Is it possible to have a healthy dessert-like snack? Yes yes it is! Let me introduce you to my favorite Black Bean Brownies with Chocolate Avocado Frosting.
One of my favorite cooking challenges is finding new ways to incorporate good-for-you ingredients into my family’s diets. In a way that gets them excited, not in a “please eat your veggies” kind of way.
That’s why I love this recipe. It’s a dessert-like snack treat made with both black beans and avocado! Oh and it’s naturally sweetened, four-less and has chocolate?! I mean C’MON! It pretty much has everything.
I had heard about black beans brownies in the past but never gave them a try because the hubs is obsessed with my ultimate one bowl fudgy brownies. But recently Poppy and I had been craving chocolate so what the heck, we gave these a go! And I’m so glad we did.
Here are the main things I learned from this recipe:
- It’s a great recipe to make with kids since it comes together in the blender
- It’s not overly sweet so it’s an amazing afternoon treat or healthy dessert option for adults and kids
- It has the nice chewy texture of energy bites
- The chocolate avocado frosting is a MUST
To start off, I like soaking the dates in hot water, pitted, while I prep the ingredients. That way they are nice and soft for the blender to do it’s thing. From there, you can get your kids involved and have them add all the ingredients into the blender and blitz away!
While the brownies are in the oven, I whip up the frosting in a small food processor, or use the blender again (I’m just too lazy to wash it). For this recipe I always end up with a little extra frosting which my toddler and I just eat with spoons or smear over a graham cracker.
Portion wise I like making these brownies in a loaf tin because my toddler and I enjoy having little squares of these. Plus I don’t like letting them sit longer than 3 days in the fridge due to the avocado frosting. But if you have more people to share with, go ahead double the recipe and make an 8×8 pan.
Lastly, the best part. The FROSTING!
This chocolate avocado frosting is amazing! Seriously it’s really good! I think it takes these brownie bites over the edge. It is an extra step but it’s worth it. Since I love salt with my chocolate, I like adding a little flaky salt over the frosting as a sharp contrast.
I can honestly say that for a strange sounding recipe, black beans in brownies, this is a total winner!
Yields 9x5 in loaf pan; 10 small square bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup black beans
- 6 mejdool dates, pitted
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup quick oats (gluten-free if desired)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoon oil (I used coconut oil)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup crushed walnuts, optional
- Flaky salt (Maldon is my fav), optional
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a small bowl, soak the pitted dates in hot water to soften. In the meantime set up all the other ingredients.
- Grease a loaf tin (9x5).
- Drain dates and add to a blender or food processor. Process until soft. Then add the rest of the ingredients except the walnuts. Process until smooth. Stir the walnuts if using.
- Pour batter into the loaf tin and flatten with hand. Bake for 15 minutes or until firm to the touch. Let cool completely before adding frosting.
- For the frosting, add avocado to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Then add the rest of the ingredients. (Add the maple syrup on top of the cocoa powder to keep the dust down.) You will need to stop and scrape the sides with a spatula a couple of times.
- Spread frosting over cooled brownies and sprinkle with a tiny bit of flaky salt if desired. Enjoy right away or store in fridge for 3 days. Frosting should be okay in the fridge for a couple of days.
Notes
Frosting will make about a cup which is more than you need so I like to eat the rest on toast or with graham crackers. You can also add it to your breakfast oats or even over pancakes/waffles. Feel free to double the brownie recipe if desired. For a light frosting, you can double the brownie recipe to an 8x8in pan but keep the frosting amount the same.
Recipe adapted from the loveliest family food blog Green Kitchen Stories.
Originally posted 2018-04-09 06:00:00.
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