Two-Ingredient Brownies

I love this recipe because it is delicious, simple and very quick. I love a dessert recipe that doesn’t require every pot and pan I own and hours of prep and clean up.

This is actually started as a veganized version of my absolute favorite dessert recipe. For my birthday each year, before I was vegan, I would make brownies that had York Peppermint Patties in the middle. It was the perfect combination of warm gooey brownie and cool mint. I would always make a batch and bring them to work or school.

Alas, York Peppermint Patties are not vegan. There are vegan alternatives but this is a budget blog. This recipe costs less than 3 dollars to make a whole pan!

It cheats because one of the ingredients is an accidentally boxed brownie mix. But can you guess the other main ingredient? Black beans! I’m sure you’ve heard of many black bean brownie recipes but this one is by far the easiest. While recipe testing I wasn’t so sure. I, like some of you, probably are nervous about using a can of beans in a dessert. You cannot taste it at all even before baked. Trust me, I ate a lot of batter.

The first time I made this recipe I used a bit of peppermint extract to mimic the brownies for my birthday. But since then I’ve added Oreos (think of the many flavors and the endless possibilities!), nuts, melted peanut butter and other vegan candies. This base recipe is simple and makes ooey gooey brownies on its own but you can easily step it up a notch for whatever you’re feeling.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Bake time: 45 minutes

Total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

15 once can of black beans

About 1 cup of water (You can substitute plant based milk too, I’ve used almond, soy and chocolate soy milk)

Box of accidentally vegan brownie mix.

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Rinse, drain and return your black beans to their can.

3. Fill the remaining space in the can of black beans with the liquid of your choice, water or plant milk.

4. Pour the contents of the can into a blender. Blend until completely smooth.

5. Empty the contents of the brownie mix into a large bowl. Pour over the black bean mixture and mix well*

6. Add brownie batter to a greased 8 x 8 pan and bake for 45 minutes until a knife comes out clean.

7. Let cool (pop it into the fridge to cool faster!) cut and eat all of it.

*This is where you can add your extras (a teaspoon of peppermint extract, a handful of chocolate chips, nuts etc. If you’re adding nut butter I recommend melting and adding it after you pour the batter into the baking dish. That way you can swirl it around to make a marble design. If you’re adding cookies pour a small amount of batter in the bottom then add the cookies and pour the remaining batter on top.

Please let me know if you try this recipe out and what you think!