Some recipes come together easily, it just takes a few tries before I feel really happy with the results. And some recipes seem like they are never going to turn into presentable items. These black bean and beet brownies were one of the difficult recipes. I wanted to pack as much good-for-you stuff into one chocolate brownie as possible, and it took me some time to make it something other than a goopy under-sweetened mess. (Don’t get me wrong – I ate all of those brownie fails – they were chocolate after all.)
After many attempts, I finally got a brownie that was exactly what I wanted! Just the right middle ground between cakey and gooey. Rich in chocolate, sweet but not too sweet. And chock full of healthy ingredients. These are another one of those baked goods that you can have for breakfast without any guilt (if you haven’t already checked out the Breakfast Blondies, you can find them here).
Before you begin. . .
From left to right: 1st set of ingredients blended, with dates added, with beets and coconut oil added
I cook the beets and dates in an electric pressure cooker. (If you don’t have one but are in the market, I have and love the Crock Pot Express.) This makes it one step instead of two. If you don’t have an electric pressure cooker, you can bake the beets in the oven and boil the dates in water to soften them. This just adds a few extra steps and dishes to the process.
If you are not vegan and would rather not pick-up the egg replacer, you should be able to use two large eggs in the recipe. I have not tested the final version with real eggs, but the amount of egg replacer called for is the equivalent of two large eggs.
Batter with all ingredients added
These brownies are primarily sweetened by the dates and beets, there is a small amount of coconut sugar in these as well to help bring a little extra sweetness. As a result these will not taste like your traditional brownies. I like to think the difference is akin to that between a bar of extra-dark chocolate and a hershey’s milk chocolate bar – the hershey’s is much sweeter, but the dark chocolate has a richer flavor.
Black Bean & Beet Brownies Baked
Finally, this is not one of my recipes that can be done with just one mixing bowl and a baking sheet. This recipe leaves a lot of dishes in its wake. I always tackle them once the brownies go in the oven to bake, but you will probably want to make sure the sink is emptied out before you begin to make room for them all!
[…] I have a friend who once joked I should start a blog called “Preheat to 350” – not only because that was my go-to temperature, but also because I frequently had something baking in the oven. Every week I would make gluten-free, dairy-free, and usually egg-free baked goods – crackers, breakfast muffins, flat bread, and other treats. […]