Fudgy Black Bean Brownies

It's difficult to put "healthy" and "dessert" into one category.  For me, if I am going to indulge, I don't need the item to be classified as "healthy" as I want all of the real goodness that comes in an indulging homemade treat. The idea of a healthy brownie is a bit of a paradox but I suppose there is a bit of a nutritional boost when you add black beans to a brownie recipe. 

Black beans are an excellent source of fiber, folate, iron and magnesium, while also providing a good amount of protein per serving. They also contain high concentrations of anthocyanins, which give foods a dark color and a heart-healthy benefit, like acting as an anti-inflammatory.

I was scrolling through an old recipe from the 2013 September/October issue of Food and Nutrition magazine and I came across a Fudgy Black Bean Brownie recipe on pg 19. I was craving a treat so I gathered all the necessary ingredients and went to my kitchen to start baking. Enjoy!

If you are hesitate about the added black bean ingredient, give this recipe a go as I promise that you won't taste the beans! 

Fudgy Black Bean BrowniesRecipe developed by MealMakoeovermoms.com for the Bean Institute as featured in Food and Nutrition magazine, 2013 Sept/October issue. 

Ingredients
1 x 15- ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 large eggs
3 tbsp canola oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp peppermint extract (optional)
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil or coat an 8 x 8-inch baking pan or dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. 
2. Place the black beans in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. 
3. Add the eggs, oil sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, baking powder, salt and optional peppermint extract. Process until smooth
   Note: I mixed step 3 ingredients in a large bowl and then added the black bean puree to the large bowl. 
4. Add 1/4 cup of the chips and pulse a few times until the chips are incorporated. 
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top with a rubber spatula and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
   Note: I did not have mini chocolate chips so I chopped large dark chocolate chips and sprinkled them in the mixture. 
6. Bake 30-35 minutes or until the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted int the center comes out clean. 
7. Cool in the pan before slicing into 2-inch squares. Serves 16.