Black Bean Brownies

So before we dive into this DELICIOUS recipe, I thought I'd tell you guys a little secret. It may come as a surprise to you (as it was definitely a surprise to us), but Nick and I have started eating a (mostly) vegan diet. We probably won't talk about it much on the blog, but I thought we should give you guys a heads up in case you start wondering why we always shared all of these recipes that were like "Chicken! Cheese!" and now they're like "Seitan! Tofu!"(just kidding). Anyway, this recipe is vegan, but you of course could use non-vegan ingredients if you so choose! Let's get started...

I've wanted to try these black bean brownies for a long time because I was very intrigued by the idea of making a yummy, chocolately dessert that's healthy but will actually still taste good. I was definitely not let down. Want to try it?


Here's what you need! (Recipe adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie)
- 1 15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed very well
- 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup quick oats
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup agave sweetener
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (we used dairy-free chocolate chunks)

NOTE: These ingredients are what we used for our brownies, however the original recipe linked above provides substitutions (i.e. pure maple syrup or honey rather than agave, and vegetable oil rather than coconut.)


Here's what you do!
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8x8" pan.
- Combine all ingredients EXCEPT chocolate chips in your food processor and blend until completely smooth. (I blended once, then scraped the sides with a spatula and blended again).
- Once well blended, stir in your chocolate chips and pour into your greased pan.
- Bake 18-20 minutes and let cool completely before cutting. (Seriously, I tried before they were completely cooled and it was a little messy.) Makes 9 brownies.

These brownies were so good, it's a little ridiculous. They are super soft and chocolately. The consistency once they're completely cooled is actually more like a fudge than a brownie. Since we used coconut oil rather then vegetable, they had a subtle coconut flavor which I really liked. Plus, they are SO easy to make! Another A+ for our brand new food processor!


I'm also really pleased that Nick loved them because he was definitely unsure about the whole bean thing when I suggested it. When we were photographing and sampling them, he kept telling me "Okay, these are just so good. I love them. They're my favorite." And they have BEANS in them, you guys. Can you believe it?!