Avocado Black Bean Brownies

I think sometimes we bloggers lack credibility.  And that’s okay.  Just because I make a dish, post a decent looking picture and a reasonable recipe, doesn’t mean that the meal I’ve created is worth your time.  Hell, it doesn’t even mean I actually ate and enjoyed the meal.  But I wouldn’t do that to you. Everything I’ve posted, I’ve eaten.

And, believe me, I’ve kept my fair share of recipe flops from you.  You can thank me for that later.

But still, it’s hard for a reader to trust a blogger.  So, I think it helps to see the same recipe on multiple blogs, I think, especially when the recipe is particularly obscure.

If you like my blog, you might enjoy Cara’s Blog.  And if you already follow her blog, you might have seen her recipe for Avocado Black Bean Brownies.  And you were probably intrigued.  But not convinced.  Well, I’m here to convince you.  If both Cara and I say this recipe is good, then it’s good.  Okay!?  And more importantly, heart healthy.

This recipe replaces butter-fat with avocado and white flour with black beans.  But you taste neither ingredient.  And the flavor deepens as you let the dessert rest.  It has a soft fudge consistency and is VERY rich.  It ages wonderfully and because it does so, I found myself not minding just waiting until the next day for a bite.  Because tomorrow’s bite was more delicious than yesterday’s bite! (Does that make sense?).

The Omnivore gave her a good college try, and he enjoyed it, though not as much as I did.  And he still doesn’t know what exactly he ate when he had a fist-sized square one evening.

The cocoa and powdered sugar topping is very optional, and I like the look of the fudge without it.

One Year Ago: Vegan Potato Gnocchi

Black Bean Avocado Fudge (adapted from Cara’s Cravings)
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup egg whites
1/4 cup agave syrup
1 small ripe avocado (60gm)
6 tbsp cocoa powder (30gm)
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tbsp white sugar (75gm)
2 teaspoons instant espresso (I omitted)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8″ pan with parchment paper.

Combine black beans, egg whites, agave syrup, and avocado in food processor. Blend for a few minutes, until completely smooth. Add remaining ingredients and continue blending until fully combined, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Spread into parchment-lined baking dish. Bake for 30-33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the brownies comes out clean.  These are best if you let them sit overnight before slicing and enjoying!

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 98.0
Total Fat: 1.2 g
Total Carbs: 19.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.7 g
Protein: 4.2 g