Sweet Potato Brownies

Ella Woodward ELLA WOODWARD

My original recipe for sweet potato brownies has been so popular over the last few years, so many of you absolutely love them and make them all the time.  But I’ve been feeling for a while that there was a way to make them so much better. I wanted something gooier, richer, more chocolaty and all round more indulgent and these are the result of that. I promise you’d never know there was any veg in here at all!
(Recipe updated November 21, 2016)

Ingredients

Makes 10–12 brownies

For The Brownies:

  • 2 medium-large sweet potatoes (about 10 ounces each)
  • 12 Medjool dates, pitted
  • 6 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 3.5 oz (100g) of ground almonds
  • 2 tbsp of melted coconut oil
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3.5 oz (100g) of ground oats
  • 6 tbsp of raw cacao powder

For The Icing:

  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp of almond butter
  • 1 tbsp of maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp cacao powder

Method

  1. Start by pre-heating the oven to 350°F (180°C), then peel the sweet potatoes. Cut them into chunks and place into a steamer for about twenty minutes, until they become really soft.
  2. Once they are perfectly soft and beginning to fall apart remove them and add them to a food processor with the pitted dates.
  3. Put the remaining ingredients into a bowl, before mixing in the sweet potato date combination. Stir well.
  4. Place into a lined baking dish and cook for about forty-five to fifty minutes, until you can pierce the brownie with a fork and bring it out dry. Remove the tray and allow it to cool for about ten minutes – this is really important as it needs this time to stick together!
  5. While the brownies are cooking make the icing by simply melting all the ingredients together and stirring well, then place in the freezer for 15 minutes and then the fridge for 15 to firm up a bit.
  6. Remove the brownies from the tray and leave to cool completely before icing otherwise your icing will melt! Spread the icing on top, cut into squares, dig in and enjoy!

TOP TIP

If you don’t have any raw cacao powder, then you can use conventional cocoa powder, but you’ll need to at least double the quantity.

Original recipe excerpted from DELICIOUSLY ELLA by Ella Woodward. Copyright © 2015 by Ella Woodward.  Excerpted with permission by Scribner, a Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.