Derval O’Rourke’s Flour-Free Brownies

These deliciously healthy brownies come courtesy of athlete-turned-cookbook author Derval O?Rourke. The surprise ingredient ?’succulent sweet potato – makes these way more saintly than sinful?

Dark Chocolate and Orange Zest Brownies

Makes 6 large or 12 mini brownies

YOU WILL NEED
* a little bit of vegetable oil, to grease the tin
* baking parchment paper
* 400g sweet potato, peeled and cubed
* 100g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, chopped
* – tsp coconut oil
* 50g jumbo porridge oats
* 50g pecan nuts, chopped
* 1 tbsp cocoa powder
* 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (you can get this in a health-food shop)
* – tsp baking powder
* – tsp cinnamon
* – tsp salt
* zest of 1 orange
* 3 egg whites
* 1 tsp agave syrup
* 18cm (7in) square tin

Scroll down for the method…

METHOD
1 Preheat your oven to 180?C/350?F/Gas Mark 4. Grease the tin and line it with baking parchment.
2 Boil the sweet potato in lightly salted water until tender (10-12 minutes). Drain, mash and set aside. 2. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water and set aside to cool slightly.
3 Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, then add in the orange zest, sweet potato mash, egg whites, syrup and melted chocolate. Stir until everything is well combined.
4 Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 30 minutes until firm in the centre and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
5 Cut the slab into squares in the tin, and then carefully remove the brownies to cool on a wire rack.

Recipe by Derval O’Rourke; prepared by?Lesley Tumulty.
Photography?Nathalie Marquez Courtney. Styling Marlene Wessels.

Check out Derval’s bestselling cookbook?Food for the Fast Lane (Gill & Macmillan, €19.99), which is full of accessible, plant protein-rich recipes and lots of clever ideas on how to replace starchy sugars with superfood.

Now try our deliciously light?coconut and almond chicken goujons.