Black Bean Brownies

I rarely make recipes without having some sort of idea how they will turn out. When I stumbled upon Happy Herbivore's recipe I was intrigued. BEANS??? The brownie pictures looked so good, I just had to make some myself. These brownies are a surprise for anyone who tries and finds absolutely no vegetable taste in them. For me the surprise was triple: I'd never had beans in my sweets and I'd never eaten black beans or rolled/instant oats before. More reasons to look forward to making these goodies.

The recipe is so simple and quick to prepare, and the result worth waiting for. Chocolaty, fudgy, dense, flavourful, crunchy on top and quite addictive, these brownies are a must-try. I made the recipe several times and no one was able to guess the secret ingredient. The first time I made it I added rolled oats to the batter as they were (you can spot them in the picture). The next times though I blended them into a fine powder and the texture was even better. Sadly I didn't take any pictures.

This recipe makes 1 x 7" (18 cm) round brownie. If you have guests, go ahead and double the amounts.

What you need...

• 1 can (443 g) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 medium bananas
• 1/3 cup agave nectar or maple syrup
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup pure/gluten-free rolled oats (or use buckwheat, sorghum, rice or quinoa flour) - see note

Note: Oats don't naturally contain gluten but are generally avoided in a gluten-free diet because some crops are at risk of cross-contamination with wheat, barley or rye, as a result of crop rotation. In this case look for oat brands that are labelled pure or gluten-free. Alternatively use the above suggested types of flour.

How to...

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Blend the oats into powder and set aside.
• Blend all the other ingredients into a smooth paste. Scoop the batter into a bowl, add the oats and mix.
• Lightly grease a 7" (18 cm) sandwich tin. Pour the batter into the tin and use the back of a spoon to even it out.
• Bake for about 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and let cool completely in the tin. Brush with agave nectar or maple syrup and cut into medium pieces. Run a thin knife under each piece for easy removal.

Enjoy!

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