Mini black bean brownie bites

These little brownie bites are a staple snack in our house – quick and easy to make, they are tasty little morsels and provide some wholefood nourishment too…

Made with black beans (you can’t taste them I promise!), they are quite satiating and provide some magnesium, plant based protein and fiber, while other ingredients like oats, cacao powder and tahini provide more fiber and magnesium along with some beneficial fats & a bit of calcium.

Ingredients (makes approx 16 mini bites):

• 1 tin of black beans (rinsed well)
• 2 TBSP cacao powder
• 1/2 cup oat flour (rolled oats whizzed in the food processor works fine)
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• A pinch of salt
• 1 TBSP tahini
• A dash of cinnamon
• OPTIONAL – dark choc chips &/or blueberries

Method:

• Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees (Celsius)
• Grease a mini muffin tray (or a square baking tray if you prefer)
• Combine all ingredients in a food processor and whizz till combined
  • stir in your choc chips/blueberries at this stage if using them and save some for decorating the top too
• Share mixture between muffin spaces (I find 2 tsp of mixture in each space works well)
• Pop the tray into the oven and cook for around 15 minutes
• Leave to cool before removing from the tray

Notes re substitutions

** Play around with the ingredients & flavours if you prefer to, some examples I have used to change things up at times are…

~ I have used both spelt flour & almond meal in place of the oats and both versions were tasty yet had different textures (the spelt flour version was more ‘cakey’ whilst the almond meal version was slightly drier).

~ Peanut butter or other nut butters can be used in place of tahini if you prefer