Healthy Vegan Black Bean Brownies

My name is Danielle and I am a chocoholic. There, I said it. I LOVE chocolate. So much so that saying I "love" it is probably an understatement. Whether it be liquid or solid, ice cream or candy bar, milk or dark, cake or cookie butter, I enjoy whatever form it comes in to the very last bite... or lick. My borderline addiction has surely led to a few extra LB's, so I do what I can to avoid it. But as any other addict knows, quitting cold turkey isn't usually the most effective way to drop a bad habit. That being said, I try to practice moderation and sneaking it in to healthier recipes, which is where these brownies come in to play.

I will admit I was skeptical to try brownies made from black beans. Not that I don't like black beans-- I do-- but in a burrito, not as a dessert. And not with chocolate. The idea was intriguing though, and if the recipe wasn't too good to be true that would mean I could get my chocolate fix for a handful of calories while sneaking some nutritional ingredients into my diet. Who was I kidding, I couldn't get my oven mitts out fast enough.

After I baked my first batch of black bean brownies I was sold. I honestly could not tell there were beans in them and I was so impressed that I tried shoving them down everyone's throats before telling them the "secret" ingredient. However, I was a little disappointed after logging my original recipe and finding that the calorie count wasn't as low as I'd hoped due to the high amount of sugar and chocolate chips. So I played around with a few different recipes and found one that contained healthy ingredients, only 48 calories per brownie, and just happened to be vegan, too-- bonus! Check out my modified version below, and make substitutions based on your own diet or ingredients on hand. 

Adapted from Minimalist Baker
Yields 12 Mini Brownies
Ingredients:

• 1 cup black beans (about half of a 15-oz can), well rinsed and drained
• 1 large flax egg* (combine 1 tbsp flax meal with 3 tbsp water)
• 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil**, melted
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder 
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• heaping 1/4 cup baking stevia***
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp water or almond milk
• 1/2 tsp espresso powder (optional-- I like to add because it enhances the chocolate flavor)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Other topping ideas include (but are not limited to): PB2 or peanut butter, chopped nuts, almonds, dried cranberries, peanut butter chips, and more... get creative!

*1 egg or 3 tbsp egg substitute may be used
**Canola or vegetable oil may be substituted. I've even used applesauce with great results! 
**Granulated sugar or other sugar substitutes may be used

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare the flax egg by placing flax meal and water in food processor, pulse a few times, and let sit for 10 minutes.
3. Combine remaining ingredients in food processor and blend until completely combined. 
4. Pour mixture into a 12 cup mini-muffin pan or 11 x 7 pan
5. Allow to bake for 15-20 minutes. Brownies are finished when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Set pan on wire rack and let cool.
7. Dig in and enjoy!

Nutritional Facts:

Calories: 48 | Fat (g): 2.6 | Carbs (g): 5.9 | Protein (g): 2 | Fiber (g): 2 | Sugars (g): .4 

If you want to use the whole can of beans you can certainly double this recipe, I always just make this amount because I'm typically the only one who eats them (I knew I shouldn't have let Eric watch me make them-- he hates black beans). Also, because they are made from such natural ingredients, they tend to go bad within a few days, so this makes the perfect amount for me.

I hope you enjoy as much as I did! Comment below and let me know what you think and/or how you modified. Thank you so much for reading! xox