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My flourless vegan sweet potato brownies are dense, fudgy, and deeply chocolatey, with a texture that lands somewhere between a truffle and a brownie 🤤. They’re naturally gluten-free, fully dairy-free, and come together with simple pantry ingredients. Let’s bake!

Nine chocolate brownies, each topped with coarse sea salt, are arranged in a 3x3 grid on parchment paper atop a wooden surface.
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These brownies deliver that shiny-top, melt-in-your-mouth richness without a single drop of flour. I can’t even count how many versions we tested to nail that structure (have you seen that photo above?!)! The sweet potato gives them body, the chocolate keeps them fudgy, and the flax helps everything set without turning cakey.

Not only is this one of the easiest brownie recipes, but it’s one of those vegan desserts people assume can’t possibly be vegan. Trust me, I tested them!

the sweetest sweet potato brownies

  • Great make-ahead dessert because they get even better after chilling
  • Customize this gluten-free vegan brownie recipe with chocolate chips, nuts, pretzels, or anything crunchy
  • So sweet that no one will know it’s got more fiber than traditional brownies, thanks to the sweet potato
A stack of three thick, fudgy chocolate brownies topped with sea salt flakes, resting on parchment paper.

Notes from the test kitchen

  • Sweet Potato Texture Test: We tried mashed and blended versions. Blended puree gave the smoothest brownie crumb with no graininess.
  • Binder Test: Flax eggs gave the best structure without introducing cakiness. Other binders made the brownies crumbly or too dense. Flax seeds = 🤩
  • Bake Time Test: These brownies turn dry fast when overbaked. Removing them while the center still looks soft is how we preserve that fudge texture!
Several chocolate brownies topped with sea salt are arranged on parchment paper, with one piece turned to show a fudgy texture.
Several square chocolate brownies topped with flaky sea salt are arranged on parchment paper.

Here’s what you’ll need

Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.

  • Sweet Potato Puree: Gives natural sweetness and moisture while providing structure in place of flour. Unlike our sweet potato cookie recipe, you need to fully blend the sweet potatoes to avoid graininess in the brownies.
  • Flaxseed Meal: Thickens into a gel that binds the brownies without eggs. By far it produced the best texture in our egg-free brownie recipe.
  • Vegan Chocolate Chips: Melt into the base for deep chocolate flavor and truffle-like density. Look for brands labeled dairy-free.
  • Almond Butter: Adds richness and helps the fudgy sweet potato brownies hold their shape without oil. Smooth, stirred almond butter works best. Peanut butter works too, but results in a more PB cup flavor.
  • Maple Syrup: Sweetens while keeping the texture soft and fudgy.
  • Cocoa Powder: Intensifies the chocolate flavor and balances the sweetness of the sweet potato.
Top-down view of labeled ingredients in bowls and jars: sweet potatoes, almond butter, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, salt, baking soda, flaxseed meal, water, maple syrup, and chocolate chips.

Why sweet potatoes work in brownies

There are a couple of things vegan brownies with sweet potatoes have going for them. First off, sweet potatoes naturally sweeten making these helthy-ish brownies. Next, their creaminess lends itself perfectly to that fudgy brownie texture we’re all after! And when compared to a standard vegan brownie, they act as our flour since they are a starch, and help bind like eggs would without the animal products.

no grainy brownies!

If you’re on the hunt for a flourless vegan brownie but aren’t into a black bean brownie, then you’re in the right place. But, when working with sweet potatoes in baked goods, we learned that they really need to be cooked fully and totally blended to avoid any grainy texture.

if your brownies are cakey…

This can happen quickly when baking sweet potato brownies (vegan). The key is to underbake! As soon as the center seems set, then it’s too late and they will likely be cakey. The center should still be a bit jiggly just like for our chickpea blondies.

A stack of three thick, fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies with a slightly crumbly texture, placed on parchment paper.
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Fudgy Vegan Sweet Potato Brownies (No Flour!)

5 from 7 ratings
By: Sarah Bond
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Chill Time: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 9 brownies
These fudgy vegan sweet potato brownies are rich, truffle-like, and made without flour—naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and easy to make with pantry staples.

