Black Bean Brownies with Chocolate Ganache
Author: 
Serves: 9-16 brownies, depending how you cut them!
 
Ingredients
  • 2.5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken into chunks
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or vegan butter, such as Miyoko's Creamery
  • 1 cups soft-cooked black beans, drained well
  • ½ cup walnuts, chopped
  • ½ Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1Tablespoon granulated natural coffee substitute (such as Naturalis Inka) or instant coffee
  • ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¾ cup pure maple syrup
  • ¼ + ⅛ teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
  • ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons oat flour, gluten-free flour blend (such as Jovial Foods), or whole wheat pastry flour
  • Ganache:
  • 1 Tablespoon cacao powder
  • 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 Tablespoon creamy almond butter
  • ½ Tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • Optional: cacao nibs or flaky sea salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with unbleached parchment paper.
  2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or in a small glass bowl over a pot of simmering water. Do not allow the water to touch the bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula to the melt the chocolate completely.
  3. Place the beans, ¼ cup of walnuts, vanilla and half of the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Blend about 2 minutes, or until smooth. The batter should be thick and the beans smooth.
  4. In a large bowl, mix together the remaining ¼ cup walnuts, remaining melted chocolate mixture, coffee substitute and salt. Mix well. Add the bean and chocolate mixture to the coffee and chocolate mixture. Stir until well blended.
  5. In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the maple syrup and beat well.
  6. Add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture. Then add the flour and baking powder and mix by hand until just blended.
  7. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the brownies are just set. The top may look a little shiny, but they will continue to cook after they are out of the oven. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares.
  8. Make the ganache: Add the cacao, coconut oil, almond butter and maple syrup to a small saucepan on medium-low heat and mix until fully melted and combined.
  9. Pour the chocolate on top of the brownies and spread evenly across. Cut the brownies into squares and serve. Option to top with cacao nibs and/or flaky sea salt.
Notes
These brownies slice better if refrigerated at least a few hours. Store, covered in the refrigerator or freezer.
Recipe by Pamela Salzman at https://pamelasalzman.com/fudgy-black-bean-brownies-with-chocolate-ganache/