Black Bean Brownie Bites

I know, I know--I said “eww” when I first heard “black bean brownies” too. However, these chocolaty brownie bites are so yummy you would never guess that they also have the goodness of beans baked right into them. Black beans are a great source of fiber, folate and iron. Making them in mini-muffin size makes it easy to keep portions under control because trust me, you’ll want to eat half the batch in one sitting!

Ingredients:

1 15 oz. BPA-free can black beans, well rinsed and drained

2 large flax eggs (2.5 T flaxseed meal + 6 T water)

3 tbsp coconut oil, melted

¾ cup cacao or cocoa powder 

1 tsp chia seeds (optional, but totally recommended for added nutrition)

¼ tsp sea salt

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

heaping ½ cup raw sugar, slightly ground or pulsed in a food processor or coffee grinder for refined texture

1½ tsp baking powder

Optional toppings: crush walnuts, pecans, shredded coconut or my favorite - chocolate chips!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a 24-slot mini-muffin pan (there will be extra so grease a regular sized muffin tin to make a few bigger ones at the end!).

Prepare flax egg by combining flax and water in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse a couple times and then let rest for a few minutes.

Add black beans through baking powder and puree – about 3 minutes, scraping down sides as needed. 

If the batter appears too thick, add a Tbsp or two of water and pulse again. It should be slightly less thick than chocolate frosting but nowhere close to runny.

Evenly distribute about a teaspoon of the batter into the muffin tin and smooth the tops with the spoon.

Optional: Sprinkle with crushed walnuts, pecans or chocolate chips on top.

Bake for 20-26 minutes or until the tops are dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides.

Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan. They will be tender, so remove gently with a fork. The insides are meant to be very fudgy, so don’t be concerned if they seem too moist – that’s the point.

Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. Refrigerate to keep longer.  ENJOY!

Recipe adapted from the Minimalist Baker.

I enjoy serving these with some cashew cream and fresh fruit salsa.  

Benefits of Black Beans:

Black beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other legumes. In addition to lowering cholesterol, black beans' high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. When combined with whole grains such as brown rice, black beans provide virtually fat-free high quality protein.

#1 Green Shakes for All!

My favorite breakfast shake is a pint of this yummy concoction. After I emerge from my yoga/meditation practice and/or a good workout, I float to the kitchen and throw the ingredients into my blender then sip this healthy goodness as I prepare for the rest of my day!

Lauren's #1 Green Shake

It's #1 because those are the rough measurements for everything in this recipe, along with how much it totally rocks as far as taste goes!

Ingredients:

1 half of a banana

1 half of an apple

1 handful frozen blueberries

1 teaspoon chia seeds

1 teaspoon spirulina

1 heaping teaspoon almond butter

1 cup coconut water (or filtered water)

1 small handful goji berries

Directions:

Blend in blender until smooth. If you don't have the above ingredients, improvise with other things that you have in the house! My shake is NEVER the same day to day. I switch it up using peanut or hemp butter (in place of almond butter), flaxseeds in place of (or along with) chia seeds, filtered water or no-sugar added juice (in place of coconut water)...etc. Have fun with your shakes and get creative. If I have kale or spinach in the house I'll always add some leaves of it to this recipe for extra green power!

My favorite little guy, Charlie, (to the right), loves his green shakes, as you can clearly see on his face. He enjoys them each morning with peanut butter (in place of the almond butter). He and his Mom have been blending up my green shake every morning and they both can't get enough!

FYI: Chia seeds, goji berries and spirulina are all safe and totally amazing for little ones. It warms my heart that Charlie's on such healthy shakes at such a young age!!

Lauren's Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies

I crave cookies ALL the time. However, most cookies are loaded with way too much SUGAR. So almost all of the time, I have to suffer through my cookie cravings (and drink lots of water to soothe the sweet craving!). 

I've been hard at work playing with different recipes I've collected, tweaking them here and there trying to find the right recipe...and I FINALLY figured it out. Below is my healthier alternative to chocolate chip cookies. The rolled oats, spelt flour, nuts, chia seeds and maple syrup make these cookies a healthy, vegan and totally delicious treat. Don't let the word healthy fool you into thinking these aren't amazing!

Lauren's Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Makes about 18 cookies, takes about 25 minutes to make!)

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats (take 3/4 and process in blender or food processor into coarse flour)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 cup tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup grain sweetened chocolate chips or vegan carob chips
1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 cup spelt flour

2 tablespoons chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or oil lightly. Position one of your oven’s racks in the center. Preheat oven to 350 F. Process 3/4 of the oats in a food processor or blender until they are the consistency of coarse flour.

In a small bowl, mix the oil, maple syrup, chia seeds and vanilla until well combined; set aside and let sit so that the chia seeds enlarge. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and ground oats until well blended and then stir in the chocolate chips and nuts, if using. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until everything is well blended. Scoop out a tablespoon of the batter onto the prepared cookie sheets. Flatten the cookies slightly with damp fingers.

Bake, one cookie sheet at a time on the center rack, for 11 minutes (depending on your stove). Rotate the cookie sheet from front to back to ensure even baking. Bake 5 to 6 minutes more or until the cookies are golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and place the cookie sheet on a rack. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets for 5 to 6 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Enjoy!