Recipe: Sweet Potato & Cinnamon Brownies

Now that I've got some time on my hands, here's the recipe for the Sweet Potato & Cinnamon Brownies I blogged about last month ("Clean Eating Holiday Dessert"):

Serves 16. Hands-on time: 20 minutes. Total time: 70 minutes + chill overnight.

Ingredients:
Brownies

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup cooked sweet potato
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 6 egg whites
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 9 x 9 x 2-inch pan
  

Icing

• 1/2 cup low-fat plain cream cheese
• 3 tbsp agave nectar
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp water (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare brownies: Combine flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In a food processor, combine sweet potato, agave, oil, and vanilla. Puree until combined and smooth.
3. Gradually mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients, until just combined; do not over-mix.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until fluffy. Then, using a rubber spatula, gently fold egg whites into batter.
5. Lightly spray sides of baking pan (9 x 9 x 2-inch) with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan and place into oven. Bake for about 16 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove pan from oven and allow brownies to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
6. While brownies are cooking or cooling, prepare icing: In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, agave, cocoa powder and cinnamon. Whisk until incorporated, adding 1 tbsp water if mixture is hard to whisk. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
7. Loosen brownie and turn slab out onto a cutting board or platter. Cut into 16 pieces, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
8. To serve, divide icing evenly over each brownie and serve immediately. Leftovers may be kept refrigerated in a resealable container for up to 2 days.

Nutrients per brownie: Calories: 140, Total Fat: 5 g, Sat. Fat: 1.5 g, Carbs: 21 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 12 g, Protein: 4 g, Sodium: 75 mg, Cholesterol: 5 mg

Recipe from "Clean Eating Magazine." For more clean eating recipes, pick up the latest issue of "Clean Eating" or visit cleaneating.com. Enjoy!