Recipe Box: Chocolate Black Bean Brownies

Okay, I know some of you are thinking chocolate brownies and black beans shouldn’t even be in the same sentence let alone in the same recipe but they’ve been on my radar for a while now, I’ve just been too chicken to try them.

Then I read Someone to Love by Donna Alward (the heroine runs a healthy bakery and the hero was a bit  hesitant, to say the least, about trying one of her black bean brownies) and, once again, my curiosity was piqued. So, I decided to dust off my apron and see what I could come up with and I have to say I was rather surprised with the results.

They were so delicious. And no one knew that they were made with black beans.

 

FYI: if you are planning to make these, you definitely need to use a food processor rather than a mixer.

 

Ingredients

 

1 15 ounce can of black beans drained and rinsed

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 cup quick oats

1/3 cup honey (or golden syrup)

2 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup sunflower oil (you can also use vegetable oil)

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup chocolate chips

 

Preheat oven to 350 F.

 

Combine the first eight ingredients in a good food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour into a greased 8×8 pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Allow to cool completely before cutting.

 

                                                   

I was really pleased with how these turned out. It was really nice to have a healthier, low sugar brownie that tastes just as flavorful as a regular brownie. The only thing that’s slightly different about these brownies is the texture. It’s not as firm as a regular brownie, but I think if I would have used ground oats (sold as Scottish Oatmeal) rather than quick oats it would have made them firmer. 

I paired these with a nice pot of Pure Rooibos (pronounced roy-boss) Red from Twinings Tea. Rooibos is a redbush shrub that grown in South Africa and the tea is made from its needle-like leaves.

 

This tea is a favorite of mine and is perfect hot or cold. It has a sweet, nutty taste (some say it’s slightly earthy) and nice red color when brewed. It has some really nice health qualities to it. These are just a few of the reasons why I drink it.

Ø It ups your immune system due to its high content of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and zinc.

Ø It helps get rid of headaches due to the magnesium in it.

Ø It contains iron. If you’re anemic it helps your body to absorb iron. If you drink it while eating foods rich in iron, such as these brownies, the rooibos will help the iron in the food absorb into your body as well.

There is no caffeine in it, so it’s the perfect tea to help you relax.

 

 

 

 

 

Have you tried black bean brownies?

Do you have a healthy dessert recipe?