Chocoholic Black Bean Brownies

I am a straight up chocoholic. If a sweet treat doesn't have chocolate, I don't see the point in having some, so I have been very intrigued by the black bean brownie recipes I have been seeing all over Pinterest and Facebook lately. I have made a pledge to try more gluten free recipes this year, not because I have gluten sensitivities, but for more general reasons like cutting back on carbs. I know that when I am cleansing I need to cut out wheat, and flours in general, so the idea of using black beans instead of a flour sounded perfect. The cherry on top was that I might get my family to eat more beans if they liked the brownies.

I am on spring break with my daughters and now that I have had sufficient time to de-stress I feel like tackling some items on my one little word "to make" list. We decided to have a home day today, which gave me the time to try making the brownies. I couldn't find a single recipe that I liked completely; some used sugar or brown sugar, others were vegan, using egg substitutes (I prefer eggs), and most called for canola oil, which I do not like using (it is a PUFA, poly-unsaturated fatty acid, read about why here). I knew I was going to have to substitute and mix & match recipes to get what I wanted, and cross my fingers everything would turn out.

I substituted coconut sugar for white and brown sugar, so feel free to use either in place of the coconut sugar. I like coconut sugar because it is low on the glycemic index and a healthier sweetener that can be used 1:1 in place of other sugars or sweeteners. However, I ran out and had to use some raw cane sugar (still sugar, but a little better because not as processed as white sugar). In place of the canola oil I used melted coconut oil, but I suppose olive oil could be used instead (it should be used only at lower temperatures).

The only unhealthy part was the chocolate chips which are a must!

Ingredients:

• 1 can (450 mL or 15 ounces) of black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup of semisweet chocolate chips (I may have used more)
• 3 tbsp of coconut oil (or oil of choice)
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup of coconut sugar (or sweetener of choice: sugar, maple syrup, etc)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt

* I try to use all organic ingredients when I have them, including vanilla extract and unsweetened cocoa. I also try to find fair trade cocoa and chocolate because of child slave labour in the chocolate farming industry.

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. 

• Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Some recipes blend the first three ingredients before adding the rest, but I skimmed too quickly and missed this part. As mine still turned out wonderfully I think I will stick with my mistake and declare it intentional.

• Pour the mixture into a baking pan. I use stoneware so I do not need to coat mine with oil. I have learned, however, that if I use stoneware for baking I need to put it in the oven while I preheat it. While most people say that stoneware does not need to be preheated, I have found that it takes longer to cook and is less moist if I do not. 

• I sprinkled many chocolate chips over the top for extra chocolatiness (I'm declaring this a word). 

• Bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on your oven and type of baking dish you use. A knife should come out clean when inserted. 

My daughters, aged four, seven and nine loved it and kept asking for more squares. I think they may have sneaked a few behind my back because as of tonight there are only three squares left. 

This photo was taken a half an hour after I took them out
of the oven. Yes, I would say this was a hit.

Enjoy delicious, healthy, fibre filled brownie treats fit for a chocoholic!