The Best Vegan Brownies

deliciously fudgy and perfectly chewy. a quick and easy recipe with great ingredients and natural sweetener options, these are the best vegan gluten free brownies! 

recipe originally published October 5, 2012

TABLE OF CONTENTS – Jump to any section:

1. 1. Sweet Potato Brownies
   2. Benefits of sweet potatoes
   3. Can you taste the sweet potato?
   4. Date sweetened brownies
   5. How to make date paste
   6. Brownie recipe variations
   7. Brownie add ins
   8. How can I tell if brownies are done?
   9. Storing leftover brownies
   10. More vegan chocolate recipes
   11. Vegan Brownie Recipe

Sweet Potato Brownies

Do you agree that brownies are one of the best desserts ever?

In my opinion, brownies and cheesecake fight for number one, always. (Combining the two in this Brownie Bottom Cheesecake may have been the best thing I have done, ever.)

These vegan brownies are dairy, egg, soy, and gluten-free. They are also free of refined sugar since they are sweetened with dates or coconut sugar. You can keep them nut-free by using sunflower seed butter in place of the nut butter.

These are the best vegan brownies! 

Benefits of sweet potatoes

I love to add sweet potatoes to brownies! The first reason I ever did was as an egg replacer – turns out mashed sweet potato is a great binder.

…and sweet potatoes are good for you! They are loaded with fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. They are sweet. I love the natural sweetness they bring to a brownie.

Do you taste the sweet potatoes?

No, you don’t taste the sweet potatoes in these brownies. They have a delicious fudgy taste. If you don’t want any trace of sweet potato, just mash the cooked potato really well. Throw it in a blender for a smoother purée if you want.

These tasty brownies have no potato flavor and all of the potato benefit. 

Date Sweetened Brownies

Dates are a great natural sweetener, and they are rich in fiber and antioxidants.

To use dates in place of other sweeteners in this brownie recipe, follow the date paste recipe below, using 8 Medjool dates, or 10-12 Deglet Noor dates.

How To Make Date Paste:

• In saucepan over high heat, bring 3 cups water to boil
• While waiting for water to boil, carefully remove pits from dates
• Remove boiling water from heat
• Add pitted dates to hot water and cover
• Soak dates for 10-15 minutes to soften
• Transfer softened dates and just 1/4 cup of water to blender
• Blend at high speed until smooth, adding more water by the tablespoon to thin

How To Make Vegan Gluten Free Brownies, step by step:

Vegan Gluten Free Brownie Variations 

• No sweet potato? Use pumpkin, kabocha or butternut squash, or even Yukon Gold potatoes.
• Got nuts? If you like the texture and crunch of nuts, stir a handful into the batter before baking
• Nut free? use sunflower seed butter in place of the nut butter 
• Feeling fruity? add healthy sweetness with fresh cherries, raspberries, or blueberries!
• Rich flavor! add a scoop of instant espresso powder for a deliciously rich flavor layer
• Frosting is always welcome on brownies! This Chocolate Mousse Frosting is fab! 
  

You could also try adding a scoop of ice cream on top of your sweet potato brownies. This Oat Milk Ice Cream or this Vanilla Breve Latte Ice Cream is great with fresh warm brownies.

More Brownie Add Ins:

• Marshmallows
• Peanut butter swirls
• Sweetened cream cheese
• Caramel or toffee pieces

How do I know when brownies are done?

You don’t want to overcook these sweet potato brownies. To tell if they are done, look at the edges. They should be slightly dry but not too dark. When you insert a toothpick in the center of the brownie pan, it should come out mostly clean.

How can I store leftovers?

We store brownies covered at room temperature, in a glass container with a lid. They will keep up to three days stored this way. If you want to keep them for longer than three days, keep them in the refrigerator. Stored in the refrigerator, they will last a week.

Or, put them in the freezer for up to a month. I find it easiest to slice brownies, then store in freezer bags. This way I can take out one or two when I want them. Just wrap them in parchment paper and put them in a freezer bag. 

Vegan Chocolate Recipes

• Air Fryer Brownies
• Oat Milk Ice Cream
• (Prince William’s) Chocolate Biscuit Cake
• Tasty Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Bars
• Vegan Twix Cookie Bars
• Double Chocolate Smoothie with Salted Pepitas
• Brownie Bottomed Cheesecake
• Delectably Rich Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake

Did You Make The Best Vegan Brownies? 

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Yield: 16 brownies

The Best Vegan Brownies

Print

this quick and easy vegan brownie recipe will be your go to favorite - deliciously fudgy and perfectly chewy, with a great ingredient list and natural sweetener options.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 large (1 cup) cooked sweet potato
• 3/4 cup nut butter (almond, cashew)
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar / vegan granulated sugar / dates
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 1/3 cup fine almond flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup dairy free chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment.
2. In large mixing bowl, mash cooked sweet potato.
3. Add almond butter, sugar, and vanilla, stir to combine with mashed sweet potato.
4. To the same bowl, add cocoa powder, almond flour, baking powder and salt. Stir the baking powder and salt into the flour and cocoa powder, then fold into wet ingredients. Add chocolate chips, if using.
5. Stir to combine completely. Transfer brownie batter into prepared (parchment lined) baking sheet.
6. Bake at 350 °F for 25-28 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
7. Remove brownies from oven. Cool in pan for  30-45 minutes. Using parchment edges, lift brownies from pan. Slice into 16 even squares.

Notes

How do I know when brownies are done?

You don't want to overcook these sweet potato brownies. To tell if they are done, look at the edges. They should be slightly dry but not too dark. When you insert a toothpick in the center of the brownie pan, it should come out mostly clean.

How can I store leftovers?

We store brownies covered at room temperature, in a glass container with a lid. They will keep up to three days stored this way. If you want to keep them for longer than three days, keep them in the refrigerator. Stored in the refrigerator, they will last a week.

Or, put them in the freezer for up to a month. I find it easiest to slice brownies, then store in freezer bags. This way I can take out one or two when I want them. Just wrap them in parchment paper and put them in a freezer bag. 

Brownie Recipe Variations 

• No sweet potato? Use pumpkin, kabocha or butternut squash, or even Yukon Gold potatoes.
• Got nuts? If you like the texture and crunch of nuts, stir a handful into the batter before baking
• Nut free? use sunflower seed butter in place of the nut butter 
• Feeling fruity? add healthy sweetness with fresh cherries, raspberries, or blueberries!
• Rich flavor! add a scoop of instant espresso powder for a deliciously rich flavor layer
• Frosting is always welcome on brownies! This Chocolate Mousse Frosting is fab! 

More Brownie Add Ins:

• Marshmallows
• Peanut butter swirls
• Sweetened cream cheese
• Caramel or toffee pieces

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Almond Butter, 16 Ounce
• 
  Organic Coconut Sugar
• 
  Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, 4 ounces
• 
  Organic Cocoa Powder (2 pounds)
• 
  Super-Fine GF Almond Flour
• 
  Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 117Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 103mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 4gSugar: 8gProtein: 4g

nutrition calculations results vary by calculator, are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to replace medical advice or treatment.

about Kristina:

Kristina is spabettie! She found cooking at an early age, and created spabettie in 2010 to share vegan recipes. Kristina turned her culinary training into sharing vibrant vegan food!  Read more…

spabettie / Kristina Sloggett is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.