Black Bean Brownies


Black Bean Brownies

Black beans and brownies…sounds crazy right?  Well, as many have discovered, using black beans in place of flour is a clever way to make brownies a bit healthier (and gluten free) without sacrificing a delicious chocolaty, rich-tasting dessert.  Black Bean Brownies have been on my list of things to make for years, and had I realized how easy they are to make, they would have been made a long time ago!  Essentially you just throw everything in a food processor (or blender), process for a minute, pour in pan and bake.

Then comes the true test…how are they?  Amazing!  Mike and I were both excited to try them and very pleasantly surprised how good they are (or were…the brownies are long gone!)  They have a deep chocolate flavor, a not quite cakey and not quite fudgy texture, and were some of the best brownies I’ve had in a long time!

Black Bean Brownies
 
Yields: 16 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
  • Cooking spray (or additional oil)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray (or brush with oil) and set aside.
  2. Put black beans in a food processor and process until smooth.
  3. Add eggs, oil, cocoa, baking powder, vanilla and brown sugar, and process until completely blended. (Note: You may need to stop and scrape down the sides a couple times during this step).
  4. Add ¼ cup chocolate chips and pulse 5 times.
  5. Pour mixture in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle top with remaining chocolate chips.
  6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Put on a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.

Source:  Whole Living

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Comments

  1. I’m so excited to try these! My husband needs to watch cholesterol and loves brownies. Win-win, I’d say. (And you liked them!) Thanks, Alida!

  2. That’s awesome! I really do need to try this sometime.

  3. I shared this with a friend who is trying to live gluten free. Must say, they look scrumptious!

    Stacy

  4. That looks gorgeous! I adore chocolate in any suit :). I will try your recipe!

  5. carpet cleaning Fargo ND says:

    My family will love the recipe!

  6. The only problem I had was storing them so they stayed fresh. I put them in a tupperware bowl and they seemed wet or too moist after a day….otherwise they were great!

  7. These were so moist and fudgy ( which we prefer) I used my neighbors as unsuspecting guinea pigs and told them I just tried a new recipe…which I did, not one of them had a complaint and they were ALL shocked these were made with black beans!!!
    I will definitely make them again and again

  8. Loved these and they’re so easy, I’ve replaced the sugar with stevia xylitol and honey. Xylitol wins so far, great recipie I reccomend it!

  9. Do you think these could be made with the whole egg? My daughter is sensitive to yolk. Could I just use whites or would I need to add something more?

    • Alida Fischbach says:

      Hi Kristie, you could definitely try just egg whites – 2 whites per 1 egg. Let me know how it goes!

    • You can sub in flax eggs. 1tbsp flax seed meal + 3tbsp warm water. Let that set for 2 minutes and it will replace an egg!

  10. Can this be done in a blender if I don’t have a food processor?

    • Alida Fischbach says:

      As long as it is powerful enough to pulverize the black beans, I don’t see why not!

  11. Barbara Surma says:

    I have made these bean brownies many times. And my friends and family just love them. I can’t eat enough. I put everything in my blender, and it can’t be any easier. Thanks for the recipe.