Let’s Get Started!

Ingredients Needed

• 1 can black beans
• 1 10oz bag or 2 cups dark chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1T cocoa powder
• 1T maple syrup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain and rinse the beans.
2. In a food processor, combine the black beans and chocolate chips.
3. Once they are broken up well, add in the remaining ingredients and keep processing until a smooth batter forms. You will need to scrape the sides.
4. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper leaving enough paper to stick out the sides.
5. Scrape the batter into the pan.
6. Bake for about 40 minutes, let cool 30 minutes. They will still be gooey.
7. Lift the brownies out of the pan by grabbing the extra side of the parchment paper.
8. Cut into squares. (This is much easier after cooling in the refrigerator.)
9. Store in the refrigerator for 3 days. Can be frozen as well.

Benefits

This is not the most healthful recipe on the site, due to the processed chips, but we all can tolerate a sweet occasionally. As it is very chocolatey, you can use only 1-2 cups of chocolate chips. Don’t be afraid of the beans. This is what makes this recipe heart healthy. This has a strong chocolate taste, and a fudgy consistency. The beans add fiber which is important for lowering cholesterol and for digestion. Make sure you only use pure maple syrup. It is a whole food that comes from a tree and is an excellent sweetener for many recipes. Although it costs much more than the typical highly processed pancake syrups, you need much less and your body does not have to break down and filter all the extra ingredients added to the processed brands. (Just don’t let your kids waste any!)

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