I do love my chocolate treats! I love brownies and since I am always looking for a healthier version of some of the classic sweets it’s led me to try many recipes for black bean brownies. I tried several recipes before testing out this wonderful one for black bean brownies from Melissa Costello. Have I mentioned that all her recipes come out like they’re supposed to? If you’re baking challenged like I am, then this is really important to you. I get pretty excited (jump up and down) when my end result looks like the picture :).
Now, I know you’re probably saying, black bean brownies? Black beans in brownies?? Well, she has so many other ingredients going on that you don’t even notice the black beans, and this recipe for black bean brownies is so much more nutritious than those boxed ones.
Black beans have 15 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber in each cup. They help move food through the digestive tract. They also have significant amounts of minerals, calcium, and folate. They also have phytochemicals that help against cancer and other chronic diseases and are only found in plants.
This recipe for black bean brownies uses dates to help sweeten it. Dates may be something you’re not used to using. Dates are naturally sweet making them a great snack if you’re in the mood for something sweet, but want something non processed and healthy. They are rich in dietary fiber, calcium and potassium just to name a few. I prefer the Medjool dates because they’re definitely moister and quite a bit larger than the other dates. Remember to remove the pits before using them.
In this recipe for black bean brownies you’ll make a date paste by adding 2/3 cup boiling water to 1 cup of dates and letting it soak for about an hour.
OOPS!! I stopped the video because there was still a big chunk of banana. So make sure you process the ingredients until it’s all smooth, no big banana chunks. And what is up with the food processor spewing my cacao powder? I used my friend’s cuisinart thinking that it wouldn’t have my cacao powder flying everywhere like my kitchen aid food processor did, but I was wrong. While it didn’t spew as much it still let it fly. So, lesson here – next time mix everything and then mix in the cacao powder by hand. It’s too precious to waste.
Remember to re-grease the muffin tins with coconut oil after you take out the first batch.
Here’s the recipe for Melissa’s Black Bean Brownies from her website.
I make them in a mini-muffin pan, but feel free to use an 8×8 brownie pan. Just adjust the cooking time to longer in the oven by about 10 minutes.
2 cups black beans (freshly cooked is best, but canned is ok- drain & rinse if canned)
1 ripe banana
1/3 cup of raw blue agave nectar or Grade B maple syrup
½ cup date paste* (see recipe below) *allow 1 hour soaking time for date paste
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
½ cup raw cacao powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup oat or almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup grain sweetened or vegan chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350. Grease mini muffin tins with coconut oil or coconut spray.
In a food processor with S-blade, combine black beans, banana, agave nectar, date paste, coconut oil, cacao powder, vanilla, cinnamon & sea salt until combined well and smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Fill mini muffin tins about 2/3 full and bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes and transfer to a wire rack.
To make Date Paste: Pour 2/3 cup of hot water over 1 cup pitted dates and then soak for about an hour. Throw all ingredients into a blender and process until a smooth, thick paste is formed.
Yield: Makes about 30 mini muffins
I hope you try these great black bean brownies because I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. I know I was! Be sure to let me know what you think of this recipe for black bean brownies. I’d love to hear from you.
Remember that Melissa Costello is coming out with a cookbook in October. >>Click Here<< to pre-order your cookbook with all her great recipes!
