Recipes
Fudgy Raspberry & Dark Chocolate Brownies
Rich, intensely chocolatey brownies made with sweet potato, almonds and cacao, studded with jammy raspberries. They have soft, gooey centres and slightly chewy edges, and they're made entirely from whole foods, without flour, eggs or butter.
Makes 16 squares or 12 bars · Prep 15 min, plus cooking the sweet potato · Bake 35 min · Cool and chill 3 hours
Gluten-free · Grain-free · Dairy-free · Vegan
From the kitchen
Why I love this one
Brownies are the dessert everyone hopes for on a retreat, so I wanted one that still feels like a proper treat, made from ingredients I'm happy to cook with every day.
- Whole-food sweetness. The sweetness arrives with the fibre in the sweet potato and raspberries and the fats and protein in the almonds and walnuts. That helps it sit more gently with your blood sugar than a standard brownie.
- Sweet potato. It takes the place of the butter and eggs, giving moisture and structure. It also brings fibre and beta-carotene, which your body turns into vitamin A, and the fats in the brownie help you absorb it.
- Cacao. One of the richest plant sources of magnesium, with iron and flavanols too. Raw cacao powder keeps more of these than Dutch-processed cocoa.
- Almonds. Almond butter and almond flour take the place of wheat flour, adding vitamin E, magnesium and plant protein.
- Raspberries. One of the most fibre-rich fruits, with polyphenols such as ellagic acid. Their sharpness also balances the richness of the chocolate.
- Walnuts. The best nut source of plant omega-3 fats.
- Coconut oil. Just a spoonful, which helps the brownies set dense and fudgy as they chill.
They're rich, so one square goes a long way. I like them warmed very gently, with coconut yoghurt and a little raspberry coulis.
What you need
Ingredients
You will need a baking tray, a blender or food processor, a large mixing bowl, a spatula, a 20 × 20 cm baking tin, baking parchment, a skewer and a sharp knife. For the coulis, a small saucepan and a sieve.
For the brownies
- 240 g sweet potato purée, from about 350 g raw (1 large), roasted and cooled
- 160 ml pure maple syrup
- 125 g smooth almond butter
- 1 tbsp virgin coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp good-quality pure vanilla extract
- 50 g unsweetened raw cacao powder
- 75 g finely ground almonds (almond flour)
- ½ tsp baking powder (gluten-free)
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 80 g dairy-free dark chocolate (70% or higher), chopped: 60 g for the batter, 20 g for the top
- 50 g walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)
To top
- 125 g fresh raspberries (1 punnet)
- The remaining 20 g chopped chocolate
- A pinch of flaky sea salt to finish
To serve
- Coconut yoghurt
- Raspberry coulis:
- 150 g raspberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1–2 tsp maple syrup
- A squeeze of lemon
Step by step
Method
- 1
Prepare the sweet potato. Roast it whole at 200°C for 45–60 minutes, until completely soft. Scoop out the flesh, blend until smooth, and leave to cool completely.
- 2
Preheat the oven to 175°C conventional (160°C fan). Line the tin with baking parchment.
- 3
Combine the wet ingredients. Mix the purée, maple syrup, almond butter, melted coconut oil and vanilla until smooth. Make sure the purée and maple syrup are at room temperature, so the coconut oil doesn't set into lumps.
- 4
Add the dry ingredients. Fold in the cacao, almond flour, baking powder and salt until just combined.
- 5
Add the chocolate. Fold in 60 g of the chocolate and the walnuts, if using.
- 6
Transfer to the tin. Spread the batter evenly.
- 7
Add the raspberries. Scatter them evenly over the top and press each one gently halfway into the batter. Scatter over the remaining 20 g of chocolate.
- 8
Bake for 35 minutes. The edges should be set and the centre slightly soft. A skewer should come out with moist crumbs but no liquid batter. Avoid the raspberries when you test, as they'll always look wet.
- 9
Finish with salt. Sprinkle the flaky salt over straight away while the top is still warm.
- 10
Cool completely. Leave in the tin for at least 1 hour, then refrigerate for 2 hours for the best dense, fudgy texture.
- 11
Slice and serve. Cut fridge-cold with a hot, dry knife, wiping the blade between cuts, into 16 squares or 12 bars. For an extra-gooey finish, warm each brownie very gently, just enough to soften the chocolate.
- 12
Make the coulis. Warm the raspberries with the maple syrup and lemon for about 5 minutes, until they collapse. Sieve out the seeds and leave to cool. Serve the brownies with coconut yoghurt and a little coulis.
Good to know
Kitchen notes
- Make ahead. Roast the sweet potato the day before. The brownies are even better on day two.
- Raspberries. Use fresh, not frozen, inside the brownies. Frozen ones release too much juice. Frozen is fine for the coulis.
- Texture. They're meant to be soft and fudgy. Chilling sets them, and warming them gently brings the gooeyness back.
- Storage. Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Allergens. Contains tree nuts (almond, walnut) and coconut. Leave out the walnuts if needed, but the recipe is not nut-free.
Made it? I would love to see.
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