White Bean Blondies
When I say I have to biggest sweet tooth out there I mean I have the biggest sweet tooth out there. In high school, my best friend (hey Carly!) and I used to make these things called “candy salads” every weekend when we had our typical movie nights. Well we only really watched one movie, Mean Girls. And we actually made a candy salad, put all our favorite candies in a bowl, eat the whole thing and fill it back up. Today, I would like to say that I have complete willpower, that if there are cookies in my house that I won’t eat them. False, I’ll probably eat it and be okay with it, but think about what I did at the gym the next day.
Sweets has always been such a weakness of mine. I can never say no to a dessert that someone offers me, it is just too hard not to! I have gotten better with it over the years, but it will always be something that I need to work on. It’s not an issue to have a sugar addiction, but when you are trying to see results in your training reducing your sugar intake will help immensely. In the United States we all have a sugar addiction due to all the sneaky sugar big companies put into their products. High fructose corn syrup is a big factor of this, even plain white sugar isn’t good for you due to the bleaching process.
I know I just rambled, per usual, but my point being is always take into consideration what you are putting into your body. If you want candy, look for organic gummies. They now have them in traditional grocery stores (Ralphs, Albertsons, etc) so you can’t say you never see them. Eat pure dark chocolate, choose chocolate that has the least amount of ingredients.
Okay, I’m done rambling.
Moving forward...
When trying to live a healthy lifestyle and eat clean, I’m always looking for ways to turn my favorite treats into something that I don’t feel bad for eating. From my meal prep last week I had all these leftover beans in my fridge and I knew that if they didn’t go to use, we were going to have some science experiments. I remember a while ago having a black bean brownie at Native Foods Cafe, and it inspired me. Instead of wasting food like everyone else does, I thought of re-purposing the beans into something that I would actually enjoy doing.
When telling people in my life what my plan was, I got really strange looks, they thought I was crazy for wanting to make dessert from a bean. Little did they know that this tasty, healthy snack would change the way they felt about healthy desserts. Eating clean doesn’t mean you have to cut out every that you love to eat, you can live a little. What has helped me was taking traditional recipes and making them into something of my own. Something that I wouldn’t mind eating, that I would actually enjoy it.
Difference between canned vs dry beans:
Canned: convenient // still has to be rinsed and drained// added salt plus most companies don’t use a BPA free lining (always check labels)
Dry: economical// usually costs cheaper// takes longer to make// tastes more fresh
So it’s up to you on which you would prefer. In my experience canned is always a lot faster and just makes sense for someone who as a busy schedule. BUT if you do have the time, making them from scratch makes them taste a whole lot fresher. Just make sure to watch when you are storing them. Beans will start to sprout if they are closed tightly do to the moisture that gets trapped inside; you pretty much are making your own greenhouse. When storing, just place a paper towel over the top of your container to avoid this issue happening. If your beans are close to being at the end point, turning them into blondies is the best idea.
Making these blondies was way too easy as well. There was no, mix this and this together and add to that one 1 tbsp at a time. All you do is throw everything into a food processor, hit blend and within minutes you have a smooth blondie batter. It was honestly so hard for me at this point to not just take the bowl, plop down on the couch with a spoon and turn on Harry Potter. Without eggs being in the batter, you can eat the whole thing if you want, and you don’t have to tell anyone about it.
You can either make these in muffin tins or a traditional brownie pan, depending on what you prefer. I made little blondie bites and they were a prefect snack!
Choosing a lifestyle of eating clean doesn’t have to be boring. You can eat amazing food just by knowing healthier alternative that you can use instead. You can make cakes, cookies, and brownies that you love just by changing up the ingredients. You can add protein powder to any baked goods to add more protein as well as nutrients. You don’t have to limit yourself, don’t let online diets tell you that you can’t enjoy certain foods. Turn your favorites into something healthy that you don’t mind eating.
Let’s stop talking now!
Servings: 15
Vegan and Gluten Free
Category: Dessert
Prep time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 18 minutes
Ingredients:
1 ½ cup white beans (I used great northern)
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp himalayan pink salt
½ cup maple syrup (or use agave; if using honey it will no longer be vegan)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup + 2 tbsp oats (I used Coach’s Oats)
¼ cup coconut oil (can also use vegan butter)
Unsweetened coconut flakes (optional for topping)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F
Throw everything besides coconut flakes into food processor
Blend for about 1-2 minutes until batter is smooth, you might need to stop to scrape down sides to make sure everything is incorporated
Place muffin tins into muffin pans, spray with cooking spray to avoid sticking
Pour out batter about a little over ½ of the way up
If adding coconut flakes, sprinkle a little bit on top and gently press slightly into batter
Bake for about 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick in center comes out clean
Give this recipe a try!
Let me know what you think :)