Decadent, chocolatey black bean brownies
We are knee deep in birthday parties lately. It seems like we have a birthday party to go to every weekend, which the kids love because they can run around, stuff themselves with cake and then sneak goodie bag treats on the way home.
In fact, we’re so into birthdays right now that Brooke has already begun counting down to hers (it’s 5 months away) and misses no opportunity to point out to everyone that she’s four and a HALF. Remember when that half mattered so much?
Last week was my husband’s birthday and the girls were immediately excited for cake and ice cream when they realized it. The hubby requested brownies. I’m all for indulging every so often when the occasion calls for it, but the ingredient list in boxed Duncan Hines brownies leave a lot of room for improvement. Check it out:
Now, I am a BIG fan of brownies. I love them, especially when they’re all gooey and extra fudgey in the middle. So, when I came across THIS recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie, I was dying to try them. And to make it more fun, I was dying to try them without anyone knowing they were made with black beans.
They were super easy to make and took no time at all. I used all maple syrup instead of sugar and next time I make them, I would definitely add walnuts to give them a little extra something.
Man, they were good! You would never be able to tell that these guys were made from black beans. I almost pulled the wool over my husband’s eyes but I mistakenly left the recipe up on his iPad so he knew what I was up to. Ah, details! Not my strongest suit. He went right along with it though and I didn’t realize it until well after. He swears he would have never known. I had a few other taste testers who couldn’t believe it when I told them the main ingredient. My kids of course gobbled these up, even KNOWING they had black beans in them.
(For the record, if I told them the entire cast of Frozen was at the front door waiting to whisk them away for a sing-a-long in Arendelle and all they had to do was eat just ONE tiny little black bean, they would turn away and slam the door. No question.)
