Based on the famous BBBs…
January 2, 2008 at 2:44 pm | In recipe |
aka black bean brownies, courtesy of Activist Mommy. [I know it's the right URL I have, but it's not going anywhere for some strange reason...weird!]
so I made the original version before, obviously, and wasn’t all that wowed by them because of the mushiness, but the taste was pretty great considering how healthy the ingredients were.
this time, I decided to nix the applesauce and just throw stuff in that needed to be eaten, and I could honestly eat the whole pan by myself right now, they’re so good! and still pretty healthy. and so not mushy!
please note: after hearing a few people complain they weren’t “like real brownies”, I’d like to reiterate that it’s important to keep in mind that they are not meant to replace bona fide brownies, but to offer a healthy and tasty, albeit different, alternative for when the craving hits where it hurts, and that you can’t afford to indulge in a lot of empty calories.
update: I think I change the recipe every time I make them these days, and they come out amazing every single time. I like throwing dates in, using 2 T nut butter instead of the almond meal, lowering the refined sugar amount by adding some agave nectar along with it…the possibilities are pretty much endless, and if you’re anything like me, you will make these weekly and improvise a lot with what you have at hand.
new update (09/20/08): I’ve taken a liking to using 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, blending them into a coarse flour, adding 1/4 cup sucanat along with about 8 dates instead of the 1/2 cup sugar, no oil at all, no other flour, and about 1/3 cup nuts of choice instead of the almond meal. I added a splash of unsweetened almond milk to get the proper texture, too.
newest update (11/05/08): how about a no-bake version?
14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 T mild-tasting oil [grapeseed, corn, canola, vegetable...]
1/4 cup carob powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar in the raw OR 1/4 cup Sucanat + 2 T agave nectar
2 ripe, medium bananas
1/2 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or not, doesn’t matter)
1/3 cup almond (or any nut) meal
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
2 T brown rice flour
preheat oven to 350F. prepare 8×8 square pan with non-stick cooking spray.
place all ingredients in your food processor, scrape the sides often with a rubber spatula, and blend until completely smooth. pour into prepared pan, bake for 27 minutes or until brownies appear to be set and firm.
let cool before attempting to serve. they taste best after spending some time in the fridge. also, they freeze well.
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Wow, brownies with beans… what will they think of next? Definitely a good way to start the new year with a semi-healthy treat!
Comment by Vegan_Noodle — January 2, 2008 #
Wow! I am definitely going to try this recipe. Black beans have such a delicate flavor and a great consistency, I can see why this works! Hopefully I don’t burn them like my last batch of brownies. Ha.
Comment by Hils — January 2, 2008 #
Thanks! I’m going to try this.
Comment by anardana — January 2, 2008 #
:O!
those look *amazing*, and almost guilt-free besides! Somehow I’m just tickled by the concept, too.
Comment by Liz² — January 2, 2008 #
I must admit, I’m still a bit skeptical of putting beans into brownies… But hey, I guess it’s not so different from using soybeans (tofu) into cakes, huh? Maybe I’ll give ‘em a shot!
Comment by BitterSweet — January 2, 2008 #
black beans?? in brownies?? sounds quite enticing!!
Comment by VeggieGirl — January 2, 2008 #
so crazy!
Comment by melisser — January 2, 2008 #
Somehow the other black bean brownies sounded freaky to me, but now you’ve gone and put all kinds of other exciting things in these and they sound AMAZING! nicely done!
Comment by textual bulldog — January 2, 2008 #
Wow! Those do look good. I never would have thought of black beans and brownies…but the picture really does sell it.
(Speaking of beans in recipes, I made the white bean spread…oh, Mr. Cakespy and I licked the bowl! Gross? Sort of. True? Yes.)
Comment by cakespy — January 3, 2008 #
you’re a bowl-licker like me, Jessie! it’s reassuring. and you won’t hear me say it’s gross. frankly, what’s cuter than a bit of brownie batter or white bean spread on the tip one one’s nose? nothing, that’s what.
other reassuring fact, everyone: you really can’t taste the beans in this. I promise. I wonder where Activist Mommy went, though, I need to try her URL once more.
Comment by Celine — January 3, 2008 #
I’m loving all the brownie posts! I’ve only made them once and have been looking for recipes - with black beans, that has to be amazing.
Comment by Bonnie — January 3, 2008 #
It’s been brownie city over here lately! I love it!
