I remember a few years ago, a friend and I made these delicious peanut butter black bean brownies and I couldn’t stop eating them. I would have probably made them a hundred times by now, but we didn’t have a food processor. Now that we have a food processor (blender should work okay too), I decided it was time. I had brownies on my mind this morning, so once the baby decided to take a nap, I got to work in the kitchen.
What goes into black bean brownies?
You’re probably wondering what the heck goes into black bean brownies and why wouldn’t I just eat the normal ones. Am I right? The first time I tried black bean brownies, I had the same thought. But then I tried them and my mind was blown. I would have never guessed a whole can of beans was in that pan.
Not only a can of beans, but 3/4 cup of natural peanut butter. This recipe is packed full of protein and fiber. The list of ingredients includes the black beans, peanut butter, chocolate chips, cacao powder, sugar, maple syrup, milk (of choice), vanilla extract, flour, salt, and baking powder. Lots of you probably have all these ingredients in your pantries.
Why you’ll love peanut butter black bean brownies.
- They’re a healthier alternative to regular brownies. Higher in protein and fiber, there’s a level of satisfaction that you’ll feel after one of these, that you wouldn’t get from a traditional brownie.
- They are vegan friendly. Use a non-dairy milk, coconut sugar, and vegan chocolate chips for a great vegan dessert!
- You won’t notice a difference. Alright, maybe you will just a bit, but they won’t disappoint.
Peanut Butter Black Bean Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans
- ¾ cup natural peanut butter
- 7 ½ tbsp milk of choice (1/3 cup + 2 tbsp)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 5 tbsp coconut sugar or cane sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour (or almond flour to make it gluten-free)
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
Optional Toppings
- melted peanut butter glaze
- additional chocolate chips to fold in or sprinkle on top
- powdered sugar to top
Instructions
- Bring the milk and maple syrup to a low boil on stove (or heat in microwave). Results are better on stovetop.
- Once the mixture is at a low boil, remove from heat and add 1/2 cup chocolate chips and allow to melt.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9"x9" baking dish with parchment paper or generously grease.
- In a food processor, combine the rinsed black beans, nut butter, sugar, cacao powder, baking powder, salt, and vanilla. Pulse until it forms a paste.
- Add the flour and melted chocolate mixture. Continue to pulse until it forms a thick smooth consistency. It will be thick but if you are worried, you can always add an extra spoonful of milk.
- With a spatula, scrape into the baking dish and smooth out to spread the batter evenly through the dish.
- Bake for 35 minutes, take care not to over bake as they will dry out.
- Allow to cool for 15 minutes to prevent them from crumbling. Serve with milk or ice cream.
Nutrition
Let me know in the comments below what you think of this recipe. Did you make any modifications? How did you top yours?
-Cassie 🙂