Fudgy Black Bean Brownies
You shouldn't have to skip dessert when you're trying to eat healthfully. Instead of moving all of the delicious indulgences to the "no" list, look for some stealthy healthy desserts —like this black bean brownie recipe—that include good-for-you ingredients. We promise you won't even know that they're in the ingredient list.
Ingredients for Fudgy Black Bean Brownies
No-Added-Salt Black Beans: canned beans typically have a higher sodium amount (450 mg!) compared to No-Added-Salt options (5 mg). For baked goods it's best to control the amount of sodium in the recipe by adding a small amount of salt to the recipe instead of using a high-sodium ingredient. Make sure to drain and rinse the beans to get rid of extra starch that might make your brownies dry.
Unsweetened Applesauce: applesauce is used as a substitute for oil in this healthier brownie recipe. It also contributes some natural sugar so it requires less granulated sugar. Compared to a regular fudgy brownie recipe, this reduced-sugar version has half the amount of total sugars.
Unsweetened Chocolate: aka baking chocolate, this type of chocolate is made of the pure chocolate nibs—the finely ground centers of the cocoa beans. It includes no added sugar so has a strong bitter flavor. If you don't have unsweetened chocolate in your pantry, try these chocolate substitutes.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: cocoa powder is naturally a lower fat way to amp up the chocolate flavor in baked goods. Consider using a Dutch-process cocoa for this recipe. The cocoa is alkalized creating a darker color cocoa with a smoother flavor. If you use a Dutch process cocoa increase the baking powder from 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon.
White Whole Wheat Flour: this flour is milled from a hard white spring wheat which is lighter in color than whole wheat flour. It contributes all of the healthful nutrients of regular whole wheat flour without the stronger wheat flavor. If you prefer, you can use regular whole wheat flour in this recipe. Of course, all-purpose flour will work as well but it contains less beneficial fiber.
Ingredients
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¾ cup canned no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
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⅔ cup unsweetened applesauce
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3 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped
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½ cup granulated sugar
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¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
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1 egg
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2 teaspoon vanilla
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½ cup white whole wheat flour
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½ teaspoon baking powder
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¼ teaspoon baking soda
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¼ teaspoon salt
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1 teaspoon powdered sugar (optional)
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick foil, extending foil over edges.
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In a food processor combine beans, applesauce, and chopped chocolate. Cover and process until smooth. Add granulated sugar, cocoa powder, egg, and vanilla. Cover and process until combined. In a small bowl stir together next four ingredients (through salt). Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture. Cover and process just until combined.
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Spread batter into prepared baking pan. Bake 20 minutes or just until center is firm and edges are slightly puffed. Cool in pan on a wire rack. If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Using foil, lift out brownies. Cut into bars.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 94 | Calories |
| 3g | Fat |
| 14g | Carbs |
| 3g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 16 | |
| Calories 94 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 3g | 4% |
| Saturated Fat 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol 12mg | 4% |
| Sodium 79mg | 3% |
| Total Carbohydrate 14g | 5% |
| Total Sugars 7g | |
| Protein 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin C 0.1mg | 0% |
| Calcium 23mg | 2% |
| Iron 1.6mg | 9% |
| Potassium 117mg | 2% |
| Folate, total 4.7mcg | |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.