Comment by leigh — January 4, 2008 #
yum brownies! i’ll admit, the black beans still scare me though.
Comment by Hilary — January 4, 2008 #
don’t be scared of the black beans, Hil! they mean you no harm. just gas.
Comment by Celine — January 4, 2008 #
haha, I really wanna give them a try, maybe I will. I know I have some black beans in my pantry.. :]
Comment by Hilary — January 5, 2008 #
how very interesting!
Comment by Lori- pleasantly plump vegan — January 6, 2008 #
These sound weird, but good. I’m intrigued!
Comment by Monika K — January 6, 2008 #
Your post motivated me to bake a batch of black bean brownies this morning. I had intended to make two batches, the first an adaptation of the original recipe and the second an adaptation based on your changes. I only had enough beans and bananas for one batch so my second batch was a pumpkin puree brownie. My husband and I will be eating a lot of brownies during the next few days.
Love your blog! I’ve been following it for quite some time now.
Comment by LisaRene — January 6, 2008 #
Everything on that plate looks amazing!I would love to try this, sounds very simple and nice:)
Comment by Sorina — January 7, 2008 #
if you’re a bit frazzled at the thought of eating brownies for a long, long time: you might like to know these brownies freeze amazingly well, Lisa! I just had a piece of one that had spent a few days in the freezer, and I think it might have been even better than when eaten fresh. the gift that keeps on giving?
Comment by Celine — January 7, 2008 #
They look so fudgy. This reminds me of the black bean cupcakes recipe I saw in a VT from a few years ago.
Comment by Jackie — January 8, 2008 #
I’m for sure going to try this recipe…Me and chocolate are one!
Comment by Rage And Love — January 8, 2008 #
oops…i realized i put the wrong addess on…sorry! :-/
Comment by Rage And Love — January 8, 2008 #
I love your posts and recipes. I’ve linked to you from my site because I like for people to be able to see all the goodies you prepare and how easy you make it look.
Beans and brownies. One I’ll have to try.
Comment by Jackie Vetter — January 9, 2008 #
awesome, Jackie, thank you! I never saw that VT cupcake recipe but I’m going to hunt for it on their site now, since I love these brownies so much.
don’t worry about it, Rage and Love, and I’m so hooked on chocolate at the moment, I think I need to join a club or something.
Comment by Celine — January 9, 2008 #
These sound and look terrific!!!
Comment by veggiesyarnsandtails — January 10, 2008 #
Hey Celine!
A quick question regarding those tantalizing brownies… How big the black bean can? Most of the cans in Canada contain 28oz of beans. Is that about right?
Thanks
Can’t wait to try the recipe.
Comment by Chantal — January 12, 2008 #
15oz is what you need here. so about half of your average Canada can. aka Can-can.
Comment by Celine — January 12, 2008 #
Celine, glad to hear they freeze well because I have been baking up batch after batch of black bean brownies playing around with the recipe. I like your idea of using oat and brown rice flour, as gluten free flour always adds an interesting texture to baked goods.
Comment by LisaRene — January 20, 2008 #
[...] I took a peek at Celine’s fabulous blog and–voila!–there is a recipe for Black Bean Brownies, based on a still-earlier version from Activist Mommy. See what I mean? It’s that 100th [...]
Pingback by Sneaky + Deceptive + Chef = Delicious « Diet, Dessert and Dogs — January 28, 2008 #
And gluten-free! YUM. i will definitely be trying these out.
Comment by Sally Parrott Ashbrook — January 28, 2008 #
[...] here’s my take on them… Filed under: 875 [...]
Pingback by black bean brownies! « have cake, will travel! — March 20, 2008 #
[...] Based on the famous Black Bean Brownies Whiskey Peanut Fudge Matcha Chocolate Ice Cream Chocolate Raspberry Tofu Mousse Raspberry Frozen Soygurt Frozen Tiramisu Peanut Butter Ice Cream (soy-free) Chocolate Tapioca Pudding [...]
Pingback by Recipe Index « have cake, will travel! — April 6, 2008 #
[...] past few days: cornmeal muffin tops (sans white chocolate chips), best pumpkin muffins from VWAV, adapted black bean brownies (I love them so!), adapted fudgy brownies from My Sweet Vegan, low-fat cinnamon rolls & almond [...]
