I have tried a few recipes and a few tweaks over the past year before settling on something both my son and I consistently enjoy. The only non-whole food ingredient is the chocolate chips.Ingredients

3 cups black beans (about 2 cans, drained and rinsed, but FYI I have only made these using home-prepared black beans from dry beans)

1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s special dark because our new grocery doesn’t carry Guittard; use your fave)

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup dates

1 banana

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup dark chocolate chips + more if desired, and for optional topping

Optional 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans + more if desired, and for optional topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a 9×9 baking pan (I use a light coating of olive oil, but you could line the pan with parchment paper, instead.)

Using a food processor, blend all ingredients except the chocolate chips. If you want to include nuts, you can blend them in or stir them in later, or just use them as a topping. It’s all you. (Note: If your dates are particularly dry, you may want to soak them in water, drain them, and/or blend them first. I did try this with homemade date paste instead but it was too moist/soggy for my taste.)

Stir in chocolate chips. (And optional nuts.)

Pour into pan and smooth the top.

Optional: If you are not giving these to a toddler, you can top with additional chocolate chips and optional nuts. (Mine will just eat the chocolate chips off the top and then leave the brownie.)

Bake at 350F for 20 – 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely for firm brownies. Slice and serve. Store leftovers in the fridge.

I adapted this recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie here. Because of the dates and banana substitution, I don’t find these brownies as convincing as the original recipe, but they are closer to WFPB. From a flavor and texture perspective, I think they stand up better when they’re fresh from the oven than after refrigeration. Even so, I like keeping a pan in the fridge because a) it’s the only way (so far) I can get my son to eat black beans, and b) I love them as a relatively healthy, filling solution to late night sugar/snack cravings. 🙂