It's Reinin' Deer

It’s reinin’ deeeeer. Okay well not exactly, but I did make a dozen black bean reindeer brownies. That’s kind of the same thing, right? December is a time to bake, and for some us, sometimes baked fruit won’t cut it. Sometimes, we want our cake and eat it too. Well, how about if our baked goods offered more than just sugar and fat? Would that be a better option? Absolutely. Moderation and healthier options are two important factors to make it through the holidays. Although these brownies still contain added sugar,

the black beans offer fibre and protein making it a better choice than a typical holiday brownie. It also contains healthy fats and is lower in sodium. Reducing the amount of chocolate chips helped to decrease the sugar content. Careful with how much icing is used to decorate the brownies, as this will affect the caloric and sugar content. I used olive oil to enhance the flavour of the chocolate, but canola oil can be used for a more neutral flavour. To make this recipe even more healthier, consume the brownie plain.

Reindeer Black Bean Brownies

Serves 12

Ingredients

Cooking spray

15oz black beans, canned, rinsed, drained

3 tbsp olive oil

1/3c chocolate chips, semi-sweet or dark

3 eggs, large

1 tbsp pure vanilla or vanilla extract

2/3c brown sugar, packed

1/2c cocoa powder, unsweetened

½ tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp sea salt

Chocolate icing (optional)

24 each M&M, milk chocolate (optional)

24 each pretzels, mini (optional)

24 each candy eyes (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease a 12 - cup muffin pan with cooking spray. Set aside

In a food processor, blend together the black beans, olive oil and chocolate chips until relatively smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and sea salt - blend to a puree.

Spoon out the mixture and divide amongst the muffin cups. Bake for approximately 22-25 minutes.

When baked, cool on a wire rack. Using a small amount of icing decorate each brownie with the m&m, pretzels and candy eyes or enjoy it plain!.

Nutritional Information (per 1 brownie with M&M, pretzels and candy eyes):

Energy: 180kcal Protein:4g Fat:6g (2g saturated) Carbohydrates: 29g Fibre:5g