Vegan Sweet Potato Protein Brownies

It is totally possible to make some amazing desserts using protein powder! I had made protein mousse and protein mug cake in the past, but these amazing sweet potato protein brownies are my latest obsession!

Just a heads up, these vegan protein brownies are super moist and fudgy. If you prefer a cakier brownie, I do recommend checking out my oat flour brownies.

💚Why you will love this recipe

• Decadent and fudgy - You will be surprised by how good these vegan protein brownies taste! They are moist and soft, with a rich chocolate flavor.
• Great source of protein - A serving (2 slices) contains almost 10g of protein and a little over 200 calories.
• Perfect for meal prep - They store well in the fridge and can also be frozen. I love keeping a batch of it in my freezer so I will have dessert ready to go at all times!
• Naturally vegan, gluten-free and dairy free.

🍠Cooking sweet potato for brownies

You can definitely use store-bought sweet potato puree to save time, but I really like making my own as it is much more budget-friendly!

You can either cook sweet potato in the oven, microwave or air fryer. Whichever method you choose to follow, do clean and pat dry them before cooking. Using a fork, pierce a few holes a few times on both sides.

• Oven - Bake sweet potato in an oven preheated to 200C/400F for 45-50 minutes.
• Air fryer - Place them in one layer and cook for 30-35 minutes at 200C/400F.
• Microwave - Microwave sweet potato on high for 3 minutes. Flip it around and microwave for another 2-3 minutes.

Allow sweet potato to cool for 10 minutes. Then, peel of the skin and mash it with a fork until smooth. Or, you can puree it in a food processor.

Take the cooking times above as a guideline. Depending on the size of your sweet potato, you might have to cook it for longer or shorter amount of time.

🍫What you will need

📃Notes/substitutions

• Mashed sweet potato - You can either use store-bought sweet potato puree, or make your own at home by mashing up some baked potatoes! Check out the section "cooking sweet potato for brownies" above for the full instructions.
• Oat flour - If you don't have any on hand, make your own by blending some oats in a blender until finely grounded. 
• Protein powder - I am using chocolate flavored pea protein powder, but you can also use other kinds of plant based protein like soy and hemp.
• Maple syrup - Feel free to use other liquid sweetener in place like agave syrup or even honey, if not vegan.
• Cashew butter - You can use other nut butters like peanut, almond or hazelnut butter in place. To make this vegan protein brownies completely nut-free, use tahini or sunflower seed butter instead.

Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line a 8x8 square baking pan with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine together mashed sweet potato, applesauce, cashew butter and maple syrup. Stir to combine.

Next, add in the rest of the ingredients. Mix well.

Pour brownie batter into the prepared pan. Using the back of a spoon or spatula, smooth out the edges. Top with chocolate chips and chopped almonds, if desired.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until it appears to be set and a toothpick comes out fairly clean with a few wet crumbs when inserted down the middle.

Let vegan protein brownies cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before transferring it to a cooling tray to be cool down further. Slice and enjoy!

✔Helpful tips

• These sweet potato protein brownies are not super sweet, especially if you are using unsweetened protein powder. However, you can add in 1-2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, like coconut or brown sugar if you like yours to be sweeter.
• Use a protein powder that you actually like! If a nasty and unappealing one is used, this will definitely affect the taste of your brownies.
• As for cocoa powder, I do recommend getting a higher quality one, if possible. It does makes a huge difference! I either go for this Ghiradelli cocoa or Cacao Barry Extra Brute.
• If you are not a fan of sweet potato, you can swap it with equal amounts of pumpkin puree instead.
• It might seem undercooked and wet when you first remove it from the oven, but do not worry as it will firm up upon cooling.
• Let vegan protein brownies cool completely before slicing. I recommend slicing it with a plastic knife, if possible.

🥜Optional add-ins/toppings

• To enhance the chocolate flavor, add in a teaspoon or so of instant coffee powder to your vegan protein brownies.
• You can also add in a teaspoon of vanilla extract if you like.
• Throw in a pinch of salt to balance out the bitterness of cocoa powder.
• You can swap chocolate chips with chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans instead.
• Drizzle on some of your favorite nut butter after baking!
• Or, you can spread on some melted chocolate instead.

❔Commonly asked questions

🍽More recipes using protein powder

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