Healthy chocolate dream
Without flour and sugar: Recipe for juicy, vegan sweet potato brownies
Wonderfully juicy, incredibly chocolaty and still healthy, does it get any better?
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Sounds almost too good to be true: These brownies do not require any flour or sugar, are vegan and, last but not least, provide minerals and vitamins. A dream for all health-conscious sweet tooths. The recipe.
They are considered particularly healthy and are often baked or served in the form of fries with burgers: sweet potatoes. But have you ever processed the “patate” sweetly? If not, it’s about time. Sweet potatoes not only give cakes and pastries a great texture, but also an exciting aroma with natural sweetness – completely free of industrial sugar. How about juicy, chocolatey sweet potato brownies, for example?
Admittedly, the combination may sound strange at first, but you should definitely give it a chance. Your willingness to experiment will be rewarded with full-bodied brownies, which do not require sugar or flour and are even vegan. Thanks to the unique nutrient composition of the sweet potato, you also absorb a load of vitamins, minerals and trace elements and thus literally snack yourself healthy.
The sweet potato: packed with nutrients
The sweet potato, which comes from Central America, is known for its deep orange, strong purple or white flesh. In addition to its appearance, it scores with an excellent nutrient profile. It contains plenty of vitamins A, E and beta-carotene and thus supports vision, skin and hair. It also contains twice as much fiber as a normal potato, so it keeps you full for longer and supports digestion. Large amounts of potassium, magnesium and calcium make the sweet potato a veritable mineral bomb. It owes its sweet note to its high sugar content – but thanks to the low glycemic index, this does not cause the blood sugar level to skyrocket as quickly as is the case with normal potatoes.
A candy of nature
The floury-soft consistency of cooked sweet potatoes serves as the basis for the brownie batter, replacing flour and binders such as eggs in equal measure. Ground almonds are used as a further flour substitute; they give the brownies a slightly nutty taste and are also rich in protein and fiber. Medjool dates support the natural sweetness of the sweet potato, the “queen of dates” convinces with its caramel note. Alternatively, you can also use soft dates. However, since these are significantly smaller, the quantity should be increased to 18 to 20 pieces, depending on taste.
Baked cocoa provides the chocolaty note – this is unsweetened, slightly tart and tastes intensely chocolaty. If you fancy a treat in a class of its own, you can add exciting mix-ins to the basic dough. Cocoa nibs, chopped nuts or dried fruits such as banana chips make the sweet potato brownies a culinary highlight. Baked and drizzled with chocolate icing, “nature’s brownies” are ready to eat. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll never want to snack on anything else again – a must for all health-conscious gourmets.
Recipe for 14 Chocolatey Sweet Potato Brownies
ingredients
- 500 grams of sweet potatoes
- 14 Medjool dates, pitted
- 150 grams of ground almonds
- 5 tablespoons baking cocoa, de-oiled
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon of syrup eg date syrup, maple syrup, agave syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional: cacao nibs, Ceylon cinnamon, chopped nuts or dried fruit
glaze (optional)
- 30 grams of coconut oil
- 10 grams of baking cocoa, de-oiled
- 1 tablespoon of syrup eg date syrup, maple syrup, agave syrup
preparation
- Boil enough water in a saucepan.
- Peel and dice the sweet potatoes. Simmer in boiling water for 15 minutes, then drain and leave to cool.
- Pit the Medjool dates and soak in a bowl of cold water for at least ten minutes. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees top/bottom heat.
- Mix the ground almonds, baking cocoa, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
- Finely puree the soaked dates together with the sweet potatoes, the syrup, vanilla extract and some water. Slowly stir in the dry ingredients. Optionally fold in chopped nuts, dried fruit or cacao nibs.
- Line a square springform pan (approx. 23 x 23 cm) with baking paper.
- Fill the finished dough into the mold, smooth it out and bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes.
- Carry out a skewer test: pierce the dough with a wooden skewer, if no dough sticks, it is ready and can be taken out of the oven.
- For the glaze: slowly melt the coconut oil in a pan, mix in the baking cocoa and syrup and leave to cool. Drizzle the glaze over the finished brownies and leave to cool completely.
- Cut brownies into 14 pieces and serve.