• Unbelievable Black Bean Brownies {Recipe}

    When I think “black beans”, the last thing that comes to mind is dessert. I love black beans in my Chipotle burrito bowl, black beans in tamales, black beans in bean salad … but never before had I encountered a dessert made of black beans. As I made this recipe for the first time, IContinue…

    Unbelievable Black Bean Brownies | The Postman's Knock

    When I think “black beans”, the last thing that comes to mind is dessert. I love black beans in my Chipotle burrito bowl, black beans in tamales, black beans in bean salad … but never before had I encountered a dessert made of black beans.

    As I made this recipe for the first time, I was having serious doubts. Forty minutes later, the moment of truth came … and I found I liked black bean brownies. A lot. And you know who liked them even more than me? One of the pickiest eaters in the world — Hernán {who you met in my Belated About Me}. I have made this recipe countless times now, and he consistently eats the entire pan.

    As a disclaimer, I’ll tell you that while these are healthier than your average brownies, they’re not the picture of a perfect dessert {I suppose a perfect dessert is just fruit, which is unfortunate as “just fruit” doesn’t have any chocolate in it}. This black bean brownie recipes utilizes honey rather than sugar — and while the body processes both sweeteners the same, honey does have some good nutrients {and you can purchase local honey to support your economy}. They’ve also got eggs, so they’re not vegan. I have whipped up a batch of these brownies using the “flax seed egg“, and I ended up with a chalkier — albeit still good — brownie. So — if you are a brownie/chocolate cake addict {I know we can’t get enough chocolate here}, and you would like an alternative, healthier dessert, you’ll love these. I guarantee it.

    My recipe is adapted from the adorable blog Bare Root {check it out, she’s got some amazing recipes}:

    Black Bean Brownies
    Unbelievable Black Bean Brownies | The Postman's Knock

    • 15 ounces {around 1.5 cups; or 1 can} black beans, rinsed and blotted dry
    • 1/2 cup honey
    • 3 TBSP. coconut oil
    • 1 tsp. Tecchino {Mediterranean herbal coffee}, 100% optional
    • 2 eggs
    • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
    • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
    • 1/2 tsp. salt
    • 1/4 cup chocolate chips, 100% optional

    First, you’ll want to preheat the oven to 350 degrees {Farenheit}. Next, melt the honey and the coconut oil in a small pot over medium heat. If you’ve opted to add Tecchino for some extra flavor, put it in the pot, too.

    Unbelievable Black Bean Brownies | The Postman's Knock

    Unfortunately, this is one of those recipes that you need a food processor or a blender for … otherwise you’ll be dealing with black bean chunks. Dually, put the somewhat cooled honey-coconut oil-Tecchino mixture in the food processor {or blender} with all ingredients EXCEPT for the chocolate chips.

    Unbelievable Black Bean Brownies | The Postman's Knock

    Blend the mixture for a couple of minutes until you have a smooth texture like this {you may need to pause, scrape down the sides, and blend again a time or two}:

    Unbelievable Black Bean Brownies | The Postman's Knock

    Now, pour — and I really do mean POUR; the batter should be quite runny — the mixture into a greased 11.5″ x 8″ pan.

    Unbelievable Black Bean Brownies | The Postman's Knock

    If you’re using chocolate chips, sprinkle them over the top. They will sink down into the middle of the brownies.

    Unbelievable Black Bean Brownies | The Postman's Knock

    Bake the brownies for 30 minutes in your preheated oven. After 10 minutes, you’ll notice a heavenly smell coming out of the kitchen … and once those 30 minutes are up, you’ll end up with this:

    Unbelievable Black Bean Brownies | The Postman's Knock

    Unbelievable Black Bean Brownies | The Postman's Knock

    These black bean brownies are hard to explain until you actually make them. I’d describe them as having a pleasing flourless chocolate cake texture. They’re sweet and delicious whether you opt to add chocolate chips or not. I love that their main ingredient is black beans; all the fiber makes us full and satisfied! When you do make these, be forewarned that the whole batch will be gone within a day. On the rare occasion that they aren’t inhaled within hours after baking, I send a couple to school with Hernán; he loves them as a filling snack. So, if you have kiddos, slip these in the lunch box and don’t tell them the secret ingredient!

    I hope you enjoy these black bean brownies! I think cooking and experimenting with recipes is a big part of DIY and creating — along with making life prettier/more delicious — so my new recipe post series will fit right in with the TPK philosophy. Rest assured I will still be blogging about art, crafts, and projects as well!

    Have a wonderful day, and give these brownies a try — trust me, you’ll love ’em! As always, thank you for reading and coming by. You all are the best readers a girl could ask for!

    XO, Lindsey