Black Bean Brownies

I came across this recipe in the cookbook of some friends, Andy and Hannah, who are very talented musicians. Andy also happens to be a great cook and I originally met him at one of my talks on food and energy. He and Hannah practice yoga at the same studio where I practice, which is how I stumbled upon the cookbook. Their CD HannaH’s Field, Music, Magic, Medicine actually comes with a cookbook inside the cover. How cool is that? In it, there are fourteen delicious sounding recipes, including the one below for black bean brownies.

I am such a fan of brownies, more so for the texture I think than anything (besides the chocolate-y flavor of course!). So with the original recipe, I made a slight modification by cutting the sugar in half. I didn’t miss the extra sugar at all, maybe you would. Next go around, I’ll cut the fat down as well. That, however, may make a big difference with the texture, which is what I love the most about them…

But being able to eat a chewy, chocolate-y brownie knowing that it’s full of protein, fiber and vitamins and minerals makes eating them less of a guilty pleasure and more of a guiltless pleasure.

Black Bean Brownies

½ c semi sweet chocolate chips or cocoa powder

1 c butter (or grapeseed oil)

2 cups black beans, cooked, drained, and rinsed

1 c walnuts

1 T vanilla

½ c brewed coffee (don’t like coffee, try Teeccino!)

½ c sugar (this is half the original amount - I used organic natural cane sugar)

¼ t salt

¼ cup flax seeds ground

½ c gluten free flour (original recipe called for oat flour; I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free flour)

¼ t xanthan gum (optional)

Melt the butter with the chocolate chips and let cool slightly. In a food processor, puree the black beans and walnuts. Add the melted butter and chips, vanilla, brewed coffee, and sugar and pulse until mixed. Combine the flour, flax seeds, salt (and xanthan gum if using) and add to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Pour the batter into a greased 13 x 9 baking pan. Bake at 350°F, 25-30 minutes or until the top feels firm to the touch. Cool before cutting.

These were delicious and I’ve made them with either butter or oil. I’ve also made them with ½ c of cocoa powder instead of the chips. They were perfect for me, but for you, they may need additional sugar.