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–+ servings
black bean chocolate muffin with a bite out
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Chocolate Black Bean Muffins

These Chocolate Blackbean Muffins are naturally sweet,  light and have loads of rich chocolate flavour.  They are soft and moist and there is not a hint of blackbean taste in sight.  These are not your average chocolate muffin. 
Course Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 12 muffins
Calories 196kcal
Author Kim

Equipment

  • Food Processor (needed to mash black beans)

Ingredients

  • 2 x 14 oz 420gram tin Blackbeans, drained and rinsed
  • ⅔ cup Almond Meal
  • 1 medium Ripe Banana
  • 4 medium eggs
  • 6 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • 4 tablespoons tap water
  • 20 regular Medjool Dates seeds removed and room temperature
  • ½ cup Brown sweetener that measures like sugar
  • 2 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
  • 2 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
  • Spray Oil to spray muffin cases

Optional

  • 2 tablespoon Instant coffee dissolved in water (cooled)

Instructions

  • Preheat fan oven to 180 C / 360 F
  • Add dates and tap water to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute on high.
  • Add dates and drained and rinsed blackbeans to food processor and blitz for 30 seconds or until a rough paste is formed
  • Add remaining ingredients to food processor and blitz until combined and a chocolate batter has formed. You may need to pause the food processor and scrape down the batter from the edges so that it is thoroughly mixed in.
  • Spray a two 6 hole silicone muffin trays with olive oil spray and spoon mixture evenly between each one
  • Bake for 25 mins at 180 degrees C / 360 F

Notes

  1. I used an 8 cup food processor
  2. Blackbeans: Use whatever brand of canned blackbeans you have available.  Make sure to drain the brine and to rinse the beans under tap water to remove the liquid.  I find using a colander or metal strainer works well to strain the brine, rinse the beans
  3. Almond Meal: this is the courser variety, not to be confused with almond flour which is much finer.  Using Almond meal helps to keep the muffins light and airy.  I have made them with almond flour and they tend to come out more dense, although still very delicious
  4. Banana: this adds additional moistness and flavour to the muffins.  Make sure to use a very ripe banana.  The riper the better as it will also add sweetness as well.
  5. Eggs: room temperature eggs are ideal, however straight from the fridge is fine too.  The eggs in this recipe help to really increase the protein factor.
  6. Cocoa Powder: I use unsweetened cocoa powder which is generally available in the health food aisle at the supermarket.
  7. Dates: Medjool dates are the best for this recipe as they are sweet, plump and juicy with a caramel like taste.  They also have a softer skin which makes them perfect for blitzing up so that they disappear into the muffin mixture.  
  8. Sweetener: I use the brand “Raw Earth” Brown Sweetener which looks like brown sugar and adds a lovely sweetness.  Alternatively you could also use white or golden Monkfruit sweetener that measures like sugar, or even granulated stevia that measures like sugar.
  9. Vanilla Essence: this adds a layer of flavour and helps to disguise the blackbean taste
  10. Coffee: I use instant coffee dissolved in water that has cooled down.  The coffee is an optional flavour add in, and I don’t always use it.  It adds a richness and depth to the flavour but its not essential.
  11. Baking Powder: this is essential to help the muffins rise.  If you haven’t used your baking powder in over 4 or 5 months, its best to buy a new one as it looses its power over time.  Using baking powder that is past its best will leave you with muffins that are flat on top instead of that nice dome effect
  12. Spray Oil: I use an olive oil spray which works well, but similarly a vegetable oil spray or coconut oil spray would work well.  Avoid using avocado oil spray, peanut oil spray or any kind of sesame oil.
  13. How To Store: These muffins are best stored in an air tight container in the fridge as they are more moist than traditional flour based muffins.  They’ll keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
  14. How To Freeze: Wait till muffins have cooled to room temperature and them place them in ziplock bags.  Either one per bag, or multiple. 
  15. How To Defrost: The best way is to let them come to room temperature naturally in the ziplock bag
  16. FLAVOUR ADDINS
    • Chocolate Chips: adding in sugar free white or dark chocolate chips is a great way to add even more chocolate flavour
    • Dried Blueberries: These add a tiny hit of sweetness and chocolate and blueberries work so well together.  About ½ cup is ideal to add to the batter after it has been blitzed in the food processor.  Just remove the blade and stir the blueberries through.
    • Orange: for a chocolate orange twist, grate the zest of an orange into the batter before blitzing
    • Peanut Butter: Add 2 tablespoons to the ingredients before blitzing to ensure its thoroughly mixed through
    • Walnuts: crumble 1 cup of walnuts and sprinkle on top of each muffin right before putting in the oven, or alternatively, add the crumbled walnuts to the batter after blitzing.  (make sure to remove the blade before stirring through)

Nutrition

Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 12g