Sweet Potato Brownies / Brownie Bliss Balls [Dairy free, Gluten free, Grain free, Sugar free]

My relationship with sweet potato is improving...having it once or twice a week in various ways that makes eating them attractive, I've come to understand that this is indeed a filling and healthy carb and does indeed go a long way in keeping the sugar levels stable and sustaining me until the next meal.  I try to avoid sweet potato for a dinner meal...they're too filling sometimes and leave me with a heavily sated feeling and often indigestion!

The interesting fact about sweet potato is that it can be used in desserts and baking, quite successfully.  Having tried a few recipes in the recent past for my sweet-toothed friend, who supplied me with this one she discovered on Pinterest and said "Try it, you won't be sorry" I attempted this enjoyable recipe with much interest.  Having made it without sweetening in the form of honey or date paste, I decided that this attempt will include raw honey so that I can gauge the difference.

By oven roasting the sweet potatoes in their skins they become even more sweet, removed excess moisture giving this recipe an amazing texture. Even though this recipe takes a bit of time to cook, it is basically just a melt and mix recipe and easy on the hands.

Baking without eggs is daunting but having experience in trying out egg-free recipes during the Hindu celebration of Diwali, I was confident that it would work out ok with sweet potato and the chia seeds assisting in holding it together, as the various flours, ghee and sugar does in sweetmeat making. Chia seeds and flaxseeds when soaked in water give off what is called a mucilage – it is like a sticky gel. Often used in vegan baking as an egg replacer and it worked brilliantly in this brownie recipe. The combination of these ingredients are what makes the mix so fudgey and delish, if it were made with eggs it would not have the same texture.

I followed this recipe to the letter the first time and found that these brownies are better the day after being baked and allowed to set in the fridge overnight. Before this batch set, I cut off a 1/4 of the brownies, divided the warm mixture into 5 balls, and rolled them in ground almonds and desiccated coconut - bliss balls fudgey delight!  Allowing the brownies to set in the fridge overnight, the chocolate and coconut somehow infuses more and gives it an awesome taste.  As there are no eggs in this recipe, the mixture remains quite soft so really need to be set and kept in the fridge.  The end product is an amazing fudgy-chocolaty tasting brownie, that filled the home of the aroma of a chocolate or fudge making store, and one that will quell any sugar craving the healthier way and most certainly will be enjoyed by sugar addicts alike - my almost 9 year old son loved them the first time and licked the mixture bowl too!

I halved the ingredients for this recipe which included raw honey, as a try-out, to see how it works and it turned out amazing too!


Ingredients

4 Sweet Potatoes, medium/large
100 grams Raw Cacao chocolate or 100% dark chocolate, sugar free
1/2 cup Coconut Oil
4 tablespoon Chia Seeds
1/2 cup Water
2 tablespoon Raw Cacao Powder
1/3 cup Coconut Flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 tblsp honey or date paste – if preferred, but not required in my opinion

Here's How

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius
• Place the whole sweet potatoes on an oven tray and pierce a few times with a small knife. Then bake until cooked and tender depending on the size, for the minimum of an hour.
• Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool enough so that you can handle them. Carefully peel and scoop out the flesh and place the potato in a large mixing bowl. Mash the sweet potato until smooth.You may add the sweet potato to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. 

• In a separate small bowl or jug, mix the water and chia seeds together. Set aside for around 15 minutes for the chia seeds to soak up all the water.

• Melt the coconut oil and cacao paste together and stir until well combined.

 

• To the bowl of sweet potato mash, add the melted chocolate, the chia seed mix, vanilla extract and date paste or honey (if using) and mix well.

• Now add the cacao and coconut flour and mix together.

 

• Spread the soft mixture into a lined, size appropriate baking dish and bake for about an hour.

• Allow the brownies to cool to room temperature,  roll some of the soft mixture into balls for bliss balls, roll in ground nuts or desiccated coconut, and then chill in the fridge before serving, ideally overnight.