Flourless Black Bean Hazelnut Brownies
Vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free
By
You will never believe these soft & fudgy brownies are made without a lick of flour, eggs, or dairy! Pureed black beans replace the need for flour while the toasted hazelnut meal lends a flour-like, nutty texture with a flavour reminiscent of Nutella. If you like a crunchy brownie, be sure to sprinkle some chopped hazelnuts on top before baking. Since the brownies take a while to set, allow them to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before removing.
Yield
12
Prep Time
20 Minutes
Cook time
35 Minutes
Total Time
55 Minutes
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup whole hazelnuts (use 1/2 cup if you don't want any for sprinkling on top)
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed + 3 tablespoons water, mixed together
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- 1 (15-ounce/400 g) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup vegan butter, melted
- 1 cup natural cane sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Directions:
- Preheat over to 300F and place hazelnuts on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast nuts in the oven for 13-14 minutes, until fragrant with darkened skins. The skins should be slightly falling off. Remove from oven and set aside for a few minutes to cool. Place the hazelnuts on a damp (old) tea towel and wrap the sides up to cover. Roll the nuts around in the tea towel, pressing firmly so the skins rub off. Discard the skins and add 1/2 cup of the nuts into a food processor. Process until a flour-like consistency forms, being sure not to process it into a butter. Remove and set aside. Increase the oven heat to 350F and grease a muffin tin.
- Mix the flax and water together in a small bowl, along with the arrowroot powder until no clumps remain. Let it gel up for a few minutes.
- Add the black beans into a processor and process until chopped. Add in the flax mixture, melted vegan butter, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the side of the bowl as needed.
- Finally add in the hazelnut meal and process until incorporated.
- Spoon the batter into the greased muffin tin. Chop the remaining hazelnuts (if using) and sprinkle on top. Gently, press down to adhere.
- Bake at 350F for 33-36 minutes, until semi-firm to the touch and a knife comes out mostly clean. Place tin on a cooling rack and allow the brownies to cool for at least 30 minutes before attempting to remove. When ready, slide a knife around each brownie and pop out gently.
- If you prefer a firmer brownie, store these in the fridge or freezer.