moist. Then leave to cool completely so the brownies firm up.
6. Cut into pieces and serve. They taste especially good if they've cooled completely before you cut them.

Good to know

These brownies are soft, dense and properly chocolatey. The sweet potato keeps the batter moist without taking over. Simply a really good recipe.

Swaps

Maple syrup → date paste (also provides fibre) Almond butter → hazelnut butter or cashew butter made from 100% nuts (for a change of flavour) 3 tbsp cocoa powder → 2 tbsp cocoa powder + 1 tbsp carob powder (milder, slightly less caffeine/theobromine)

Allergens

Contains almonds (tree nuts) and, depending on the chocolate, possible traces of other allergens; usually well suited to children as long as the cocoa and sweetness agree with them, and during pregnancy the ingredients are fine in normal kitchen amounts.

Frequently asked questions

What do sweet potatoes contain nutritionally?

Sweet potatoes mainly provide carbohydrates, fibre and beta-carotene, the precursor of vitamin A. The more intense the orange flesh, the higher the carotenoid content usually is.

Is the cocoa in brownies just there for flavour?

No – unsweetened cocoa powder also contains minerals such as magnesium and iron, as well as polyphenols. The exact content varies depending on how the cocoa is processed and its quality.

Why is almond butter more than just a binder?

Almond butter brings fat, a little protein, fibre and vitamin E to the batter. On top of that come minerals such as magnesium and calcium, although the values vary a little from product to product.

Is maple syrup nutritionally different from table sugar?

Besides sugar, maple syrup contains small amounts of minerals such as manganese and zinc. These amounts are fairly modest, so it is still mainly sugar with a few extras.

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