Double Chocolate Brownies

Double chocolate brownies. (Erin Scott)

Double Chocolate Brownies

Our rich, fudgy brownies hit the mark with less than half the sugar of a boxed brownie mix. The secret ingredients are ones that none of our tasters could guess: sweet potatoes and almond butter. Sweet potatoes give these brownies a natural sweetness, while almond butter adds a creamy, rich texture—plus they’re studded with chocolate chips. They don’t need flour, so they’re great for gluten-free families. If you use canned sweet potato puree, the whole recipe comes together in less than 10 minutes in the food processor, so you can satisfy chocolate cravings quickly.

Added sugar: 1 1/2 teaspoons

Makes 24 brownies

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1/2 pound sweet potatoes, peeled, cubed, and boiled until fork-tender
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond butter
• 1/2 cup coconut oil or unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
• 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chips (6 3/4 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of overhang on each side, and coat with cooking spray.

Combine the sweet potatoes, almond butter, coconut oil, egg, and egg yolk in a food processor. Process until very smooth, making sure no chunks of sweet potato remain, about 1 minute.

Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the maple syrup and vanilla. Process until combined, about 30 seconds.

Add the cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda and process until all the dry ingredients are incorporated, about 1 minute more. Fold in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spread it into an even layer, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons chocolate chips. Bake until the top is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 27–30 minutes. Let the brownies cool slightly. Cut into 24 bars.

Quick Tip

You can substitute 1 cup canned sweet potato puree for the fresh sweet potato. 

What Kids Can Do

Little chefs can measure the ingredients and sprinkle the chocolate chips.

Make Ahead 

The brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Recipe excerpted from “Half the Sugar, All the Love” by Jennifer Tyler Lee and Anisha Patel, MD, MSPH. Photographs by Erin Scott. Workman Publishing copyright 2019.