January 31, 2012

Black Bean Brownies




These are from page 209 of the Happy Herbivore by Lindsay Nixon.  This book was a gift from my friend Sandie!  It's full of good pictures and simple low-fat, healthy vegan recipes.

1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 ripe bananas
1/3 c. agave nectar
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. raw sugar (optional, so I omitted this)
1/4 tsp. salt (optional)
1/4 c. instant oats (I used quick oats, and they worked fine)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Combine all ingredients except oats in a blender and blend until smooth.  Stir in oats.  Bake in a greased 9-inch square pan (I just lined an old scratched one with parchment paper, no grease) for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool completely before slicing.

These looked delicious, but tasted a little weird on their own.  I thought they were better heated with soy ice cream.  Some variations Lindsay suggests are: extra cocoa for "dark chocolate", omit cinnamon and add mint extract, add cayenne pepper, add instant coffee.  She also says you can try these with chickpeas, black-eyed peas, and adzuki beans.

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