Sweet Potato Brownies

I make these sweet potato brownies to take on big hikes or wild camps but to be honest they are equally good whilst relaxing on the sofa with a cup of coffee! They feel like a treat but are full of the good stuff including oats, almonds, and sweet potatoes. Plus no refined sugar to guard against energy crashes. Oh, and in case you want to tick a dietary requirement box, these are vegan, paleo, and gluten-free when made with gluten free oats.

For the brownies:

100g ground oats
100g ground almonds
6 Tbsp cacao powder or cocoa powder
500g sweet potatoes (about 1 large) baked until very soft
2 ripe bananas
12 pitted dates
2 Tbsp coconut oil
Pinch of salt

For the frosting:

2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 Tbsp peanut butter or other nut butter
2 Tbsp cacao powder or cocoa powder
1 Tbsp maple syrup

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Prepare a small baking dish (you can even use a bread tin for this) by lining it with some baking paper.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, ground almonds, cacao powder, and salt.
In a food processor, place the insides of the sweet potato (no skin!), banana, dates, and coconut oil. Turn the food processor on and blitz until the dates are well chopped up and you have a fine puree.
Add this puree to the dry mix. Stir until well combined (it’s a pretty thick mixture so don’t be surprised if you have to stir a lot!).
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 40-50 minutes. When they’re done, the top of the brownies should look fairly dry and firm to the touch. Leave to cool completely.
While the brownies are cooking, make your icing. Combine all of the icing ingredients in a pan and warm on a low-medium heat. It helps to use a wisk to bring everything together and make a smooth pourable frosting.
Once the brownies are cool, poor the icing over the brownies. It won’t seem like a lot of icing but trust me – it’s enough! Put the brownies in the fridge or freezer so that the icing sets. Slice up the brownies into small (or large!) squares and enjoy!

Tips:

If you’re using the oven a day or two before you plan to make this recipe, pop your sweet potatoes in to bake at the same time. That way they’ll be cool and ready to go by the time you have to make your brownies.
Add the optional add-ins or toppings below to make the brownies extra special. (The brownies in the picture are topped with chopped peanuts and Maldon sea salt!)

Optional add-ins: Mix in with the dry ingredients in step 2 above.

Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or even cayenne
A small handful of chopped nuts – walnuts are especially good
A small handful of dried fruits such as chopped apricots or cranberries

Optional toppings: Add just after you pour on the icing in step 7.

Chopped peanuts or other nuts
A sprinkle of flaked sea salt
A sprinkle of cocoa nibs