Double Chocolate Black Bean Brownies

Double Chocolate Black Bean Brownies

I bumped into a recipe for black bean brownies on the internet a few months ago. I made them, and they were okay as written. You know me, though, always wanting to improve things! This is my take on that recipe.  My kids call them "Mommy's Beanie Brownies."

Preheat the oven to 325F.

Melt together over low heat in a small saucepan:

3 ounces (squares) unsweetened baking chocolate (not Baker's brand)

1/2 cup butter

When they are melted, remove them from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, grind in a blender on low speed:

1/4 cup flax seeds to make 1/2 cup (or just use 1/2 cup flaxseed meal)

Pour the ground flax seeds into a small bowl and stir in:

8 packets Truvia sweetener

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Blend on low speed in a blender container for about 30 seconds:

1 - 18 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained (yield about 1 1/4 cups)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons molasses (sorghum molasses if you are allergic to sugar)

1/3 cup agave nectar

Pour this mixture into a mixing bowl and mix in the flax seed and chocolate mixtures on medium speed.

Add and mix well:

2 eggs (or 2 tablespoons ground flax mixed with 6 tablespoons warm water)

Add, and mix until combined:

1/2 to 1 cup dark chocolate chips (sugar free chocolate chips)

1/2 to 1 cup broken walnut meats

They are really chunky with 1 cup each of the additions, not so much with 1/2 cup.

Pour the batter into a 9x9x2 square pan prepared with cooking oil spray and smooth the top. Bake the brownies at 325F for about 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted off-center comes out clean. You can serve these warm drizzled with cream for a "pudding cake" effect or chill them and they are almost like fudge.

Enjoy!

cSharron Long Author of Extreme Lo-Carb Cuisine, available where books are sold