Sweet Potato Paleo Brownies

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Once again, healthy food does not have to taste like health food! These Sweet Potato Paleo Brownies are so, so good! I wasn’t sure if I should call them brownies or cake, because they came out pretty fluffy!  You could use them for either. Just skip the walnuts and chocolate chips if you’re making cake.  I’ve added a paragraph at the end of this post that includes tips on lowering the calories.

Nut flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, and sweet potato purée are the stars of this dish.  Each of these ingredients are both delicious and healthy!  Nuts are full of protein and healthy fats, which will fill you up and give your body the tools it needs to build muscle and keep the nervous system happy.  Cocoa powder has antioxidants, fiber, and lots of iron. Sweet potato will supply you with many vitamins, especially A.

If you’re new to the gluten free world, or just want some creative, delicious, healthy ideas, I highly recommend a subscription to Simply Gluten Free Magazine.  This magazine has been a great resource for me!  It includes recipes that are dairy free, Paleo, and vegan, as well!  Click here for a subscription!

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Before I get to the recipe, I’d like to invite you to join with others who are making healthy changes!  Let me walk alongside you on your journey towards wholeness and health!  Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”  May you find freedom from food habits that are destructive to a full life!  

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Serves About 10

• 1 Cup Almond Flour
• 1 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1 Tsp Sea Salt
• 1 Tsp Organic Cinnamon
• 3/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 3 Eggs
• 2 Tsp Vanilla
• 1/2 Cup Organic Sweet Potato
• 1/2 Cup Raw Honey or Maple Syrup
• 1/4 Cup Coconut Oil
• 1/2 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips (see note at end)
• Raw Walnuts to Sprinkle on Top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a small casserole dish (8×8 or similar) with coconut oil and set aside.  Stir together almond flour, baking soda, cocoa, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl.  In a larger bowl stir together eggs, sweet potatoes, honey, and vanilla.  Stir the wet and dry ingredients together, then stir in the coconut oil (if you add it to the egg mixture it will not stay melted).  Add the chocolate chips, then pour batter into baking dish and top with walnuts.  Bake for around 25-30 minutes, or until center is just set.  Top with cold coconut cream and enjoy!!!

* Note about baking times: If you use maple syrup, instead of the thick raw honey, you’ll probably need to bake it significantly longer, because of the consistency.  Check it at 25 minutes, then add more time, as needed.  Just make sure the center is set.  I think it comes out best with the raw honey.   If you are diabetic I recommend using xylitol, instead of the honey or maple syrup.  It’s a natural low carb sweetener that really tastes like sugar.  It is not Paleo.  Again, it will alter the baking time, so I would check it at about 20 minutes.

**Note about chocolate chips: Here’s a link for my favorite chocolate chips.  They’re very dark (63% cocoa), which means less sugar than normal chips.  They’re also free of any dairy products, so my Emi can eat them.  If you’d like to use Paleo chocolate chips, here’s a link for them.

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If you want to lose some of the calories in this recipe and aren’t on a Paleo diet, I have a couple of tricks for you.  First, substitute half of the almond flour with whole grain brown rice flour.  Second, replace half of the honey/syrup with about 15 drops of vanilla stevia.  I’m not a big stevia fan, because I don’t like the flavor, and I don’t like that it’s sweeter than normal sugar.  It can make you crave sweeter things if you overdo it.  Studies have shown that people who use artificial sweeteners are actually more likely to get diabetes than those who don’t!  Still, sometimes I’ll substitute some of my sweetener with it to lower the sugar and calories…just use it in moderation.  In a recipe like this you won’t taste it much.  One other tip to lower the calories is to use pumpkin or acorn squash puree, instead of the sweet potatoes.  You’ll still get the great flavor and health benefits of orange veggies, but with significantly less calories!