Mexican Chili Pepper Black Bean Fudgy Brownies
These Mexican chili pepper black bean fudgy brownies are undoubtedly chocolatey and sweet but also gluten free and can be vegan. They are quite indulgent, easier on the gut, and add a nuanced spice you might not expect.
Servings: 9 brownies
Ingredients
- 425 g (15-oz can) black beans rinsed and drained
- 48 g (½ cup) old-fashioned or quick cooking oats
- 10 g (2 tbsp) cocoa powder
- 1 g (¼ tsp) salt
- 2 g (½ tsp) baking powder
- 1 g (¼ tsp) ground Cayenne pepper
- 28 g (2 tbsp packed) brown sugar
- 79 ml (⅓ cup) pure maple syrup or honey (or combination)
- 60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil melted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 107 g (⅔ cup) chocolate chips
- 1 bar Chili Pepper Dark Chocolate bar like Lindt which is not vegan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease 8-x8- inch pan and line it with parchment paper. Set it aside.TIPS: You can eliminate the parchment paper, only greasing the pan. If you want pretty brownie slices, use parchment paper as the paper makes it easy to remove and cut the brownies.
- In a small bowl, melt the coconut oil in the microwave for 30 seconds or until melted.TIP: I don't recommend an already melted fat like oil, because the fat needs to set up once cooled since these brownies are very fudgy.
- In a food processor, add all ingredients (black beans through vanilla extract) except chocolate chips and chili pepper dark chocolate bar. Blend until smooth.TIP: The batter will be thick, much thicker than cake batter. You should see small oats pieces, but smooth other than that.
- Add the chocolate chips. Pulse 5-6 times to mix the chocolate into the batter. Pour the mixture in the greased pan.
- Add shavings from 4 squares of a Chili Pepper Dark Chocolate bar over the top. You can also chop the chocolate and scatter it on top. TIP: If you want these brownies to be vegan, you can use vegan chili pepper chocolate. Or, you can simply use regular chocolate chips (whatever you added to the batter) to scatter over the top.
- Bake the brownies for 15-18 minutes. Let them cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut into them. If they still look a bit undercooked, they are not, place them in the fridge for several hours to overnight so they will firm. Makes 9-12 brownies.
Video
Notes
Storage Suggestions:
Since these bars do not have flour to absorb liquid or eggs, they will be more of a fudgy consistency than cake-y. Store the brownies in an airtight container in the fridge to maintain their firmness for up to a week. They can be sliced or left in their baking pan. For longer storage, you can place slices in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can eat them frozen or leave them on the counter to thaw for 30 minutes
Possible Substitutions:
-replace coconut oil with butter or shortening
-replace chili pepper dark chocolate with chocolate chips
-eliminate brown sugar and add additional 2 tbsp of maple syrup
-eliminate the Cayenne pepper for a no-spice version