Black Bean Brownies

I don’t remember when I stumbled upon this brownie recipe, but I probably kept it both because they looked relatively healthy (or at least, healthier than typical brownies) and because they’re gluten-free (I love finding gluten-free pastry recipes, especially when they don’t require a lot of different flours). These brownies call for black beans instead of the wheat flour; the result was a very chocolate-y brownie, though they are more fudge-y than cake-y, somewhat like certain flourless chocolate cakes. However, I found them a bit flat – you know of my penchant for thick brownies – and I wonder whether it would be possible to double the recipe and just cook them a bit longer. I recommend that you eat them at room temperature, to make sure you can’t taste the beans (if you used quality cocoa, this won’t be a problem), and the Engineer loved the brownies with a scoop of lactose-free vanilla ice cream.

1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 eggs
3 Tbsp oil
4 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla
¾ cup sugar
1 handful chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven at 350 °F. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish.

Mix first seven ingredients together in a blender or food processor until puréed. Stir in the chocolate chips, if using, and pour into the baking dish. Bake for about 30 minutes.

Let cool completely before cutting.