Ingredients 

  • 1 ½ cups pureed sweet potato, 330 g (see notes for prep)
  • 4 ½ Tbsp hot water, 66 mL
  • 1 ½ Tbsp flaxseed meal, 9 g
  • 1 ½ cups vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips, 260 g
  • ¾ cup creamy almond butter, 192 g
  • 6 Tbsp maple syrup, 150 g
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract, 5 mL
  • 6 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 30 g
  • 1 tsp baking powder, 3 g
  • ½ tsp salt, 4 g
  • ¾ tsp espresso powder, optional, 3 g
  • ½ cup desired mix ins, like vegan chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or pretzels, 90 g
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Instructions 

  • Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
  • Sweet Potato: Make 1 ½ cups pureed sweet potato (see notes for making from scratch, or use leftover mashed sweet potatoes)
    A bowl of orange sweet potato puree being blended with an immersion blender on a light brown surface.
  • Flax Egg: In a small bowl, combine 4 ½ Tbsp hot water and 1 ½ Tbsp flaxseed meal. Stir and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken.
    A glass bowl filled with a mixture of water and ground flaxseed sits on a light brown surface next to a metal whisk and an empty glass jar.
  • Melt Chocolate: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 ½ cups vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips and ¾ cup creamy almond butter. Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring between each, until smooth and fully melted. Let cool slightly.
    A glass bowl containing chocolate chips and nut butter being mixed with a black spatula, placed on a light brown surface.
  • Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flax egg, 6 Tbsp maple syrup, and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth, about 2 minutes by hand or with electric beater.
    A large metal mixing bowl with a small amount of dark liquid and spices at the bottom, placed on a light brown countertop. A metal whisk is visible in the top left corner.
  • Add Chocolate: Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the flax-maple mixture. Whisk by hand or with electric beater until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. It will have a glossy, shiny appearance.
    A metal mixing bowl filled with chocolate cake batter sits on a brown countertop, with a beater covered in batter nearby.
  • Bring It All Together: Stir in sweet potato puree, 6 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt, and optional ¾ tsp espresso powder. Stir in ½ cup desired mix ins, like vegan chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or pretzels.
    The batter might get very thick all of a sudden if there’s a large gap in temperature between the puree, the dry ingredients, and wet ingredients, and that is totally normal.
    A metal mixing bowl with a whisk attachment contains chocolate batter, chocolate chips, pumpkin puree, and spices on a light brown surface.
  • Bake: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the edges are firm and the center looks set.
    A square baking pan lined with parchment paper filled with chocolate brownie batter, photographed from above on a light brown surface.
  • Cool: Let brownies cool completely in the pan, then chill in the fridge for about 40 minutes before slicing for clean, dense squares.
    A baked pan of chocolate brownies sits on parchment paper in a square baking dish on a light brown surface.

Notes

To make sweet potato puree, peel 2 to 3 sweet potatoes, removing both the skin and the thin white layer underneath (this prevents a grainy texture). Chop into cubes and boil for 15–20 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain, then blend with 1 to 2 Tbsp water using a blender or immersion blender until completely smooth. Measure out 1 ½ cups of the puree and let it cool slightly before using.
Underbake Them: The brownies will continue to set as they cool; for the fudgiest result, slightly underbake them.
Chill before slicing for the cleanest squares. Chill for at least 15 minutes or better yet, 30 minutes in the fridge.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top before baking for a perfectly balanced flavor and a little crunch.

Nutrition

Serving: 1brownie | Calories: 365kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 185mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 5800IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 3.4mg

Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.

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28 Comments

  1. Maya says:

    The total fat seems really high for what those ingredients are. Is that the fat per serving, or for the entire recipe?

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      This is per serving and it’s likely from the almond butter!

  2. Cheryl says:

    I love the idea of using sweet potatoes but would like to increase the protein content. Do you think the following substitutions would work? Add chocolate flavour protein powder. Reduce cocoa. Reduce maple syrup. Add plain Greek yogurt. Reduce almond butter. Any suggestions on measurements? Thanks

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      Hi Cheryl! I really can’t say for sure because I haven’t tested any of these. I think the protein powder could definitely be used to substitute the cocoa powder, but I’m not sure on the other two. I would love to hear how it goes if you try it out!

  3. Kate says:

    5 stars
    I wanna try this so much! Can dry monk fruit granules be used instead of maple syrup? If so, how much?

    Thank you!!
    Kate

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      Hi Kate! Monk fruit granules are probably going to be a lot different than maple syrup because the maple syrup is providing some moisture to the texture of the brownies!