Yes, you read that one correctly.  This post is a recipe for sweet potato brownies.  I figured if a can of puréed black beans can be baked into a box of brownie mix as a substitution for the eggs and oil and pumpkin purée can be subbed in for the eggs and oil in spiced cupcakes, a mashed up sweet potato would work in a brownie.  Right?  OK, you might not believe me now, but once you see my creation and taste how delicious they came out, you’ll be a believer!

Remember when I told you in my post last week that I had just about used up all of my Thanksgiving leftovers for my soup? Well, I sorta lied.  I still had one straggler tucked away in the back of my fridge.  It was a sole baked sweet potato that came along in my leftovers package from my mother-in-law.  And while no one would have known if I just tossed it out, I felt bad for throwing away perfectly good food.  There was nothing wrong with the sweet potato; I just didn’t care to eat it.  I guess I was just tired of consuming more Thanksgiving leftovers.  I felt as if I had been eating the same meal over and over again.  While I do like routine, eating more turkey, stuffing or sweet potatoes felt like Groundhog Day to me.  So when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.  And when life gives you a leftover sweet potato that you can’t bear to look at anymore, you make brownies!

Sweet Potato Brownies…Say What?
Serves 8 – 12

• 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1/4 TSP of baking powder
• 1 TBSP of instant coffee
• 1/4 TSP of sea salt
• 1 TBSP of organic shredded coconut (I used Woodstock Farms brand)
• 1 TBSP of pecans, chopped (I used the last of the ones I received from The Pecan Store)
• 1 TBSP of raw almonds, chopped (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
• 1/2 cup of agave nectar (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
• 2/3 cup of puréed sweet potato (about 1 medium-sized baked sweet potato)
• 1 TBSP of ground flax seeds in 3 TBSP of water (I used Trader Joe’s Golden Roasted Flax Seed, ground)
• 1 1/2 TSP of vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce
• 2/3 cup of cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s)

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat an 8×8-inch baking pan with cooking spray.  Set aside.

2) In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, baking powder, instant coffee and sea salt.  Whisk everything together, so that it is all well-blended.  Then add your dried coconut and nuts.

3) In another large bowl, combine the agave nectar and the sweet potato purée (to get the sweet potato purée, just remove the flesh from the skin and mash until you get the consistency of a purée).  Then add the vanilla and the ground flax seeds that have been mixed with water (allow the flax seeds to combine with the water for about 5 minutes).  Finally, add the applesauce and the cocoa powder.  Mix everything together.

Ground flax seeds soaked in water – before & after

Next time, I’ll use a bigger bowl!

Fudge-y!

4) Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.  Mix until everything is well-blended and you no longer see any bits of dry flour.  The batter will be quite thick and almost cake-like in consistency.

Mix it!

Don’t worry, it’s supposed to look like this!

5) Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.  Smooth the batter out evenly.

Smooth it out…

6) Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

7) Allow the brownies to cool for about 5-7 minutes before cutting.  Then, DEVOUR!

Dy-no-mite! These brownies were incredible, if I do say so myself!  I loved how rich and chocolate-y these brownies tasted.  They weren’t overly sweet and had more of a dark chocolate flavor.  And, they were super moist!  I think it must have been the sweet potato?  Since I didn’t use oil, butter, milk or eggs, I wasn’t sure how this treat was going to turn out.  I was afraid they might come out a tad dry, being that I used whole wheat flour, but the applesauce kept the brownies moist and the ground flax seeds soaked in water helped to hold everything together nicely.  The addition of the pecans, walnuts and dried coconut gave this recipe some needed depth and also added to its unique flavor.  These brownies had more of a fudge-like versus a cake-like consistency, something which I prefer.  This was the first time I used ground flax seeds as a substitute for eggs and it came out wonderfully.  While I’m not vegan, I do appreciate the vegan style of eating and get truly excited when I can pull off a vegan recipe!  But whether you’re a meat eater or not, these brownies are sure to please.  And no, you can’t taste the sweet potato at all! This baked good tasted truly decadent without having the extra fat and calories.  They’re simple to make and can again help a leftover not go to waste.  Have I made a believer out of you yet?

What’s your favorite kind of chap stick?  I’m a Burt’s Bees lover, but I was curious to know what are some of the other brands you use?  The cold wind has been brutal lately…

Namasté,
Nicole