Vegan Sweet Potato Easter Brownies

VEGAN SWEET POTATO EASTER BROWNIES

Recipe by Natalie of Feasting on Fruit

Brownies:

1 medium sweet potato

2/3 cup tahini or nut/seed butter of choice

2/3 cup cane sugar, or coconut sugar for a fudgier brownie

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (optional)

Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting:

8oz dairy-free chocolate chips

1 cup full-fat coconut milk

1 cup pastel Jordan almonds, crushed for topping*

For the Brownies:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice the sweet potato in half longways. Brush the cut side with oil if desired. Place cut side down onto a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Roast 35-40 minutes until fork tender. Cool briefly, then remove the skin and mash well.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Line an 8×8″ baking pan with parchment or lightly oil it. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mashed sweet potato, tahini, sugar, and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients, and mix to form a very thick batter. Fold in the chocolate chips.Transfer batter to baking pan, and spread evenly. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes. Cool completely (or even refrigerate) before frosting.

For the Frosting:

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and coconut milk. Microwave for 60 seconds, then whisk until smooth. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours until firm to the touch. Use a hand mixer to whip the ganache to a light fluffy consistency. Do not overmix or it will start to melt and become runny. Spread on top of the cooled brownies, and top with the crushed almonds. Refrigerate again until the frosting is set (1-2 hours). Slice into 16 squares and serve.

*Natalie writes: “I used Jordan almonds instead of the traditional chocolate candy eggs because I couldn’t find vegan candy eggs. Some brands of Jordan almonds do contain dairy, so check the label.”

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This was a Recipe Challenge recipe.

When I made the Sweet Potato Brownies Vegan Sweet Potato Easter Brownies, I could not resist adapting them a little to be lower in fat and sugar so I reduced the nut butter to ½ cup (1/4 cup peanut butter, ¼ cup tahini) and reduced sugar to ½ cup. I used whole wheat flour. I also reduced the unsweetened cocoa to ½ cup. I took them out of the oven at the low end of the time range, at 28 minutes. They were super! —very fudgey and rich. For us, we eat these early in the day, as they have a caffeine-like substance that can interfere with sleep. Enjoy!

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Feasting on Fruit is a great site for those who enjoy experimenting with desserts. The site is all plant-based, with an occasional suggestion that, e.g., non-PB folks can use dairy substitutes—but the recipes themselves are all vegan.

The recipe calls for crushed Jordan almonds on top, but warns that sometimes they contain dairy. I think they contain dairy, and perhaps insect ingredients in the shiny shell, more often than not. You can find vegan blue Jordan almonds at itsdelish.com. 

Also, Natalie says her first choice for crushed candy on top was crushed Easter candy eggs, but she could not find any that were vegan. Not surprisingly, it’s getting easier to find vegan versions of these, though you may have to order them online. Here is a recent article on sources from Vegan Food and Living: https://www.veganfoodandliving.com/features/best-vegan-easter-eggs/

None of this is health food, but you know that. Also, at the time of this posting, Easter is far away. However, I bet these brownies could be adapted for Halloween ….