Luscious, velvety, and rich, this vegan chocolate brownie recipe yields soft, delectable squares of blissful brownie goodness – all made from yam purée! You won’t be saying “yam?!” after a bite, you’ll be saying “yum!”
First, you'll need to make the garnet yam purée. Essentially, all you need to do is boil a garnet yam in a couple quarts of water until soft. So, bring a few quarters of water to boil in a medium pot, drop your large garnet yam in, and then cover and let boil. It can take anywhere from 40 - 50 minutes for your yam to be tender and mashable, so check it often by inserting a fork into it. It should slide cleanly into the yam.
Next, remove the skin from the boiled yam (should come off easily), and then mash it on a plate with a fork until smooth. Transfer 1 cup of the mashed garnet yam purée to a large bowl, along with the maple syrup, brown sugar, peanut butter, olive oil, vanilla extract and ground flaxseed. Whisk this together well until everything is incorporated.
Preheat the oven to 375℉. Once preheated, sift the whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into the large bowl with the other ingredients. Fold everything together until well combined, then add the chopped walnuts and shaved baker's chocolate, and fold that in gently just until everything is evenly distributed.
Grease an 8x8 baking pan with a little cooking spray, and distribute the brownie batter into the baking pan evenly. Pop the brownies in the oven for 28 - 32 minutes, until the brownies are no longer super soft on top, and when a toothpick inserted doesn't come out with a bunch of batter on it.
Lastly, in a small, microwave-safe bowl, combine ¼ cup shaved baker's chocolate and 2 tablespoons maple syrup, and microwave for 30 - 45 seconds, until it's all melted. Whisk it around until it's smooth, and spread this evenly across the baked brownies in the dish, followed by a dusting of chopped walnuts. Cut the brownies into 9 even squares, and enjoy!