Pingback by Ch-ch-ch…ia? No, changes! « have cake, will travel! — April 17, 2008 #
[...] let the black beans have all the [...]
Pingback by Raspberry Chocolate White Bean Blondies « have cake, will travel! — April 21, 2008 #
[...] those of you who like the adapted black bean brownies I’ve talked about over and over again: I lowered the sugar amount to 1/2 cup, and they came [...]
Pingback by Good News… « have cake, will travel! — May 9, 2008 #
there is a really good black bean brownie recipe from Baking with Agave Nectar which uses agave nectar in place of sugar. it also doesn’t use flour; the brownies come out amazing! (i’m sure you can make a vegan version!) its one to try esp. if you are trying to cut down on using refined sugar :)
Comment by Sharon — May 11, 2008 #
thanks for the tip, Sharon: I’ve been planning on making these up here soon with agave or maple syrup and playing around with the rest of the ingredients, so I’ll keep this blog updated with any positive [or even negative] outcome.
Comment by Celine — May 11, 2008 #
[...] people have tried the recipe lately and complain about a too strong banana flavor: here’s a suggestion, after seeing [...]
Pingback by An addendum to the adapted Black Bean Brownies « have cake, will travel! — May 29, 2008 #
[...] also made cookies today, to celebrate the beginning of the summer holidays!): Black Bean Brownies! This is the recipe I used. I’d been planning on making it for a long time, but I had to get myself [...]
Pingback by Hello again! « Eating with the Rabbits — May 29, 2008 #
Immediately after coming upon this delicious looking recipe today, I decided to make them . I love the black bean idea in a sweet dish!
I replaced the bananas with pureed prunes and replaced the sugar with Xylitol (an all natural, low glycemic sweetener made from birch bark). I haven’t tasted em yet because I still need to make a frosting…still trying to decide on what kind - but I cant wait to sample!
Comment by Heathy — May 30, 2008 #
I really want to try making this without sugar using agave. What adjustments do you think should be made??
Comment by ninaki — June 3, 2008 #
I would simply add 1/4 cup agave instead of the sugar, and not make any other changes. that’s if you’re using carob powder. if using cocoa powder which is less sweet than carob, you should add a bit more, probably 6 T in all [not added to the 1/4 cup] or 1/3 cup, as well as throw in a bit more ground oats.
Comment by Celine — June 4, 2008 #
ninaki: a quick note that I have been planning on making these with agave for a while and am just about to do it, so if you want to wait to make sure it works, give me a few days.
Comment by Celine — June 4, 2008 #
[...] them on 101 cookbooks and I kept seeing them in different places, like Diet Dessert and Dogs and Have Cake Will Travel. I was intrigued, but there were so many eggs, and/or more sugar (or succant) than my body can [...]
Pingback by Gluten Free Goodness » Blog Archive » Brazil Nut Brownies — June 30, 2008 #
[...] Take a look around, feel free to subscribe or drop me a comment or two to let me know you were here, and enjoy the rest of your blog hopping! Oh! And grab a couple of these before you go. P.S. The recipe might surprise you! [...]
Pingback by Wired For Noise » Blog Archive » Hop Til You Drop! — July 20, 2008 #
I bought some black beans today to make the original version of this recipe, but after seeing this version I think I’ll definitely try these ones instead!
Comment by Louise — August 1, 2008 #
[...] yes, the ever-evolving adapted black bean “brownies”. (with frozen strawberries & bamboo flatware for sidekicks.) I didn’t add oil to this [...]
Pingback by Taking care of that sweet tooth business. « have cake, will travel! — September 22, 2008 #
I made these (had to cut the recipe in half as my only can of black beans had been used for delicious spring rolls earlier) and I really liked them! I struggle not to eat the whole thing as I wanted to see how refrigeration would improve them! Yummm. They would be perfect for breakfast and I’ll make them again. Thank you!
Comment by Marie — October 12, 2008 #
I’m glad you’re liking them, Marie! I always end up freezing mine because otherwise, it’d be all I’d eat the whole day. brownies, brownies, and more brownies. [bean overdose!]
Comment by Celine — October 12, 2008 #
[...] post, I got lazy and didn’t bother with the baking part of yet another version of the adapted black bean brownies. I just pop them in the freezer for ease of cutting, and eat them thawed, straight from the fridge. [...]
Pingback by No-Bake Black Bean Brownies « have cake, will travel! — November 5, 2008 #