Going vegan is nothing short of a personal, dietary revolution. I’d sugarcoat that truth for ya, but in our home we need to monitor our glucose as well as cholesterol..so yeah, NO colorful sprinkles on this chunk of tofu 4 u – sorry!!

Avoiding meat and refined sugar is like avoiding flying AND driving..you can still get to cool places, you just need to embrace boats and buses and invest in a really good bike. 👍 So in the spirit of taking the scenic detour to Dessert Island, I give you my daughter’s (slightly tweaked) brownie recipe-best I have tried to date.. (and yes, it calls for dates..😂)

ENJOY!

VEGAN BROWNIE INGREDIENTS:
15oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup date paste
1 tsp vanilla extract 
3 TBSP cashew (or almond) butter
1/2 cup cacao powder
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

*Optional: Big pinch of salt and brownie toppings- chopped walnuts or dark chocolate (Yes, I would add!)

VEGAN BROWNIE DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 or 9-inch pan with parchment paper (or use a silicone cake pan). Combine the beans, date paste, vanilla extract, nut butter and cacao powder in a food processor and blend just until smooth. Add the rolled oats, baking powder, and baking soda and process just until combined-add toppings. Spread batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with additional optional topping(s). Bake for 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and cut into wedges once completely cool.