Gluten-free black bean brownies: a compliant snack for Arbonne & FMD

If you’re starting a clean-eating challenge, like Arbonne’s 30-day body transformation challenge or a lifestyle overhaul that includes an eating program like the Fast Metabolism Diet, you’re going to need good-quality snacks that taste amazing to feel satisfied and stay the course.

For me, a chocolate snack or dessert when I’m following a very prescribed lifestyle program is a must. And these gluten-free black bean brownies are so good that my kids have NO IDEA they’re full of healthy fats, lots of protein, fibre — and even support your body’s copper, folic acid and vitamin B1 needs.

There are two versions below. I’ve been making the FMD-compliant brownies for two years and have perfected the recipe (which you can find at the very end of this post), but I spent the weekend testing a version that incorporates Arbonne Essentials Chocolate Protein Powder because I’m starting this program tomorrow. Because being down with a broken ankle means I can’t get to my beloved Orangetheory classes, and I need something very prescriptive to ensure I don’t gain back all the weight I’ve worked so hard to lose over the past four months.

If you want to do this program with me, my friend is an Arbonne rep and you can join us!

But let’s dive into these brownies…

Preheat your oven to 350°F (or 325 on your convection oven).

Pull out a large muffin tray and 12 silicone baking cups. Recipe makes 12 black bean brownies.

I use a Vitamix for the entire process, with the tamper. You can probably also use a food processor or Kitchen-Aid stand mixer with similar results (with the latter two, however, I’d probably pulse the salt and Xyla first to get them down to a more refined texture).

Put all of the following ingredients into the Vitamix:

• 1 small can of organic black beans
• 3 large free-range eggs
• 4 tbsp raw coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup Arbonne chocolate protein powder
• 1/2 cup Bulletproof raw cacao powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Use a maximum of 1/2 cup Xyla (less will give you a darker, bittersweet chocolate flavour and more will make the brownies sweeter; you may have to try a few batches to get it to your perfect taste — we use about 1cm less than it takes to get to the line of the 1/2 measuring cup)
• 1 1/2 tsp non-GMO baking powder

Save these for later…

• Optional compliant toppings: crushed walnuts or slivered almonds
• Optional non-compliant toppings (which I use for my kids’ brownies): semi-sweet dark chocolate chips, mini marshmallows

These are my preferred brands. Remember that not all xylitol is created equally — here’s my Xyla review.

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients, using tamper, on low speed. You want the consistency to be smooth and like frosting. You shouldn’t need to thin it out if you follow the ingredients above to the letter, but if you do, just add a touch of filtered water or non-dairy milk of your choosing.
2. Put silicone baking cups in your muffin pan (spray muffin pan with organic coconut oil if you don’t have baking cups).
3. Spoon out a heaping tablespoon of the mixture into each cup; add a layer of chopped nuts or a couple of chocolate chips, if desired.
4. Then top evenly with the remaining mixture. Top with a few more nuts or a mini marshmallow, if desired.
5. Bake for 20 minutes at about 350C and check doneness by inserting a toothpick. If it doesn’t come out clean, put the brownies back in the oven for another two minutes.

That’s it! Now let them sit in the pan to cool off for at least 15 minutes before enjoying.

As I mentioned, the above recipe is a compliant snack for the Arbonne 30-day clean eating challenge. To make it compliant for FMD phase 3, use the following recipe instead:

• 1 small can of organic black beans
• 2 large free-range eggs
• 3 tbsp raw coconut oil, melted
• 3/4 cup Bulletproof raw cacao powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Use a maximum of 1/2 cup Xyla (to taste, as above)
• 1 tsp organic baking powder
• Optional compliant toppings: crushed walnuts or slivered almonds

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These recipes have been adapted from Minimalist Baker’s vegan black bean brownie recipe.