Thursday, January 24, 2013

Pumpkin-sweet potato brownies

I know what you're thinking. How can brownies not be chocolate? Or at least peanut butter, or maybe cheesecake? Go with me. I found this recipe on Pinterest and had to give it a try. The original, found at Candy Fit looks great as is, but I decided to change mine up a bit, both for taste preferences and what I had on hand.

Pumpkin-Sweet Potato Brownies

Serves 12

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin or equivalent cooked pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!)
  • 1 small sweet potato, cooked (I took about a cup of cubed sweet potato from my freezer stash and microwaved it for a few minutes)
  • 1 cup egg whites
  • 1 cup plain oats
  • 1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
  • 2 Tbsp ground flax seed
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 cup butterscotch chips
  • 1/8 cup dark chocolate chips (or 1/4 cup total of your choice of chips)

  1. Preheat your oven to 385° and spray a 9x9 pan with non-stick spray. I use a Misto with olive oil for my non-stick spray.
  2. Put all of your ingredients, except the chips, into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. I used a blender and had to scrape the sides a few times to get all the oatmeal incorporated. 
  3. Pour your batter into a bowl, then fold in the chips.
  4. Pour the whole mix into your prepared pan and pop in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Your bake time will depend on your oven and how much sweet potato was actually used. This doesn't test the same way a traditional flour cake or brownies would. If your toothpick comes out clean but wet-looking, they're not done.
  5. Remove from oven, allow to cool, then cut into 12 even pieces.
Normally I consider it a travesty to cut anything in a 9x9 pan into more than nine pieces, but these are pretty thick, so twelve pieces still gives you a hefty chunk of brownie.



I decided to go with butterscotch and dark chocolate chips since my husband will eat pretty much anything that contains butterscotch, and the kids will eat anything that contains chocolate chips. It's a win-win. They think they're getting a pumpkin-cake type treat, but I know they're having a protein and vitamin packed snack.

Your totals will vary slightly, depending on your exact ingredients, but one serving of my brownies contains:
  • 83 calories
  • 1.6 g fat
  • 181 mg potassium
  • 13.4 g carbohydrates
  • 2.5 g fiber
  • 3.4 g sugar
  • 4.7 g protein
  • 132% DV of vitamin A
  • a small amount (<20% DV each) of a whole host of other vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients
Give them a try and let me know what you think. We ended up with mixed results. I actually don't find it very appetizing due to the crust the top of mine formed, but N and S wolfed it down! It's not something I'd make for myself again and V took a few bites but didn't finish hers. The big kids gave it the "you should make this again!" seal of approval, though.

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