I have been on a sweet kick these days… which directly coincides with the 60 day challenge I began at the Dailey Method. The challenge is to eat a mostly plant based diet, as well as attend barre a minimum of 30 classes in 60 days. While I do maintain a pretty healthy diet, it is definitely hard when you have a sweet craving you just can’t kick.
I recently came across these black bean brownies from the Minimalist Baker. I am going to let you in on a little secret…. all of those calories you’ve been consuming from the full fat brownies you’re used to, well in my eyes… they are definitely not worth it when you taste these! They are not only super easy, they are also the fluffiest, satisfying, healthiest dessert you will probably ever make. Try it… don’t let the black beans scare you…. you can’t even taste them!
- 1 15 oz. can (~ 1¾ cups) black beans, well rinsed and drained
- 2 large flax eggs (2.5 T flaxseed meal + 6 T water)
- 3 T coconut oil, melted (or sub other oil of choice)
- ¾ cup cocoa powder (the higher quality the better)
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- heaping ½ cup raw sugar, slightly ground or pulsed in a food processor or coffee grinder for refined texture
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- Optional toppings: crush walnuts, pecans or chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly grease a 12-slot standard size muffin pan (not mini).
- Prepare flax egg by combining flax and water in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse a couple times and then let rest for a few minutes.
- Add black beans through baking powder and puree – about 3 minutes, scraping down sides as needed. You want it pretty smooth.
- If the batter appears too thick, add a Tbsp or two of water and pulse again. It should be slightly less thick than chocolate frosting but nowhere close to runny.
- Evenly distribute the batter into the muffin tin and smooth the tops with a spoon or your finger.
- Optional: Sprinkle with crushed walnuts, pecans or chocolate chips.
- Bake for 20-26 minutes or until the tops are dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides. I found mine took about 25.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan. They will be tender, so remove gently with a fork. The insides are meant to be very fudgy, so don’t be concerned if they seem too moist – that’s the point. Plus, they’re vegan so it doesn’t really matter.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. Refrigerate to keep longer.
These brownies didn’t even last a day in my house… will definitely be a staple in our recipe book from now on!
