Flourless Black Bean Cacao Protein Brownies (Blood Sugar Friendly)
Recipe: https://recipestripper.com/recipes/ed13ded3-0fe0-4c19-aab5-e55e62f45d21
Original source: https://marinmamacooks.com/flourless-black-bean-cacao-protein-brownies-blood-sugar-friendly/
Recipe image: https://marinmamacooks.com/wp-content/uploads/flourless-black-bean-cacao-protein-brownies-on-parchment-800x530.jpg

These are technically not a brownie, as they’re not super sweet, so I don’t want you to get excited thinking that these are going to replace your favorite brownie. They have a fudgey dense texture that I personally Iove. I'm going to be honest with you all, I’ve eaten 2 batches of these in the past week, so I personally love these. I love that they’re a balanced snack, and that they kept my blood sugar balanced no matter what time of day I ate them. They are also naturally gluten-free, refined sugar free and vegan!
Yield: 10-12
Prep time: PT10M
Cook time: PT45M
Total time: PT55M

Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed, I love Eden Organics, as they're soaked overnight and then pressure cooked with kombu, so they're easier to digest.
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup almond butter, smooth and unsalted, well stirred. Don't get the no-stir versions, as they have palm oil and make sure that it doesn't have added sugar. Also, make sure that your nut butter is smooth and creamy, not chunky or old, as this is what is going to hold the bars together. I made these brownies with my absolute favorite nut butter in the world from Full Belly Farm
- ¼ cup fresh-pressed extra virgin coconut oil, in liquid form, plus more to rub on pan, I explain how to make it liquid below
- 1/4 cup raw cacao powder, not to be confused with cocoa powder, raw cacao has zero sugar and is full of antioxidants and minerals like magnesium, calcium, and potassium.
- 1 tablespoon ashwagandha powder, ashwagandha is believed to help reduce stress and anxiety levels by lowering cortisol, the stress hormone.
- 1 scoop unflavored protein collagen powder, or your favorite collagen powder  - I love this one from Paleovalley, as it's grass fed & grass finished, no hormones, and the collagen is from the bones not the hides. It also provides 15 grams of protein, and 15 grams of collagen protein. Use my link for 15% off
- 1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt
- 20-25 raw cacao wafers or bittersweet chips, I used raw cacao wafers, as they melt and they have zero sugar.

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Using a paper towel, grease the inside of a 1-pound loaf pan with coconut oil. I personally found the loaf pan to be the perfect size, if you go with an 8x8 square baking pan, the brownies will be way too thin. Make a parchment sling, (see video in above post that shows you how) set the pan on a slice of parchment paper, then mark the edges of the long side, cut parchment paper as wide as the bottom of the pan and then long enough to overhang the edges of the pan by 2-inches. Press parchment paper into the oiled pan.
2. Measure out an overflowing ¼ cup of coconut oil using a dry measuring cup. Add the solid coconut oil to a glass measuring cup and place it in the microwave for 35 seconds. By using the liquid measuring cup you can make sure that you have ¼ cup once it melts.Note: If after the coconut oil melts, you have more than 1/4 cup, feel free to pour the excess oil back into the coconut oil jar.
3. In a food processor or high-speed blender, add in the rinsed black beans, ¼ cup maples syrup, ¼ cup almond butter, ¼ cup melted coconut oil, ¼ cup raw cacao powder, 1 tablespoon ashwagandha powder, 1 scoop bone broth collagen, and ¼ teaspoon pink Himalayan salt. Pulse until smooth and creamy. The mixture will be super thick.Using a spatula scrape mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth the top of the batter by using a spatula. Top the batter with some raw cacao wafers. I think these make the brownies prettier plus they add some protein to boot (2 grams of protein for 20 wafers)!
4. Put the brownies into the pre-heated oven and bake for 45 minutes. To be honest the toothpick trick doesn't work here, as these are flourless brownies, so I found 45 minutes worked perfectly.I pulled them at 43 minutes one time to test them, and they were fine too, but held together better at 45 minutes. Oven's vary on cooking times, so check them at 40 minutes to make sure the sides are not browning too much.
5. When the brownies are done baking, let them cool in pan for a few minutes, then lift out of the pan using the parchment paper, and let the brownies cool. These brownies are not great right out of the oven, they taste better after they cool a bit, as the flavors meld. Also, I don't pre-cut these brownies, as they stay moister when you cut them before eating. Storage: Store brownies in glass container fit with a lid. I like these brownies at room temp day one, as they’re rich and moist, but then I like to move them to the refrigerator day 2. They firm up in the refrigerator giving them more of a fudge like consistency.Serving Tip:Enjoy as a post-workout snack, midday treat, or after-dinner dessert.Want it sweeter? Add up to ½ cup maple syrup for a more classic brownie taste. See my review video of these in the above post. I'm obsessed!