Vegan Peppermint Black Bean Brownies
1-bowl vegan brownies infused with peppermint and dusted with crushed candy canes. So delicious and fudgy you'd never guess they were vegan, gluten-free, and made with black beans!
Servings 12 (brownies)
Ingredients
- 1 15-oz. can unsalted black beans (thoroughly rinsed and drained // 15 oz can yields ~ 1 3/4 cups)
- 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax eggs)
- 5 Tbsp water (to make flax eggs)
- 3 Tbsp coconut oil (melted // or sub other oil of choice)
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 heaping cup raw sugar (finely ground in a food processor // or sub granulated)
- 1/4 scant tsp peppermint extract* (I like Frontier brand)
- 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (non-dairy, gluten-free)
- 2 Tbsp finely crushed candy canes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and lightly grease a 12-slot standard size muffin pan (not mini // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size).
- Prepare flax egg by combining flaxseed meal and water in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse a couple times and then let rest for a few minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients besides candy canes, peppermint extract and chocolate chips, and puree – about 3 minutes – scraping down sides as needed. You want it pretty smooth.
- If the batter appears too thick, add 1-2 Tbsp water or almond milk and pulse again. It should be slightly less thick than chocolate frosting but nowhere close to runny.
- Add in peppermint extract a little at a time, pulse, sample and adjust until it's to your liking. I liked 1/4 tsp (as original recipe is written). Then stir in chocolate chips.
- Evenly distribute the batter into the muffin tin and smooth the tops with a spoon or your finger.
- Bake for 21-26 minutes or until the tops are dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides. I found mine took about 25.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 20-30 minutes before removing from pan. They will be tender, so remove gently with a butter knife or fork. The insides are meant to be very fudgy, so don’t be concerned if they seem too moist – that’s the point. Plus, they’re vegan so it doesn’t really matter anyway.
- Dust with crushed candy cane and serve immediately. Topping them with coconut whipped cream makes them ultra decadent and pairs perfectly with the chocolate-mint flavor.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. Refrigerate to keep longer.
Notes
*Heavily adapted from my V GF Black Bean Brownies
*You can bake these in an 8x8, just extend the baking time to between 25-30 minutes. 27 should be your sweet spot.
*Prep/cook time does not include cooling time.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
*You can bake these in an 8x8, just extend the baking time to between 25-30 minutes. 27 should be your sweet spot.
*Prep/cook time does not include cooling time.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Nutrition (1 of 12 servings)
Serving: 1 brownies Calories: 187 Carbohydrates: 30 g Protein: 6.2 g Fat: 6 g Saturated Fat: 4 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 99 mg Fiber: 5.7 g Sugar: 12 g