Pocono Pabulum for Mind & Body: Dark Chocolate (Sweet Potato) Brownies

Dark Chocolate (Sweet Potato) Brownies

Considering my kids have been taking these delicious treats to school all week for snacks, I thought I would finally post the recipe I have been making over and over again this past month because we my family and I keep devouring them. I am not sure where exactly I first saw the recipe that gave me the idea to try sweet potato as the base for this brownie, but I am so glad I did. I love a dark, fudgy brownie, and this is now my definite new favorite dessert. It is so simple to make, free of any refined sugar, and packed with hidden nutrition. Instead of flour, and like the beans in my black bean brownies, the sweet potato in this recipe is the starch that serves as the base for the recipe. But sweet potatoes have the added benefit of natural sugars as well, so I only have to add 1/4 C. of pure maple syrup to sweeten these brownies perfectly. And sweet potatoes are also full of fiber, calcium, potassium, and vitamins A and C. (1 cup of sweet potato actually provides over 370% of your daily vitamin A!). The one thing you need to remember about this recipe however is to let the brownies cool completely before cutting into them. If you're in a hurry, like I often am, you can refrigerate them once they are partially cool, but if you cut them too soon, they will not come out of the pan well. I have thought of adding an egg or two the next time around to see if it helps bind them, but am reluctant to mess up something that is so perfect as is. I have been storing mine wrapped individually in the freezer to grab on the way out for snacks, but they should last up to 4 or 5 days in the fridge as well.

Dark Chocolate (Sweet Potato) Brownies

ready to mix

1 C. mashed organic sweet potatoes*
1/2 C. smooth almond or cashew butter
4 oz. dark chocolate, melted
1/4 C. dark cocoa powder
2 T. pure maple syrup
1/2 C. chocolate chips, optional

* I have used both freshly cooked, in the microwave, and canned, and both batches came out great

In a food processor, or with an electric mixer, combine all of the ingredients except the chocolate chips and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into a greased 8 x 8 inch pan and bake at 350F for 25 minutes. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before cutting. Store in the refrigerator, or the freezer.