Opinion – Terra Vegana: I put beans in the brownie and it was very good; learn the recipe

Today’s recipe may raise the question: why in their right mind would anyone put beans in a brownie?

For proteins, I confess — but not without fear of pretending to be a spreader of nutritional terrorism. The search for a protein-rich diet is one of the syndromes of our times. In supermarkets, there are numerous options for bars, yogurts, breads and cookies “enriched” with protein.

It’s as if the food we always ate had become insufficient. And, in the case of those who follow a 100% plant-based diet, the question of whether or not the diet is rich enough in the blessed proteins is even greater.

I myself have caught myself choosing a quick snack in front of a shelf, with a package in my hand, deceived by the big numbers and letters: “20 g of protein”. If the ingredients list revealed that that product was an ultra-processed product disguised as a good guy, it was something I only noticed when I threw the packaging in the trash.

That’s when I decided to create my own “protein snacks” and put beans in the brownie, for example.

In the middle of the morning or in the afternoon, when hunger strikes, this brownie brings satiety and still makes the stomach of those who like a sweetie happy. To avoid misleading advertising, it is worth mentioning that this brownie is not very sweet — it makes more of a snack than a dessert —, but the ants on duty can add more sugar, or serve with a scoop of ice cream after lunch, if you prefer.

In this vegan version, we replaced the eggs with flaxseed flour, and the butter with coconut oil (in a small amount, so that no nutritionist can fault it).

When choosing chocolate, pay attention to the ingredients list to ensure it does not contain cow’s milk (or whey). Usually (but not always) chocolates that contain 70% or more of cocoa in the composition are 100% plant-based.

If the animals we eat “contain protein” it is precisely because they managed to find it in vegetables, a path that we can also do, without shortcuts, even in an innocent piece of brownie.

vegan brownie

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups cooked (unsalted) black beans, without the broth

4 tablespoons of coconut oil

¼ cup of coconut milk

½ cup demerara sugar, or your favorite sugar

¾ cup cocoa powder

40 g of 70% chocolate

2 tablespoons of oat flour

3 tablespoons of flaxseed flour

7 tablespoons of water

1 tbsp peanut butter + 1 tsp coconut oil (topping)

PREPARATION

1. Pre-heat the oven at 180 °.

2. Mix the flaxseed meal with the water and set aside for 15 minutes. This is the “egg” of your brownie!

3. Add the cooked black beans, coconut oil and coconut milk to a food processor (or blender). Blend until obtaining a homogeneous mass.

4. Add the sugar and beat again until it is incorporated into the dough.

5. Transfer the dough to a bowl and add the “egg”, oatmeal and cocoa powder. Mix well until the cocoa is completely incorporated into the dough.

6. Cut the chocolate into pieces, add ¾ of the amount to the dough and mix. Book the rest.

7. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes, or until the brownie forms a crust.

8. Mix the topping ingredients. When the brownie is baked, remove from the oven and spread the frosting on top. Finish with the reserved chocolate pieces and wait to cool before cutting!

The brownie can be frozen in pieces for up to three months in the freezer, a great tip to guarantee the “protein snack” with real food.