A few years ago, I had black bean brownies at a potluck. I love brownies but they tend to be rich and heavy. I remember looking at the brownies on the table and wished I could have had one … and soon afterwards the woman who baked the brownies came to me and invited me to try it … I explained to her that I really wanted to have one but brownies were a bit rich for me. Then she assured me that these brownies were not the regular brownies but they were made with black beans. Hmm I thought this is an interesting take on brownies … I kind of hesitated but then I gave it a try… and I am so glad I did! These are absolutely delicious, decadent brownies even better than the original!

These are very tasty, chewy and chocolaty brownies, no one will guess they are made with black beans. Try to use the best quality chocolate that you can possibly get as the chocolate is still an important part of the recipe. This is definitely a very healthy alternative to the original brownie recipes.

So why use black beans? Well, they are actually sweet. They also add protein to the brownies. The protein in the black beans helps to curb the blood sugar spikes that you would see with regular desserts.

Try it and let me know in the comment section how you liked it!

RECIPE

Yields 12 slices

Ingredients

1. 1 cup dried black beans or 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
2. 1/2 cup sugar
3. 1 tsp baking powder
4. 1/4 tsp salt
5. 1 large egg, lightly beaten
6. 1/4 cup coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
7. 1/2 cup cocoa powder
8. 1 tsp vanilla extract
9. 1 tbsp coffee liquor
10. 1 cup chocolate chips, divided
11. 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
• Clean and soak the beans for 8 hours. Remove the soaking liquid and discard. Cook the beans in fresh water for 2 hours. Strain. (Omit if using canned beans).
• Add the black beans without its liquid to a food processor and chop until smooth. I don’t have a food processor, so I just mash the black beans with a potato masher. It works great.
• In a bowl, mix the chopped black beans, egg, coconut oil, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, coffee liquor, vanilla extract and salt until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
• Stir in the chocolate chips and the nuts. You can do 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and save the other half for the top.
• Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly.
• You can put half the chocolate chips on the top.
• Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before slicing.
• Store in an air-tight container for 1 week.

enjoy!

Picture and text by twincitiesherbs.