There are some sneaky veggies these brownies, which I find beyond delicious! Bulking this recipe up nutritionally is baked sweet potato. While I love sweet potato in this recipe purely for its taste and texture, there are some benefits to consuming it with other fats such as walnuts and chocolate. The bright orange flesh of sweet potatoes tells us that it’s high in the vitamin A precursor beta-carotene. Because beta-carotene is a fat-soluble vitamin, it’s best to consume sweet potato with some form of fat. Moreover, studies show that baking or steaming sweet potatoes as a method of cooking releases more bioavailable forms of beta-carotene.
But that isn’t the most secret ingredient here! The yummy spice in here comes from Flora’s Turmeric & Cinnamon Apple Cider Vinegar Wellness Shot. Since they’ve been released, I’ve been using the ACV shots almost daily as a companion to my meals. The benefits of apple cider vinegar range from immune health to digestive and weight management, and Flora goes one step further adding herbs like burdock root and sheep sorrel which aid in digestion by stimulating the liver and gallbladder^. This particular flavor, turmeric and cinnamon, is perfectly spiced and fares incredibly well in this recipe.
Keep reading for gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar-free, and oil-free brownies!
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 2/3 cup raw walnuts
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
- 1/2 cup almond pulp or almond flour*
- 1/4 cup Flora Turmeric & Cinnamon ACV (or half of one 100 mL shot)
- 2 pitted medjool dates
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 ounces chopped 85% dark chocolate
- Large flake sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F and poke a few holes in the sweet potato. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until soft. This step can be done the night before, as I like to chill the sweet potato before scooping out the flesh.
- Scoop out the flesh of the sweet potato and set aside the skin*. Add the flesh to a food processor and blend until creamy. Add vanilla and cinnamon. Try not to eat too much of this mixture! It’s so delicious.
- Add walnuts, raw cacao, almond pulp/flour, dates and the Flora Turmeric & Cinnamon ACV. Blend again until the brownie batter is creamy and forming a soft dough. It should ball up along the sides. If it’s still too wet, add more almond flour.
- Scoop out batter into a 4 x 8 baking dish lined with parchment paper to keep batter from sticking. I wrapped mine around to form the dough. Freeze for at least one hour.
- Remove brownies from the freezer and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Top with extra chopped walnuts, dark chocolate pieces and sea salt. Keep refrigerated and serve cold!
1. Almond pulp is the leftover fibre from straining almond milk. I usually have some kicking around so I add it to a lot of recipes. Alternatively, use almond flour or rolled oats. 2. The skin of the sweet potato can be used for other recipes or eaten as is!
Lindsey Young is a registered holistic nutritionist, advocate for intuitive eating, and functional food recipe creator. For more delicious recipes, follow her on Instagram @eatyoungnutrition and visit EatYoungNutrition.com.
^These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not meant to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease.
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