Vegan Sweet Potato Blondies

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These Vegan Sweet Potato Blondies are extra moist, fudgy and loaded with gooey chocolate chunks.They get their amazing texture and golden brown color from a Japanese sweet potato which is sweeter and creamier than its orange counterpart. Vegan, nut free and allergy friendly, they’re perfect for a healthy dessert or snack.

Ever since I had my first Japanese sweet potato, I was shocked at how much it tasted like cake. I used to keep a few in my fridge and eat them for dessert with chocolate seed butter and strawberries and it honestly tasted just like a rich, dense vanilla cake with frosting, But it’s not cake, IT’S A POTATO. Crazy.

My first endeavor baking with Japanese sweet potatoes did not go too well. Trying to replicate that decadent dessert, I made a Japanese sweet potato loaf cake with chocolate ganache. The result was actually quite delicious, but way too dense and heavy. So instead of trying to make something that should be light and fluffy like a cake, I thought I’d take advantage of the Japanese sweet potato’s naturally fudgy texture and make some good old blondies.

Tips for making Vegan Sweet Potato Blondies

I buy my Japanese sweet potatoes at Whole Foods in the produce section. You should be able to find them in most other grocery stores such as Trader Joes and Walmart. Make sure you buy Japanese sweet potatoes, which have a purple skin and a white interior, not to be confused with purple yams, which also have deep purple flesh and a vibrant purple interior. Those are great for making purple sweet potato gnocchi.
For these Japanese sweet potato blondies I recommend using vegan butter, such as Earth Balance, not oil. The first time I made these, I used olive oil and it made the blondies super heavy and, well, oily. The vegan butter homogenizes with the dough better while also adding more flavor.
While it might be hard, wait to slice and eat these until after they’ve cooled. They’ll be easier to cut, and in my opinion, taste better. They also taste great after a few hours in the fridge and can keep 4-5 days in an airtight container.