I’ve always been curious about zucchini and black bean brownies…can they really taste good and provide that chocolate fix every chocaholic needs? I once tried a chocolate avocado mousse recipe and hmmm, it was ok but not exactly something I would repeat or make with excitement, you know? Yesterday, while thinking of a new recipe to try that was not chocolate chip energy bites, blondies or cookies (seems like that’s all I make, all the time, ha!) I decided to give black bean brownies a go. The experiment went quite well I have to report, so well that here I am posting the recipe right away because you NEED to make them!
I’m so glad I measured everything (I always forget to do so!) because they turned out INCREDIBLE. Trust me, they are soft and gooey, and oh so so delicious! This one is going to be a staple for SURE. They are on the healthy side, packed with protein, flourless, fudgy and chocolate-ly and vegan if you replace the tiiiiiny bit of honey for agave or another sweetener 😉
Here’s what you need:
. 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (1/2 is for making a vegan egg).
. 1 1/2 tbsp. ground chia seeds.
. 1 cup black beans.
. 1 tbsp. vanilla essence.
. 1/2 cup peanut butter (Costco has the best one!)
. 1 tbsp. honey.
. 1/4 cup cocoa powder.
. 1 scoop chocolate flavoured vegan protein powder (
this is the one I like).
. 1/2 cup oats.
. 1/3 to 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (semi-sweet, dairy-free if you like)
What to do:
. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
. Line a rectangular baking dish with parchment paper.
. Combine 1/2 cup almond milk and the chia seeds in a bowl and let stand for about 10 minutes until thickened.
. Transfer the mix to a food processor and add the black beans, peanut butter and vanilla essence. Pulse until smooth and combined.
. Transfer back to a bowl and mix in the honey, cocoa, protein powder, oats, and oat bran.
. Add 1/3 cup almond milk and combine with a wooden spoon.
. Fold in the chocolate chips and transfer to the baking dish.
. Bake for 15 minutes.
. Let cool and enjoy!!!
. Feel free to top with a swirl of peanut butter or melted chocolate 😉
Recipe yields 15 brownies and the nutritional value of each is: Calories 135 | Total Fat 6.8g | Sat Fat 1.9g | Carbs 14.7g | Dietary Fibre 3.3g | Sugars 4g | Protein 6.3g
