These moist, fudgy sweet potato brownies are made with a generous helping of dark chocolate and sweetened with maple syrup to produce a rich, deeply chocolate flavour. Made ever so slightly healthier with reduced sugar, but definitely still naughty enough for when you fancy an indulgent chocolate treat.
I have been working on this recipe for months, making minor adjustments to the liquid/flour/chocolate ratio in an attempt to make the ultimate brownie. I prefer my brownies to have a texture that is more fudgy and dense rather than cake like. The addition of a creamy sweet potato has the double benefit of adding moisture as well as acting as a natural sweetener.
The method
On the weekend, I enjoy taking my time cooking and baking. Roasting the potato allows me time to potter around the house. Then at a leisurely pace I can return to the kitchen; scoop out the potatoes soft vibrant flesh and begin to gently simmer the chocolate, syrup, vanilla and margarine, until they melt to form a sweet velvety pool.
The chocolate
During our formative years, the first ventures into baking usually start with the beloved brownie. The simplicity, quick baking time and few ingredients (and of course, the gooey chocolate end product), is probably why they remain a firm favourite among kids and adults alike. As I’ve matured, so has my palate. When it comes to chocolate I now much prefer it richer and darker, 70% cocoa and nothing less.
The sugar
These sweet potato brownies are most certainly made for grown ups – rich, semi sweet and with a pleasant smooth taste that lingers on the palate. They are certainly in contrast to the cloyingly sweet brownies that deliver a quick rush of endorphins before dissipating into blandness. I’ll leave those for the sugar junkies amongst us.
Obviously, I have added some sugar (this is a brownie recipe!) but I’ve opted for light brown muscovado which is high in molasses, enriching the brownie with a deep, caramel like flavour. Moist, fudgy, rich; I could go on but I’ll let the brownies do the talking.
Fancy making some more sweet treats?
Let me know how you get on making this recipe by leaving a comment. I’d love to see your creations over on instagram!
Sweet potato brownies
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato weighing approximately 200g
- 50 g margarine
- 90 g 70% dark chocolate
- 40 mls maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 100 mls almond milk
- 70 g self raising flour
- 40 g cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 75 g light brown muscovado sugar
- 50 g dark chocolate chips plus a handful extra reserved for the top
- Sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/ fan 200°C / Gas 7.
- Wash and dry the potato, pierce several times and place on a baking tray. Bake for 40 minutes until completely soft inside. Set aside and allow to cool for approximately 30 minutes (see notes for a quicker cooking method).
- Grease and line a 20×20 brownie tin. Preheat the oven to 200°C/ fan 180°C / Gas 6.
- Add the margarine, dark chocolate, maple syrup and vanilla to a saucepan. Melt the mixture over a low heat and stir until silky smooth. Take off the heat and whisk in the almond milk.
- In a large mixing bowl sieve the flour, cocoa, baking powder and sugar. Add a good pinch of salt and stir to combine.
- Next, return to the sweet potato. Peel and discard the skin. Mash the flesh with a potato masher or fork until it resembles a puree consistency.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the chocolate mixture. Add in the sweet potato puree along with the chocolate chips. Mix until the ingredients are just combined and no flour is visible.
- Spread the mixture into the lined tin. Scatter over a handful of chocolate chips and sprinkle over some sea salt.
- Bake for 30 minutes. The brownies should be springy to the touch and a skewer should come out clean with a few moist crumbs. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin.
Notes
- Keeps fresh in an air tight container for up to 3 days.
- In a hurry? Here is a quicker method to cook the sweet potato: wash and peel the potato and chop into cubes. Place the cubes in a steamer and steam until soft, approximately 15-20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes.