When the need for chocolate arises, there are a few recipes out there for heart-healthy brownies!
After trying various recipes, I adjusted ingredients to come up with my own version, incorporating baking essentials that maximize taste but without the added sugar and fat. For example, I only consume egg whites, so in this recipe I stood by that and removed the excess fat from the recipe by not including egg yolks.
I don’t know the last time I used refined white sugar, so Stevia replaced it.
In addition, I’m a big supporter of the brand Lily’s, which offers a plethora of no sugar added baking chocolates, along with pre-made desserts.
The fiber in this dessert is over 5g per brownie! I find this recipe to be packed with benefits and decadent – especially if refrigerated! Eating the brownies cold is a real fudgy treat!
Ingredients
1 15-oz can black beans (rinsed & drained)
4 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder
3 TBSP vegetable oil or canola oil (only use a non-flavored oil)
2/3 cup Stevia sugar substitute
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
3/4 cup Lily’s no sugar added semisweet chocolate chips
Steps
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Puree black beans in food processor until it resembles a paste.
Place two mixing bowls on counter.
In the “wet bowl,” mix together pureed black beans, vanilla, oil, and eggs.
In the “dry bowl,” mix together cocoa powder, baking powder, Stevia, and salt.
Combine wet and dry bowls, stir together, and fold in chocolate chips!
Grease 8×8 pan, pour in batter and bake 30 minutes or until just “set” in middle.
So simple and quick to make / bake!
Allow brownies to cool for 30 minutes to one hour before removing from pan. Then cut brownies, display on a platter, refrigerate and prepare for them to be a crowd pleaser!
Curious what my taste testers’ reactions were to trying the brownies (and black bean ones) for the first time?
The comments were:
“Very light and fluffy!”
“The more bites I had, the more I loved them.”
“Light chocolate flavor almost like drinking a light hot cocoa.”
“Moist – they don’t sit heavy on the stomach.”
“Different. It’s really light, not heavy like chocolate fudge. It tastes like a light dark chocolate.”
“A tad bit better with every bite. It’s a little on the tart side.”
“It’s good with red wine. It’s kind of like a really light, fluffy chocolate.”
Brian, a Healthier Bodies’ reader, who is a Type 1 diabetic, shares his modification for the recipe: “using only 1/3 cup of Stevia and instead added 1/3 cup of sugar free brown sugar…delicious!”
These brownies are great as is or with a little added holiday décor or candy topper for movie night with the kids, a Halloween party, or to share at the office.
Pro tip: Refrigerate the brownies. It enhances the taste tenfold. Honestly I couldn’t even tell it wasn’t a traditional brownie! It tasted just like chocolate fudge.
Recipe yields 16 brownies
Nutrition facts (approx. per brownie)
Calories: 81
Net carbs: 4.5g
Fiber: 5.2g
Protein: 2.7g
I’d love to hear about healthy baking recipes you enjoy! Message me here.