Black Bean Peanut Butter Brownies

Oh! My! Goodness! Who knew you could create the most amazing textured, gooey brownies with … wait for it … BLACK BEANS!!!!! It’s insane! But soooooo good!!!! Now I must say, I am definitely one for trying out crazy combinations and crazy ingredients, and this one just hit the nail on the head! This could be, possibly, one of my favorite recipes to date! Yes, it’s that good!

Call me crazy, but I get so excited when I discover new and brilliant uses for simple ingredients, such as black beans. From adding beetroot and other root vegetables to healthy treats, to using frozen bananas to create the most creamiest delicious (dairy free and sugar free) ice cream, to using the water in canned chickpeas for making vegan ‘whipped cream’  seems like total madness, but it works!!!! And that, my friends, get’s me SO EXCITED! Just knowing that the culinary possibilities with ordinary ingredients, are endless! Love it!!!

The one thing I love about this recipe is the high protein content. Having protein from both the beans and the peanut butter, these brownies are a great option post workout (YUM), and – let’s face it – are pretty much a great option any time of day! Their soft and gooey center will leave your palette wanting more! It’s probably safe to say they won’t last too long! They are gluten free, flour free, refined sugar free as well as dairy free. Free from the nasties and full of goodness! Let’s take a look at just how good they are for you:

Black Beans

Although they look quite plain and ordinary, black beans certainly do rank quite high on the nutrition scale. So we are all aware that a healthy diet includes a fair amount of fiber, well black beans are one of the greatest natural sources of dietary fiber. Just one cup provides nearly 50% of your daily value for fiber. As black beans have a low glycemic index, they are a great way to naturally maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Fiber is nature’s regulatory board, helping maintain optimum digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Aside from fiber, they loaded with plant protein. One cup of black beans contains 14 grams of protein – the same amount as a 2 oz. serving of a meat like chicken or fish? And it’s this combination of both a high source of fiber and protein that is so amazing!

Black beans. They color alone is a dead give away for it’s high anti-oxidant levels. Owing to their high concentration of anthocyanins, which are the flavonoid pigments that give foods like blueberries, blackcurrants, raspberries, red grapes — and black beans — their intense color (deep reds and blue) and superior antioxidant properties. Antioxidants protect cells from free radicals which are harmful atoms that can cause damage to the cells in your body.

On top of all these amazing benefits, they’re a good source of iron, magnesium and folic acid (folates). Delicious little nutritious nuggets!

Now, the fact that there are black beans in these brownies will completely dissolve when you sink your pearly whites into them. It’s a great way to trick kiddies into getting some nutritious beans in their systems, and fussy family members too! They taste incredible, and will surely please most, if not all, who taste them. Chocolate Peanut butter brownies to them, and a nutritious wholesome treat to you 🙂 It most certainly can be our little secret 😉

I am all for supporting local business, and this is the second recipe (the first was these Peanut Butter Oat Cookies) that I have published which I used the most delicious peanut butter known to man, that is conveniently made just down the road. Yup! I’m referring to the famous Pics Peanut Butter! Man! This stuff is just too damn tasty. A jar never lasts long in our cupboard, because, yes, I admit, and I’m sure a lot of you will agree, that one of the best ways to eat peanut butter, is simply with a teaspoon out the jar! ‘CanIgetaAmen‘ to that! Yum! 

In this recipe I used a 273mm x 175mm x 32mm brownie pan. This made roughly 15 small squares. I baked them at 180C for around 45 mins, which still left the center really delicious and gooey. A good idea is to refrigerate them a bit if you find you’re are still too soft. Being a recipe with no flour, this is how they are meant to be. I really enjoy soft and gooey, almost fudgy brownies, but if you don’t, a good idea would be to leave out the extra chia seeds, and go just with the flax eggs 🙂 Either way they’re gonna be delicious!

Black Bean Peanut Butter Brownies

2015-07-14 19:24:26

Yields 15

Super delicious and gooey brownie recipe that is free from refined sugar, gluten, dairy and flour. The secret ingredient being the Black Beans, is the star of the recipe adding the delicious gooey texture.

Write a review

Save Recipe

Print

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

45 min

Total Time

1 hr

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

45 min

Total Time

1 hr

Ingredients

1. 1 Can Black Beans (Organic, drained and rinsed)
2. 1 Large Sweet Potato (Preferably the orange type - steamed until soft)
3. 4-6 TBS Peanut Butter (Sugar free 100% peanuts)
4. 2 Flax Eggs (2 TBS Flax seeds mixed with 5 TBS water)
5. 2 TBS Chia Eggs (2 TBS Chia Seeds mixed with 4 TBS water)(Optional)
6. 3 TBS Coconut Oil (Melted)
7. 4 TBS Organic Raw Cacao Powder
8. 4-8 Medjool Dates (Pitted)(Depending on how sweet you'd like them to be)
9. 1/4 Tsp Celtic Sea Salt
10. 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
11. 1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
12. 1 Tsp Baking Soda

Instructions

1. First you want to pre-heat your oven to 180C, and get your baking tray ready. I like to 'grease' mine with some coconut oil. I used a 273 x 175 x 32mm brownie pan in this recipe.
2. Peel and chop your sweet potato into small chunks and steam until completely soft.
3. Next step is to get the egg replacements ready. So in two separate bowls, add the 2 TBS Flax powder and 5 TBS water. At the same time in the other bowl add the 2 TBS chia seeds with 4 TBS water. Allow these to swell and become almost gel like in texture. You can leave the Chia eggs out if you want your brownies to be a little more firmer, but I loved the gooey texture.
4. Empty your can of black beans into a strainer and rinse thoroughly.
5. Add the beans, flax eggs, chia eggs, pitted medjool dates and steamed sweet potato into a food processor. Blend.
6. Gradually add the coconut oil, raw cacao powder, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Blend until a smooth batter is formed. You may need to stop at intervals and scrape down the sides. If your mixture is battling to blend, add a TBS of water. The batter should be thick and gooey, and not runny.
7. Once your happy with the consistency of the batter, pour into your greased tray. Spread evenly.
8. Using two teaspoons (using one to scrape the peanut butter of the other one), add dollups of the peanut butter into the mixture. You can use a wooden skewer stick to mix the peanut butter around.
9. Bake for 40-45 mins until cooked through. The edges should begin to harden and the center should be firm.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack for 20 mins. Cut into squares and remove gently with a spatula. Remember, these brownies are going to be super soft and gooey, just as they should be. If you're having trouble removing them from the pan, allow to set in the fridge before trying to remove.
11. Serve with a delicious cuppa chai tea, or decaf cappa.
12. Keep in the fridge.

Notes

1. These brownies are quite gooey, so let them set in the fridge if your battling to remove them from the dish. So good!!!!!

By Wellness with Taryn

Wellness with Taryn https://wellnesswithtaryn.com/