- 1 can black beans, or 1 1/2 cups cooked
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder, plus optional 2 tsp dutch
- 1/2 cup quick oats
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup, agave, or honey
- pinch uncut stevia OR increase maple syrup to 1/2 cup
- 1/4 cup oil, or 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup chocolate chips – not optional (omit at own risk)
- 1/4 cup nut butter of choice, or more as desired
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment. Drain and rinse the beans very well, and pat dry. Combine all ingredients (except chips and 1/4 cup nut butter) in a good food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Really blend well. (A blender can work if you absolutely must, but the texture and taste will be much better in a food processor. Stir in the chips, then pour into a greased 8×8 pan. Gently warm the nut butter until it is easily stir-able, then drop spoonfuls onto the batter and swirl with a spoon. You can also sprinkle some chocolate chips on top for presentation. Bake on the center rack 14 minutes – let the still-undercooked brownies cool 10 minutes, then refrigerate overnight, during which time they firm up considerably and also taste much sweeter and richer! The trick is to serve the brownies first and then reveal the secret ingredient after people have already formed an opinion about the taste. No one who doesn’t know the secret beforehand can ever tell!View Nutrition Facts