MAKES AN 8-INCH SQUARE PAN · VEGETARIAN, GF, DF ADAPTABLE
White bean blondies are the new black bean brownies! I know the ingredients seem a little bizarre, but I promise these bars taste nothing like white beans. They’re dense, lightly sweet, with the perfect amount of chocolate to satisfy my sweet tooth. But these blondies have gone high protein with legumes and sesame tahini pureed into the batter. Tahini is an amazing spread made entirely from sesame seeds. Besides being rich in protein and good fat, sesame seeds boast an impressive amount of calcium, about 88 milligrams in only 1 tablespoon.
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter (not DF) or unrefined virgin coconut oil, melted, plus more for pan
1½ cups cooked white beans, or 1 (15-ounce) can, drained and rinsed
½ cup tahini, preferably raw
2 large eggs
⅔ cup muscovado sugar or light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup DF semisweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
6 tablespoons chopped pecans
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square pan with butter or coconut oil and line with unbleached parchment paper.
2. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the melted butter, white beans, tahini, eggs, muscovado sugar, vanilla, baking powder, and salt. Process until smooth. Stir in ¼ cup of the chocolate chips.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
4. In a medium-size bowl, mix together the remaining ½ cup of chocolate chips and the shredded coconut and chopped pecans. Spread evenly on top of the batter and press lightly into the batter.
5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake springs back when pressed in the center. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Even more delicious cold.
TIPS: You can turn this into a light and fluffy cake by adding 1 tablespoon of coconut flour.
Creamy almond butter can also be substituted for the tahini.