How To Make Easy Black Bean Brownies

Here's an easy-to-follow and healthy recipe for black bean brownies. You may be wondering how black beans can fall under the "dessert" category, but I'm here to tell you that they absolutely deserve their spot in this recipe- Let me elaborate.

Black beans are naturally high in both protein and fiber, making these brownies especially satisfying if you're looking for an after-dinner treat. In one serving of black beans you can find about 6g of fiber and 6g of protein, both of which help to keep you feeling satiated. Also, because of their density, they make the texture of these brownies extra thick and fudgy.

Of course, just because we swapped black beans with flour doesn't mean these brownies are a perfectly healthy recipe- I added in some cane sugar and topped them with chocolate chunks to make this a true brownie experience, so I feel like I'm eating a "real" brownie. (Although there's nothing wrong with making healthy swaps to your food!)

The one thing that sometimes frustrates me with "healthy alternative" recipes is how complicated the recipes can be. Whether it's finding a special ingredient only found at health food speciality stores, or it's an overly expensive ingredient, it can really be a buzzkill if you're trying to clean up our diet.

Living in Los Angeles, I'm spoiled because there are a ton of health-conscious grocery stores and restaurants that carry healthy alternatives. However, I still like to keep my recipes as simple as possible.

All of these ingredients can be found at your local grocery story (or my personal favorite, Trader Joe's!). The other thing that frustrates me about recipes (in general, to be honest) is what a mess they can be to clean up. I really prefer one-pan or one-pot meals because, it's 2020 and who has time to be cooking and cleaning all day? I don't have a food processor, and even if I did, I probably wouldn't want to deal with getting it out of wherever I stored it. I keep my blender on my kitchen counter, so that's what I used. Lastly, there's only three steps: Blend, pour, bake. Easy peasy.

Step 1:

Get all of your ingredients together and add to your blender & blend. The ingredients you'll need are:

- 1 can of black beans (drained)

- 2 eggs (If you want to make this recipe vegan, you can substitute with 1/2 mashed banana)

- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

- 1/3 cup cane sugar

- 3 tbsp coconut oil

- 1 tsp baking powder

- Splash of vanilla

- Pinch of sea salt

Step 2:

Pour your blended mixture into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Top with chocolate chunks (or fold them in if you like bits of chocolate in your brownies.)

Step 3:

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 mins.

(Video below for step-by-step instructions! PS- Follow me on TikTok for more easy, healthy recipes.)

It really is that simple! These brownies taste great right out of the oven, but I actually think they taste even better the next day after they've been in the refrigerator overnight. They get thicker, chewier and more fudgy (which is my personal preference for brownies!). What I really like about them is that I don't feel guilty enjoying them, since there aren't a ton of ingredients and not too much added sugar!

After I made this recipe, I did come up with a few variations of how I might make this next time. For example, instead of using sugar again, I might use a chocolate protein powder or applesauce for sweetness instead. I think that with the amount of "healthified" options people come up with, it's always fun to try and experiment with something new.