A truly rich decadent Vegan Dark Chocolate Chipotle Sweet Potato Fudge that is dairy-free, oil-free and made with just 7 ingredients. This fudge has a wonderful kick of heat from chipotle spice and red pepper flakes.
VEGAN DARK CHOCOLATE FUDGE WITH A TWIST
Are you ready to have your mind blown? Blown as in, a vegan dark chocolate fudge with a sweet potato base and hints of chipotle chile, cinnamon, red pepper flakes and the most amazing thick, fudgy texture? If you love sweet potatoes in desserts, check out these Vegan Sweet Potato Desserts!
Hard to believe there is absolutely no dairy and no added oil in this chocolate fudge. I gave them a spicy kick too. I made some with red pepper flakes and some without. My daughter likes spice, but not too spicy, so the red pepper flaked ones were for me. They are only for spicy lovers.
The inspiration for these beauties came from some delectable chipotle chocolate covered almonds I get sometimes from Whole Foods. They are so flippin delicious. They are chocolatey and slightly spicy and addictive. My only complaint? None. Well, I could handle them being spicier, so I created this fudge as inspiration. You can tailor make your fudge as spicy as you like.
Red pepper flakes. If you dare.
I have 3 other fudge recipes on my blog. They are incredible, but tend to go soft at room temperature. They also require nuts or coconut butter to make them set and firm up.
Not these babies. This vegan dark chocolate sweet potato fudge is totally nut-free, oil-free and with a coconut-free option! The magic….as if you didn’t already know by the title…is sweet potatoes and dark chocolate! The dark chocolate of course contains cocoa butter, so that helps them firm up, but the sweet potato is super thick, so it never melts back down at room temperature like a lot of other fudge recipes.
Want some more vegan fudge recipes?
Dark Chocolate Chipotle Sweet Potato Fudge
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (128g) mashed cooked sweet potato
- Two 3.5 oz 70% dark chocolate bars, finely chopped (7 oz total, 200 g)
- 2 tablespoons (30g) creamy plant milk, room temp! (I used lite coconut milk, but any milk should work)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (80g) pure maple syrup, room temp!
- heaping 1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper spice
- 1/4 teaspoon strong quality cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Optional: red pepper flakes
NOTE
- It's important that your liquids are at room temperature so the chocolate stays smooth while mixing, otherwise cold liquids will cause it to start to harden too quickly. Make sure to use the correct amount of chocolate so the end result texture is accurate.
Instructions
- Cook your sweet potato and mash it well with a fork before measuring. Pack it well into your measuring cup (leaving no gaps) and level off with your finger. Add to a food processor.
- Finely chop up all your chocolate and add to a bowl, with the milk, and microwave on 30 second intervals until melted, being careful not to overcook or burn it. Or you can use a double boiler.
- Add the salt to the chocolate and give it a quick stir and add the chocolate to the food processor, scraping all of it out of the bowl. I used a rubber spatula, as it worked much better than a spoon.
- Process the chocolate and potato until smooth. Add the syrup, chipotle spice and cinnamon and vanilla. Process for at least a minute until completely smooth. Scrape the sides and process again.
- Taste and if you desire it to be sweeter like traditional fudge, add a tablespoon or so of a dry sweetener. Do not add any more liquid sweetener, or it will affect the texture. Keep in mind this has a dark chocolate flavor and is less sweet than traditional fudge, but we still found it plenty sweet. It is supposed to have a rich, dark chocolate taste, but feel free to adjust to your liking.
- Line a 9X5 loaf pan with plastic wrap hanging over the sides. Parchment paper does not lie flat, so it's a pain to use, which is why I opted for plastic wrap. For a thicker fudge, use a smaller dish. I sprayed my pan first so the plastic wrap would adhere better.
- Add the mixture to the pan and spread out with a rubber spatula flat and out to the corners. Add optional red pepper flakes on top, if desired, for an extra spicy fudge. Or for a sweet topping, sprinkle coconut sugar on top. Overlap the plastic wrap over the fudge and smooth the top out. Leave the plastic wrap down and place in the fridge to firm up for several hours or overnight before slicing. Keep stored in the fridge. These are great for a party, as they will stay solid at room temperature!
Notes
Nutrition per fudge (based on 10 pieces): 155.7 calories, 8.6 g fat, 17.7 carbs, 2.25 g protein, 11.2 g sugars
Normally I’d write a little more, but there’s really not much to say beyond this stuff is amazing. This is my favorite recipe on your site so far, Brandi. It’ll be a staple in my fridge, right next to the kale.
Yay!! So thrilled you love this one so much Laura!!
Hello! Do you think I could sub the chocolate bars for cocoa/coconut oil/honey mix to cut down on sugar content?
Hi Georgia! No, that won’t work, it would be more like a pudding. The dark chocolate contains cocoa butter which makes the fudge set and get firm. Much more than coconut oil. You’d end up with a completely different result introducing those 3 ingredients.
