Sugar-Free Vegan Bourbon Brownies are a boozy, chocolate-filled treat. Made with healthy, plant-based ingredients, and sweetened with fruit!
You probably wouldn't guess this if you saw me, but I'm a whiskey gal. I don't drink a lot, but when I do, I enjoy a nice glass of bourbon, neat. Rye is also one of my go-tos.
I've never been one for the sugar-filled cocktails that young 20-something women stereotypically like to drink. If I'm going to drink, I want something strong and flavorful.
I don't just drink whiskey to drink whiskey. The flavor of whiskey is beautiful to me. There's something special about the sharp burn... and nursing a glass of whiskey is a memorable experience.
It's also fun to add whiskey, specifically bourbon, into recipes. I find bourbon complements many foods and adds a unique flavor to each dish.
It's double the fun when you get to drink a glass of bourbon and enjoy a bourbon-filled treat. Like with these brownies!
Jump to:
What is a bourbon brownie?
A bourbon brownie is a classic brownie with some bourbon added in.
The alcohol cooks out during the bake and you're left with a hint of bourbon flavor in the brownies.
If you like bourbon, these are for you. And if you don't like bourbon, you might enjoy them too - the flavor of the bourbon is mellow and it doesn't have the bite that drinking a glass of whiskey does.
Why I love these Vegan Bourbon Brownies
- Dietary needs - this recipe is plant-based, gluten-free, oil-free, and refined sugar-free.
- Bourbon flavor - I love that these brownies have that added depth of flavor from the bourbon. It makes for a delicious bite
- Secret healthy ingredients - the key to a super moist vegan brownie without using butter or oil? Sweet potato. It adds moisture without adding any weird flavors. And it adds fiber and other nutrients
Ingredient Notes
- Sweet Potato: Sweet potato is the nutritious key to these brownies. It gives the brownies volume and a moist texture. Don't worry - you won't taste it at all. See instructions below for how to steam a sweet potato.
- Date Sugar: The sweetener in these brownies. Date sugar is just ground up dates and the fiber makes it much healthier than regular sugar.
- Nut Butter: I used Mixed Nut Butter for this recipe, but any neutral nut butter, like almond butter, will work well.
- Bourbon: The FLAVOR! Choose a relatively inexpensive bourbon for this recipe and save the good stuff for your glass.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: You can't have brownies without chocolate.
- Oat Flour: Make your own oat flour by blending quick oats in the food processor. For a certified gluten-free option, buy a bag of oat flour.
- Almond Flour: A little extra fat helps develop a richer flavor for these brownies.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: For rise.
- Vegan Chocolate Chips: For added chocolate, use your vegan chocolate of choice. I've done this recipe with I 100% cacao unsweetened chocolate and with vegan dark chocolate chips.
How to Steam a Sweet Potato
For this recipe you'll need steamed sweet potato. Steaming a sweet potato is quick and easy. You can do it right before you make the brownies or the night before.
Step 1. Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil.
Step 2. Poke a few holes in the sweet potato using a fork. Alternatively, chop the sweet potato into cubes.
Step 3. Put the sweet potato in a steamer basket, colander, or other gadget with holes. Place the basket on top of the boiling water without letting it touch the water. Cover.
Step 4. Let the sweet potato cook for 15-30 minutes, until it is fork tender. The exact cook time will depend on the size of the potato or how small you've cut it.
Step 5. When the sweet potato is tender, remove it from the heat and let cool.
How to make Sugar-Free Vegan Bourbon Brownies
Start by pouring yourself a glass of bourbon. Just kidding... kind of!
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of a brownie pan with parchment paper.
Step 2. In a medium bowl, mix the sweet potato, date sugar, nut butter, and bourbon.
Step 3. Mix in the cocoa powder, oat flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until the mixture is completely smooth.
Step 4. Stir in the chocolate chips. Press into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
These brownies have a good balance of fudge and cake. They won't go moldy in just a few days because of the moisture, and they don't just crumble to pieces.
If you try them and want more fudge factor next time, add 50g more sweet potato.
Don't try to increase the bourbon to add moisture - the alcohol actually dries out the brownies.
If you want more crumble, decrease the sweet potato by 50g.
These brownies have almond flour and oat flour. I've had best results using a combo of the two, but there are a few other flour combinations that will work.
For a grain-free option: use entirely almond flour and decrease the sweet potato by 50g.
For a lower-fat option: replace the almond flour with buckwheat flour and increase the sweet potato by 50g.
For a one-flour option: use a gluten-free or regular all purpose flour. This isn't as healthy as using one of the above options, but it will work if you only want to deal with one flour.
Use any neutral-tasting nut butter you'd like. I love mixed nut butter, but almond butter, cashew butter, walnut butter, etc. will work just fine.
Peanut butter works functionally, but you will get a distinct peanut taste in the final product. Who knows, that could be incredibly delicious!
To keep these brownies completely plant-based, sugar-free, and fruit-sweetened, you're only option is date sugar.
If you don't want to order date sugar, try coconut sugar or maple sugar. I have not tested this personally, but they should work fine. You may need to increase the flour.
Date sugar has fiber, which absorbs moisture (and makes it super healthy). Coconut sugar and maple sugar don't have fiber, so they won't absorb moisture and could leave the brownies super liquidy.
Let me know if you try a substitution so I can add it to this post and help others out. Enjoy!
I recommend using a bourbon, though a rye would be fun too!
Any cheap bourbon will work in this recipe - no need to bake with an expensive liquor.
For reference, I used Maker's Mark.
Recipe Prayer
Thank you God for flavorful sweet treats. Let us enjoy your creation. Amen.
Related Recipes
If you're looking for other delicious bourbon-filled recipes check out Plant-Based Bourbon Pecan Pie, Bourbon Glazed Sweet Potatoes, and Maple Bourbon Pinto Beans.
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📖 Recipe
Sugar-Free Vegan Bourbon Brownies
Ingredients
- 200 Grams Sweet Potato steamed + mashed
- ¾ Cup Date Sugar
- ⅔ Cup Nut Butter
- ⅓ Cup Bourbon
- ½ Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- ¼ Cup Oat Flour
- ¼ Cup Almond Flour
- ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Cup Vegan Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of a brownie pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, mix the sweet potato, date sugar, nut butter, and bourbon.
- Mix in the cocoa powder, oat flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Stir in the chocolate chips. Press into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
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