Who doesn’t love a fudgy brownie? I love when they are just slightly underdone and gooey, melty in the middle. I’m definitely a brownie purist and prefer the ones in the center of the pan. Not the ones with the dry edges on the outside. And please don’t ruin them with nuts. Bleh!
In keeping with the odd ingredient theme I’ve had lately, I ventured into a different kind of brownie. One that was low in calories, fat, and sugar so that I could enjoy while dieting down. I wasn’t sure one existed but I was determined to try.
I found an interesting recipe online and decided to modify it a bit to make a brownie for one. You can see a close up of the results to the left. I definitely don’t need a pan of these brownies laying around even if they are the healthy variety. That’s too much of a test of willpower right now.
My expectations weren’t very high going in, but I was shocked. This brownie in a mug was moist, fudgy and completely hid the secret ingredient. Who doesn’t love a cute, single serving brownie in mugcake form? The only downside to the recipe is that it requires the use of a blender or food processor before putting the batter into a mug for baking.
If at all possible, I try to streamline my recipes to avoid creating extra dirty dishes or needing to put effort into scraping every last bit of batter from behind the blender blades. Next time I’ll try pureeing the entire can of beans first and using it up as I make individual brownies. That should simplify the process a bit.
Blend once and after that just mix what you need in a mug. The first time I had my brownie topped with sugar free chocolate syrup. The second night I made a sauce with vanilla protein powder and drizzled with chocolate syrup. I highly recommend either version. Do what works with your diet and experiment.
Dark Chocolate Black Bean Brownie
- 1/2 cup (65g) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 scoop (14g) protein powder
- 1/3 package (15g) sugar free/fat free chocolate pudding mix
- 1 Tbsp (5g) unsweetened baking cocoa
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1-2 Tbsp water
Put all of the ingredients in a blender, Magic Bullet or food processor and blend until brownie batter consistency. You want to add enough water so that it blends and doesn’t jam up your blender, but not a ton. Add a tablespoon at a time and check after blending.
Scrape the batter into a mug sprayed with non-stick spray. Smooth the top with the back of the spoon if you want a flat topped brownie instead of lumpy. Microwave for 45 – 60 seconds until the top is dry. Pop out of the mug and enjoy as is or top with crazy toppings.
Makes 1 large brownie at approximately 165 calories – 18g protein, 24g carbs and 1g fat.
Notes
- I used vanilla flavored protein that is a whey protein isolate in this recipe. Chocolate would work well and make it even more of a chocolatey brownie. I haven’t tried it with a protein blend, but I assume that would work too. If you try a blend or different type of protein, let me know how well it worked out in the comments.
- I used Hershey’s Special Dark baking cocoa because I love it and it’s what I usually have on hand. Regular unsweetened baking cocoa would also work well.
- Use the dry pudding mix in this recipe, not the pre-made puddings in the cup. It may work if you use the pre-made and just don’t add the water. I can’t vouch for it though.
- You can probably use non-fat greek yogurt in place of the protein powder if you prefer. You may have to reduce the amount of water since the yogurt will already have liquid. I have not tried this version so report back in the comments if it works for you.
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Get as crazy as you want with toppings and add-ins. Espresso or instant coffee powder, chocolate chips, sprinkles mixed in would be delish.
Here’s where you can really get wild. The brownie batter has no eggs in it so you can safely eat it raw. Skip the microwaving step, and spread it on graham crackers, use it as a brownie dip, spread it on a tortilla and grill it into a warm brownie panini. You can see where my mind is going with this. š
I love hearing about your creations, so leave a comment below about your results or tag me in your pic on Twitter or Instagram under @AccidentalFit.
Thanks for the recipe. I tried it using Greek yogurt instead of protein powder. My problem is that it didn’t really bake. I put it in for one minute and let it sit in there for a few minutes. Then when I tried to eat it it was totally raw. So I put it in for another minute and let it sit again. But it’s still very soft and not set except for a thin layer on top. I don’t want to overcook it but have you heard how long to cook it until it’s more set?
I have a really old microwave so maybe there is a difference there. I’ve made the recipe 4 times with the protein powder and it cooked thoroughly. I wouldn’t think Greek yogurt would make a difference. You’re right that microwaving over and over might overcook it. Maybe next time try using 60% power and cooking for a bit longer – a minute or so at a time. I’d also turn the mug each time you check it to make sure it cooks evenly. Last week I did this same recipe using chick peas and left out the cocoa powder to make a blondie. Those turned out well too!