We all deserve a little indulgence once in a while. Nothing spells decadent dessert to me more than chocolate brownies! This chocolate chia brownie recipe is all kinds of goodness: tons of fiber (from the beans, yes beans!) and Omega-3 fatty acids (from the chia seeds). And the best part? You don’t have to sacrifice taste for a healthier version of this classic dessert!
I adapted this recipe from Joy McCarthy’s book Joyous Health. I tweaked to reduce the oil and added walnuts to give the brownies a little crunch. The original recipe also calls for raw cacao nibs spread across the top of the brownies. However, I found that the cacao nibs added too much bitterness to the otherwise sweet and delicious treat. I also couldn’t find black beans so I substituted them with kidney beans and they worked just as well.
The amazing thing about this recipe is that the brownies turn out moist, dense, and delicious. You’d never know that they were flourless and completely gluten-free!
Ingredients (makes 24 small squares)
- 1 can of black/kidney beans (preferably the can should be BPA free, no added salt or sugar)
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 coconut sugar (if you can’t find coconut sugar, use brown sugar instead)
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 raw cacao powder
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (I use Giddy Yoyo’s amazing vanilla powder that makes any dish taste divine!)
- 1/2 semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (gluten-free if possible)
- 1/2 cup walnuts, halved
Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 F (180 C)
- Blend together black beans, eggs, coconut sugar, coconut oil, cacao powder,
chia seeds and vanilla - Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts
- Grease baking pan with butter or coconut oil
- Pour brownie mix into the pan
- Bake 30-35 minutes or until a fork inserted in the center comes out clean
- Cool in the pan before cutting
- Dig in!
