Secret Brownies

By: Annie Emery

This summer I worked at a bakery in a small town in Alaska, where I first had the luxury of a delicious gluten free brownie. Later, I found how the fudgy consistency was made…black beans! You honestly could not taste them. The owner was not giving up her recipe, so I set to work on my own. I made the most nutritious version I could come up with, then refined it to make it work for tinier hands and pickier mouths. I’ll share both with you, the first one being for the health nuts that don’t mind a fudgy piece, and the second being more clean cut with traditional brownie flavor.

Secret Brownies 1.0 (more adult friendly)

Ingredients

• 2 Cups black beans (cooked very well or one 16 oz can, drained and rinsed)
• 2 eggs
• 1 and 1/3 Cup pitted dates
• 1/2 Cup applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder (best quality you can find)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbs coffee grounds (optional)
• 1/2 C + 1/4 C chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350*F. If you have a Vitamix (or other very powerful blender) you can just mix all the ingredients together except for the chocolate chips. If not, food process the beans and dates, then mix in with everything else except the chocolate chips. Stir in the 1/2 cup chocolate chips then pour batter into a greased 8×8 pan. Top with remaining 1/4 cup of chips and bake for 30 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before digging into your guilt free indulgence!

Secret Brownies 2.0 (more kid friendly)

Ingredients

• 2 C black beans
• 1 C flour
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 C white cane sugar
• 1/2 C applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 C cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Mix all ingredients, except flour and chocolate chips. Mix flour in last, then stir in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips, reserving the rest to sprinkle on top. Bake at 350* for about 30-35 minutes, check for doneness by inserting a toothpick and waiting for it to come out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy with a cold glass of milk or ice cream!