With Valentine’s day around the corner what better way to say I love you than baked goodies made with love. I personally love a handmade gift for Valentine’s day that is personalized and handmade, because it shows effort. When it comes to love, it’s not always about the size of the bill but the size of the effort. There’s no better feeling of knowing that someone willingly put effort into something and had you in mind the whole time.
So this year to show my love and appreciation I decided to make brownies for Valentine’s Day. I didn’t want to make just any ordinary brownies because honestly those can be bought. I wanted to make some brownies that were memorable. The kind that needs to be requested when you crave it. So I decided to make Coconut Walnut Black Bean Brownies. I know it sounds crazy, but they are surprisingly good. I even did a taste test comparison with a standard brownie mix just to see if they tasted similar. These Coconut Black Bean brownies actually tasted richer and gourmet compared to the regular brownies. The great thing is since these brownies are flour-less and contain beans, they can be considered semi-healthy. Emphasis on semi, but none-the-less the brownies are packed with protein, fiber, iron, and chocolatey goodness. What’s not to love? Check out the recipe below:
Coconut Walnut Black Bean Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 box/can no salt or low sodium organic black bean (rinsed and drain)
- 1 banana
- ¼ cup organic raw rolled oats
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup organic coconut palm sugar or any raw sugar
- 1 large egg ( replace with another banana for a vegan substitute)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup chocolate chips (optional)
- ½ cup walnut pieces (optional)
- ½ organic unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Rinse and drain the beans, till all the bean liquid is gone.
- In a food processor or blender, pulse the oats for a coarse flour consistency. Pour into a large mixing bowl.
- In the same food processor or blender add the beans and banana and blend until smooth, scraping sides as needed.
- In the large mixing bowl combine the cocoa powder, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar, salt, vanilla extract and the bean banana mixture with a hand mixer.
- Add in the egg, blend till thoroughly combined.
- Add half of the chocolate chip, walnuts, and coconut. Fold in or blend with the mixer for about 15- 30 seconds.
- In a greased pan pour the mixture and spread evenly in the pan. Top with the extra chocolate chips and walnuts and bake for 20-26 minutes.
- 15 - 20 minutes into the baking top the brownies with the rest of the coconut and let bake for the remainder of the time.
- Let cool for about 15 minutes. Serve and Enjoy!
Happy Baking!
