Black Bean Brownies + Mocha Glaze
Whats gluten free, dairy free, fudge-y and delicious all over?
These brownies of course!
If you are thinking legumes have absolutely no place in a desert I understand your apprehension. Although this may seem odd, it’s pretty genius. 2016 was declared the international year of the pulse, and I thought this was a good way to celebrate.
Pulses include beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils. They are high in protein and fibre, and are also one of the most sustainable crops to grow, so they definitely deserve some recognition. Part of the campaign to encourage the consumption of pulses was to show people the many ways to cook with them. Pulses are so affordable and versatile, and this is a great way to sneak a little more of these healthy beans into your diet.
I feel like with brownies there are two camps. The cake brownie camp, and the fudge-y brownie camp. I definitely side with the latter. To achieve a fudge-y texture you usually use less flour and more butter and chocolate. In this recipe beans create a dense, fudge-y texture without all the extra butter, and the chocolate disguises any bean taste.
All the ingredients are combined in a food processor, eating you only have one dish to clean, which is definitely and added bonus.
I also add a little bit of ground coffee as I find it accentuates the chocolate taste. Continuing on the coffee theme, I made a quick mocha frosting to go on top. Totally optional, but soo good.
Another thing I learned while reading up on pulses is that they help to lower levels of harmful cholesterol in the body, assisting in the prevention of heart disease. One 1/2-3/4 cup serving a day was shown to have a significant impact on cardiovascular health. To incorporate more pulses into your diet try using hummus as a spread on sandwiches instead of mayo, replace the meat in a stir fry or soup with chickpeas or lentils, and when you're feeling like something sweet try out these brownies.
Black Bean Brownies + Mocha Frosting
makes 12
1 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp finly ground espresso
1 cup of coursely chopped semi sweet chocolate or chocolate chips
For the Mocha Frosting
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp strong brewed coffee
2-3 tbsp almond milk
1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x9 pan and line with parchment paper leaving an overhang.
2. Place all ingredients except for the chocolate chips in a processor or blender, and process to combine. Add in the chocolate chips, and pulse a few times to evenly distribute throughout the batter.
3. To make the frosting combine the icing sugar, coconut oil, almond milk, and coffee in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth and thick, adding more almond milk or icing sugar as needed.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, place on the middle rack of the oven and cook until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely in the pan then frost, and cut into squares.