Healthy Brownies

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I made these once and my hubby was the only one who wasn't thrilled with them. I made them again and even K (who ate half of the first batch) wasn't too thrilled. Not sure what I did differently but they were mighty beany the second time around. That's my warning.

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I have made some healthy brownies before, they had icing and were made with sweet potato. I liked them. A lot. So when I came upon this recipe for Black Bean & Avacado Brownies I thought it was worth a try.

Wow, taking a picture of food is harder than I thought it would be

Well, they are yummy. The kids love them. My hubby even ate some approvingly. They were super easy and are not too bad for you. You probably can tell they are not really rich, but they still taste yummy. The texture is perfect and fudgey.

When I mentioned them on facebook a ton of people responded to the fact that they were gluten free. It doesn't really make much difference in our house but you know I have a fondness for the South Beach Diet/ Zone Diet in terms of healthy eating. No flour definitely helps with less carbs and the avocado is a "good fat".

I got the link off Kalyn's Kitchen a South Beach blog. And the recipe itself came from Cara's Cravings which looks like a good source for lots of fun things.

Enough chatting here is the recipe:

Black Bean & Avocado Brownies

carascravings.blogspot.com 1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained 3/4 cup egg substitute 1/4 cup agave syrup 1/2 of a ripe avocado (60gm) 6 tbsp cocoa powder (30gm) pinch of salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 6 tablespoons white sugar (75gm) 2 teaspoons instant espresso Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8" pan with parchment paper. Combine black beans, egg substitute, agave syrup, and avocado in food processor. Blend for a few minutes, until completely smooth. Add remaining ingredients and continue blending until fully combined, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Spread into parchment-lined baking dish. Bake for 30-33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the brownies comes out clean. These are best if you let them sit overnight before slicing and enjoying! Nutritional Info Servings Per Recipe: 12 Amount Per Serving Calories: 98.0 Total Fat: 1.2 g Cholesterol: 0.0 mg Sodium: 134.6 mg Total Carbs: 19.5 g Dietary Fiber: 2.7 g Protein: 4.2 g I imagine you could substitute Honey for the Agave if you don't have any/don't like it. She mentions in the post that the agave is needed for moistness. There is a bit of sugar in this one, but it is just a bit. Works out to 1/2 tbsp per serving. Enjoy!