For ages now I’ve been struggling with what delicious treats I can make for my gluten-free friend Hilary when we have our regular eat-food-and-drink-wine nights. I always want to make cakes but can never get around to buying gluten-free flour.

I’d heard of this idea a while ago, but for some reason the two concepts never clicked together. I had heard that the black beans work as the gluten in the recipe, but to veganise this I used pureed banana as an egg-replacer and coconut oil instead of butter. The coffee helps to bring a new depth to the flavours, and the whole thing turns out perfectly once cooled – and suitable for gluten-free diets!

You can’t even tell that these brownies are flourless. No, seriously, you can’t. I’d even press someone to release that they were vegan, which might make them the perfect thing to take to a bake sale or potluck when you want to surreptitiously prove to someone that vegan treats are amazing. Not that I do that sort of thing.

You’ll need:
(Makes 12-16 brownies)
2 cups black beans, cooked and drained / canned black beans, drained
1 tbsp coconut oil or other oil
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 pureed banana
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp dark coffee
1 cup cashew nuts, roughly chopped

Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Blend together the beans, oil, cocoa, sugar, banana, baking powder, vanilla and coffee
Stir in the cashews and mix evenly
Spread the mixture into a 8×8 inch greased baking tin
Bake for 30-40 minutes, til a toothpick comes out clean
Allow to fully cool, cut into 12-16 brownies, and serve

As these are flour-free, they should actually be bloat-free, even for those of us who don’t have a problem with gluten! They’re also a great source of protein, and apart from the sugar (which is relatively sparse for brownies), they’re quite guilt-free. You can use grated raw cacao instead of cocoa if you have it, and you can substitute for your favourite kind of nuts – macadamias would be particularly amazing!

These are beautifully fudgey and are great for both kids and adults alike. This recipe is definitely going on the regular board in the EV house!