Black Bean Brownies -- A Good Place to Start

A fair number of people have been asking for my black bean brownie recipe, so I figure that's as good a place to start as any. You see, I was looking for a treat I could make for a friend with celiac disease. I looked at hundreds of gluten-free recipes that all used some other grain flour substitute with xanthan gum or another binder to replace the wheat flour. 

Since I also belong to a group of people, many of whom avoid all grains, I was happy to stumble upon a recipe for Black Bean Brownies (see the comment below). I hadn't a clue how one could possibly get the consistency of a good brownie out of black beans, but it was definitely worth a try.
 
Being the experimenter and risk-taker that I am, I couldn't just follow the recipe exactly as written. I knew from previous projects about replacing eggs and/or oil with applesauce, and other little adaptations for "healthier" cooking (or improvising when you don't have a necessary ingredient). The resulting brownies were not only so well received by friends and acquaintances who were shocked to find out the base ingredient, but the recipe was requested by several people, including a baker and a caterer. 

My neighbor asked for the recipe and it became one of her regular contributions to our neighborhood gatherings. Since she recently moved away, I was bombarded with requests for the recipe at this last week's Labor Day gathering. So here it is, with my adaptations in italics.

The Best Black Bean Brownies (Flourless)

   Prep Time: 15 mins 
    Total Time: 45 mins
    Servings: 16

"No one will ever guess that black beans are the secret ingredient in this recipe! Surprisingly delicious, almost fudge like. taste really good cold ...Yummy! (from Whole Foods Blog)"

Ingredients

        1 (15 ounce) cans no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed  
              OR regular black beans
        3 large eggs
        1/3 cup butter, melted (plus more for the baking dish) OR 1/3 cup applesauce
        1/2 cup cocoa powder
        1 tsp baking powder
        1/8 tsp salt
        2 tsp vanilla extract OR lemon or almond extract
        1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar OR 1 Tbl stevia powder (eg truvia) 
               or 1/4 tsp pure stevia
        1 cup (dark) chocolate chips
        1/2 cup nuts, finely chopped (optional)

Directions

    Preheat oven to 350°F
    Butter an 8-inch baking pan. (Do not use a larger pan unless you increase the recipe.)
    Place the black beans, eggs, melted butter, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth.
    Remove the blade and carefully stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan.
    Bake the brownies for 30 to 35 (33) minutes, or until just set in the center. Do not overbake.
    Cool pan on wire rack before cutting into squares.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and come back for more nourishment for body and soul.