Flourless mocha bean cookies
I’m sure we’ve all been amazed by the idea of the black bean brownie, of which variations abound in food magazines and on many blogs. It’s possible I’m the only one in the vegan community who has never tried them. That’s not to say I haven’t done my fair share of bean experiments, but I think I’ve somehow managed to surpass the all-mighty bean brownie and discovered a new love.
Oops…did I just spoil the surprise?
Yes, that means there are beans in these cookies. What’s not to love about that?
After being captivated by these chocolate black bean power cookies a few days ago, I immediately decided I needed to make my own. In order to create flourless cookies, I incorporated black beans as well as chickpeas to get the soft, fudgy consistency I wanted. I also bought some organic coffee extract during a recent visit to the states, and it makes a wonderful addition here, moving the fudgy chocolate flavour to a whole new level. My husband is currently on a hazelnut coffee kick, so I thought, Why not add some hazelnuts and dark chocolate, too?
It turns out my spontaneous experiments were a success. Everyone who tried these had no idea they were made of beans! Seriously, they were completely fooled. If you make them, I promise you will be, too.
I originally called these flourless cappuccino cookies when I revealed by experiments on Facebook the other day, but I decided that because of the flavour pairing, the mocha bean name makes more sense. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed
- 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 tbsp ground chia seeds (or flax meal)
- 1/2 tsp pure coffee extract
- 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (or other nuts), plus more for cookie tops
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, plus more for cookie tops
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar, for cookie tops
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F and line a cookie sheet with Silpat or parchment paper.
- Using a food processor, process the black beans, chickpeas, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt until it turns into a thick, flour-like consistency.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, coconut oil, chia seeds and coffee extract until well combined. Pour the mixture into the food processor and process until smooth. I let my processor run for about two minutes and scrapped down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
- Remove the processor bowl from the base and remove the blade. Fold in the chopped hazelnuts and chocolate chips. Alternatively, you can transfer the mixture to another bowl before folding in the nuts and chips.
- Using a cookie scoop, drop rounds onto the prepared cookie sheet and use a wet finger or the back of a spoon to flatten and mold into cookie shapes. Keep in mind they won't spread while baking. Add a few more nuts and chocolate chips to the top of each cookie.
- Bake the cookies at 375F for about 18 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies are fairly dry to the touch. You don't want the middle to feel too wet or the cookies will be very fudge-like. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle coconut sugar on each cookie. Allow the cookies to cool completely before removing from the pan. Cookies can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge.
Notes
Recipe inspired by Sarah's recipe and David's recipe.
Wow, that’s an impressive ingredient list… they look delicous!
Thanks, Christa! I hope you get a chance to try them.
YUM! I’m slightly obsessed with black beans…. I’ve been making mousse creations with the tasty little fellas lately – am totally in love with the idea of using them in a cookie – fudgy delight for sure
Thanks, Lou! I’m glad to hear you’re a fan of beans, too
I was just perusing the web world for a cookie recipe for ice cream sandwiches. Do you think they’d hold up?
They are fairly soft cookies but I think they might work. I’d suggest freezing them for an hour before filling with ice cream, just so they are firm enough to hold up. Let me know how it goes!