Before we get to the recipe, can we just take a moment to admire this perfect brownie?
Okay. Now we can get into it.
In case you haven't seen my last few posts...
...I'm a bit of a sugar fiend; especially in chocolate form.
One of the driving factors for me being plant-based, however, is the health benefits. Eating "accidentally vegan" boxed brownies and candy bars just doesn't fit with my ideology. There may not be any animal products in them, but that in no way makes them healthy!
I've also just had very bad luck trying to make boxed brownies vegan. I've tried the flax egg, the ener-g egg replacer powder, using less oil, you name it. They always turn out like melted tootsie rolls under a layer of oil. Nothing close to a brownie. I had almost given up on brownies until I saw a new magic super-food gaining momentum in the brownie world; BLACK BEANS! This recipe by Chocolate Covered Katie forever changed my life. Black Bean Brownies are the best brownies I've ever had in my 27 years of life as a chocolate/sugar fiend.
I know that sounds weird, but hear me out.
Using beans as the main component of brownies is GENIUS! Health wise, the starch in the beans is much better for you than using bleached, processed, probably GMO flour. Beans also have a more nutritious breakdown than wheat. Their flavor is mild enough to not come through at all in the finished product. All in all, beans are a whole food, and it is widely recognized that a Whole Foods, Plant-Based Diet is the most healthy way to eat. We could almost consider these brownies...healthy.
Although Chocolate Covered Katie's Black Bean Brownies are perfect as they are, I've done some tweaking along the way. My favorite variation is turning them into Turtle Brownies with some caramel and pecans. These couldn't be easier to make.
When I make the caramel, I make a bunch of it. I fill a food processor with dates and add enough coconut cream to get them to blend smooth. This isn't really a measured thing, I just go along with how dry/wet the dates are.
The brownies are equally as easy to make, provided you have a food processor or blender. If you don't own one, I highly recommend investing in a food processor. There is so much you can do with one, and it cuts down on so much work. The price point is also not as high as you would think.
The beans should blend smooth, but it's fine if the oats leave a bit of texture; the flavor is great either way! Adding chocolate chips at this point is pretty much essential. Leaving them out makes them a little less chocolaty, and just the slightest hint of bean shines through. I used a glass 9 x 9, but I'm sure any similarly sized pan would work. You could even try putting them in a cupcake pan if you want more crispy edges. I also greased my pan, but parchment paper would work just as well.
This is the fun part; flavoring the brownies. My favorite combo, and what's pictured here, is caramel and pecan turtles. Swirl the date caramel across the top with a butter knife, and sprinkle with chocolate chips and pecans. You could add almost any topping, though. A good vegan cheesecake batter would pair well. Walnuts would also be great.
You will know they are done when they pass the toothpick test. Just make sure you aren't poking into a chocolate chip thinking the brownies aren't done. If you wan't extra crispy brownies, you could bake them longer, but since they are beans, it won't crisp up quite as drastically as flour and oil does. They still have a nice edge crunch, though. Spraying the pan with coconut oil helps with the crisping.
At this point, it's hard to resist digging in and eating the whole pan. You have two options. The first is to eat them hot with a scoop of non-dairy ice cream or coconut whip cream. They will almost surely fall apart if you try to pick one up to eat it, but it will taste delicious while still warm. Alternatively, if you put them in the fridge, they will firm up nicely. They will hold together perfectly and the taste isn't compromised in the slightest.
Good luck resisting eating the whole batch at once! Mine are over half gone already in under 24 hours between myself and my non-vegan fiance who loves these just as much as I do. Not only are they the best "healthy" brownies, they're the best brownies in general. Do give them a try!
Recipe
Brownies:
- 1 can black beans drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans)
- 1/2 cup quick cooking oats (rolled oats add more texture)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup (the real stuff)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or any sugar, but coconut sugar is my favorite)
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup caramel swirl
- 1/4 cup pecans
Caramel Swirl:
- 1 cup of pitted dates
- 2+ tablespoons coconut cream
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a food processor, combine dates and coconut cream to make a caramel swirl topping. If it is too thick for the food processor, add more coconut cream 1 tablespoon at a time. Blend until smooth. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- In a food processor, combine all brownie ingredients except the chocolate chips. Blend until smooth.
- Once smooth, stir in half of the chocolate chips.
- Pour mixture into a greased or parchment lined 9 x 9 pan.
- Swirl caramel mixture on top of of batter.
- Sprinkle with the rest of the chocolate chips and pecans.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before putting in the fridge to solidify.
- Try not to eat them all at once!
This post is also my entry for the #VeganChocolateContest by @deliciousplants. The original post can be found here. I was already planning on writing about these brownies since I made them and took all the pictures yesterday. The timing of this contest was just too perfect; it's a good chance to shout out @deliciousplants and all the great recipes that come from these contests.
Have you tried black bean brownies before?
Have you made desserts out of other beans like garbanzos?
Are you going to start utilizing beans this way?
Scroll down and lets chat in the comments. Don't forget to upvote on the way down there if you enjoyed this post, and resteem if you plan to make these for yourself!
