Black Bean Brownies

Here's a little fact about me...I really love sweets. My sweet tooth is large and in charge and I'm not mad about it. I always have had a sweet tooth but surprisingly it didn't really develop until I started eating gluten-free. I think the reason is, traditional sweets like cake or cookies always used to make me feel awful (because of the gluten). Now that I'm choosing to eat gluten-free items my body can experience these treats without being bogged down.

Other than eating gluten free sweets, I also like to make them as healthy as I can. Enter black bean brownies. There are a few things that make these healthy.

1. No grains

2. No dairy

3. Low glycemic thanks to coconut sugar

4. Benefits of cocoa

5. Extra protein from the beans

Call me crazy but these are actually good for you. Any time something has sugar of any kind it should be eaten in moderation but the good definitely outweighs the bad in these babies! Don't worry about the taste either. These brownies taste just as brownie-ee as any regular brownies do. They're sweet, chocolatey, and fudgy just as brownies should be.

Ingredients

1 can black beans

3 eggs

3 TBSP melted coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/4 cup raw unbleached sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup raw organic cocoa powder

1/2 cup choco chips (plus more for sprinkling on top)*

* My favorite choco chips are Enjoy Life. They're made with super clean ingredients and just darn tasty

I put this photo here to show what they will look like if the beans aren't blended well enough. You'll be left with big pieces of beans. They still taste good but the tecture won't be as good.

Directions

1. In a small pot simmer the can of black beans on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes then drain and add to the food processor. **

2. Blend in the food processor (or mash with a fork) until totally smooth. Once smooth add eggs, oil, and vanilla to the food processor. Give it a quick blend to combine. Scrap down the sides and pulse a few times to combine completely.

3. Add the sugars, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Pulse to combine and add the mix to the food processor. Process on low until combined (scrape down sides if needed.)

4. Add in choco chips and pulse a couple times.

5. Pour the thin batter into a square 9x9 pan prepared with parchment paper and sprinkle with chocolate chips.

6. Bake at 325-250 (depending on how hot your oven runs) for 15-20 mins. A toothpick should come out fairly clean. I like them a little underbaked so I pull them out closer to 15 mins.

** This is a step I added that I don't see in other recipes. I feel like this makes the beans puree smoother. The Trader Joe's beans I buy are still pretty hard when they come out of the can so if your beans are super soft without simmering skip this step.

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