DELICIOUS CHOCOLATE Kidney Bean Brownies! This healthy easy recipe makes brownies with kidney beans instead of butter and oil! They are topped with the BEST peanut butter frosting! Easy to make them completely gluten free and vegan too!
If you had to ask me my favorite treat, it would be a 3 way tie.
First, there’s donuts. What’s not to love about them? They’re sweet, they have icing, they’re cute and circle shaped, they often have sprinkles. I just love them.
Recently, I’m all about scones and clotted cream. A nice big spoonful of cream. There’s a shop nearby that has mixed berry scones and it’s out of this world. It’s the best scone I ever had. I hope Matthew is reading this and understands this means I want a date to the scone place. As soon as possible. Thanks babe.
Third, there’s brownies. Just say the word “Brownie”. Don’t you feel better? It doesn’t matter if they are homemade brownies, bought in a shop, or made from a box. I’ll say yes to any brownie. My favorite brownies are moist and fudgy when you bite into them. There’s always a thick layer of frosting on top, to the point that it makes up 1/2 of the brownie. I need a brownie right now.
Did someone ask for a brownie? Ok, I did. Say hello to these Sorta Healthy Red Bean Brownies with Sinful Peanut Butter Frosting.
I like to call them sorta healthy because they are made with red beans (I love creating desserts with beans!). Instead of butter and a lot of oil, the red beans take care of that and make the brownies moist. I’m not calling them healthy because let’s be honest, if you want a brownie, you’re probably not going for healthy. In fact I’d say you have one goal: eat a brownie, make sure it’s delicious.
The Peanut Butter Frosting is sinful. The dictionary tells me that sinful means wicked; extremely enjoyable in a way that makes you feel guilty. And that’s pretty much this frosting. I made a tweet a few nights ago exclaiming that I couldn’t stop eating frosting. This was that frosting. It’s delicious. It will change your life. You will want to clean the bowl. You will clean the bowl.
The taste test for these brownies was pretty great.
When I made these a few nights ago, I left them in the fridge and Matthew exclaimed at midnight “Get these out of the house! They’re so great”. Then he went on to say “These might be the best brownies you ever made”. Well that caused a smile.
So the next day I took them to our work space where I fed a bunch of brownie loving late 20, early 30 year old men. I put them down around 12:30PM. When I went back at 3:05PM they were gone. The entire plate! Well that just made my day. Thankfully I got to grab one during lunch and I can agree, they are pretty darn amazing.
So next time you are in the brownie mood, a frosting mood, or just need a treat that will take all the worries away bake up a batch of these Sorta Healthy Red Bean Brownies with Sinful Peanut Butter Frosting!
More Chocolate Recipes You’ll Like:
Gooey Chocolate Butter Cake
Chocolate Avocado Brownies
Chocolate Chip Donuts
Chocolate Pretzel Cookies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies
Pin for later:
Kidney Bean Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting
PrintIngredients
For the brownies
- 1 15 oz can of kidney beans dark or light – drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup quick oats
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil can substitute coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
For the frosting
- 1/2 cup butter – melted
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/2 cup confectioners powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Sprinkles optional.
Instructions
Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips in a food processor. Pulse until smooth and creamy.
- Stir in chocolate chips and mix with spoon so they are equally distributed.
- Grease a 8×8 pan and pour brownie mixture in it. Take a spatula to smooth out the top.
- Bake the brownies for 16-18 minutes and remove from oven.
Frosting
- Put butter and peanut butter in a bowl and mix with electric mixer.
- Slowly pour in your powdered sugar a little at a time. When it starts to thicken, add your 2 tablespoons milk in and continue to mix. You should keep mixing for about 2-3 minutes until your frosting is fluffy. If it’s still thick, add a additional tablespoon of milk if needed.
- Once brownies are cool, spread your peanut butter frosting across them.
- Pat the frosting down with a spatula so it becomes a smooth layer. Add sprinkles on top and press down with spatula again.
- Put in refrigerator for one hour to let the frosting set.
- Cut into 20 brownie squares, enjoy!
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glamdevils says
Omg these brownies are definitely sinful!! I have never seen a recipe with red beans in it. I have to try this. Happy Saturday!!
xx
Bam's Kitchen says
Okay, I just had to take a moment to wipe the drool off of my keyboard. These brownies have all of my favorite factors, chewy delicious and peanut buttery. I am so pinning this one!
The Ninja Baker says
Are you my long lost daughter, Pamela? =) If I had a daughter, I do believe she’d have your tastes – well my excellent proclivity of grinning at and enjoying every scone, donut and brownie that crossed my path…And anything with peanut butter..Skippy’s was the one American item which was always in the cupboard in our Tokyo home.
