Black Bean & Beet Brownies – Gluten-Free & Vegan
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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.
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!
Black Bean & Beet Brownies - Gluten-Free & Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans - drained and rinsed (I prefer them without salt if possible)
- 3 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with 4 Tbsp warm water
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup apple sauce
- ½ cup dairy-free milk
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp finely ground Himalayan pink salt
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 lb beets
- 6-10 dates
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
- ¼ - ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Wash the beets making sure to scrub off any dirt and trim off any stems/greens. Pit the dates. Add 1-2 cups of water to an electric pressure cooker (you do not want the beets and dates to be submerged, but need enough water to steam them - adjust based on the size of your pressure cooker and steamer basket set-up). Place the beets and dates in a steamer basket designed for your pressure cooker and place on top of the water. Seal the pressure cooker and cook the beets and dates for 20 minutes on high pressure. Allow a natural release for 10 minutes. Take the steamer basket out of the pressure cooker and allow the beets to cool slightly.
- While the beets and dates are cooking, add the black beans, egg replacer, vanilla extract, apple sauce and milk to the blender. (A high speed blender is not necessary.) Slowly building up speed, blend until the beans are broken down and all ingredients are well mixed.
- Also while the beets are cooking, in a large mixing bowl, mix the cocoa powder, buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and coconut sugar. Put this mix to the side.
- When the natural pressure release time on the pressure cooker is finished, begin preheating your oven to 350°.
- Once the beets and dates come out of the pressure cooker, add the dates to the blender while they are still warm and soft and blend to combine. When cool enough to handle, slip the skins of the beets (they should slide off easily), and add the beets to the blender as well. Place your coconut oil in a glass measuring cup and microwave in 10 second intervals until melted. Add the melted coconut oil to the blender, and again slowly building up speed, process until all ingredients are totally combined (your mix will go from brown to pink - you should not have any pockets of brown left). You may need to use a spatula to move ingredients around in the blender to get everything processed.
- Add the contents of the blender to your dry ingredients and mix well to combine. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts and combine well.
- Pour the batter into a greased 11x13” baking dish (I use coconut oil to grease my baking pans for sweet recipes). Smooth with a spatula or large wooden spoon to ensure the batter is level around the dish. Place in the preheated oven and bake the brownies for 25-30 minutes, taking out when a tester comes out clean and the brownies have a little give but a firm consistency when poked with a finger.
- These brownies are ok warm, but they taste much better refrigerator cold. I would also suggest cooling these before cutting as the melted chocolate chips and gooey nature of the brownies can result in messy cuts when warm.
[…] 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. […]