Today’s recipe is sponsored by Silk. They make the thick and creamy Unsweetened Cashewmilk that’s in these irresistible brownies!
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you may recall that I’m a huge baseball fan. I listen to games on the radio while baking and photographing in the afternoons, I watch more baseball games on TV than I do shows on the Food Network, and my dad and I are in the process of visiting all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums together (we’ve checked off 22 so far!).
However, when my guy and I first met, he barely cared about baseball and only watched the World Series in October, if he remembered about it at all. Instead, he paid attention to hockey and football, and he obsessed over those sports the way I did baseball.
Thank goodness those three sports’ seasons only slightly overlap… Otherwise we could’ve had quite a few fights over the remote!
So during the winter once the World Series ended, the TV played football game after football game on Sundays, as well as the featured matchups on Monday nights, so my guy could keep an eye on his Fantasy Football team in the bracket he participated in with his college friends. Over time, I slowly learned to appreciate the game and even started reminding him to make his fantasy picks on Saturdays so he wouldn’t forget.
But the thing that helped me slowly start to like football the most was…
The food.
Things like chili, cornbread, shredded BBQ chicken, baked fries, loaded nachos, potato skins… Although my guy loved the original kinds, I usually made slightly healthier versions of those cozy comfort foods for me.
And then the sweets. Partway through the season, I had the epiphany that the actual football was brown… And chocolate was brown… So chocolate desserts could easily be turned into super cute football-themed treats!
It’s the perfect excuse for eating extra brownies, right?
And now, I created a fun twist on regular brownie bites to enjoy this season: these Flourless Football Brownie Bites! They’re extremely fudgy and decadent, and nobody could tell that they contain no butter, dairy, flour, or refined sugar. I’d definitely call that a touchdown!
Besides, they’re just so cute…
Can you keep a secret?
Instead of flour or melted chocolate, these brownie bites are held together with a special ingredient… Black beans! I know, I know. It sounds crazy to put beans in dessert. But trust me on this! Their flavor completely disappears after baking and letting the brownies cool, and they contribute to the extremely fugdy texture.
Plus the black beans add a big protein boost. That’s a win-win in my book!
Now, just a word of caution… Do NOT taste the brownie batter! The black beans’ flavor is very prominent in the raw batter, so avoid the temptation to lick the bowl. I promise you can’t taste them after baking!
As for the rest of the ingredients, they’re a little more predictable. To keep the brownie bites lighter and lower in calories, you’ll use cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate, extra egg whites instead of butter, and Silk Unsweetened Cashewmilk instead of heavy cream. I absolutely love how the Silk Unsweetened Cashewmilk is thick and creamy, and it adds a similar texture as heavy cream for just a fraction of the calories—only 25 calories per cup! For this reason, I actually buy more cashewmilk than nonfat milk. It’s truly a staple in my fridge!
The best part of this recipe is that you only need one bowl—and that’s your food processor! Simply add all of the ingredients to that, and pulse until the mixture is extremely smooth. You want to minimize the pieces of black beans to keep the texture fudgy and the taste as chocolaty as possible!
For the best flavor and texture, it’s very important to let the brownie bites cool completely to room temperature and let them rest for at least 3 hours before eating. This helps eliminate any lingering black bean taste and ensures the texture stays extremely fudgy.
Then decorate with a little icing and enjoy your Meatless Monday Night football games!
For more fun and easy dairy-free recipes that sideline meat—and for your chance to win an exclusive giveaway!—visit Silk’s website!
| Flourless Brownie Bites | | Print |
- for the brownies
- 1 (15oz) can reduced sodium black beans, thoroughly rinsed and drained
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- ½ cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup (120mL) pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup (60mL) Silk Unsweetened Cashewmilk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- for the icing
- 5 tsp confectioners style stevia
- 1 tsp Silk Unsweetened Cashewmilk
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line 24 mini muffin cups with cupcake liners, and lightly coat with cooking spray.
- To prepare the brownies, add all of the ingredients in the order listed to a large food processor or blender. Purée until completely smooth. Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 300°F for 14-18 minutes or until the tops look slightly glossy in the center and done around the edges. Cool completely to room temperature in the muffin cups before removing. Let the brownies rest for at least an additional 2 hours for the fudgiest texture.
- To prepare the icing, whisk together the ingredients in a small bowl. Transfer the icing to a zip-topped bag, cut off a small corner, and pipe on top of the cooled brownie bites.
For a vegan version, substitute 1 ½ tablespoons of this egg replacer plus 6 tablespoons of water instead of the egg whites.
Any milk may be substituted in place of the Silk Unsweetened Cashewmilk.
It’s important to line the mini muffin cups with cupcake liners to make it easier to pop the brownie bites out of the tin.
{gluten-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I am going to make them today. I like that I have all the ingredients except the milk.
Sincerely
Pat
Can you use whole eggs instead of just the whites? I hate wasting a egg yolk and eggs are free Zero points on WW blue.
Would I use only 2 eggs instead of 3 whites?
Thanks
Susan
Hi there… just wondering ,with the flourless brownies,for football day… instead of 3 egg whites,can I use 1 whole egg and some flax seed replacement?
They look so delicious. Thank you. Pam
Super Yummy! I made them in a 8×8 pan instead of brownie bites. I found that the edge pieces held their shape really well but the middle was a bit to soft the cut and hold. I think if I had cooked them longer or made them in a muffin tin they would have been fine. It still tasted amazing though even if some of it was messy!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these brownies, Harper! Thank you for taking the time to let me know! 🙂
How long did you bake your 8″-square pan of brownies? Did you cut into them while they were still warm, by any chance?
With my other 8″-square pan brownie recipes, I’ve found that the center continues to set and firm up as they both cool and then rest at room temperature. For the best fudgy (but not messy!) center texture, it seems like letting the pan rest for 6+ hours once at room temperature yields the best results. (Or, if you’re in a rush, refrigerate the pan for 2-3+ hours once the pan has completely reached room temperature! 😉 )
Pardon all the recipe questions Amy! 🙂
Could I use a can of pumpkin or even tofu instead of the black beans? Thanks!
I haven’t tried using either, so I’m not personally sure and don’t want to lead you astray. If you do end up making this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think of these brownies, Caroline! 🙂
Would I be able to use agave nectar, In place of maple syrup?
We appreciate your interest in this recipe, Leslie! Yes, agave nectar can be used in place of the maple syrup no problem! We’d love to hear what you think about these brownie bites! 🙂
They’re so delicious! I made them last night. I even tried the batter haha And it wasn’t black beanish, as I thought it would be. Thank you for sharing!
Yay! I’m so happy you were able to try these brownie bites and that they turned out great! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and comment, it really means a lot! 🙂
Would I be able to use chicken peas in place of black beans for these brownies
We haven’t tried substituting chickpeas before, so I’m not sure and wouldn’t want to lead you astray! I have a feeling it could turn out okay, and would definitely be a fun experiment! If you decide to test it out on your own, I would be very interested to hear about your results!