Pumpkin Pie Bars and Beans?  Will that work?  After I made my Black Bean Brownies last time, I was really excited about getting more beans in my diet by hiding them in dessert dishes. Pumpkin seemed like a natural to hide the bean taste and I think it worked out pretty well.

This time I used Old El Paso Fat-free Refried Beans. That might sound a little strange because they have a little more than just beans. Actually, the label says “Ingredients: Cooked Beans, Water. Contains less than 2% of: Salt, Tomato Paste, Sea Salt, Chili Powder, Sugar, Onion Powder, Natural Flavor, Garlic Powder. So, they are mostly just beans.

But why? With all the kinds of beans available, why did I chose these refried beans? The answer is that I was being lazy. I really don’t like digging out my food processor. I have used these kind of beans before so I knew they come already “mushed up.”  With these, I didn’t get out the food processor. I just mixed the ingredients in my stand mixer and it worked just fine.

Pumpkin Pie Bars

• 1 can fat-free refried beans (Old ElPaso)
• 3 TBSP olive oil –
  I use Kroger Lighter Flavor Olive Oil
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice*

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients well. I used stand mixer and let it mix on high for a couple of minutes.
3. Spray an 8 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
4. Add the mixture
5. Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out nearly clean.
6. When cool, cut into 12 squares.
7. Store in the refrigerator. They are even better when cold anyway.

* Substitute for 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice

• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp ginger
• ¼ tsp cloves

Tastes like pumpkin pie without the crust. Tastes fine with a small blob of Fat Free Cool Whip.

Needs a little more oomph to make it bars. Next time add ½ cup oatmeal. Increases calories to 137.

Similar recipe at https://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/32371/pumpkin-pecan-pie-squares/ for 13×9 pan puts ½ cup pecans and ¼ cup brown sugar on top.  Could replace ½ of brown sugar in bars with Splenda, then put this on top. With the oatmeal, goes to 168 calories.

Fudgy Black Bean Brownies for the MIND diet – somehow those words don’t seem to belong together. Using Fudgy and Brownies in the same title as Beans??

I have been fascinated by the idea of using black beans in desserts for a long time, but I have never been brave enough to try it.  But, yesterday my need to get more beans into my diet and my desire for chocolate collided and I started looking for a recipe.  I found one that was almost perfect at http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/black-bean-brownies .  Really, the only thing I changed was switching from Canola Oil to Olive Oil – and the calorie count (more later).

Fudgy Black Bean Brownies                       PDF version

• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divide into two ¼ cup portions (no nibbling!)
• 3 TBSP olive oil –  I use Kroger Lighter Flavor Olive Oil
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Use a food processor* to process the black beans, 1/4 cup chocolate chips, and oil.
3. Add in the eggs, brown sugar, cocoa, vanilla, baking powder and salt. Process until really smooth.
4. Spray an 8 or 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
5. Add the brownie mixture and sprinkle with ¼ cup chocolate chips.

Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out nearly clean. When cool, cut into 12 squares. Store in the refrigerator. They are even better when cold anyway.

*I can’t imagine making these without a food processor, but I suppose you could. I really hate dragging mine out, remembering how to put it together, and especially cleaning it up after using it. So, I might try sometime. You would have to really mash up those beans. The choc chips could be melted a bit, or chopped, or just put in whole so they would add more texture. The rest should be easy.

So, what was the result!  Fabulous!  So fudgy. Almost fudge, really. You can tell by the
photo that my husband and son liked them, too. They each ate two, although they added a bit of ice cream.  I thought they were great. And, one brownie just about took care of my chocolate craving.  Although, I did eat a second one after a light lunch today.

So, what about the calories? The original posting listed them as having 167 calories with 7 grams of fat.   When I ran my recipe through MyFitnessPal, I got 183 calories with 8 grams of fat. I think the difference might be in the size of the eggs. I used large ones and I think the recipe might be a bit dry without that much.

I was kind of surprised that there is no flour in this recipe. It was listed as “gluten-free.”  While I don’t really care if there is gluten or not, this should be beneficial to those who need that.  Actually, this has whet my appetite to try out other recipes in which beans are a major component. I am thinking I will try Pumpkin Bars next. But, I have to get the Brownies eaten (or maybe frozen) first.