Through my journey of clean eating over the last six-odd months, I have searched high and low for a recipe for a clean brownie. I found and tried at least two if not three, and they were big, gross, flops. One recipe, for a crock pot brownie, tasted what I imagine potting soil tastes like. It was kinda gritty/chalky-ish, and had no sweetness to it, whatsoever. Another, despite the re-setting of the oven timer over and over again, just could not seem to get done in the middle. It was kind of like somewhat cooked black sludge, and again, was not sweet enough. But THIS recipe, originally obtained from the blog Chocolate-Covered Katie, is sheer perfection. Seriously. Now, the texture is not that of a typical brownie, I will give you that. It is denser, and you can feel the oats in there, but I actually liked that, so it wasn't a big deal to me. You also may be wondering if it tastes like black beans - the answer is no, it does not. The beans simply take the place of the flour, making this a great gluten-free dessert (if that's something you're into)! I did modify it a tad because her recipe is not completely clean, but the end results were wonderful (in my opinion). So, here's my version of this dessert:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups black beans (1 15-oz can, drained and rinsed very well) (250g after draining)
2 tbsp cocoa powder- dutch or regular (10g) (add a little extra if desired)
1/2 cup oats (40g)
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup pure maple syrup, agave, or honey (75g)
2 tbsp coconut palm sugar (or omit and increase maple syrup to 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup coconut oil (40g)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 bar of unsweetened Baker's chocolate, melted and sweetened to taste with agave (bar 115-140g) (Not optional. Omit at your own risk.)
2 tbsp - 1/4 cup peanut butter (you can omit or add more because the peanut butter flavor was VERY subtle, go with what you feel!)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine Baker's chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe container and heat until melted. Whisk together, then whisk in agave until desired sweetness is achieved (you can use maple syrup or honey, too, I just prefer the flavor of agave best). Combine with remaining ingredients in a good food processor, and blend until COMPLETELY smooth (a blender can work if you absolutely must, but the texture—and even the taste—will be much better in a food processor). Pour into a greased 8×8 pan - this batter will be very thick so you will need to press it around with your hands or a rubber spatula to get it all evened out and into the corners of the dish. Bake the brownies 15-18 minutes, and test with a toothpick to see if it comes out clean before removing. Let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut. Makes 9-12 brownies.
Enjoy! I did. ;)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups black beans (1 15-oz can, drained and rinsed very well) (250g after draining)
2 tbsp cocoa powder- dutch or regular (10g) (add a little extra if desired)
1/2 cup oats (40g)
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup pure maple syrup, agave, or honey (75g)
2 tbsp coconut palm sugar (or omit and increase maple syrup to 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup coconut oil (40g)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 bar of unsweetened Baker's chocolate, melted and sweetened to taste with agave (bar 115-140g) (Not optional. Omit at your own risk.)
2 tbsp - 1/4 cup peanut butter (you can omit or add more because the peanut butter flavor was VERY subtle, go with what you feel!)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine Baker's chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe container and heat until melted. Whisk together, then whisk in agave until desired sweetness is achieved (you can use maple syrup or honey, too, I just prefer the flavor of agave best). Combine with remaining ingredients in a good food processor, and blend until COMPLETELY smooth (a blender can work if you absolutely must, but the texture—and even the taste—will be much better in a food processor). Pour into a greased 8×8 pan - this batter will be very thick so you will need to press it around with your hands or a rubber spatula to get it all evened out and into the corners of the dish. Bake the brownies 15-18 minutes, and test with a toothpick to see if it comes out clean before removing. Let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut. Makes 9-12 brownies.
Enjoy! I did. ;)