Could you make this fudge with cooked pumpkin instead of the cooked sweet potato?
Hi Silvia! Pumpkin is more wet and less starchy than sweet potato so it may not set up properly. You can try it, but it won’t be as sweet and you will likely have to store it in the freezer to hold its shape. That is my guess.
This is surprisingly quick and super yummy. LOVE the dark chocolate with the Chipotle flavor profite. It’s like a nice surprise of flavor explosion in your mouth and…. NO BAKING!! Fantastic!!!
Thank you so much Estee! So very happy you loved the fudge, yay!
I made this recipe and it was delicious! I was hoping to take it somewhere, but it didn’t get hard enough in the fridge for me to be able to cut it into squares and serve it. It did retain the shape of the small pieces that I cut out, but it would be a mess if you were to try and pick it up with your fingers. I used a 9×5 loaf pan and it only ended up being about a half inch high, which is fine, but definitely not as thick as yours looks in the picture. I’m sure I followed the recipe exactly so I don’t know why they stayed so soft. I’m going to try making it again just in case I messed up somewhere with the ingredients (but not for a while, since it won’t travel, which means I’ll be the only one eating it and it was WAY too good). But in case I did use the correct amounts, can you tell me anything I could do (add more chocolate?) to make it a firmer fudge?
Hi Carol! Hmm, that’s odd! I’ve received a ton of reviews above and nobody else has had that issue. All the visual remakes I’ve seen as well look like mine, firm and thick. Did you use the correct weight amount of chocolate? You used a chocolate with cocoa butter? That’s what makes it firm up so I’m not sure what the issue is. Some people seem to need different times for chilling for it to firm up. How long did you chill it? Perhaps leave it overnight. I edited the time on the recipe. Yes, extra chocolate would make it firmer because of the cocoa butter in it.
I’m going to try it again – I can only think it must be something that I did, although I carefully measured the potato and the milks and I did use 2 3.5 oz chocolate bars (70% cocoa) that did have cocoa butter because I remember reading that cocoa butter is NOT dairy. And I’ve been eating it all week (from the fridge) and it’s never firmed any more. If I was the only one who had this problem, it must be me 🙁 I will figure it out!
Hi Brandi,
Just love this – I am allergic to chocolate and dairy but carob soy buttons worked a treat. Will definitely be doing that again.
Awesome Sharon, so glad to hear that!!
Wonderful!! Wonderful and creamy. Thank you so much. I am constantly asked to make your fudge brownie recipe- now this will be just as popular. I left the heat out and added hot pepper flakes on some so would be kid friendly. Easy to make.
Aww thank you so much Cindy! So happy to hear how much you enjoyed this fudge AND how much everybody loves my fudgy brownie recipe! Great news!
Absolutely fabulous recipe, reminds me of a chocolate bar that I used to get at either Sprouts or Whole Foods which they no longer sell. The yam works so well for giving it that perfect texture. It’s a keeper.
Thank you so much Lavender! I’m so happy you loved this fudge! Thank you, as always, for taking the time to leave reviews. It really means so much to me!
OMG, I made this recipe last week and it was to die for. I used Valrhona 72% dark chocolate and blended everything in a high speed blender. They were creamy, dreamy, spicy pure chocolate bliss. Amazing recipe. Thanks again Brandi, you are the kitchen goddess. I bow down.
Oh yay, thank you so much Lavender! I’m so happy you loved this fudge so much! Appreciate your kind words. Would you mind at all to give it a star rating, as they are so helpful to me and my blog, thank you again!
I made this and your chocolate ice cream last night with my daughters. Both are fantastic. My daughters loved making it and loved the flavors of both. Brought it in for a treat to work and it was a hit.
Yay! So very happy to hear that Tasha, thank you so much for the wonderful reviews!
Would love to try this! I currently don’t have any dark choc but I have everything else! I was wondering if you’ve ever tried to substitute it with cacao powder?
Hi Jacquelyn! The cocoa powder will not work in place of the dark chocolate since it’s just a powder with minimal fat and the chocolate has cocoa butter in it, which is what helps to set up the bars. They behave completely different in something like this 🙂
Hi! Tbis looks delicious. I already have cooked sweet potato puree in the freezer for vegan mac and cheese sauce…but i think this is a better use!!!
Just one question. Can I use cashew milk i stead of coconut milk? If yes then I can make it all right away!!
Hi Gurinder, yes I think that should work!
Fantabulous, Brandi! I was very excited to try this recipe for family. I’m now a huge fan of chipotle chili pepper. Is the perfect complement. Was glad to find it at my local Sprouts. 😉 The only thing I altered in the recipe was that I sprinkled a bit of Maldon sea salt flakes on the finished product before I added the crushed red pepper flakes. YUM! Keep them coming, thanks so much!
