Special (Black Bean) Brownies

 

black bean brownies

 

So when I first saw this on Pinterest sometime in April the “pinner” called them special brownies, I just had to see what made them so special. When I went over to Tia Tofu I found out what made these brownies so special BLACK BEANS!!!!

Can you imagine that? Baking with Black beans!!!!! HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE? Plus how do you bake with no flour????? GOSH! Was I shocked or what. I thought it was weird that someone actually sat and discovered that you can bake with beans instead of flour. But…….me being Wangeci I got curious and just had to try it. I wanted to “see” what the brownies tasted like how weird they would taste coz of the beans although the blogger at Tia Tofu had said that you could not taste the beans.

So I first thought that black beans are what we (Kikuyus) call Njahi (black bean with a white strip)

Njahis- DO NOT USE THIS

So in my mind as I thought that I would EVENTUALLY get round to baking these I would be using Njahis. When I did a Google search the black beans did not really look like Njahis. So when I went to buy groceries at the City Park Hawkers Market I asked one of the ladies who was selling if they knew what black beans were and she did not seem to know. After consulting a few people one said that there were some “new” beans being sold but they were dry. So I got some.

Black beans-dry

Black beans-boiled

Well first forward to about a week later and I tried them and boy was I SURPRISED! They actually tasted like brownies. I loved them. I gave them to a few people; two of the people I shared with had no idea that I used beans. The first one liked it, said it tasted great and when I told them it was beans she was QUITE surprised. The second person also did not know it was made of beans and she liked it too but said it was too chocolatey (but they’re brownies so….) again she was quite surprised that it was made of beans. The third person my gal Liz knew I was baking with beans. Her first reaction, I think was, they’re gooooddd….. but they taste funny..aah not funny just different but they are good. So she liked them too.

So verdict…..These will make you great and healthy brownies. I personally love them. HAPPY BAKING!!

 

Special (Black Bean) Brownies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 12 slices

Ingredients

  1. 425gms of black beans, boiled and drained (you can use canned)
  2. 1 cup oats
  3. ½ cup cocoa
  4. ½ teaspoon baking powder
  5. ½ cup stevia/sweetlow/ or any diabetic sweetener. I used sugar though because I did not have this buts better to use the diabetic sugar to reduce calories and refined sugars.
  6. 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  7. 1 ¼ cup of coconut milk
  8. 3 tablespoons of oil (nothing too string smelling)
  9. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  10. ¼ cup chocolate chips (optional, I did not use)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Put the black beans, oats, cocoa powder and baking powder in a food processor until its flour like ( there shouldn’t be any bean pieces)

Transfer the mixture into a mixing bowl and add the coconut milk, oil, vanilla and sweetener. Stir in the chocolate chips

If you do not have a food processor like me, put in all the ingredients (save for the chocolate chips and pulse for about a minute at a time. Stopping to give the blender a break. Do this till the mixture is COMPLETELY smooth.

Pour batter into a greased 8×8 pan. Bake for 30 mins

If you want to add some icing try this Peanut Butter Frosting. HAPPY EATING!!

https://www.themothershipvillage.com/special-black-bean-brownies/