Sweet Potato Chocolate Brownies Recipe | Foodal (2024)

You know what food trend I’ve never fully understood?

The one about the hidden vegetables.

The puree-something-your-kids-won’t-eat-and-bury-it-in desserts! Add spinach in chocolate cake! Sneak cauliflower in pasta!

Do whatever you can to trick them into eating nutrition!

I mean, I think I kind of understand it, or at least the premise of it: if you can add good-for-you foods to what someone normally eats without them noticing, then you get them to eat what they should while also eating what they want.

I was curious, I’ll admit it, to see what a pureed vegetable could add to one of my favorite desserts: rich, decadent brownies. I mean, I already knew how delicious sweet potato gnocchi are, after gobbling up a huge bowlful of them for dinner the other night.

So I made a batch of these sweet potato brownies.

(Plus, bonus reason! I had a lone sweet potato in the fridge, begging to be used!)

What did I discover? Something amazing.

Pureed sweet potatoes add a moist texture to the brownies that makes them super dense and fudgy – as a perfect brownie should be!

The sweet potato taste is sweet and subtle, practically nonexistent – all you taste is a deep chocolate flavor that is irresistible with each bite.

Sure, it’s not the healthiest treat (Flour! Butter! Sugar!), but this healthy-ish recipe is so rich and decadent.

The ultimate brownie.

And as it turns out, at least when it comes to these sultry squares of chocolaty delights, that hiding vegetables in dessert can be kind of clever.

So maybe being sneaky isn’t so bad after all…

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Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Cook and Puree the Sweet Potato

Peel the sweet potato and chop in cubes using a sharp knife and cutting board.

Cook the sweet potato in boiling water until soft enough to be easily pierced with a fork, about 10-15 minutes.

Puree in a food processor or blender, adding water as necessary, until thick and smooth.

You can do this step ahead of time, refrigerating the puree in an airtight container until ready to use.

Step 2 – Prep the Pan and Ingredients

Heat your oven to 350°F.

Grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the top of the paper. Set aside.

Measure out the unsalted butter, cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, and vanilla extract. Break the egg in a separate bowl and set aside.

Step 3 – Combine Butter and Cocoa Powder

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. No need to brown the butter! Just heat until the it is entirely melted. Immediately remove from the heat.

Stir in the cocoa powder with a metal whisk. The mixture will be thick. Set aside and let cool slightly.

Step 4 – Add the Sugar and Wet Ingredients

To the cocoa powder and butter mixture, add the sweet potato puree, granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla. Stir until everything is combined into a thick batter.

Step 5 – Whisk Together Dry Ingredients

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Step 6 – Combine Ingredients

Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir gently, just until no traces of flour remain. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.

Step 7 – Bake

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, evenly smoothing the top with a spoon. Sprinkle the top of the mixture with more chips for a pretty presentation.

Place in the oven and bake until the surface looks dry and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 15-20 minutes.

Step 8 – Cool and Serve

Remove from the oven, and let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes before cutting in squares and serving. Enjoy!

An Unexpected Secret Ingredient

To get the fudgiest, chewiest, thickest brownies, We’ve turned to the ingredient you’d least expect:

Vegetables!

With nearly a cup of pureed sweet potatoes, our recipe is rich and indulgent. The thing you’d least expect creates the best texture you do expect from a brownie!

Ironic, isn’t it?

You’ll also be equally as happy with our recipe for sweet potato blondies, another decadent dessert with the same surprising ingredient!

How do you like to incorporate veggies in crazy ways in your favorite sweets? Reveal your secrets in the comment section below, and rate this recipe!

Looking for more brownie recipes? We’ll indulge you:

• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
• Vegan Chocolate Brownies
• Brownie Bites
• Flourless, Gluten-Free Brownies
• Gluten-Free Cashew Brownies
• Raw Brownies with Chocolate Avocado Frosting

Photos by Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on February 26, 2010. Last updated: October 23, 2020 at 19:25 pm. With additional writing and editing by Nikki Cervone.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.