Amazingly Delicious Black Bean Brownies

When I made the decision to stop eating gluten, my mind immediately started scanning through my favorite foods, trying to identify which ones would now be off limits. Cakes, cookies and brownies were among the first foods that I began to miss. I think part of the reason, besides the deliciousness of all of them, is the fact that they were foods that I enjoyed with my children.

You see, over the years, it became a tradition of sorts. I would pick the kids up from school on a cold or rainy day and surprise them with, "Do you want to make brownies when we get home?" And this question was always met with a resounding, "YES!!", followed by cheers and declarations of love for making brownies. Nothing makes me happier than bringing a smile to those two little boys' faces.

We would come home and get out all of the ingredients...one of them would add the flour, one would add eggs...and so on it went. Until it was time to pour the batter in the pan and see who would lick the spoon and who would lick the bowl. I used to have to find a reason to use two spoons so that they each had one. And I would get what was left in the bowl after that rubber spatula did its job (too well, I might add!).

But after I stopped eating gluten, part of this magic went away. Sure, I still made brownies for the kids. But the inevitable "fight" over the spoons didn't happen. One got the spoon, one got the bowl. And they even started to feel bad that I couldn't have any. "I wish you could eat gluten, Mommy" was always the refrain as I put the dish in the even.

That all changed when I started making these delicious GLUTEN-FREE Black Bean Brownies! I will be 100% honest, it took some major convincing to get my kids to try these. At first, I started out pureeing the black beans in secret so that they wouldn't know. Then one day they caught me, and I had to explain that they had been eating black beans all along and didn't notice! My older one was much more open to the idea than the younger one. But I'm happy to report, they've both come around because these brownies ARE JUST THAT GOOD!

Without further adieu, here is the recipe...

AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS BLACK BEAN BROWNIES

Ingredients:

• 1 15.5 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tbs coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly

• 1 tbs unsweetened almond milk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2/3 cup coconut sugar

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8"x8" baking dish with parchment paper.

2. In a food processor, add beans and process until a paste is formed. Add in eggs, coconut oil, almond milk, and vanilla. Process again until well blended.

3. In a medium bowl, add coconut sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Add bean mixture and stir to mix. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and place in oven. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. If you want fudgier brownies, cook for less time.

5. Cool for 10 minutes. Lift parchment paper out of dish and transfer to cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing into squares. Makes 16 brownies.

ENJOY!