Black Bean Coconut Brownies

I wanted to try to make some healthy brownies that didn't have loads of nuts in them, as I know plenty of people who need nut-free recipes :) I had heard about switching butter for black beans, and also switching out flour for coconut flour - I used a quarter of the amount of coconut flour to that of flour (the original recipe said 100g) but kept the quantity of black beans the same as that of the butter (240g). This makes the brownies gluten-free and nut-free, as well as being low in sugar and pretty high in protein :)

These brownies are fudgy and delicious. Don't be put off by the black beans, they replace the butter in the recipe and really are what make the brownies soft and yummy. They are also a great source of dietary fibre and good sources of other goodies like iron, magnesium and vitamin B1.

Makes 36

Ingredients:

• 100g cocoa powder
• 240g drained tin black beans
• 2 tsp stevia
• 100g desiccated coconut
• 25g coconut flour
• 2 tbsp almond milk (unsweetened)
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 tsp baking powder (gluten free)
• Pinch of sea salt (I used smoked)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180c (160c fan)/ 355F/ gas mark 4.

2. Grease and line the base of a 20 x 20cm square cake tin with baking parchment.

3. Finely blend the drained black beans.

4. Add all of the remaining ingredients and beat together until smooth. If the mixture is too thick to beat add another tablespoon of almond milk.

5. Once spreadable consistency, place in the prepared baking tin.

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, checking after 10 minutes that it isn't browning too much. When the top feels crisp to the touch, it is ready.

7. Leave to cool, then cut into squares and store in an airtight tub.

8. These will keep for about a week.

Nutrition per serving:
45.7kcal, 2.2g total carbohydrates (0.3g sugar), 2.9g total fat (2g saturated fat), 2g protein