Black Bean Brownies with Citrus Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

If you’ve never made (or tasted) a pan of black bean brownies, this is your lucky day! These moist and chocolatey black bean brownies are absolutely delicious, use pantry staple items and are gluten-free. If you’re a fan of frosted brownies, my citrus almond cream cheese frosting won’t disappoint. You’re welcome.

Ingredients

• 1 (540 mL) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup (60 mL) softened butter
• 2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla extract
• ½ cup (125 mL) quality cocoa powder
• ½ cup (125 mL) dark chocolate chips
• ½ cup (125 mL) brown sugar
• ¼ cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
• ½ tsp (2 mL) baking powder
• ½ tsp (2 mL) salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).
2. Place beans in a bowl of food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until roughly chopped.
3. Add eggs, butter, and vanilla and pulse until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl when needed.
4. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until batter is very well combined.
5. Pour batter into an 8 X 8 inch square baking pan lined with parchment paper (check out my parchment paper trick at bottom of this post).
6. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until edges are set and center is slightly jiggly.
7. Remove from the oven and cool completely while making frosting.

Citrus Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

If you’re a fan of frosted brownies, this simple and flavourful frosting might be your new go-to! It yields about 1 ¼ cups (310 mL) – perfect amount for an 8 X 8-inch pan of brownies.

Ingredients

• 4 oz (120 g) brick-style cream cheese, room temperature
• ¼ cup (60 mL) butter (*I like salted butter)
• 1/3 cup (75 mL) icing sugar
• finely grated zest of one orange
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) 35% whipping cream
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) almond extract
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt

Garnish

• ½ cup (125 mL) sliced almonds, lightly toasted

1. Beat cream cheese with butter (on high speed) until just combined.
2. Beat in remaining ingredients until fluffy, about one minute.
3. Spread frosting evenly on brownies (if frosting seems too soft to spread, chill for about
   20 minutes).
4. Sprinkle toasted almonds evenly over the frosting and press lightly down with your hand. Chill for about one hour (this will make it easier to cut).
5. Cut into squares. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (but they won’t last that long!).
6. Makes 16 brownies.

Delicious & Doable Tips:

~ this frosting is also a tasty topper slathered on my Coconut Rum Blondies (page 127 of ‘Delicious & Doable’).

Watch clip below for parchment paper trick:

Charmaine Broughton is a Muskoka/Toronto-based cooking show host & guest expert and author of ‘Delicious & Doable ~ Recipes For Real and Everyday Life‘.

‘Delicious & Doable ~ Recipes For Real and Everyday Life’ is on Amazon! Get your copy today!