Vegan & Gluten Free Brownies (ft. The Hidden Bean Bakeshop)

During my morning commute, I recently stumbled upon a sign on the side of a restaurant that said “Desserts is Stressed spelled backwards”.

It got me thinking.

First of all, mind blown, but also… I see their point. Sweet treats have a funny way of allowing us the chance to decompress.

Desserts are meant to be indulgent, simple pleasures among the day’s troubles and tribulations. But we often find our selves depressed or distraught, stress-eating over a pint of Chunky Monkey while watching Amy Schumer’s latest Netflix special. (Which, by the way, you should totally watch because it’s hilarious and empowering and relevant and probably not the best example to use for the analogy, but whatever).

The point is, when we feel like shit, we unintentionally choose the best weapon we can find and confuse it as medicine, faking us into a submissive ball of a human, absolutely convinced that it will help us feel better.

For adults, and the most evolved species on the planet, we’re pretty fucking stupid.

Going back to the restaurant sign — let’s break it down: DESSERTS = STRESSED, backwards. What they mean is, when you’re stressed, treat yo’self. And to this, I totally agree!

But there has to be a better way, because let’s be honest, we suck at will power. We are always pushing the envelope and the chronic “just one more bite” syndrome that always leaves us feeling worse than we did in the first place.

Face it, have you every finished an entire pie at 11PM in your pajamas and felt like “YASSSS QUEEN! I can conquer the world!”

No bitch. You know very well that you finished that pie, threw the plastic fork on the ground by the bed and fell asleep, only to go to work the next morning, sporting a salad for lunch with a side of Guilt dressing.

We go to work dreading our lunch breaks because we know we will resentfully scarf down a handful of kale instead of those french fries in the cafeteria that smell like heaven because we want to fool our colleagues into thinking we actually give a shit about our bodies. We don’t want to be that one non-salad-eating person of the group, and for women and gays, this is a big problem.

First of all, eat what you want girl. But also, you know, take care of yourself and exercise restraint and moderation and strap on some leggings and take that fierce french-fry-booty to a Zumba class. It’s all about balance, not making yourself miserable so you can hate-jog your way through life on a treadmill.

But now that I’m off my soap box, it’s time that I introduce you to some guilt-free, binge worthy desserts for those times you just want to veg out on the sofa, eat your feelings, and not wake up feeling like Bridget Jones (pre Mr. Darcy).

But first, let me introduce you to Kelsey Baumgarten.

Today’s post is inspired by this adorable Dietician and creator of The Hidden Bean Bakeshop, based in Vermont.

We met briefly at the Dorset Farmer’s Market during a weekend away with my husband and my mom. Her booth was sprinkled with samples, from cakes and whoopie pies; I was hooked.

You meet some of the most talented people in the most unexpected places.

Kelsey is a genius. Most of her baked goods are either gluten free, dairy free or completely vegan (although that’s not really the point). Her plan was to develop recipes with smarter, non-complicated ingredients to help bring our most craved desserts lower on the glycemic index; packed with protein and minimal saturated fat while not sacrificing any flavor. And I have to tell you, she did just that.

Normally, I’m a person who loves to bring back some of those lost art, traditional techniques in the kitchen. But of course, I love to discover and educate myself on new and alternative ways to cook, especially if it’s delicious. That said, I’ve been baking my way through Kelsey’s book for days and every single recipe is flawless — so good in fact, that most of my family has no idea that I’ve been feeding them BEAN based desserts for the last two weeks. Sorry guys.

Kelsey Baumgarten, Registered Dietician and creator of The Hidden Bean Bakeshop, based out of Brattleboro, Vermont

More about Kelsey and her journey here.

So without further ado, today we’re starting with my personal take one of Kelsey’s simple recipes: Black Bean Brownies!

**Note: The following recipe is gluten free, sugar free, and vegan (no eggs, dairy or honey)

You can of course feel free to substitute the flax and water for 1 egg, the syrup for sugar and the oil for butter. But I encourage you to try this recipe first is you’re interested in a tasty, healthier alternative to the “real thing”

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BLACK BEAN BROWNIES (yes, beans)

Ingredients:

• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed

• 1 Tbs Flax meal

• 1 Tbs Water

• 1 Tbs Black coffee

• 1/2 cup Coconut oil, melted (or vegetable oil)

• 1/4 cup Maple syrup or agave

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

• 1/2 Tbs Vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup Garbanzo bean flour (or gluten-free all purpose flour)

• 1/4 tsp Salt

• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

• 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips, sugar free

Vegan, Gluten-free & Sugar-free Brownies

Directions:

1. Preheat you oven to 350ºF, and lightly oil an 8” x 8” square baking pan. (For 9” x 13” pans, just double the recipe)

2. In a small cup or bowl, place flax meal and water, stir and let sit until it becomes gel-like, like an egg

3. Place the rinsed beans, flax egg, water, oil, syrup and vanilla and coffee in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

4. In a mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients, except the chocolate chips, and whisk together.

5. Pour the blended bean mixture into the mixing bowl and stir until everything is smooth and incorporated.

6. Stir in the chocolate chips.

7. Pour batter into pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until it’s set on top and a toothpick comes out clean.

8. Let cool, cut into squares and eat your heart out. (Not literally)