The Everyday Chef: Black Bean Brownie Bites

Andrew Dole, RDN, CEC
Everyday Chef, Fruits & Veggies—More Matters

Trust me, I was skeptical at first too! But I think you’ll find these black bean brownie bites a tiny bit addicting.

During my dietetic internship I worked at a local hospital where we did an “Ask the Dietitian” day every few months. Wanting to come up with something that would get a large audience interested about healthy eating, I settled on a dessert. Who doesn’t like food – and who doesn’t like a dessert! After lots of research and tons of test batches this eyebrow-raising recipe was created.

I’ve adjusted the recipe to grams to be more consistent from kitchen to kitchen and provided volume measurements for small amounts that a digital scale may not register. However, I’ve also provided alternative measurements, if that’s easier for you.

Ingredients
Yield: 36 1” square bites

Black Bean Brownie Bites Black Beans, drained, rinsed Cocoa Powder Rolled Oats Salt Brown Rice Syrup or honey Canola Oil Vanilla Extract Baking Powder Chocolate Chips

Single Batch 250g (14oz can) 10g 40g 1g (¼ tsp) 75g 40g 6g (2 tsp) 2g (½ tsp) 140g

Double Batch 500g 20g 80g 1g (¼ tsp) 150g 80g 9g (3 tsp) 2g (½ tsp, heaping) 280g

ALTERNATIVE MEASUREMENTS
Black Bean Brownie Bites Black Beans, drained, rinsed Cocoa Powder Rolled Oats Salt Brown Rice Syrup or honey Canola Oil Vanilla Extract Baking Powder Chocolate Chips		Single Batch 1 cup (14oz can) 1 Tbsp 1.5 oz ¼ tsp ¼ cup 1.5 oz 2 tsp ½ tsp 5 oz		Double Batch 2 cups 2 Tbsp 3 oz ¼ tsp ½ cup 3 oz 3 tsp ½ tsp, heaping 10 oz

Food For Thought: You may notice not all ingredients are doubled for the larger batch. Scaling recipes isn’t always that easy – in this case there is almost always salt in the canned beans, vanilla can become overpowering, and baking soda-if not watched-will change the flavor of many recipes.

Procedure
Heat Oven to 350°F.

1. Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips into food processor; blend until smooth. This my take time – be patient – stop food processor and stir frequently.
2. Stir in the chips.
3. Spoon batter into a well buttered baking dish – 6×6 or 8×8 or 6” cake round. Optional: sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top.
4. Cook the black bean brownies 15-20 minutes for a single batch. Note: These will not set like a regular brownie – a skewer will always come out wet.
5. Let cool on rack for 20-30 minutes.
6. Sift extra cocoa powder over top before cutting.

4 Variations

1. After cutting – chill in refrigerator covered to set brownie for a firmer texture – my favorite method.
2. Can fold in ¼ cup nuts with chocolate chip step.
3. Single batch makes bite-sized brown bites about ½-inch thick.
4. Use double batch for a taller brownies.

Nutrient Analysis:
Calories: 45 kcal, Protein: 0.92 g, Carbs: 6 g, Total Fat: 2 g
Sat Fat: 0.83 g, Cholesterol: 0.00 mg, Sodium: 32 mg, Fiber: 0.60 g

Photo Credit: Andrew Dole