Black Bean Zucchini Brownies

Zeke, Yogi and I drove back to Carlsbad from Eugene this weekend, but not before we filled the car with fresh vegetables and goodies from my mother's amazing vegetable garden.

you see me rollin'

This morning I decided I needed to find a way to use the last of the zucchini I pilfered from my the garden.  (Every time I drive home from Oregon I load the car with tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, basil, apples, pears and anything else I can find growing in the backyard).

This is an easy, super moist and nutrient-packed dessert sweetened with a touch of honey.  Enjoy!

Though one of my favorite snacks is fresh veggies with hummus or sprinkled with basil and coconut aminos, I opted for a dessert to use of the rest of the zucchini, and thus, the Black Bean Zucchini Brownies were born.

Black Bean Zucchini Brownies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup black beans
1/4 cup raw honey
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup raw cacao powder
3/4 cup gluten-free oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1-3/4 cup shredded zucchini
1/4 cup nondairy chocolate chips
1/4 cup raw cacao nibs

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9" baking pan with parchment paper or coconut oil.

2.  Food process the gluten-free oats for several minutes, until fine.  

Set aside and add cacao powder, soda, powder and salt to the ground up oats.

3.  In a food processor, puree beans, and add honey, vanilla, and applesauce.  Add the wet to dry and add in zucchini and half the chocolate chips.

4.  Pour batter into pan, add 1/4 cup raw cacao nibs on top, and bake 25-35 minutes.

**notes: If you'd like a less sweet/healthier version, use all cacao nibs instead of nondairy chocolate chips.  If you want to taste the amazingness of nondairy chocolate chips, I highly recommend Enjoy Life as they don't use any soy or soy lecithin, which seems to be in most chocolate chips (bleh)

bake until the top is slightly cracked an an inserted toothpick or tester comes out pretty clean