Sweet Potato Brownies With Peanut Butter Swirl

At first, you might be surprised that sweet potato can be made into a dessert. After all, it’s a potato, right? But stay with me here, because in this recipe you’ll discover how to bake vegan sweet potato brownies topped with creamy peanut butter swirl. They’re fudgy, melty and very chocolatey.

For me, autumn usually comes with a big craving for sweets. Does that happen to you too? Especially chocolate! I’ve always been surprised about people who don’t like chocolate. How can anyone doesn’t like chocolate? However, I do know a bunch of people who adore this delicious, roasted bean more than any other sweet in the world.

And, of course, what would be a brownie without a big dose of chocolate. This vegan sweet potato brownie is loaded with cacao and for extra creaminess, I added some chopped dark chocolate inside. So when you have a bite, you’ll feel that melty piece of chocolate. Yuuum.

But getting back to the sweet potato. How come it’s such a perfect vegetable for making healthy vegan desserts? First of all – it’s very sweet so you’ll need less other sweeteners in the recipe. And when cooked, it develops a creamy texture that makes a perfect base for muffins, pies, cream soups or brownies.

To add a crunchy texture, these brownies are filled with walnuts. To add a touch of caramel flavor, I put in some soft dates. And finally, to spice things up, I threw in a dash of cinnamon and ginger.

Apart from being a total deliciousness, these brownies are wholesome and gluten-free. Sweet potato is loaded with vitamin A, C, and manganese. Many nutritionists consider sweet potato as one of the best foods to eat. And cacao is filled with antioxidants and magnesium which will take care of your nervous system.

This recipe is inspired by Deliciously Ella and her famous sweet potato brownies. Now, let’s head to the recipe. 🙂

Sweet Potato Brownies With Peanut Butter Swirl

Makes 12 pieces or 19 x 25 cm (7 x 10 inch) brownie

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato (approx. 700 g), peeled
• 1 cup oat flour (make your own by grinding oats)
• 1/3 heaping cup cacao powder
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate (at least 70% cacao)
• 10 juicy dates, pits removed (if too dry, soak in hot water for 20 min)
• 4 tbsp maple syrup (or agave)
• 3 tbsp olive oil (or coconut oil)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder (optional)
• a pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp peanut butter (plain or salted – both will work fine)

Directions:

1. Chop the peeled sweet potato into medium size chunks (see the photo) and steam or boil for 15 to 20 minutes until very soft.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). In a bowl or in the same pot where you cooked the sweet potato, add oat flour, cacao powder, dates, olive oil, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon and ginger powder. Blend with a hand blender until completely smooth and creamy. Or you can put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth (I always try to reduce my dishwashing so hand blender is my best friend!).
3. Next, in the creamy mass stir in chopped dark chocolate and walnuts. Transfer it to a baking dish (19 x 25 cm / 7 x 10 inch) lined with a baking paper. On the top of the brownie, randomly pour on the peanut butter and using a knife gently mix it into the brownie with circular movements. This will create beautiful peanut butter swirls.
4. Put the brownie into the oven and bake for 35 minutes until you see dark brown edges. Remove the brownie from the oven and let it cool (it can still be warm but not hot). Then it’s safe to remove it from the baking dish (if you remove it while it’s still hot, it’ll fall apart!). Using the edges of the baking paper, gently lift out the brownie and cut it into squares.

And, if you’re a really big chocolate lover, top these brownies with extra chocolate sauce. Bon appetit. 🙂