Protein Bean Brownies
I discovered this yummy recipe when I was looking for ideas to use up a pack of beans that was about to expire. The beans are an excellent source of fibre and together with the cocoa powder make a perfect meal for our gut microbes. Other than being beneficial for our microbiome, this recipe is also mineral and protein packed - both from the beans and eggs as well as the protein powder. Oh, and those gooey melted chocolate chunks are just heavenly delicious!
Tips: These brownies can actually freeze pretty well! Just cut them into individual servings and pop into a freezer bag. Using canned beans which are softer will make the batter more smooth & consistent.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups black beans (canned or pre-cooked)
- 3 eggs
- 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp chocolate pea protein powder
- 2 tbsp vanilla protein powder (I used Dr. Amy Myers beef protein)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks (dairy-free)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Blend black beans in food processor into a rough paste. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add eggs and melted coconut oil. Mix well.
- Mixing well after each ingredient add cocoa, protein powders, baking powder and salt one by one into the mixing bowl. Then stir in chocolate chunks (you can just crush 1/3 of a dark chocolate bar).
- Using extra coconut oil, grease a 25x10cm loaf tin, then line with baking paper. Pour in batter and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the edges are visibly cooked and the center doesn’t jiggle much when you shake the tin (if using the a toothpick test, it may still come out a little wet and that’s ok – we want these brownies moist!).
- Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool before cutting into individual brownies.
Nutrition
Per Serving: 175 calories; 10g fat; 8.5g carbohydrates; 13g protein; 5g Fibre; 24% DV for copper; 17% DV for iron; 18% DV for manganese; 16% DV for phosphorus.
Inspired by Miranda 
I discovered this recipe this recipe on Live Eat Learn here: https://www.liveeatlearn.com/black-bean-fudge-brownies/
And to learn more about the beneficial and prebiotic effects of cocoa on the gut microbiome you can read this scientific paper here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7400387/
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