The BEST Fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies -- What Zaria and I Made After the Jambalaya Was Gone

My week with the kids. The Lions on Sunday. The quiet desperation of Lions fans returns. Worked four shifts this week at the plant. The line ran clean.

Pop's in the recliner. Tigers on. Sugar in range this week. Sunday at Mama's. She made greens with hambone the way she has since 1985.

Jambalaya Sunday. Andouille, chicken, shrimp. Trinity. Rice cooked in the pot.

Aiden's 10. The youth basketball league. I'm coaching. He's the best player on the team and he knows it. Zaria's 8. Helps me cook on a step stool. Has opinions about the seasoning.

The week held. The kitchen held. The chain holds.

Drove past Jefferson North on Tuesday. The plant is still the plant. The trucks coming out. I waved at the gate guard out of habit. He waved back even though he didn't know me. The plant is its own neighborhood.

Watched the Tigers Sunday afternoon. Lost in extras. Detroit reflex. I yelled at the TV the way Pop used to yell at the TV. The TV did not respond. The bullpen will probably not respond either.

I read for an hour Sunday night. A book about the auto industry. Half memoir, half history. Made me think about Pop and the line and the fragile contract that built the middle of this country. I underlined the parts that hit.

Mama left me a voicemail Wednesday. She said, "DeShawn. Don't forget Sunday." I had not forgotten Sunday. I have not forgotten Sunday in twenty years. The reminder is the love. I called her back.

Filled the propane tank Wednesday. The smoker is the only appliance I baby. Wiped it down. Checked the gaskets. Checked the temperature gauge. The smoker is mine the way Pop's torque wrench was his.

The basketball court at the rec center got refurbished. New floor. Plays different. Bouncy. I shot a few from the elbow before practice Wednesday. The knee held. The shot fell short.

The Lions on TV Sunday. Lost on a missed field goal. Detroit. The neighborhood collectively groaned at the same moment. You could hear it through the windows.

Mr. Williams across the street had a heart scare. He is okay. We are all watching each other now. I took him a plate of greens and chicken Wednesday. He said, "DeShawn. You're a good neighbor." I said, "We're even, Mr. Williams. You shoveled my walk in 2024." He laughed.

Truck needed an oil change Saturday. Did it myself in the driveway. Took an hour. The neighbor across the street gave me a thumbs-up from his porch. I gave him one back. Detroit men do not waste words on car maintenance.

A neighbor down the street gave me a tomato plant Saturday. He grows them on his porch. Said he had extra. I put it next to the back step where it gets the afternoon sun. Detroit gardens are improvised victories.

Aiden had practice Tuesday and Thursday. I drove. He shot threes for an hour after.

I cleaned the smoker Sunday morning. Brushed the grates. Emptied the ash. Wiped down the body. The smoker repays attention. So does most everything that matters.

A song came on the radio Tuesday — old Stevie Wonder — and I had to sit in the truck for the rest of it before I went into the store. Some songs do that. Detroit is a city of songs that do that.

The block had a small drama Tuesday. Somebody parked in front of Ms. Diane's driveway. Ms. Diane addressed it directly. The car moved within the hour. The neighborhood polices itself on small things.

The custody calendar holds. Aiden and Zaria alternate weeks. Brianna and I co-parent without drama now. We do not always have to like each other to do this right.

The jambalaya was gone by evening and Zaria was still in her apron, still on her step stool, still full of opinions — so we kept going. Sweet potatoes are a constant in this family’s kitchen, same as the cast iron and the seasoned hands that taught me to cook, and these brownies felt like the right way to close a Sunday that held together the way good Sundays do. She measured the cocoa. I stirred. The chain holds.

The BEST Fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 16

Ingredients

• 1 cup mashed sweet potato (from 1 medium roasted or boiled sweet potato)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar or coconut sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus extra for topping

Instructions

1. Prep the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides.
2. Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed sweet potato, melted coconut oil or butter, and sugar until smooth and well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each. Stir in the vanilla extract.
3. Add the dry ingredients. Sift the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt directly into the wet mixture. Fold with a spatula until just combined — do not overmix.
4. Fold in chocolate chips. Stir in the 1/2 cup chocolate chips until evenly distributed through the batter.
5. Bake. Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Scatter a small handful of extra chocolate chips across the top. Bake for 28—32 minutes, until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs (not wet batter).
6. Cool before cutting. Let the brownies cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before lifting out and slicing into 16 squares. They firm up as they cool and the fudgy texture sets fully.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 178 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 24g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 55mg