I love a treat that feels fun but still includes nourishing ingredients and these healthy sweet potato brownies check all the boxes! They’re rich and chocolatey like a classic brownie, but made with ingredients like sweet potato and almond butter that add fiber, healthy fats, and nutrients.
Even better, they’re incredibly simple to make. Everything mixes together in one bowl, and the batter comes together in just a few minutes!
Why You and Your Kids Will Love These Sweet Potato Brownies
- brownies that are lightly sweetened with maple syrup (or even blended dates)
- soft and fudgy
- made simple ingredients and even without flour
- nutrient-dense with sweet potato and almond butter
- easy to make in one bowl
- perfect for toddler snacks or lunchboxes
They’re the kind of recipe both kids and parents can feel good about, a chocolatey treat that still brings a little extra nourishment to the table. You'd also love my black bean brownie bites for an even more protein + fiber-packed snack that feels like a treat!
Jump to:
- Why You and Your Kids Will Love These Sweet Potato Brownies
- Ingredients You'll Need
- How to Make Your Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies
- Hint for the Best Sweet Potato Brownies
- Substitutions
- Variations
- Equipment
- Storing Your Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies
- Tiff's Dietitian Tip
- FAQ
- Related
- Pairing
- Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies
Ingredients You'll Need
Here's what you'll need to make these healthy sweet potato brownies:
- sweet potato – mashed sweet potato adds natural sweetness, fiber, and vitamin A while helping create a soft, moist brownie texture
- egg – helps bind the batter together and gives the brownies structure while still keeping them fudgy
- almond butter – provides healthy fats and protein, making the brownies richer and helping keep them tender
- maple syrup – adds a small amount of natural sweetness without needing much added sugar
- cocoa powder – gives these brownies their deep chocolate flavor while also adding antioxidants
- baking soda – just a small amount helps balance the density of the batter so the brownies aren’t too heavy
- salt – enhances the chocolate flavor and balances the sweetness
- vanilla – to help with sweetness without the added sugar, use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- chocolate chips – add pockets of melted chocolate throughout the brownies, making them extra rich and kid-approved
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Your Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal. Add all the ingredients into a medium-size bowl.
- Step 2: Mix ingredients together until smooth and well combined.
- Step 3: Fold in half of the chocolate chips and save half to sprinkle on top. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top.
- Step 4: Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the center is just set. Allow brownies to cool completely before slicing so they firm up and become extra fudgy.
Hint for the Best Sweet Potato Brownies
For the best texture, the number of eggs you use makes a big difference and totally up to your preference!
If you prefer fudgy brownies, use 1 egg. This keeps the brownies dense, rich, and more like a classic fudgy brownie texture. If you prefer cakier brownies, use 2 eggs. The extra egg adds more structure and lift, creating a lighter, more cake-like texture.
Another tip is to avoid overbaking. Sweet potato brownies will continue to set as they cool, so pulling them out when the center is just set will help keep them soft and fudgy.
Substitutions
This healthy sweet potato brownie recipe is very flexible and works with several ingredient swaps. They're already gluten-free since they don't have any flour!
- nut-free option - use sunflower seed or pumpkin seed butter instead of almond butter
- dairy-free option - use dairy-free chocolate chips.
- egg-free option - use a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoon water, let sit 5 minutes) or sub with ¼ cup applesauce
- no sweet potato? - sub with pumpkin puree!
Variations
You can easily change the flavor of these sweet potato brownies depending on what you have on hand!
- walnut brownies - stir in chopped walnuts or pecans for added texture and healthy fats
- peanut butter brownies - swap the almond butter for peanut butter for a slightly richer, classic chocolate + peanut butter flavor
- double chocolate brownies - add extra chocolate chips or chocolate chunks for a more decadent brownie
- raspberry chocolate brownies - fold in a handful of raspberries for a slightly tart chocolate berry flavor
Equipment
All you need to make these sweet potato brownies is a mixing bowl and spatula are enough to combine the batter, and an 8×8 baking pan lined with parchment paper helps the brownies lift out easily for slicing. I like using parchment so the brownies don’t stick and can be removed cleanly once cooled.
