Chocolate Fudge (Black Bean & Quinoa) Cookies

(4 Years)

I'm so excited about sharing this post with you!!!  I finally, finally, finally created my very own healthy cookie recipe- not tweaking someone else's recipe by adding just a pinch more of this and a dash more of that.  I mean, my own recipe! Look at that glossy, chocolatey cookie!

So... we love baking, and we bake a lot.  A lot!  We make something sweet and delicious almost every day (and sometimes twice a day).  My Little Miss is the inspiration for this cookie.  She refuses to eat black beans.  However, when I turn that same can of black beans, that she pretends to gag on, into a brownie or cupcake or cookies... well, I turn into "the best mommy in the world" ~ and take a bow!

She is the messiest eater!

Over the past week, we've made four or five batches of quinoa cookies, and I wanted to find one that also combined black beans.  I couldn't find one.  So, we tried to create our own, and IT WORKED!  First we tried with only 1/2 cup of quinoa, and they turned out great!  So, we tried again with an entire cup of quinoa, added some walnuts and they are spectacular (I usually don't rave about my baking, I just can't help it this time).

 

 Scoop the cookies about an inch apart.  Leaving room to flatten the cookies (see below picture on the left).

The picture on the right, shows the difference in baking when you flatten the cookies out 

with wet fingers (the first two columns) vs. a measuring cup (the last two columns).  

These cookies are gluten-free and can easily be made vegan (swap out both the honey and chocolate chips).  They are packed with protein, thanks to an entire can of black beans, one whole cup of cooked quinoa, walnuts and peanut butter!  They are dark, rich, fudgy and guilt-free.  Do you want to get instant smiles, "Who would like to have chocolate brownie cookies for lunch?" "Yes, you can have another cookie!"

So, how do I bake these miracle cookies that even my picky four-year old daughter will devour?  Easy!  Oh, and it's made entirely in the food processor!

Would you like a free printable copy of the recipe?  Click here.