Judging by the title alone, you may be wondering why someone would like anything (especially desserts???) with black beans in them. Well, keep scrolling my friend, because boy do I have some good news for you!
This recipe is perfect for someone trying to curve their sweet tooth & switch to healthier snack options, because you can make them as sweet(with natural sweeteners) or as plain as YOU want!
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Why would I think about making brownies...with black beans?!
I have always loved sweets(see previous post "Calling All Sweet-Toothers"). Too many times I have overindulged in processed, sugary-laden snacks & regretted it.
...So... this year, I was determined to find healthy versions of snacks/desserts that could substitute for my {normal} sugary indulgences, while still satisfying my sweet tooth!
Throughout this journey(see previous post "Can I Really Live Without Them?" for more insight on my health journey towards a plant-based lifestyle that began in 2019) I have learned some pretty insightful information on the benefits of using plant-based ingredients for these snacks/desserts...black beans being one of them.
I am {mostly} vegan, I also try to strive to be oil-free. For this reason, you will notice in most of the recipes I share here on the blog, I leave out common ingredients that one would normally see: Eggs, olive-oil, dairy milk..etc. You would never know these ingredients are missing, because I use vegan-friendly substitutions for them or explore recipes that don't need any of those ingredients at all.
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Ingredients:
>1 cup of dates
>2 cup of walnuts
>3 tbsp of raw cacao powder
>1-2 *pinches* of salt
>1 cup of cooked, black beans
>1 *flax-seed egg* {substitute for dairy egg: 1 tbsp of ground flax-seed stirred into 3 tbsp of water)
>{optional} 2 tbsp of pumpkin seeds or any kind you think would pair well with this recipe.
>{optional} 2 tbsp of pumpkin seeds or any kind you think would pair well with this recipe.
1.Make *flax-egg* and put in fridge for ten minutes(until it reaches consistency of raw egg yolk).
2.While waiting on flax-egg: Chop dates(makes it easier to blend), add them to food processor along with cacao, walnuts, and beans.
3.Blend together ingredients from second step until black beans are mostly blended evenly into mixture(you may have to use a spoon to help mix everything in between blending).
4.Add flax-egg to blender and blend until a thick, cakey substance is formed(think of a thicker, stickier cake batter).
>***after mixing all ingredients, taste mixture to ensure that it is sweet enough for your liking. You could always add more dates, or other natural sweeteners such as honey or agave if you don't find this recipe sweet enough. I like mine a bit plain and not overly sweet--> I am using these to curve my sugar cravings, for this reason, I don't add extra sweeteners.
necessary) and bake for 15-20 minutes.
>***When baking these brownies, don't wait until the centers are "fluffy or cake-like" as you would normally. They don't reach that consistency for me, due the affects of the black beans. **If you wanted them to be more fluffy/cake-like, I'm sure you could add your preference of flour.I haven't done that yet because I like mine more "doughy" in the center.
6.After taking out of oven, let them sit in the pan for 5-10 minutes. I store mine in a container in the fridge.
--> Health benefits -->
This post turned out longer than planned, but I hope that you can try this recipe and see {like myself} that baking refined-sugar free is actually very fun because it is so versatile: As I mentioned before, you can adjust the sweetness of this recipe to fit your preference. You can even add other ingredients to change the texture, if you don't like the texture I prefer.
Here's to healthy living, friends!
~Adele~
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