The Brownie recipe you’ll wish you never shared with your family.

Here’s the thing: no one knows there’s sweet potato in my brownies. Not my husband, who thinks he’s the world’s leading brownie critic, and not my daughter, who somehow manages to appear in the kitchen exactly as the tray comes out the oven.

The two of them fight over these squares of fudgy goodness like it’s the UFC finals and at this point I’m convinced they forget something crucial...this recipe was designed for ME.

The trick is, I start with the Woolworths brownie mix (because, why wouldn’t I?) But, here’s where I get clever…I only use half the sugar it calls for. Still, it works, because my secret weapon is mashed sweet potato, which makes everything dense, chewy, and a little bit saintly.

For the “grown-up” part, I chop up a slab of Lindt 70%. It melts into pools of rich, dark chocolate, and this is the exact reason these brownies became my breastfeeding go-to treat. Call it survival, call it self-care..I call it a work of art.

But here’s the real problem: when I finally cut into them, I have to stand guard. Between my daughter’s “just one more square” and my husband’s stealthy midnight raids, sometimes I wonder if baking these is even worth it.

But here’s the sweetest part, these babies go for 200 calories a piece.

And at least I can rest easy knowing my daughter is technically eating vegetables.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Vegan Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1 box Woolworths brownie mix

• 1 cup mashed sweet potato (about 1 medium sweet potato, roasted/steamed & mashed smooth)

• ½ the sugar the box suggests (trust me, you won’t miss it)

• ¼ cup coconut oil (melted) or neutral oil

• ½ cup plant milk

• 1 slab Lindt 70% dark chocolate, chopped

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (fan 160°C). Line a square baking tin with parchment.

2. In a large bowl, mix the brownie mix with mashed sweet potato, oil, and water/plant milk until smooth.

3. Fold in half the chopped Lindt, keeping the rest to scatter on top.

4. Pour batter into the tin, smooth it out, and sprinkle the remaining chocolate over the top.

5. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the top looks set but still slightly fudgy in the middle.

6. Let cool (if your family allows it) before slicing into squares.