+GF +SF
If you haven’t made brownies with black beans, you must! You can’t taste them; they’re there to give the brownies a wonderful fudgy texture and lots of protein. We eat these as a post-workout snack because they’re so healthy. Made with maple syrup instead of refined sugar, and oat flour, this is a dessert you can feel good about eating. Of course, the cayenne pepper takes them to another level. —LM + AM
MAKES 1 DOZEN
2 tbsp (14 g) ground flaxseed
6 tbsp (90 ml) water
1 cup (132 g) oat flour (use gluten-free)
1¼ cups (141 g) cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp (5 g) ground cinnamon
½ tsp cayenne powder (optional)
2 (15-oz [425-g]) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup (240 ml) pure maple syrup (add more if you like it sweeter)
2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
¼ cup (60 ml) water, add more by the tsp if needed
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 11 x 7-inch (28 x 18-cm) pan.
Mix the flaxseed and water in a small bowl and let it sit for 10 minutes; this is a “flax egg.” Add the oats, cacao, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cayenne to the food processor and grind the oats into flour. Add the beans, flax egg, maple syrup, vanilla and water, and process until the batter is smooth and creamy. If it’s too thick, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until it’s spreadable but not watery. It should be thicker than cake batter but not as thick as cookie dough.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool them on a rack.
*SEE PHOTO INSERT