This is long winded way to say thank you for a most gorgeous recipe, Pamela!
Juliana says
I like the idea of using beans for the brownies…and yes peanut butter frosting just look delicious all together.
Have a great week Pamela 🙂
Lux Ganzon says
So hard to resist something as decadent as this.
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
Love your photos! Love that frosting… I would definitely eat it up with a spoon 🙂 Pinned!
Ash-foodfashionparty says
I would love a box full of these. It looks sinfully delicious.
Btw Pamela, your pin it cats are so cute. Love the idea.
Dressed2dNines says
These looks sinfully yummy!
http://www.dressed2dnines.com
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
If these brownies take all our worries away, then I’m in – beans and all. They look really good with the sprinkly things on top of the peanut butter icing. Sprinkles just do it for me.
Shireen L. Platt says
Oh my goodness, that looks so darn good, Pamela! I love baking recipes because I am learning to bake and I say learning because most of the times they don’t turn out well. LOL! Can’t wait to give this a try! xx
Have a brilliant weekend!
Shireen | Reflection of Sanity
Stacy | Wicked Good Kitchen says
Wicked PB brownies, Pamela! What a way to make them both healthy and sinful at the same time. Thank you for sharing and have a great weekend!
Rosa says
Yummy yummi yumm!! Your pictures are so real, I would like to bite into them!!!!!
Definitively will try them!!
Have a nice week-end
Rosa
Styleyourselfinstyle.blogspot.com
Lena says
I have a soft spot for brownies and this really did it for me! Oh what a great recipe!! 🙂 xo~ Lena
http://www.felinecreatures.com
Suzanne says
I bet those beans make the brownies super moist, they certainly look that way. Really nice, I still love to look at your brownies with the fudge icing.
Allie Mackin says
Oh man this sounds GOOD! I will have to remember this for the next work pot luck.
Allie of ALLIENYC
allienyc.com
Margaret Dallospedale says
Hi sweetie
this recipe is amazing
It looks delicious
kisses
Maggie D.
Fashion Blog Maggie Dallospedale fashion diary
Francesca Romana Capizzi says
OMG, they look delicious, I am drooling here!
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Shauna says
I say YES to any brownie too! Seriously, yum -xx
Shauna
http://www.lipglossandlace.net
Susan says
I think you have all the most important food groups covered here 🙂 These brownies look amazing!
Kelly says
Haha I love your sorta healthy version of brownies! The oats and kidney beans are such a great idea! They look so decadent and delicious especially with the thick layer of peanut butter frosting! I love how easy they are to whip up too and can’t wait to try these!
Chris @ Shared Appetite says
Okay, first… what is the name of this scone place?!?! Asheley absolutely LOVES scones and I need to surprise her with some. C’mon, help me win #husbandoftheyear. And second, this choc PB combo… holy crap I need it in my life. And since it’s kinda sorta healthy, that’s good enough for me… I’m in!
Pamela says
Alice’s Tea Cup. They usually have 5 scone flavors a day, hopefully when you go there they’ll have the mixed berry! The buttermilk is great too!
Rachel (Rachel's Kitchen NZ) says
Mmmm – I think I had better keep these out of my kitchen;)
Shashi at Runninsrilankan says
Pamela – I SO SO LOVE that you used kidney beans and oats in these brownies! These are so my kind of brownies – and that peanut butter frosting does look totally sinful!
Kelly @ Hidden Fruits and Veggies says
I normally put black beans in my brownies, but they look SO tasty with red beans. I also love that the brownie to frosting ratio is 1:2. Mmm!
Jen @ Baked by an Introvert says
I’ve never had a red bean brownie. But I love these little Korean red bean filled buns and red bean ice cream. I must try the brownies. They sound even more fabulous with peanut butter frosting.
Monica says
Can I tell you…I just love ‘sorta healthy’ and ‘sinful’ together! haha. Brownies would be high on my list of favorites too…and I love that generous layer of the PB frosting on these. Bring it on!
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
bahahaaa I love that you made sorta healthy brownies and then topped them with that DECADENT, SINFUL, DEEEEELICIOUS frosting!! mmmmmmmmm yesssss
Emma | Fork & Good says
‘sorta’ healthy. I love that name. Erases all sins, but allows you to feel angelic. Great recipe! Happy new year too 🙂
Rachel Holliday says
Oh my gosh these look incredible! I’m totally gonna make them, especially cos they’re sort of healthy 😛 Take that diet!!
Rachel xx
http://www.thedailyluxe.net
Sues says
Mmmm brownies are awesome as is, but they’re made 8042 times better with peanut butter frosting!!