Storing Your Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies
Because these brownies are made with sweet potato, they stay soft and moist for several days. Store leftover brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They actually become even more fudgy after chilling. If you’d like to freeze them, let the brownies cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 2 months. Simply thaw overnight in the refrigerator or warm slightly before serving.
Tiff's Dietitian Tip
One thing I remind parents of often is that sweets don’t have to be something we “fear” or strictly limit. Instead, we can neutralize sweets by offering them alongside other foods rather than putting them on a pedestal.
For example, you might serve one of these sweet potato brownies with a balanced snack like yogurt and fruit, or alongside a meal. When sweets are included as just another food option instead of a “special reward,” kids learn to enjoy them without feeling the need to overfocus on them.
Over time, this approach helps children develop a more balanced and intuitive relationship with food versus something they need to "earn."
FAQ
No! The cocoa powder and chocolate chips create a rich chocolate flavor that hides the sweet potato taste. The sweet potato mainly adds natural sweetness, moisture, and nutrients.
You can bake, steam, or microwave the sweet potato until soft. Mash it well so the texture is smooth before adding it to the batter.
These brownies include nutrient-dense ingredients like sweet potato, almond butter, and cocoa powder. They contain fiber, healthy fats, and vitamin A, making them a more balanced treat compared to traditional brownies.
Yes. Substitute the almond butter with sunflower seed or pumpkin seed butter or another nut-free seed butter.
You can reduce or omit the maple syrup if desired. The sweet potato and chocolate chips already add natural sweetness.
Store brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Because they contain sweet potato, they stay moist and fudgy when chilled.
Yes. Let them cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight or warm slightly before serving.
Yep! Sub 1 egg with a flax egg or ¼ cup of applesauce.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with these healthy sweet potato brownies:
Healthy Sweet Potato Brownies
Equipment
- 8x8 baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed sweet potato
- 1 egg 2 eggs for cakey brownies or sub with one flax egg for egg-free
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup ¼ cup for more sweet or sub with blended dates or mashed banana for no added sugar
- ½ cup almond butter any nut/seed butter will work!
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste) can omit if desired
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder ½ cup for more rich
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt
- ⅓-½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together mashed sweet potato, egg, maple syrup, vanilla, and almond butter until smooth.
- Add cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, mixing until a thick brownie batter forms. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the center is just set. Allow brownies to cool completely before slicing so they firm up and become extra fudgy.
Alyson Pappas says
GIRL. This recipe just EMBODIES a decadent, moist, and delicious brownie. It's absolutely delicious and in my weekly recipe rotations 🙂
toddlerdietitiantiff says
AREN'T THEY INSANE?! So glad you love them!!! Would be so yum with chopped pecans and little date "caramel" chunkies!
Heather says
Incredibly easy and really delicious! Finally didn’t have to worry when my toddler was asking for more brownies, please! Wonderful recipe, thank you!
toddlerdietitiantiff says
So glad y'all love them as much as we do!! Wild how good sweet potatoes can taste!
toddlerdietitiantiff says
YAY! So glad y'all love them! Love how easy they are and that they're literally getting veggies in a sweet treat!
Noor says
That was so freakin good. SO rich and decadent. Made me think of the chocolate cake from Matilda!!
toddlerdietitiantiff says
Ok best compliment ever! So glad you loved them!!
Alena Goldstein says
My daughter looooved these. Love that she's getting some healthy carbs & fats 🙂
Megan says
Did I think my kids would even touch these??? Absolutely not. Did they devour them and ask for seconds??? They sure did 😂 I LOVE when my kids willingly eat anything with fiber and veggies! Thank you!!!!
toddlerdietitiantiff says
HECK YES love that! So glad they loved them and thank you for sharing!!!