So awesome to hear CD! So glad you loved it, thank you so much for the wonderful feedback!
Would 1/2 cup (128 grams CANNED pumpkin puree) would in place of the 1/2 cup mashed cooked sweet potato (128 g)?
Hi Monika, I’ve not tested this with pumpkin, so I can’t say of the results, but I think it should work. Pumpkin is a bit looser/wetter than sweet potatoes, so it may not firm up as well and will be less sweet, so I would just keep it in the fridge. Also, if after mixing up the mixture, taste it and if you want it sweeter, add a bit of dry sugar. That should work!
Hi Brandi, just wondering what you think the result would be if I swapped out dark chocolate with white chocolate? A lot of sweet potato fudge recipes that I have read use white chocolate and I love the sweet potato color that comes out when you do. But all those recipes involve a lot of sugar (in multiple forms! evaporate milk + sugar, sweetened condensed milk + powdered sugar, marshmallow fluff… all the usual fudge sugars! Just a lot more than normal! And I would rather not use 8 cups of powdered sugar!). Thanks so much for your healthy version!
Hi Amy! It’s really hard for me to say since I’ve only tested this with the dark chocolate. I have no idea if it would still work out the same way, but if you are starting out with a good solid white chocolate bar, perhaps it would? I do know that vegan white chocolate doesn’t necessarily melt exactly the same as the milk versions, so I’m just not sure if it would get into the liquid the way dark chocolate does once melted. Sounds really delicious though! Let me know if you try it that way, I’m curious!
It set up overnight and is ridiculously creamy and tasty! I used a 9×4 loaf pan. But with this mainly being just a 1/2 cup of sweet potato and some melted chocolate, I’m confused about where the volume to make an inch or 2 high piece if fudge is supposed to come from?
Nevertheless, I will make this a lot I am sure. It’s like a little miracle in a pan! Thank you for the recipe!
That is really strange! I’ve had several people make these, all with success, so it’s really hard to say what went wrong on your end without being there…the fudge sets up very thick, it’s impossible for it not too, based on the ingredients. If you used a smaller dish, even moreso. What is the measurement of your dish? Did it get firm like fudge? If it got firm like fudge, then it sounds like your dish just isn’t the right size for it to be thick. That’s my only guess.
I just made this, and it is AMAZING!!! Thank you so much for sharing!! What a gift you have for creating wonderful recipes.
You are so sweet, thank you so much Cat! I’m so happy you loved this fudge! Thank you for the feedback!
These are sooo good, and completely addictive! Lol! And so easy to make! Love them!!!
Have you tried freezing these? I’m thinking about making these ahead of time for Thanksgiving!
Hi Jennifer! Yes, I actually have froze them before and they hold up well! Just wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then again in foil or a ziplock bag and then set them in the fridge a day or two before Thanskgiving to come back to room temp and they should be fine. Let me know please what everybody thought! 🙂
I loved this fudge so much I tried it as frosting! I added an extra tablespoon or so of almond milk, let the mixture cool in the fridge for about ten minutes, whipped with a hand mixer until fluffy, and spread on chocolate cupcakes. Thanks for the inspiration!
That is such a wonderful idea!! Thank you so much for sharing!!! I actually, when making this, was loving the flavor so much myself straight out of the food processor and have been wanting to make it as a pudding by simply adding more milk. It is such good stuff!
Oh wow! These fudge look so delectable. Gorgeous pictures, and absolutely delicious sweet-spicy fudge. Pinned!
Thank you so much for the compliments, I really appreciate them! I hope you get to try them and let me know if you do, thank you!
Whoa! I’m in awe! I have to make these, and soon!
I do have one question, though. Is there a particular method you prefer for cooking the sweet potato? I was considering roasting to bring out its natural sugars. My dad is a diet-controlled diabetic and I’m always trying to find healthy sweets for him, so I’d like to cut down on the maple syrup as much as possible. I wondered if roasting might help the sweeten the taste (versus boiling, for example) so I could use less maple syrup.
Thanks for sharing. I can’t wait to make these!
Hi Nichole! Thank you so much! You can try roasting them to bring out their sweetness, but I don’t know how much of a difference it will make. The dark chocolate makes these bitter, so without the syrup, they are going to be very bitter. You can just try the flavor after blending to see how it tastes, but not using any syrup won’t taste very good. Let me know what you try!
Brandi, these are gorgeous! The red pepper flakes are such a perfect topping. My husband would go crazy for that. I used to be afraid to use red pepper flakes because they can be overpowering, but now I know how much better food is with a little red pepper. Maybe just a couple flakes on top for me 😉
This fudge is amazing, Brandi! You are a total genius – I would’ve never thought of making fudge with sweet potato! The texture looks so creamy and chewy. I’m a huge fan of chocolate & spice, they compliment each other perfectly. Beautiful photos too, my friend!