Outrageous Brownies
Share the love
- Serves: Makes 16
- Preparation: 15
- Cooking: 35
- Ready: 50
If you don’t think these are the best brownies ever, then you don’t know beans – they are incredibly moist and fudgy, and no one will know that they are vegan and date-sweetened, let alone made of legumes!
Ingredients
For the date paste
- 1 pound pitted dates (about 2½ cups)
- 1 cup liquid, such as water, unsweetened plant milk or unsweetened juice
For the brownies
- 15-ounce can salt-free black beans (rinsed and drained) or 1½ cups cooked black beans
- 1½ cups Date Paste
- ¾ cup unsweetened plant milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
- 1 teaspoon aluminum and sodium-free baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sodium-free baking soda
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ¾ cup gluten-free rolled oats or oat flour
- 1 cup unsweetened or date-sweetened dairy-free chocolate chips, optional, see note
- ½ cup finely chopped raw, unsalted pistachios, optional
Method
To make the date paste
Soak dates in liquid of choice overnight, or for several hours, until much of the liquid is absorbed. In food processor fitted with the “S” blade, process dates and any excess soaking liquid until completely smooth. Store the Date Paste in the refrigerator. This can also be frozen.
To make the brownies
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
Place beans, Date Paste, and plant milk in a food processor fitted with the “S” blade and process until smooth. Add the vanilla bean powder, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder and process again. Add the oats and process very briefly, just until combined.
Pour the batter into a 10-inch square silicone baking pan. Sprinkle with nuts and/or chocolate chips, if using, and gently press the toppings down with the palm of your hand.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until middle does not jiggle and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool before cutting. I prefer to serve these chilled with a nice cold glass of homemade Vanilla Almond Mylk.
Additional notes
Recipe taken from Sweet Indulgence: Guilt-Free Treats Sweetened Naturally with Fruit, by Chef AJ with Glen Merzer, published by Book Publishing Company (BPC).
Check out the video recipe here
“If you happen to have a copy of the Sears Roebuck Catalog from 1898, you will find inside the first reference ever to the confection known as a “brownie.” That brownie was created in the kitchen of Chicago’s Palmer House, which today is the location of a Hilton Hotel that serves the same brownie. And while their brownie of course isn’t as healthy as my brownie, the story does prove that many wonderful things originated in Chicago, including me! If you don’t think these are the best brownies ever, then you don’t know beans! They are incredibly moist and fudgy, and no one will know that they are vegan and date-sweetened, let alone made of legumes!
One day when I was making these Outrageous Brownies, my blender broke, and I put in the rolled oats whole. The brownies came out great! So, I no longer grind the oats.
Make sure that you always have some Date Paste on hand to create a healthy dessert in no time. Always squeeze each date because even pitted dates can have the occasionally pit, which could damage your food processor blade.
In a hurry? If you don’t have time to soak your dates, my friend Jeni taught me the quickest and easiest way to make Date Paste using an electric pressure cooker. Simply place 1 pound of dates and 2 cups of water in the pressure cooker, cook on high pressure for 1 minute, quick release the pressure, and when cool enough to handle, transfer to a food processor fitted with the “S” blade. Purée until smooth. Please keep in mind that when you cook date paste in a pressure cooker, instead of preparing it raw in a food processor, the colour of your recipe may appear much darker.”
