Sweet Potatoes Brownies

Gluten-free, Paleo, Grain-free, naturally sweet Sweet Potato Brownies from www.WindyRidgeNaturals.com

Last year's sweet potato harvest was insane!

We've NEVER grown so many sweet potatoes in our 7 years of gardening. (Nevermind the fact that we've only grown sweet potatoes for 2 seasons.)

We never have to fight off bugs, powdery mildew, or other garden pests, besides the deer who love the leaves.

Our sweet potatoes are hiding under this viney, raised bed garden!!!

Sweet Potato Raised Garden Bed Windy Ridge Naturals

Sweet potatoes truly are the best crop ever! From 15 sweet potato "slips" (or starters), THIS was our reward.

2015 Sweet Potato Harvest Windy Ridge Naturals

Giant Sweet Potato from the Windy Ridge Naturals gardens

I'm hosting a Raised Bed Gardening Workshop where you can learn how to grow sweet potatoes or your favorite veggies in your own backyard OR on your back porch!! No need to dig up the grass, buy a tractor, or have a green thumb (believe me...my houseplants are SAD!) Find out more about the Gardening Workshop here.

Because of the MASSIVE amount of sweet potatoes, I've discovered some ingenious ways to use these sweet potato puppies since their October 2015 harvest, but the recipe I'm sharing today is DEFINITELY ones of my favs.

Sweet Potato Brownies

1 c cooked sweet potato, mashed

1/2 c almond butter (peanut butter works but gives the brownies a smooshy texture)

3 T maple syrup

1/4 c cocoa powder

1/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Wash 1-2 medium sweet potatoes and stab with a fork (so the potatoes don't explode and make a mess of your microwave...or so I hear.)

Wrap a wet paper towel around the potato and tuck that little baby in. Place it on a microwave safe plate and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Carefully unwrap and check the sweet potato for doneness. Turn potato and cook until done in microwave..

Remove sweet potato skin and mash until smooth. You'll need 1 cup of mashed sweet potato goodness.

(P.S. - If you think ahead next time you cook sweet potatoes for dinner, throw an extra one in the oven to skip this microwave step!)

In a microwave safe bowl, warm 1/2 cup almond butter in microwave for 30 seconds or until smooth and stirrable.

Add mashed sweet potato, warmed almond butter, and remaining ingredients to mixing bowl and mix until really, really smooth ('cause nobody wants sweet potato chunks in their brownies.)

Add to 8 in square (or round) pan and spread until smooth and brownie-looking. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Now, hear me when I tell you this. You can enjoy these brownies warm - BUT - seriously...stick this in the freezer for just a few hours and cool completely. Cooling these sweet potato brownies magically transforms this yummy goodness into a rich, fudgey experience!

Yum, yum, yum. Cut into 9 pieces and store in fridge.