Black Bean Beet Brownies

These brownies are no joke.

Needing to coordinate a ton of recipes for my final cooking class at the Herbal Academy of New England (a dessert one, of curse!) I decided to make one that included pureed vegetables. I usually use pumpkin, sweet potato or avocado, but figured the beets had even more sweetness to them. Arikka had always made black bean brownies and Rachael always does those “sneaky” recipes for the kids she nannies for-these brownies are no exception! Black beans, beets and my two favorite sweeteners, raw cocoa and carob, make for a decadently rich brownie that is completely gluten-free, healthy and of course, animal-free.

I can’t deny it- I ate almost the whole tray for breakfast the following morning. You will love these, I guarantee it!

2 1/2 cups black beans

1 1/2 cups pitted dates, chopped

1/2 cup beet puree

1/2 cup pureed fruit or jam

1/2 cup raw cacao powder

1/2 cup carob powder

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips

1 tbsp pure vanilla

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a food processor, pulse together the beans, beets and jam until smooth
• Add dates and continuing processing
• Add all remaining ingredients and pule until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed
• Pour mix into a greased 8X8 baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes