This recipe was a total accident. It was late at night, I had leftover cooked black beans, and I was trying to satisfy a craving, but instead of following my own recipe for Black Bean Chocolate Cherry Cookies, I doubted the consistency of the batter, improvised and changed things up, and it turned out to be cake! A really delicious cake!
The crumb of this treat is light and fully, but totally moist. I love how the chocolate chunks add great texture and flavour, while the cranberries add bursts of juicy tang that work so well to contrast the richness of the cacao. I used organic, juice-sweetened cranberries here (which you can find at health food stores and quality grocers), since the sugar-sweetened ones are overly sweet and often contain processed sugar and refined oils. Always check the label! And if you don’t eat eggs, substitute them with flax gel, made by combing 2 tablespoons of ground flax seeds mixed with 5 tablespoons of water and left to sit for 15 minutes.
Because this cake is so rich and delicious, it does not need any frosting. And for this reason, it’s perfect to take on the go with you, or pop in a lunch bag. I hope you love this delicious accident as much as I do! Happy snacking!
Black Bean Chocolate + Cranberry Snack Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups / 250g cooked black beans one 15 oz. can
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 organic eggs sub with 2 Tbsp. ground flax mixed with 5 Tbsp. water
- 2 Tbsp. coconut oil or ghee plus a touch more for greasing
- ½ cup / 60g almond flour
- ⅓ cup / 35g organic cocoa powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. flaky sea salt plus more for sprinkling
- ½ cup / 55g chopped dark chocolate 80% or higher
- ½ cup / 80g dried unsweetened cranberries or sweetened with juice
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8” x 8” brownie pan. Place well-rinsed and drained beans, maple syrup, vanilla, eggs and oil in a food processor and blend on high until completely smooth.
- Add the almond flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a food processor and blend until well combined. Remove blade from the food processor and add most of the chocolate (reserve a few pieces for garnish) and cranberries. Fold to incorporate.
- Pour batter into the prepared brownie pan. Using the back of a spatula, smooth out the top so that it is even, then sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chunks and coarse sea salt. Bake for 25-30 minutes until it passes the toothpick test.
- Let cool completely, then slice into squares, say thank you and enjoy. Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.
Notes
