Amazing Black Bean Brownies(Gluten-Free)

heavily adapted from Ania Catalano’s Baking with AgaveNectar

submitted by Kate Gambs Knickerbocker

10 ounces semisweet chocolate
½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
12-ounces can black beans
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
½ cup chopped walnuts, roasted
¼ to ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper and lightly oil with olive or canola oil spray.

Melt chocolate and butter either in double boiler over the stove, or by microwaving both ingredients in a large bowl for 2 minutes at 50% power, mixing together after one minute. Carefully stir until all chocolate is melted. Incorporate sugar into the mixture.

Place the beans, vanilla, ½ of the walnuts, and a few teaspoons of the chocolate mixer into the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix eggs with an electric beater until light and creamy. Add the chocolate mixture to eggs, and stir gently until incorporated. Fold in bean mixture until all ingredients are mixed well. Pour batter into parchment-lined pan and sprinkle sea salt on top of batter. Bake for around 35 minutes, until brownies are set. Let cool completely until cutting into pieces (refrigerate for 2 hours before cutting for best results), and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Garnish with a sprig of mint, raspberries, or anything you prefer.

I was skeptical when I first read this recipe, but like others whose reviews I read, I was happily surprised to taste chocolate in the finished product, not the beans!