If fudgy, rich, super chocolatey brownies with a healthy twist are your thing, you’ll love this sweet potato brownie recipe. They’re easily made gluten-free and come together in just one bowl.

This is the kind of recipe that my willpower or words like moderation stand no chance against. If you asked me what my ultimate dessert is, it’d likely look like this. Gooey, fudgy, super chocolatey, not too sweet and with a healthy twist pretty much define the word dessert for me and these sweet potato brownies deliver.
I seem to have a thing with putting sweet potato in baked goods. I’ve done it with everything from biscuits to cookies to bread and bars, and now I can add brownies to the list. It’s kind of a no-brainer, the sweet potato keeps the brownies moist and adds subtle sweetness and flavor while also bringing a punch of nutrients (like potassium – they have more than a banana!) you wouldn’t normally have in a dessert.
This is the kind of recipe that’s hard to describe how good it is. I hope the pictures do a good enough job enticing you to make them because one bite in and you’ll fall in love.
What Ingredients You’ll Need
10 ingredients and 1 bowl. That’s all it takes to make these brownies and you can have them in the oven in 10 minutes.
- Sweet potato: As the star ingredient, you’ll want to make sure you cook the potatoes enough so they mash easily. You can also use canned sweet potato puree if you prefer. It’s sold like pumpkin puree and usually in the same section of the grocery store.
- Butter: Unsalted butter makes these brownies super decadent. Some sweet potato brownie recipes use nut butter and the sweet potato to replace the need for butter or oil in a traditional brownie recipe, but keeping the butter in the ingredient list really amps up the decadence of these.
- Eggs: You’ll need 3 eggs to help the brownies rise and stay together with baking. I don’t suggest substituting egg replacers like chia or flax eggs for this recipe.
- Brown sugar: These brownies aren’t overly sweet. There’s a bit of natural sweetness from the sweet potato. If you want them sweeter, you can add up to 1/4 cup more sugar in the recipe. Coconut sugar can also be used in the place of brown sugar if desired.
- Chocolate chips: I always like to add some chocolate chips to my brownies to complement the cocoa powder for added chocolate flavor and those melted chocolatey bites. Reserve some for the top of the brownies too!
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla always brings out the flavors in any baked good. It’s not imperative in a brownie recipe so you can skip it if you don’t have any on hand, but I recommend a splash for warmth and depth of flavor.
- Baking soda: Just 1/2 a teaspoon adds some leavening to the brownies but avoids the cake-like texture that too much leavening agents can produce.
- Salt: This supporting ingredient is crucial in baked goods to elevate all the flavors. I like to use sea salt and will sometimes sprinkle extra on top of the brownies straight out of the oven.
- Flour: The recipe uses an all-purpose flour and only 3/4 a cup. You can use regular all-purpose or swap it out for your favorite gluten-free blend. Both will work well.
- Cocoa powder: I like to use raw cacao powder in my baked goods. I think the flavor is superior to regular cocoa powder, but use whatever you have and like.
How to Make Sweet Potato Brownies
These one-bowl sweet potato brownies come together in minutes. You can find the full recipe directions in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick walkthrough of the process.
- Start by adding the mashed sweet potato, brown sugar and melted butter to a large bowl. Whisk the ingredients together until smooth.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk again until they’re incorporated and the batter is smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and stir until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, leaving some extra set aside for the topping.
- Pour the batter into a prepared baking dish.
- Bake the brownies at 350°F for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the baking dish comes out mostly clean with just a few crumbs.
My Pro Tips
Best Brownie Tips
- Let the brownies cool for at least 10 minutes (ideally longer – up to an hour) before cutting them into squares.
- For a super smooth sweet potato puree, use a food processor or blender. This isn’t necessary but avoids pockets of sweet potato clumps in the final brownie.
- If you use the food processor for mashing the sweet potatoes, you can actually make the entire brownie batter in the food processor as well instead of by hand in a bowl (worth it for the hassle of dragging that thing out of the cabinet).
- Parchment paper is a much better option for brownies than spraying/greasing the pan. It allows you to lift the brownies out of the pan for quicker cooling (on a cooling rack) and get clean square cuts for storage later.
How to Quickly Cook a Sweet Potato
Leftover sweet potatoes from last night’s dinner are perfect for making these brownies (assuming you didn’t season them with garlic or another savory spice), but if you don’t have any precooked on hand, here are two methods for cooking a sweet potato.
Microwave
If you’re like me, your microwave probably has hundreds of options for sensor cooking. I literally only use one: sweet potato. It’s the fastest way to cook a sweet potato and I’m not above an easy microwave cheat.
If yours is equipped with a sweet potato sensor cook option, I highly suggest using it for the quickest way to make these brownies. Just make sure the potato is cooked tender enough to mash easily. I sometimes run it through the cycle twice to get it really soft. Once cooked, let it cool down to the touch then peel off the skin. Transfer the potato to a bowl to mash by hand or a food processor.
Boil
Boiling is the second quickest option. To speed things up, I cut the sweet potato into chunks and boil them until fork tender which usually takes about 15 minutes. The smaller you cut the potato, the quicker it will cook. I keep the skin on while boiling so the potato doesn’t fall apart in the water and peel it off once it’s boiled and cooled down a little.
Storage
If you don’t end up eating the whole pan in one sitting (congratulations, your willpower is better than mine), these brownies should be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
They also freeze really well. I’ve done so in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. Freezing is a great idea for future easy dessert nights. You can pull one out, zap it in the microwave for a few seconds to thaw and top with a scoop of ice cream for an instant dessert option.
The next time a chocolate craving hits, I hope you’ll try these. With sweet potato involved, you can tell yourself there’s a vegetable in them and not even think twice. If you want to be extra, top it with a scoop of sweet potato ice cream and enjoy the brownie a la mode.
More Brownies To Try
In case you need more brownie inspiration, here are other brownie recipes I have. Of course, they all include a healthy spin.
Sweet Potato Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sweet potato purée, cooked and mashed, *see notes
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, *see notes
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, use GF flour if desired
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease or line a 9 x 9 inch (or similar) baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the mashed sweet potato, melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Then add the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well until well combined.
- Sift the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda and salt. Mix gently until combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, reserving some for sprinkling if desired.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly into the corners. Optionally, sprinkle the top with more chocolate chips.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with some moist crumbs (but not wet batter).
- Let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting into squares.
Notes
- Use sweet potato puree from a can for the smoothest consistency. If making your own, make sure the potato is well cooked so it mashes easily. You can mash it by hand with a potato masher or use a food processor for a smoother texture.
- For sweeter brownies, use up to 1/4 cup more sugar in this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.