Do You Need Chocolate right now, people?
Yeah...ME TOO! (And coffee...lots of coffee.)
But here's the thing, you don't have to drown your body in bad ingredients to enjoy a decadent treat! (Just a little planning ahead for the grocery store.) And, if you're looking for easy prep, this is it--just a blender and a baking pan. That's it! AND--No flour, no sugar, no eggs, but LOTS of flavor! (which makes them great for families with food allergies, also!)
I have adapted a recipe from the following link...Healthy Brownies Chocolate Covered Katie has some awesome ideas too! Lots of good ideas out there for healthy recipes, and I’m thankful for all those who create! I like to find a recipe for something I want to make and use it as an idea--almost like a template--and then make it my own.
So, you want to know the secret ingredient? Here it is...
Yes, seriously, black beans! Hey, don't knock it till you try it!
Nope, I did NOT tell my family what was in my recipe till after they tried it so they wouldn't back out on me. :) Sometimes those kids (and others, who shall be nameless...) need a taste-test to convince them before they know it's 'healthy.' I will share the recipe, and then share my tips afterwards. It does sometimes take a little tweaking to get the texture right, but it's worth trying a few times, I Promise! This is a definite family favorite at our house when it comes to healthy treats--and one that gave me bravery to step out of the box and try some new things in my recipes!
So, here you go...be brave and give it a try!
If the first batch isn't perfect, don't give up after the first try! Mine improved each time I made it. The ones I made today were SO SO yummy. I had to hide them so we had some left.
**Tips included at the end of the recipe, some things I have done different with the recipe along the way to make it just right for us.
Black Bean Brownies...
Ingredients:
1 15 oz. can black beans (drained & rinsed very well)
2 Tbsp. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
½ Cup Quick Oats (I imagine you could experiment w/ other flours if you prefer!)
¼ Tsp. Salt
½ Cup Pure Maple Syrup, Honey, or Agave (I use mostly organic maple syrup w/ a little raw agave)
¼ Cup Coconut Oil (Melt it first, otherwise it won't combine well at all.)
2 Tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
½ Tsp. Baking Powder (heaping)
½ Cup Chocolate Chips (I use the mini baking chips, the 'Enjoy' brand--See ingredients picture)
Optional: sprinkle more chips on top before baking
2 Tbsp. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
½ Cup Quick Oats (I imagine you could experiment w/ other flours if you prefer!)
¼ Tsp. Salt
½ Cup Pure Maple Syrup, Honey, or Agave (I use mostly organic maple syrup w/ a little raw agave)
¼ Cup Coconut Oil (Melt it first, otherwise it won't combine well at all.)
2 Tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
½ Tsp. Baking Powder (heaping)
½ Cup Chocolate Chips (I use the mini baking chips, the 'Enjoy' brand--See ingredients picture)
Optional: sprinkle more chips on top before baking
Instructions: (SO easy!)
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Combine all ingredients except chips in a blender or food processor, and blend until completely smooth. *Really blend well. (I only have a Nutri-Bullet since my blender broke. I have read that the food processor may work very well, maybe even better for this recipe. Whatever you use--it must be blended together very well! Scrape the sides, and stir it together and blend again if needed.)
- Stir in the chocolate chips, then pour into a greased 8×8 glass pan.
- Optional: sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top.
- Cook the black bean brownies 15-18 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut.
- Makes 9-12 small Brownies
Tips:
*Make sure you rinse the beans really well--get rid of all the salty liquid taste. But also make sure they drain good in your strainer. You don't want the extra liquid. I usually wash them first and then let them sit to drain while I measure the other ingredients.*I pulse the oats in the blender with all the dry ingredients first, so it turns almost to a flour and mixes in all the dry ingredients together well. (I don't have a large food processor, so the texture might be just fine to dump it all in there if you have one. I haven't tried, so...)
*If you have a Nutri-Bullet like me, I put in the wet ingredients first so they fall down through the wet when I turn it over. It mixes much easier that way. I still open the lid and scrape the sides down once or twice to make sure it's all combined well. (If you only have one top for your Nutri-Bullet, I would pour out the 'flour' mixture after pulsing and then begin layering ingredients w/ wet first.)
*After I blend well, I usually scrape batter out into a bowl to stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula and make sure all ingredients are well-combined, not 'chunky.'
*Once I spread the batter into a greased pan, I sprinkle with a few extra mini chocolate chips before baking.
I will add a pictures below of my ingredients and a few pictures to give ideas of texture. Come back and comment if you try it out. Let me know your thoughts or fun things you created with your own!
Have fun, and make some happy moments during this crazy days of quarantine. I read somewhere that these days stuck mainly indoors will be our kids 'walking up the hill both ways in the snow' days to tell their children someday! So, make some fun and healthy memories in the kitchen!
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