Black Forest Black Bean Brownies
A healthier take on classic Black Forest Cake. These brownies are made with black beans, are gluten free, but still rich and fudgy.
Servings 9 Individual Servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup cherries
- 1/4 cup Amaretto or cherry liqueur * optional
- 1 1/2 oz dark chocolate
- 1 398 ml can black beans rinsed
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tbsp canola oil or sub vegetable or melted coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp instant espresso powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup chocolate chunks
- 1 cup whipping cream chilled
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar
- shaved chocolate optional
Instructions
- Pit the cherries, and then cut into quarters. Transfer the cherries to a small bowl, and add the amaretto. Let sit at room temperature for an hour, or longer if you have the time. Give the cherries a quick stir every once in awhile.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Lightly oil an 8x8 baking pan, and line with parchment. Set aside.
- Melt the dark chocolate over a double boiler, and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a blender or food processor, combine rinsed black beans, eggs, honey, applesauce, oil, vanilla, cocoa powder, baking powder, instant espresso powder, salt and melted dark chocolate.
- Blend until the batter is smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin.
- Drain the cherries, and sprinkle over the batter evenly.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chunks over the top of the batter as well.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the center is set.
- Cool in the pan.
- Whip cream with powdered sugar. Feel free to add a splash of almond or vanilla extract if you wish.
- Cut cooled brownies into 9 squares. Dollop cream onto brownies, add shaved chocolate and a cherrie, if desired.
Notes
- *Amaretto lends a subtle flavour. If you want a boozier cherry, I would recommend using something stronger, such as rum or whisky. If you're in Saskatchewan, Last Mountain Distillery makes a wicked Cherry Whiskey that would be great for this.