EASY Black Bean & Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies (GF)

WHOA.

i wore a dress yesterday and was sweating like a pig. also it’s october. so that’s wonderful.

but you know what the worst part is!?

MOSQUITOES.

they are out to kill me. i swear. they have all plotted my slow death by attacking my feet every evening.

((  note: i can’t sleep with my feet under the covers, i’d rather go swimming with a turtleneck on and a pocket filled with bricks than put my feet under fabric at night. ))

but for real. i’m being hunted. and i’m so itchy. unless my feet have chicken pox. i actually didn’t think of that possibility until now.

but i’m also almost 30 so i think i have a higher chance of coming down with the ol’ shingle dingle than sir-pox-a-lot. so will stick with the mosquito diagnosis.

anyone else experiencing a surplus in mutant bugs this fall? or at least anyone in the midwest? help me. please. this is terrible.

anyways. i’m done giving these blood suckers space on this website so back to the reason for this post. a recipe !

but not just any ol’ recipe. i’ve been on a steady incline in my weight due to the most obvious reason, aging + eating WAY TOO MUCH and have been on a serious mission to create a recipe that is both healthy AND delicious. but i guess that is always the goal for this website. only on occasion do you actually see a recipe where zero poos are given and i add everything under the sun that causes some serious cottage cheese to the upper thigh region.

EASY Black Bean & Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies (GF). yes. black bean brownies. old news, i am very aware. which is why i decided i needed to change it up a lil bit. i added pumpkin puree (because fall) and used maple syrup in replacement of sugar (because, maple) and added some hidden health like flax meal. For my kiddo because he is currently on the “brown” diet and needs any bit of nutritional value that he can get (and it usually needs to be hidden).

and you know what!? HE LIKED IT. HE REALLY LIKED IT.

so go getchyu some.

Recipe Notes:

Any brand of canned black beans will work here. If you are super fancy you can go ahead and soak your own dried beans in water and use those. But just make sure if you are using canned beans to NOT skip rinsing and draining! You don’t want bean water in your brownies. ew. That will give it a bean flavor. So rinse, repeat.

Pumpkin puree! NOT to be mistaken for pumpkin pie puree. That has a ton of sugar and other nonsense that you simply do not need. However if you were to sub in pumpkin pie puree….. i’m sure you wouldn’t need to add any more sugar? But it’d be weird for sure.

Pure maple syrup works as a wonderful substitute for sugar here. In fact, I usually use this sugar substitute for the majority of my baking these days (when appropriate).

Flax seed meal. Is wonderful. And not only has incredibly nutritional value (however if you have any serious intestinal issues – check with your doctor first before using) and this helps with the texture! So i highly recommend!

Chocolate chips: I use organic semi sweet chips for this recipe. However any chocolate chips will do. But i would stay away from unsweetened chocolate. The sweet chocolate chips really help with making this taste more like a dessert that you actually enjoy eating, then eating a dessert and just eating it because it’s a healthier option (if this makes any sense). I don’t like to eat things, just to eat them. I like to eat things that actually taste delicious. There is a brand of chocolate chips out there (i think it’s called ‘ Good Life’) that is sweet, gf and dairy free. So if you’re on that kick – try those.

And lastly: the baking time. One of the biggest problems I think people may have when it comes to baking their black bean brownies… is over done. Baking them like they are regular flour filled brownies. This is a BIG no-no. It’s a weird texture that clearly is a brownie imposter. WHICH IS WHY it is important to take them out when they feel “under cooked”. Trust me, they are not undercooked – they are just fudgy and delicious. Which is why it is also important that once the brownies are out of the oven and cool down for an hour at room temperature, they need to be placed into the fridge for an additional hour or two. Seriously. This makes slicing MUCH easier (because they are SUPER fudgy) and honestly, the flavor becomes more decadent like. I feel like i’m totally cheating on my diet when I eat these bad boys for breakfast, or dessert. They taste like they should be HORRIBLE for you. And they aren’t! THAT is when you know you’ve done well.

5.0 from 1 reviews

EASY Black Bean & Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies (GF)

 

Author: My Lavender Blues

Nutrition Information

• Serves: 12

• Serving size: 12
• Calories: 195

• Fiber: 4.9 grams
• Protein: 5.2 grams

Recipe type: Dessert/Breakfast

Prep time:  5 mins

Cook time:  45 mins

Total time:  50 mins

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Brownies that are made using black bean and pumpkin puree creating a healthier option that doesn't taste healthy at all! Great for the family. Budget Friendly and gluten free.

Ingredients

• 15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
• 15 oz can pure pumpkin puree
• ¾ cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp strong brewed coffee (mornings leftovers)
• 3 tbsp flaxseed meal
• ¾ cup pure maple syrup
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a 10" skilled or an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper and spray with a little bit of nonstick spray (I used olive oil spray).
3. Using a HIGH powered blender add your black beans, pumpkin puree and coco powder. Blend on HIGH until black beans are completely broken down and mix is combined into a fine puree.
4. Add remaining ingredients except for chocolate chips and blend for another 30 seconds, or until completely mixed together.
5. Pour puree mixture into your lined baking dish. Sprinkle on top with 1 cup of chocolate chips.
6. Place in preheated oven and bake for about 40-45 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and let cool down for an hour at room temperature. Once cooled down, cover with foil and place in fridge for an additional 1-2 hours, slice and serve.
8. Store in fridge.

3.5.3226