Chocolatey Black Bean Brownies

Image 2Simple, easy, and mess free!

These brownies are so easy to make. Pile all your ingredients into a food processor and viola! You’ve got delicious brownie batter made from BLACK BEANS!

Yes…ya heard right! These brownies are made with heart healthy, fibrous black beans. I was shocked at how moist they were! They are absolutely delicious and will become a new dessert staple of mine 🙂

I’m prepping for a Women’s Seminar next week and need to introduce them to easy and simple ways to prepare gluten free goodies, minus all the expensive gluten free flours out there. Let’s face it, almond flour, coconut flour; as much as these are staples in my baking, they can be quite costly.

So if you need a chocolate fix that won’t break the bank, make these brownies!

Black beans are packed with protein and fiber, two key macronutrients that help to keep you fuller for longer. This is also beneficial for balancing blood sugar levels.

“One cup of black beans provides over 4 grams of soluble fiber, and this is precisely the type of fiber that researchers have found especially helpful in lowering blood cholesterol levels. Decreased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and myocardial infarct (MI, or heart attack) have both been associated with increased intake of soluble fiber from food” – WHF.

In just 1 cup of black beans, you’ll get a super dose of magnesium, B1, folate and iron. All nutrients essential for your health. Not to mention the extra magnesium and antioxidant boost you’ll get from the added cacao powder!

Now let’s get backing!

Gluten Free Chocolatey Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients:

1 14oz. can black beans (I use Eden Organic)
3 organic eggs
½ cup of cacao powder
½ cup coconut oil, softened (room temp)
½ cup coconut sugar
½ cup of dark chocolate chips
1 tsp ground vanilla bean or vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon of baking soda
½ cup roughly chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F
and grease a brownie pan with coconut oil.
2. Add all ingredients except walnuts to a food processor and puree to create your batter.
3. Add batter to brownie pan and gently stir in walnuts.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

 

Other ingredient options:

– Add 1/3 cup dried cherries for extra sweetness

– Try using ½ cup maple syrup instead of coconut sugar

– Butter works well instead of coconut oil

– High quality cocoa powder can substituted for cacao

– Top with toasted coconut flakes

 

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Black Bean Quinoa Burgers and Chocolate Raspberry Almond Smoothie for Meatless Monday

I got so excited when I saw this black bean burger recipe from Vegetarian Times land in my inbox, I just had to try it! It’s not often that I make veggie burgers but since I had all ingredients on hand, I couldn’t resist. They turned out delicious…and best part is, I made a second dish with them the following day! One recipe, two dishes! Can’t go wrong with that! Hope you enjoy!

Black Bean & Quinoa Burgers
I topped these burgers with hummus, dijon mustard, red onion and kale. It was the perfect combo!

Ingredients:
½ cup quinoa
1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped (¼ cup)
1½ cups cooked black beans, or 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
2 tsp. dried steak seasoning, or any seasoning you prefer
8 gluten free hamburger buns

Directions:

1. Stir together quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water in small saucepan, and season with sea salt, if desired. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. (You should have 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa.)

2. Meanwhile, place onion and sun-dried tomatoes in medium nonstick skillet, and cook over medium heat. (The oil left on the tomatoes should be enough to sauté the onion.) Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until onion has softened. Stir in 3/4 cup black beans, garlic, steak seasoning, and 1 1/2 cups water. Simmer 10 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.

3. Transfer bean-onion mixture to food processor, add 3/4 cup cooked quinoa, and process until smooth. Transfer to bowl, and stir in remaining 3/4 cup quinoa and remaining 3/4 cup black beans. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and cool.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F, and generously coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Shape bean mixture into 8 patties (1/2 cup each), and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, or until patties are crisp on top. Flip patties with spatula, and bake 10 minutes more, or until both sides are crisp and brown. Serve on buns.

 

Black Bean & Quinoa Bowl
I decided to mix these burgers with some leftover quinoa and kale for a delicious lunch the following day! It was delicious. In a large non stick pan, I sautéed 2 cups chopped kale, with 1 black bean burger, 1/2 cup cooked quinoa, and 1 tbsp pesto.
Chocolate Raspberry Almond Smoothie

I was craving something chocolatey and so I decided to blend together some raw cacao with raspberries, almond butter and other goodness for this delicious treat! Feel free to add fresh strawberries as well!

Ingredients:
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1 tsp maca powder
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tsp organic ground vanilla
3-4 ice cubes

Directions:
Blend all ingredients together in a high speed blender. Enjoy!

Happy Meatless Monday!

Health & Abundance,
Samantha 🙂

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