Black Bean Brownies

Sometimes I feel like I'm not a blogger because I'm not a "homemaker." I can boil water and make quinoa, I can roast Brussels Sprouts without burning down the house and I can toss things together in a big 'ole pan on the stove and convince you that I know what I'm doing but I cannot bake to save my life. I'm not good at things that require so much patience and calculation. I can't follow directions. I'm too much of a renegade. A few years ago for my birthday, I bought cupcake mix, icing, and cake decorations. I left them on the counter and hoped that someone would take the hint. Someone (grudgingly) did and I had delicious pink cupcakes with pink icing and Swedish Fish on top. That's about the extent of my baking expertise-- passive-aggressively leaving the ingredients in the kitchen and hoping that someone will do something about it. These brownies, however, are simple enough for me to make. Danielle turned me on to them and I've been a huge fan ever since. They're (halfway?) homemade, gooey, and decadent. The best part? They're only THREE ingredients. Right? Three.

What you'll need:

  - Brownie mix (just make sure that the mix itself doesn't have eggs/dairy/etc. in it. My favorite is Trader Joe's Truffle Brownie Mix.)

  - One 15oz can of black beans (do not drain)

  - One cup of non-dairy dark chocolate chips

You're also going to need a blender or food processor, a bowl, a spatula, a greased pan, and an oven. If you don't have an oven, you probably shouldn't even try to make these because it probably won't work.

Preheat the oven to whichever temperature your particular box of brownie mix suggests. While it's preheating, empty the brownie mix into a bowl. Set it aside and empty the entire can of black beans into the blender. Thoroughly liquefy it so that no beans remain. Pour the black beans into the bowl with the dry brownie mix and stir it a bit with the spatula. Add in one cup of chocolate chips and keep stirring until there are no more patches of brownie mix powder and the mixture is as smooth as it can be with all of those chocolate chips. Pour into a greased pan and stick it in the oven. I would suggest baking the brownies for 5-7 minutes shorter than the time on the box suggests. Stick a toothpick into the middle. If it comes out clean, they're done! Leave them on the counter to cool off a little bit so you won't be biting into molten hot chocolate lava. If it comes out with some wet mixture on it, leave it in for another 3-5 minutes and check again.

If you like your desserts a little fancier, these are like a blank canvas of chocolatey goodness. Danielle sprinkled some cinnamon on these ones and I want to try adding some pumpkin somehow. The best part about these brownies is bringing them into work and then not telling anyone that they have black beans in them until after they eat them. (Snickers to self.) You'll also feel more welcome to have another because, well, black beans = protein.

Happy October, y'all! 

xo,

e.m.