*All clickable images lead to the source.
OMG they look so good. Recipe saved. I am trying this too!
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Good to hear. I promise they will change your brownie game forever!
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Congrats, I have featured this delicious recipe on my weekly vegan recipe roundup. Keep crushing it!!! 🤟
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Thank you so much for including me, and thank you for compiling such a wonderful list of vegan recipe creators. I will definitely follow all of them and make their recipes. And I followed you as well. Thank you!
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Beans in brownies?! I will definitely try this recipe. I love that you take us step by step with your process and enjoy your commentary. Who knew, beans and brownies? Thanks for the recipe!
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Thank you. And yeah, it's pretty crazy that a bean brownie can taste that much better than a traditional brownie. I was skeptical at first, but I'll never make another brownie without beans again!
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So happy curie selected your post! Now I have to try your recipe, which I was planning on already. 🙂
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Thank you. I'm so glad this post of all posts got curried. Black bean brownies are a game changer, and now more people have been exposed to this concept (and veganism as a whole)!
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look yummy!
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They are. You should try them out yourself!
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yes will do, thanks for sharing, maybe you wanna
check out my healthy RAW and VEGAN chocolate recipe post here
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Yum! Those look so tasty!
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I really enjoyed your post! I like the way, how you written it and your photos! The whole brownie looks soo temting and absolutely amazing! I wish, I could eat this every day as my dessert! I llove caramel from dates, but I never tried it with coconut cream, jet! Need to try it! Thank you for the recipe, you made great work! :)
Btw, I started follow you on Instagram ;)
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Thank you so much. Since it's mostly beans and oatmeal, it's not really THAT bad to eat every single day. Hah. Plenty of protein.
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I know what you mean. I'm eating lentils with millet/buckwheat and some veggies every day, and honestly I don't find it boring at all. I really like this combination :)
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Oh my god! These brownies look soooo delicious! Yeah, beans make magic in the kitchen... any type of beans.. not just black beans.. you should try to make muffins with black beans! They are my favorite! 😄
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I will have to try that! I've made cookies and cookie dough with chickpeas, and I've made really good double chocolate cookies with chickpea water (aquafaba).
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I've heard that aquafaba is good! I really have to try to make something with it!
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Try this recipe. It tastes just like a Subway cookie if you're familiar with them; the perfect texture of soft and chewy with a crispy edge.
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oh wow! this is great! thank you for your suggestion! I'll definitely try it!
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Wow these look awesome! :) Thank you for posting!
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They taste even better than they look! Try making them.
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I will have to. :) I have had blackbean brownies and cookies before and they were pretty good. :) looks like something my sister-in-law and nieces (who are gluten free and dairy free) would love. I am sure I would like it too. haha although I currently eat anything I think looks good. :) lol
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Here's another really good gluten free and dairy free recipe that is better than the original. Double Chocolate Chip Cookies. Super chocolatey and some of the best cookies I've ever had in my life!
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Those do look good! :)
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They look so good, and the recipe is so well explained. The whole post is educative, thanks :)
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Thank you! They taste better than they look, too; I highly recommend trying them.
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Looks so good! thanks for the recipe :)
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Hey
These even made my juices flow and I am a synthetic being who doesn't even need to eat!! The Master, @markangeltrueman sent me over here to congratulate you on the curie upvote and to re-steem this on the @steemsearch blog. Great post, they look like lovely brownies.
The Curator
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Hah! Thank you so much, synthetic being.
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Yeah, it's time for bean desserts! 😀
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Bean desserts are the best desserts!
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😉 👍
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Looks amazing!! Thanks for sharing the recipe :)
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Thanks, and your welcome. I hope you try them out!
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I am so glad your post got a curie! It truly deserves it!
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Thank you so much!
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i keep seeing black beans in brownies EVERYWHERE & I'm so skeptical to try it but these look incredible. I'll get back to you on how they taste!
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I was skeptical at first, too. They're so much better than regular brownies, though. You can't taste the beans at all! Just don't skimp on the chocolate chips or sugar.
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Your post is so wonderfully put together! And these brownies look so amazing 😱🌱
Thank you for your entry into the #veganchocolatecontest! ☀️
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This looks fabulous my Dear!!! I'm definitely going to make it :) Thank you very much for sharing!! Awesome entry to the contest!
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Thank you! I'm excited to try your chocolate pecan bars, as well!
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Congratulations you have been upvoted and resteemed as part of #newbieresteemday's top 10 posts for the day! ... We invite you to use our tag to connect with more of our members. To learn more: Come Join Us!!! (Newbie Resteem Initiative)
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These look so good @chiaandgreen!
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Thank you. Just wait until you make them and try for yourself. They really are honestly the best brownies I've ever had!
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Would love to try them, second time I see a cookie recipe using black beans, very curious! I have not seen coconut sugar here but will improvise. Thank you :)
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It's a sign that you should start eating desserts with beans in them! Brown sugar usually works anywhere a recipe calls for coconut sugar. They just come out a little sweeter when you use brown sugar.
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Thanks will definitely try it :):)
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