Black and White Bean Fudge (soy-free, fat-free, gluten-free)

I got the idea of making a black and white fudge when someone asked me how she could make the Cheesecake Brownie soy-free. There's really nothing to it, with the help of a blender or food processor this dessert is ready in no time. It's very flavourful, not too dense and it's best eaten chilled. For the dark fudge I followed the Black Bean Brownie recipe and added melted chocolate for a deeper flavour (it came out darker than in the pictures). For the white one I doubled the amount of oats and added white chocolate and orange zest for extra flavour.

Black Bean Fudge

• 1 can (400 g) black beans, rinsed, drained
• 2 medium ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup 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
• 75 g chocolate (60%)

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.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease a 20 cm (8") loose bottom pan with oil (or line the bottom and sides with parchment paper).
Blend/grind the oats into powder and set aside.
Blend all the other ingredients (except chocolate) into a smooth paste.
Pour the batter into a bowl, add the oats and mix.
Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt it in a double boiler (or a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water, the water not touching the bottom of the bowl). Fold it into the batter.
Pour into the pan and even out the surface with the back of a spoon.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until a crust has formed, remove from oven and pour the white bean batter over it.

White Bean Fudge

• 1 can (410 g) cannellini beans, rinsed, drained
• 2 medium ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• zest of one orange
• 1/2 cup pure/gluten-free rolled oats (see above)
• 75 g white chocolate

Blend the beans, bananas and maple syrup into a smooth paste. Pour into a bowl.
Blend/grind the oats into powder and add to the paste along with vanilla and orange zest.
In a double boiler melt the white chocolate and fold it into the batter.
Pour the batter over the half-baked chocolate fudge and continue baking for a further 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean or with very little thick batter.
Remove onto a wire rack, let cool completely and refrigerate for an hour.
Once chilled, remove from the pan, pour hot chocolate ganache over it, let cool for a minute and decorate with white chocolate shavings (I used a potato peeler). Cut into the desired shape and serve.

Easy Chocolate Ganache
In a double boiler melt together 60 g chocolate (60%), 2 Tb maple syrup and 2-3 Tb milk (I used coconut).

Note: I call this dessert fat-free because no oil, butter or margarine is added. Some of the ingredients naturally contain a small amount of fat and vegan chocolate usually contains cocoa butter. Dark and white chocolate can be omitted in this recipe, though the result will be somewhat different in taste and texture.

Don't forget, this fudge contains a good amount of beans. Chocolate, maple syrup, bananas and beans together can cause a lot of acidity in your stomach, so stick to one-two pieces of fudge and then give it some time to digest before you have more.

Enjoy and spread the magic:)

~~~ UPDATE - January 18, 2012 ~~~

Every time I receive positive feedback for my recipes I get so happy. But when I actually see a picture of a successful recipe I'm over the moon with excitement. Mark and I are members of a vegan group and this picture he shared made my day. For lack of white vegan chocolate he used dark one and got a light brown and a dark brown fudge cake. Isn't it gorgeous?:) Thanks, Mark!

~~~ UPDATE - January 28, 2012 ~~~

Rebecca's success with this recipe made me so happy:) Thank you, Rebecca!

~~~ UPDATE - February 11, 2012 ~~~

Annie's fudge looks so beautiful:) She used vanilla almond milk in the ganache and added a little bit of vegan margarine for a glossy look. Thank you Annie for sharing these pictures and the recipe:)

A lot of time, effort and passion goes into each recipe I post. My greatest satisfaction comes from your feedback. If you made this recipe, then please take a minute of your time to leave me a comment. And if you like it, please share it so that others have access to it as well. Thank you all in advance!