Black Bean Brownies

gentlebreeze2 · March 2011

I just made these and they are so easy to make.

1 box brownie mix ( I use Betty Crocker Dark Chocolate brownie mix family size)
1 can black beans (15 oz)

Rinse and drain the black beans. Then spoon the beans back into their can and fill the can with fresh water. Pour beans and water into a blender and puree until smooth. Add puree to the brownie mix and stir. Pour into a sprayed 9 x 13 inch pan and follow the directions for baking as printed on the back of the brownie mix box. (The black beans replace the oil and egg). Optional: I added some peanut butter chips to mine.

There are other recipes for brownies using black beans, but I chose this one cause it was the easiest. Enjoy!

ace175 · March 2011

Someone shared this idea with me the other day....do you think you could use the beans to make a cake? or does it only work with brownies?

joybell32 · March 2011

hows it taste? Can you taste the beans? Can you use any other kind of bean or just black?

ArchyJill · March 2011

Thanks mucho GB!!

robin52077 · March 2011

Someone shared this idea with me the other day....do you think you could use the beans to make a cake? or does it only work with brownies?

For a box of cake mix, you can use any 12oz diet soda.

I like diet sprite in strawberry cake, and diet ginger ale in carrot cake.
Diet Orange in a vanilla cake with cool whip on top is like a creamsicle...

Granted, you don't get the beans' nutrition, like in the brownies, but it's better than using the eggs and oil if you have to make the cake.
I use these cakes for birthdays now and nobody knows the difference. Save the calories and fat of the egg and oil!

janemartin02 · March 2011

Thanks!sounds good!!

neelia · March 2011

Do you have the nutritional info for this?

sweetheart03622 · March 2011

hows it taste? Can you taste the beans? Can you use any other kind of bean or just black?

I make these fairly often, and if you eat them while they're still warm then yes, you can taste it. Once they're cool, however, they're delicious. It's best to use only black beans, other beans will throw off the color

Amandac6772 · March 2011

Interesting....may have to try that.

pazzion8lady · March 2011

thank you that is awsome and makes sence i ovve chocholate and love that u found a way to make it healthy thnk you again and good luck and god bless

rvice2 · March 2011

Has anyone done this with dried black beans? I just recently switched from canned to dried to lower my sodium intake and I am not sure yet of the conversion. How many dried beans?? Anyone know??!!

gentlebreeze2 · March 2011

I couldn't taste the beans while the brownies were still warm, or after they cooled. My daughter and son in law loved them too. I used the nutrition information off the box of brownies and beans. 109 calories per bar, with the recipe cut into 20 bars.

I like the idea of using diet pop for cake... does the cake rise like normal?

laughingdani · March 2011

Bump!!

gentlebreeze2 · March 2011

The can was a 15 ounce can, and I don't see why you couldn't use dried beans, would just take a little longer... but the lower sodium is so worth it.

TonyaJ83 · March 2011

I replace eggs with Ener-G egg replacer. I replace oil with applesauce. But I will have to try this!

robin52077 · March 2011

I like the idea of using diet pop for cake... does the cake rise like normal?

It looks and tastes like regular cake, rises up moist and fluffy. Use Fat Free Cool Whip as "frosting".

sweetheart03622 · March 2011

Has anyone done this with dried black beans? I just recently switched from canned to dried to lower my sodium intake and I am not sure yet of the conversion. How many dried beans?? Anyone know??!!

You should be okay with this... just make sure they're thoroughly cooked and I would make sure you added some more water like the OP had said (add it to the beans so that you have about 2.5 cups total I believe).

Regarding the nutrition, just take the nutrition info from the box (for the TOTAL mix), add in the nutrition for the TOTAL can of black beans, and divide by the number of brownies you cut. I believe when I made 24 brownies they ended up being just over 100 calories each and loaded with fiber.

globe_trekker · March 2011

Dr Oz had a segment on this a couple of months ago with chef Rocco Dispirito, the link to the recipe is:

http://www.recipesfordiet.com/diet-dessert-recipes/diet-brownie-recipes/dr-oz-rocco-dispirito-brownie-black-bean-recipe/

I haven't tried it myself yet, but they picked someone out of the audience to try it and supposedly the black beans were masked well and could not be tasted. I think the calories were about 88cal per piece.

TBirdGirl · March 2011

bump for later

Elixandra · August 2011

I just made some myself. Hope they turn out. The batter didn't taste bad so im sure they will be grate.

Elixandra · August 2011

Do you have the nutritional info for this?

Betty Crocker - Healthier Dark Chocolate Brownies (Made With Black Beans), 0.06 pkg. (30 grams) at 141 cals. Its a bit less then what the box says its normally 160.