I am now on the hunt for gluten-free recipes, and this is one of the first ones I chose. The clincher for me is the secret ingredient… black turtle beans. Not your usual brownie ingredient.

I love black turtle beans. I love them so much that I could probably snack on them. When I saw a brownie recipe that was mostly made up of black beans, I couldn’t imagine they would be good! I couldn’t get them out of my head, so I decided to make up a batch for Hallowe’en. It’s a simple recipe, so I really had nothing to lose.

Don’t kid yourself – these aren’t fat-free. I think the awesome power of black beans overpowers the butter and eggs, though. BAM! Superhero “brownies”!

The Verdict:

Would you mistake these for regular brownies? Hells no! Are they tasty? Yes! Am I at least a little bit biased by my love of black beans? Yeah, I think so. J thought these were great, too, so you have a second opinion on the matter.

Beany Brownies

Source: this recipe

about 12 muffin-sized portions

Ingredients:

• 1 can (15 ounces) no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup melted butter, more for the baking dish
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup cane sugar
• 1/2 cup gluten-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 12 silicone muffin liners and place in a muffin tin, or on a baking sheet with a lip.
2. In a food processor, blend the black beans, eggs, melted butter, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract and sugar. Allow the mixture to sit for a couple of minutes, to allow it to thicken.
3. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
4. Scoop out the mixture into each of the muffin liners, filling about 2/3 of the way, and top with a few more chocolate chips.
5. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until just set in the center. Allow to cool completely before eating.