These flourless sweet potato brownies are fudgy, gooey in the middle, and made with 5 simple ingredients: mashed sweet potato, almond butter, eggs, cacao powder, and chocolate chips. The sweet potato does most of the sweetening, so the sugar is optional. They’re gluten free, and once your sweet potatoes are cooked, the batter takes about 5 minutes to mix.

If you’ve been around here a while, you know about my deep bond with sweet potatoes. At this point I’m pretty sure I bleed orange. This sweet potato brownie recipe has been a favorite in the SKS community for years, and fall is when it really shines. Love a healthier brownie? My flourless banana brownies are the next ones to try.

A plate with gooey sweet potato brownies with chocolate chips and sea salt on top

A Quick Look At The Recipe

  • Recipe Name: Flourless Sweet Potato Brownie (5 Ingredients)
  • Ready In: 30 minutes
  • Serves: 8
  • Main Ingredients: 1/2 cup mashed sweet potato (*), smooth almond butter, eggs, cacao powder, coconut sugar (optional), baking soda (optional), chocolate chip (divided in half)
  • Why You'll Love It: These sweet potato brownies are made with 4 simple ingredients. They are rich, fudgy, gooey and so delicious! You won't believe they are sweetened by sweet potatoes mainly.

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How These Brownies Accidentally Became Flourless

My original recipe had 1 tablespoon of cassava flour. One day I was halfway through baking when I realized I’d forgotten the flour completely. I braced myself for a pan of chocolatey sweet potato mush.

Instead, they baked into the fudgiest, gooiest brownies I’d ever made. I haven’t added flour since! The sweet potato and almond butter give them body, and the eggs hold everything together. You get soft centers, chewy edges, and that crackly top.

Before You Start

  • Measure 1 1/2 cups of sweet potato after mashing.
  • Your sweet potato shouldn’t be watery. If you boil it, drain it really well. Steaming is even better.
  • Short on time? Canned sweet potato purée works.
  • Pull the pan a few minutes early for the gooiest center.
  • Let them cool for 10 minutes before cutting so the squares hold their shape.
Ingredients to make sweet potato brownies. There are sweet potato puree, cacao powder, almond butter and 2 eggs. There are also some additional ingredients to make this recipe even better, include coconut sugar, chocolate chips.

Best Sweet Potatoes for Brownies

You’d be surprised how many kinds of sweet potatoes are out there. After testing a few, here are my top three:

  • Japanese sweet potatoes: red skin, white flesh, super creamy, and naturally sweet. My absolute favorite. I always have some on hand.
  • White sweet potatoes: creamy and sweet like Japanese ones, with super thin skin. Harder to find, but worth grabbing if you spot them at a store like Whole Foods.
  • Regular orange sweet potatoes: the easiest to find. Cut off both ends to cut down on stringiness. Not my favorite of the bunch, but still good!

Bought too many? Roast the extras into my maple miso glazed sweet potatoes or stir them into a big pot of sweet potato chili.

Can I Use a Different Nut Butter?

Yes! Smooth almond butter makes the gooiest brownies, but chunky works too if you like a little crunch. I’ve tested both, and you can’t go wrong. Out of almond butter? Peanut butter is delicious here too.

How to Make Sweet Potato Brownies

Scroll down to the full recipe card for exact amounts and instructions! ⬇️

Steam or boil the sweet potatoes until very soft, then peel and mash them until smooth. From there it’s all one bowl:

In a large bowl, combine sweet potato purée, almond butter, and eggs.
Mix together until smooth.
Mix in cacao powder and fold in chocolate chips.
Pour sweet ptoato brownie batter in a parchment paper lined 8×8 baking pan.
Swirl extra almond butter and chocolate chips on top (optional).
A pan full of freshly baked banana bread brownies topped with chocolate banana brownies. It's topped with chocolate chips and sea salt
Bake 25 minutes or until preferred gooeiness.

Fun Ways to Change Them Up

  • Nut butter swirl: drop spoonfuls of almond butter on top and swirl with a toothpick before baking.
  • Sea salt finish: a sprinkle of flaky salt before baking makes the chocolate pop.
  • Extra chocolate: fold in more chips or pile them on top. You can never have too much chocolate, right?
  • Peppermint: add a couple drops of peppermint extract and top with crushed candy canes. For the full holiday version, try my peppermint sweet potato brownies.
9 pieces of sweet potato brownies with almond butter swirl and chocolate chips on top.

What to Serve With Sweet Potato Brownies

Serve them warm with a scoop of ice cream, or with a glass of homemade nut milk. For a fall dessert table, put them next to my apple butter cookies and sweet potato cheesecake. They’re also a great gluten-free dessert to bring to Thanksgiving.

Want a chocolatey snack instead? My almond butter protein balls scratch the same itch.

FAQ

Can I use canned sweet potato? Yes. Canned sweet potato purée works. Use 1 1/2 cups.

Do I need the coconut sugar? No, it’s optional. The sweet potato and chocolate chips make them sweet enough for most people.

Are these brownies gluten free? Yes. There’s no flour in them at all.

Can I use peanut butter instead of almond butter? Yes, and it’s delicious.

Why are my brownies so soft? Sweet potato brownies are softer than regular brownies. For firmer squares, bake a few minutes longer and let them cool completely before cutting.

Can I freeze sweet potato brownies? Yes. Wrap them individually and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes, then warm them in the microwave for a few seconds with a paper towel on top to keep them moist.

A square of sweet potato brownie. There is an orange swirl on top and some chocolate chips sprinkled on top of the dessert
Paleo chocolate banana bread brownies with a lot of chocolate chips and almond butter

Get the recipe:Flourless Sweet Potato Brownie (5 Ingredients)

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
These sweet potato brownies are made with 4 simple ingredients. They are rich, fudgy, gooey and so delicious! You won't believe they are sweetened by sweet potatoes mainly.
4.60 stars (100 reviews)
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup mashed sweet potato, *
  • 1/2 cup smooth almond butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup cacao powder
  • 3 tbsp coconut sugar, optional
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda, optional
  • 2/3 cup chocolate chip, divided in half

Instructions 

Prepare the sweet potatoes

  • Steam or boil the sweet potatoes for 30 – 40 minutes (depending on the size of the sweet potatoes). Poke the thickest part with a fork to make sure it is very soft.
  • Once the sweet potatoes are slightly cooled, peel the skin off. Then mash them up in a bowl. Measure 1 1/2 cup of the mashed sweet potatoes.

Prepare the Brownie Batter

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Add 1/2 cup almond butter and two eggs to the mashed sweet potatoes
  • Mix the wet ingredients well until smooth.
  • Add 1/2 cup cacao powder, coconut sugar (if using any) and 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • Fold 1/3 chocolate chips in the brownie batter (optional).
  • Add the brownie batter to a parchment paper-lined 8×8 baking pan. Swirl extra nut butter on top if preferred. Sprinkle the rest of the chocolate chips on top and a little sea salt.
  • Bake 25 minutes or to preferred gooeyness.
  • Cut the brownie into squares once it cools for 10 minutes.

Notes

*The sweet potatoes should not be watery (if you choose to boil them). You can also use canned sweet potato puree here.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 198kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 84mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 10g

The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.

Author: Shuang Shuang Liang
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American