Recipe of the Month: Vegan Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownie Bites

     Hi all!  I'm on a roll this week and wanted to try something new, both in the kitchen and here on Kelcie's Cravings.  That said, I want to start trying and reviewing a new clean eating/healthy recipe each month.

     Most recently, I tried my hand at making Vegan Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownies...yes, black bean brownies.  Now,  I'm not vegan, but I am sensitive to gluten, and I've been trying to decrease my grain consumption, so I thought I'd give these a try (plus, I was really curious about the black beans!)

     I found the recipe where I usually find most of my recipes, Pinterest (duh!) and the original recipe can be found at the blog minimalistbaker.

     The first thing I liked about this recipe is that I already had all the ingredients in my kitchen (yes, I have flaxseed meal and coconut oil on hand, and you should too!) Second, it was pretty easy to whip together.  The only hiccup I encountered was that my food processor was too small to puree all the ingredients together at once, so I had to blend in batches and transfer to a bigger bowl.  I would definitely recommend using a larger/full size food processor for this (mine is already on the Christmas list).

     For toppings, I added dark chocolate chunks and walnuts (not pictured) and made them in a standard size muffin pan.  The second batch I made, I added mini-chocolate chips in the batter and then topped it with peanut butter chips (per my co-workers request).  I also made them in a mini-muffin pan, because I didn't like how the first batch only made 11 brownies.

     Now, let's talk about taste....amazing!  I could NOT believe these were (a) flour free, (b) egg free, (c) milk free and last but not least (d) made with mostly black beans!  The texture was spot on to a more fudgy brownie and they truly would have had me fooled if I did not make them myself*.

     In my book, these get an A+.  They're delicious, nutritious, and did the job of satisfying my (rather large) sweet tooth sans the guilt trip.  My advice, break out the milk (cow's, almond, or soy, whichever you prefer) and make these for dessert tonight!

*To all the Mommies and Daddies out there, these are a great Food Fool for your little ones! They will never know all of great fiber, omega-3s, and other nutrients hiding in there!