WARNING: Although you will soon realize that these brownies are relatively “healthy”, I urge you to keep reading.
I am not the kind of person who “makes do” with desserts that are only OK because they are good for me. I would rather eat less of something fantastic than all of something mediocre. I am posting these brownies because they are Chocolaty and wonderfully MOIST, and just happen to also be low-fat, high-fiber, gluten-free and potentially dairy-free. They are all of those things, but even if you don’t care about how healthy they may or may not be, I still encourage you to make them.
After the neighborhood kids (and I) took a run at them for afternoon snack, after my kids each had one for dessert that night, they both asked for one in their lunch the next day. Yep, that good. Fool the children into eating beans good. Not one kid suspected that these might be anything less than total junk food.
I know that I have arrived very late to the Black Bean Brownie party. I first heard about them back in 2002, but wasn’t brave enough to try them then. Years later, surrounded by friends and family with gluten allergies and sensitivities, I thought it was time to see if this recipe lived up to the hype. Do they? Absofreakin’tutly!
These brownies don’t taste like beans at all, not even a little bit. They taste like is S-I-N.
Sometimes I ask you just to trust me. Well, trust me on this one.
Extra Moist Chocolate Black Bean Brownies
Adapted from a recipe by Skinny Taste
- 1 (14-15 oz) canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (I used dutch process)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon oil (Canola or Vegetable is what I usually use)
- 1 tablespoon milk (you could use soy or almond milk to make dairy-free)
- 1 teaspoon vinegar (I used White Vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee
- large pinch of kosher salt
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
Now check out how easy this is:
1. Put all ingredients except the chocolate chips in a food processor and process until smooth. Taste the batter and you will discover that it is lick your fingers good and tastes like…well…brownie batter.
2. Stir in 1/2 a cup of chocolate chips.
3. Pour into an 9 X 9 pan lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with oil.
4. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips (1/2 cup) on top.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool completely before slicing and eating.
I WILL be making these again and look forward to changing it up a bit with add-ins. Variations that come immediately to mind include:
- Toasted Walnuts
- Add in some mint patties
- Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter, PEANUT BUTTER!!
But one thing I will NOT add is frosting. Frosting is entirely unnecessary. The brownies are plenty rich without. I tried to capture a picture to illustrate how moist they are. Did I succeed?