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Triple Chocolate Black Bean Brownies

January 6, 2012 by Joy the Baker 174 Comments

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I was skeptical.  Sure… I’ve heard people talk about beans in brownies, but really!?  Must we really put beans in our brownies?  Isn’t that just like having a CNN news break right in the middle of Teen Mom 2?  Kind of a bummer.

I was skeptical and I was dang wrong.  Beans in brownies is totally not CNN!  (When was the last time you typed ‘totally not CNN’?) Beans in brownies is a trick that knocks down the fat and boost up the protein (even if just slightly).  Sea salt and big walnut chunks are also highly advised….so advised, that you may find yourself indulging at breakfast.  Like I did.  This very morning.

black bean brownies

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Three different kinds of chocolate make these brownies worth their salt.

Semi-sweet chocolate rounds, unsweetened chocolate chunks, and cocoa powder.

Black beans get pureed smooth and you’re well on your way to delicious brownies!

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Just look at that.  Not a black bean in sight… but they’re in there!

black bean brownies

A 9-inch square pan is buttered, papered, buttered again, and floured.  It may seem like a lot of work, but this trick is wonderfully helpful when it comes time to remove the brownies from the pan.  Just lift the paper and ease ’em out!

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Whole walnuts left over from the holidays.  These beautiful nuts look like brains… I’m all about it.  I leave the chunky and almost whole to top the brownies.  A sprinkling of coarse sea salt is also ideal.

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See the tiny specks of sea salt?  That’s where delicious lives.  Black beans disguised by chocolate and sugar, beauty indeed.

black bean brownies

The nut-studded, dry and crackled top.  These brownies are undeniably delicious.   So good you’ll want to share them with friends and show off what you can do with beans.

I like to just slightly under-bake these brownies.  Twenty five minutes is pretty golden, and if the center is still slightly moist, it will firm up and cook just a bit as it cools.  Dry brownies are a mild tragedy.

Triple Chocolate Black Bean Brownie

makes 9-12 brownies

recipe from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food

Print this Recipe!

1/4 cup (half a stick) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (about 1/3 cup)

1/4 cup black beans, rinsed, drained, and pureed until smooth in a food processor

1 1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs plus 1 large egg white

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

walnut chunks and coarse sea salt for topping (optional)

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter a 9-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving 2-inches of overhang on all sides.  Butter and flour the parchment paper as well.

Fill a medium sauce pan with 2 inches of water.  Bring the water to a simmer.  Place butter, semi-sweet, and unsweetened chocolate in the bowl.  Place the bowl over simmering water and stir until chocolate and butter are melted and combined.  Remove the bowl from the simmering saucepan (the bowl might be hot!).

Allow the melted chocolate mixture to cool for a few moments.  Whisk in the eggs and white, one at a time, until mixture is glossy. Whisk in the sugar.  Whisk in the bean puree and vanilla extract.

In a small bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and sea salt.  Add the dry ingredients, all at once, to the chocolate mixture.  Use a spatula and fold to incorporate.  Once thoroughly combined, pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Top with walnuts and sea salt, if using.

Bake brownies for 25-28 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with just a few chocolate crumbs on it.  The center may seem undercooked, but it will cook further as it cools.  Brownies are better slightly underdone than overdone.

Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.  Use the overhanging parchment paper to remove the brownies from the pan and slice.

Cut brownies into 9 or 12 generous pieces.  Store brownies, wrapped individually, at room temperature for up to 4 days.  

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anastasia @Healthy Mama Info

    January 7, 2012 at 12:12 pm

    Wow, how creative! I use prune puree to substitute about half the fat in chocolate cake and brownie recipes, but this trick is even more interesting!

    Reply
    • joythebaker

      January 9, 2012 at 11:18 am

      prune puree sounds delightful!

      Reply
  2. thelittleloaf

    January 7, 2012 at 10:45 am

    I’ve heard that beans in brownies are amazing and provide a gorgeous texture but always been too scared to try! Beetroot brownies are good but these look so much better…yum! And agree, the sea salt and walnut chunks are an absolute necessity.

    Reply
  3. Lucia

    January 7, 2012 at 9:24 am

    The strangest, the weirdest, the funniest recipe explained by you becomes a must. Even beans, and chocolate, and salt baked into brownies. Thanks Joy, for writing about different and delicious and delicious and different things.

    Reply
  4. Heather (Heather's Dish)

    January 7, 2012 at 9:10 am

    i want to be where delicious lives :) sea salt and extra chocolate and i’ll eat just about anything!

    Reply
  5. Rebecca@A Dusting of Sugar

    January 7, 2012 at 9:07 am

    I’m skeptical in the same way I’m skeptical of green smoothies. Which means I’ll make them eventually, perhaps in secret, haha. I think walnuts look like brains too! Chestnuts as well.

    Reply
  6. Alicia @ Treble Tart

    January 7, 2012 at 6:17 am

    I’ve never tried brownies with any kind of beans in them, but these look absolutely delicious! I may have to make them just so I can eat them all by myself! I mean… what? Of course I’ll share. ;)

    Reply
  7. michelle

    January 7, 2012 at 5:29 am

    Joy, I’ve wanted to try Black Bean brownies for a long time, but hesitated. Since you’ve gone ahead and made them and they now have your approval, I’m totally gonna make these sometime! Yay for black beans!

    Reply
  8. cigdem

    January 7, 2012 at 2:40 am

    You are amazing woman :))Tank you :))

    Reply
  9. Zee

    January 7, 2012 at 1:30 am

    Nver knew black beans can go with brownies, would definitely try this soon

    Reply
  10. Natasha

    January 7, 2012 at 12:29 am

    I tried a black bean brownie recipe, but I used red bean and it was delicious! You should try this recipe with red bean next time :)

    Reply
  11. Katie

    January 7, 2012 at 12:05 am

    I’ve got a brownie recipe I’m super loyal to, but I’m willing to admit there could be other good ones out there. I’ve been eyeing up Nigella’s prune brownie recipe (cause prunes and chocolate taste awesome together, not cause the prunes lighten them up any, it is Nigella we’re talking about) and I suppose I should get on the beans in brownies train too. If you say they’re good, I’m going to listen. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  12. Juls

    January 6, 2012 at 11:15 pm

    I’ve heard loads of recipes where brownies call for beans but I keep scoffing and dismissing them but somehow, for reasons unknown (and thus that scares me), I trust it when you tell me it works – like you’re a figurehead source of reliable information. I don’t like being so easily lead!

    Reply
  13. Elizabeth

    January 6, 2012 at 10:55 pm

    I saw this recipe and I was unbelievably intrigued. Martha also had a recipe in Everyday Food this month for vanilla cupcakes with white beans. Such a neat concept, glad to hear you had good results!

    Reply
  14. Cupcake Kat

    January 6, 2012 at 9:08 pm

    I love making sweet dips or bars with chickpeas and black beans are almost the same! So glad you tried it out.

    Reply
  15. Mallory

    January 6, 2012 at 8:28 pm

    I don’t know if these could possibly be as good as your dark chocolate brownies I made the other day (my company devoured the entire batch within 20 minutes…and this was basically between 2 people) but they look pretty darn tasty nonetheless.

    Reply
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