Black Bean Brownies

I know what you are thinking, black bean brownies, what the heck?! But before you pass this up, let me tell you that they are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. The brownies pack in so much flavor, dense chocolate, a hint of coffee, and have a super smooth fudge like texture. If you didn't know they were made with black beans I don't think you'd ever be able to tell.

What inspired me to make these? Well they had no flour for one. And two, I was just so curious how a black bean brownie could have such great reviews. I saw this recipe advertised at Whole Foods, and it is originally from the cookbook Baking with Agave Nectar.

My advice would be to add more walnuts. One cup is not enough; it seems too scarce. Also, you can definitely taste the coffee flavor (others told me it wasn't as strong as I thought). So if you are not a coffee love, I would reduce the amount of coffee by half. I also used 2½ cups of black beans (not on purpose) but they came out just fine!

Black Bean Brownie Recipe 

     4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
     1 cup unsalted butter
     2 cups canned black beans, drained
     1 cup walnuts, chopped
     1 tablespoon vanilla extract
     ¼ cup granulated instant coffee
     ¼ teaspoon sea salt
     4 large eggs
     1½ cups light agave nectar

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. 
• Line a 9in x 13in baking pan with parchment paper and lightly oil with canola oil spary. 
• Melt the chocolate and butter togehter in the microwave for 1½ to 2 minutes. Stir with a spoon to melt the chocolate completely. 
• Place the beans, ½ cup of the walnuts, vanilla extract, and a couple spoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture into a food processor. Blend until thick and smooth. Set aside.
•  In a large bowl, mix together the remaining walnuts, melted chocolate mixture, instant coffee, and salt. Combine with pureed bean mixture. 
•  In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the agave nectar and beat well.  
•  Reserving about ½ cup of the egg mixture, mix egg mixture and bean mixture together, then pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup egg mixture again until light and fluffy. Drizzle over the brownie batter and use a knife or toothpick to pull the egg mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect. 
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes (38 minutes for me!), until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares. (They will be soft until refrigerated.)

The brownies take a while to settle. Let cool completely in the pan before attempting to cut them. If you try to cut them before they have cooled completely they will fall apart. I would suggest putting them in the fridge before trying to cut them at all.

At first I didn't think the brownies were done because they were gooey and not holding together. This is normal. After refrigerating over night the brownies held together perfectly and tasted even better than they did straight out of the oven.

My Dad loved these brownies, and they were a hit with my coworkers. Next time I make them I am going to use a round cake dish and cut them into cake-like pieces and serve with a chocolate ganache frosting. Again I can not take credit for this, it was my bosses idea, but it's a great idea!