Healthy-ish Sweet Potato Brownies

These seriously delicious brownies are vegan and gluten free (if you so happen to have oat flour lying around), which makes them lighter, and makes me not hate myself at all for enjoying three servings. As the type of baker who ordinarily uses a minimum of an entire stick of butter when baking a treat like brownies, I was pleasantly surprised that substituting sweet potato and maple syrup for sugar did not take away anything in flavor town.

My family was definitely skeptical about these at first, but then they happily devoured them in just one day. The brownie texture is fudgey, while not nearly as heavy as the holy grail fudgey boxed brownies by Ghirardelli. As someone who cannot live without chocolate (I’m mildly addicted to it), these are a lighter answer to that 4pm craving. I hope you like them!

Annnnd none for Franklin The Silky Hotdog.

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Coat a 6in x 10in (or a similar size) baking pan with Pam Perfect Release spray (it’s made with flour and is truly magical).

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato

• 1/2 cup maple syrup

• 1/2 cup almond butter

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 cup oat flour (all-purpose flour can be substituted)

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (+ more to garnish the top)

Start by microwaving the sweet potato (skin on) for 6 minutes. Poke a few holes in it with a fork, so it can release some steam to help it tenderize. When your sweet potato is tender, let it rest for 10 minutes.

When the sweet potato is cool enough to touch, peel the skin off and place it in your food processor. Pulse for a minute.

In a medium size bowl, combine sweet potato purée, maple syrup, almond butter, olive oil and vanilla extract.

When those ingredients have melded together, add cocoa powder, baking powder, flour, salt and chocolate chips. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Let cool. Or don’t. Then try not to eat them all in one sitting.