Before we get to the recipe, can we just take a moment to admire this perfect brownie?

Okay. Now we can get into it.

In case you haven't seen my last few posts...

...I'm a bit of a sugar fiend; especially in chocolate form.

One of the driving factors for me being plant-based, however, is the health benefits. Eating "accidentally vegan" boxed brownies and candy bars just doesn't fit with my ideology. There may not be any animal products in them, but that in no way makes them healthy!

I've also just had very bad luck trying to make boxed brownies vegan. I've tried the flax egg, the ener-g egg replacer powder, using less oil, you name it. They always turn out like melted tootsie rolls under a layer of oil. Nothing close to a brownie. I had almost given up on brownies until I saw a new magic super-food gaining momentum in the brownie world; BLACK BEANS! This recipe by Chocolate Covered Katie forever changed my life. Black Bean Brownies are the best brownies I've ever had in my 27 years of life as a chocolate/sugar fiend.

I know that sounds weird, but hear me out.

Using beans as the main component of brownies is GENIUS! Health wise, the starch in the beans is much better for you than using bleached, processed, probably GMO flour. Beans also have a more nutritious breakdown than wheat. Their flavor is mild enough to not come through at all in the finished product. All in all, beans are a whole food, and it is widely recognized that a Whole Foods, Plant-Based Diet is the most healthy way to eat. We could almost consider these brownies...healthy.

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Although Chocolate Covered Katie's Black Bean Brownies are perfect as they are, I've done some tweaking along the way. My favorite variation is turning them into Turtle Brownies with some caramel and pecans. These couldn't be easier to make.

When I make the caramel, I make a bunch of it. I fill a food processor with dates and add enough coconut cream to get them to blend smooth. This isn't really a measured thing, I just go along with how dry/wet the dates are.

The brownies are equally as easy to make, provided you have a food processor or blender. If you don't own one, I highly recommend investing in a food processor. There is so much you can do with one, and it cuts down on so much work. The price point is also not as high as you would think.

The beans should blend smooth, but it's fine if the oats leave a bit of texture; the flavor is great either way! Adding chocolate chips at this point is pretty much essential. Leaving them out makes them a little less chocolaty, and just the slightest hint of bean shines through. I used a glass 9 x 9, but I'm sure any similarly sized pan would work. You could even try putting them in a cupcake pan if you want more crispy edges. I also greased my pan, but parchment paper would work just as well.

This is the fun part; flavoring the brownies. My favorite combo, and what's pictured here, is caramel and pecan turtles. Swirl the date caramel across the top with a butter knife, and sprinkle with chocolate chips and pecans. You could add almost any topping, though. A good vegan cheesecake batter would pair well. Walnuts would also be great.

You will know they are done when they pass the toothpick test. Just make sure you aren't poking into a chocolate chip thinking the brownies aren't done. If you wan't extra crispy brownies, you could bake them longer, but since they are beans, it won't crisp up quite as drastically as flour and oil does. They still have a nice edge crunch, though. Spraying the pan with coconut oil helps with the crisping.

At this point, it's hard to resist digging in and eating the whole pan. You have two options. The first is to eat them hot with a scoop of non-dairy ice cream or coconut whip cream. They will almost surely fall apart if you try to pick one up to eat it, but it will taste delicious while still warm. Alternatively, if you put them in the fridge, they will firm up nicely. They will hold together perfectly and the taste isn't compromised in the slightest.

Good luck resisting eating the whole batch at once! Mine are over half gone already in under 24 hours between myself and my non-vegan fiance who loves these just as much as I do. Not only are they the best "healthy" brownies, they're the best brownies in general. Do give them a try!

Recipe

Brownies:

• 1 can black beans drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans)
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats (rolled oats add more texture)
• 1/3 cup maple syrup (the real stuff)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or any sugar, but coconut sugar is my favorite)
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup caramel swirl
• 1/4 cup pecans

Caramel Swirl:

• 1 cup of pitted dates
• 2+ tablespoons coconut cream

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Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• In a food processor, combine dates and coconut cream to make a caramel swirl topping. If it is too thick for the food processor, add more coconut cream 1 tablespoon at a time. Blend until smooth. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
• In a food processor, combine all brownie ingredients except the chocolate chips. Blend until smooth.
• Once smooth, stir in half of the chocolate chips.
• Pour mixture into a greased or parchment lined 9 x 9 pan.
• Swirl caramel mixture on top of of batter.
• Sprinkle with the rest of the chocolate chips and pecans.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Let cool for 10 minutes before putting in the fridge to solidify.
• Try not to eat them all at once!

This post is also my entry for the #VeganChocolateContest by @deliciousplants. The original post can be found here. I was already planning on writing about these brownies since I made them and took all the pictures yesterday. The timing of this contest was just too perfect; it's a good chance to shout out @deliciousplants and all the great recipes that come from these contests.

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Have you tried black bean brownies before?

Have you made desserts out of other beans like garbanzos?

Are you going to start utilizing beans this way?

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Scroll down and lets chat in the comments. Don't forget to upvote on the way down there if you enjoyed this post, and resteem if you plan to make these for yourself!

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*All clickable images lead to the source.