I had this recipe for a long time, I’ve been meaning to make it since I first saw it from Heidi Swanson’s blog almost a year ago, it took me awhile to finally try it because I’m very happy and loyal to my fave brownie recipe – it’s very hard to beat, it’s easy, quick and super yummy; this recipe in comparison is quite complicated and uses more dishes ( I hate washing dishes), BUT I was intrigued about using beans, if this brownie recipe delivers the same yummy-ness of our favorite brownies, I will ADD it to our favorites even though it may not be as quick to make, at least it’s healthier.. so I decided to finally give it a try. I couldn’t find black beans though but I have 2 jars of sweetened red mung beans ( drained and rinsedt) so I used it instead.
The brownies turned out very filling and not too sweet, I was expecting it will taste a lot like red mung beans but it didn’t; the texture is too fudgy (as expected, Heidi mentioned in her blog that it would be) even after chilling it for hours which makes it hard to slice and messy to eat ’cause it’s sticky and my kids, they like to wipe their hands on their clothes.. sigh!
Aside from that though, I’m glad I tried this recipe, it’s not only healthy but it’s yummy too, I will definitely be making it again as a “reliever” to our fave brownies. I’m happy to have learned that beans make excellent replacement to flour in baked goods, I can’t wait to give other beans a try especially the black beans, if I can find it. 🙂
RED MUNG BEAN BROWNIES
original recipe can be seen here.
Ingredients:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups soft-cooked black beans or canned, drained well ( I used red mung beans)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (granulated) natural coffee substitute (or instant coffee, for gluten-sensitive)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
4 large eggs
1½ cups light agave nectar ( I used honey)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 11- by 18-inch (rimmed) baking pan (hs note: or jellyroll pan) with parchment paper and lightly oil with canola oil spray.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on high. Stir with a spoon to melt the chocolate completely. Place the beans, 1/2 cup of the walnuts, the vanilla extract, and a couple of spoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Blend about 2 minutes, or until smooth. The batter should be thick and the beans smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts, remaining melted chocolate mixture, coffee substitute, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the agave nectar and beat well. Set aside.
Add the bean/chocolate mixture to the coffee/chocolate mixture. Stir until blended well.
Add the egg mixture, reserving about 1/2 cup. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup egg mixture until light and fluffy. Drizzle over the brownie batter. Use a wooden toothpick to pull the egg mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares. (They will be soft until refrigerated.)
♥Thanks for reading…have a nice day!!! 🙂 ♥
Red Mung Bean Brownies
Ingredients
- 4 OUNCES UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE
- 1 CUP UNSALTED BUTTER
- 2 CUPS SOFT-COOKED BLACK BEANS OR CANNED DRAINED WELL ( I USED RED MUNG BEANS)
- 1 CUP WALNUTS CHOPPED
- 1 TABLESPOON VANILLA EXTRACT
- ¼ CUP GRANULATED NATURAL COFFEE SUBSTITUTE (OR INSTANT COFFEE, FOR GLUTEN-SENSITIVE)
- ¼ TEASPOON SEA SALT
- 4 LARGE EGGS
- 1½ CUPS LIGHT AGAVE NECTAR I USED HONEY
Instructions
- PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 325°F. LINE AN 11- BY 18-INCH (RIMMED) BAKING PAN (HS NOTE: OR JELLYROLL PAN) WITH PARCHMENT PAPER AND LIGHTLY OIL WITH CANOLA OIL SPRAY.
- MELT THE CHOCOLATE AND BUTTER IN A GLASS BOWL IN THE MICROWAVE FOR 1 1/2 TO 2 MINUTES ON HIGH. STIR WITH A SPOON TO MELT THE CHOCOLATE COMPLETELY. PLACE THE BEANS, 1/2 CUP OF THE WALNUTS, THE VANILLA EXTRACT, AND A COUPLE OF SPOONFULS OF THE MELTED CHOCOLATE MIXTURE INTO THE BOWL OF A FOOD PROCESSOR. BLEND ABOUT 2 MINUTES, OR UNTIL SMOOTH. THE BATTER SHOULD BE THICK AND THE BEANS SMOOTH. SET ASIDE.
- IN A LARGE BOWL, MIX TOGETHER THE REMAINING 1/2 CUP WALNUTS, REMAINING MELTED CHOCOLATE MIXTURE, COFFEE SUBSTITUTE, AND SALT. MIX WELL AND SET ASIDE.
- IN A SEPARATE BOWL, WITH AN ELECTRIC MIXER BEAT THE EGGS UNTIL LIGHT AND CREAMY, ABOUT 1 MINUTE. ADD THE AGAVE NECTAR AND BEAT WELL. SET ASIDE.
- ADD THE BEAN/CHOCOLATE MIXTURE TO THE COFFEE/CHOCOLATE MIXTURE. STIR UNTIL BLENDED WELL.
- ADD THE EGG MIXTURE, RESERVING ABOUT 1/2 CUP. MIX WELL. POUR THE BATTER INTO THE PREPARED PAN. USING AN ELECTRIC MIXER, BEAT THE REMAINING 1/2 CUP EGG MIXTURE UNTIL LIGHT AND FLUFFY. DRIZZLE OVER THE BROWNIE BATTER. USE A WOODEN TOOTHPICK TO PULL THE EGG MIXTURE THROUGH THE BATTER, CREATING A MARBLED EFFECT. BAKE FOR 30 TO 40 MINUTES, UNTIL THE BROWNIES ARE SET. LET COOL IN THE PAN COMPLETELY BEFORE CUTTING INTO SQUARES. (THEY WILL BE SOFT UNTIL REFRIGERATED.)