Flourless Black Bean Brownies

Last week, I shared with you my favorite food bloggers of the moment. On the list, I included Brooke Griffin of SkinnyMom.com. Today, I wanted to share this great recipe from Brooke that you and your family will love! I love a good skinny swap and this one is my favorite:

Some people have a problem avoiding the endless bread basket at their favorite restaurants, but I’m more of the “never say no to dessert” type of gal. I’m OB-SESSED with anything that includes chocolate — and don’t get me started on how much I crave a brownie after a meal! I think the sweet tooth struggle must be hereditary because my little guy is always asking what treat will be served after dinner. I’ve created a sugar-loving monster, but I completely understand what he’s talking about.

In an effort to lighten up some of our traditional go-to desserts and add some nutritional value to them, I dove into creating a brownie recipe that stars a secret ingredient: black beans. The result is unbelievable; these brownies are so chocolatey and fudgy you won’t even realize they’re different from the boxed concoction you’d normally bake! They’re soft, gooey, and perfect to devour with a fork when they come out of the oven.

Aside from the magical chocolate taste, the next best thing about these brownies is that one contains just over 100 calories, so you can indulge guilt-free. I’m loving this recipe right now because I can enjoy one of my favorite tastes without ruining my efforts to be health conscious. But most of all, I love whipping these up with my little guy!

TIPS:

– If you don’t have a food processor, that’s okay! Mash up the beans with a fork as best you can, but be aware that the texture might be slightly chunky. You could end up with large pieces of beans in your finished product — but a little elbow grease goes a long way!

-Although all the ingredients we used are gluten-free, you might want to check the labels on your black beans and cocoa to make sure they were manufactured in gluten-free facilities.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Yield: 12 servings

Serving size: 1 brownie

Ingredients:

• 1 (14-ounce) can reduced-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a 9×9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Combine the black beans, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla in a food processor and process until smooth and there are no whole beans left.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the smooth black bean mixture to the dry ingredients, and fold together with a rubber spatula until evenly combined.

1. Fold in ¼ cup of the chocolate chips, and spread the brownie batter into the prepared baking dish. Then sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips over the top of the poured brownie batter.
2. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the edges of the brownies start to pull away from the baking dish.
3. Allow the brownies to cool in the baking dish on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes before cutting them into 12 squares and serving.

Nutrition Facts:

Per Serving: (1 brownie)

Calories: 113

Calories from fat: 35

Fat: 4g

Saturated Fat: 2g

Cholesterol: 29mg

Sodium: 195mg

Carbohydrates: 21g

Fiber: 4g

Sugar: 10g

Protein: 4g

SmartPoints: 5

Brooke Griffin is the creator of SkinnyMom.com, where moms get the skinny on healthy living, and author of best-selling cookbook, Skinny Suppers: 125 Lightened-Up, Healthier Meals for Your Family. Chances are you have pinned Brooke’s recipes or tried one of her popular at-home workouts. Brooke is passionate about helping women live their healthiest, happiest lives. Stay in touch with SkinnyMom.com on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!