Black Bean & Black Sesame Brownies

Written By Heidi Keating

Welcome, you’re probably here from my viral post on instagram.

As a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, I created these brownies for healthy hair growth and hydrated skin. In TCM, every food has healing properties, and I wanted a superfood treat that is packed with herbs to treat the skin and hair. Hence the Black Bean & Black Sesame brownies were born. These are the perfect chocolate dessert for beautiful hair & skin. I gave these to my husband and it healed his stubborn eczema overnight. I couldnt believe it!

This recipe is MOSTLY SEEDS, BEANS, FRUIT, and OIL.

There are NO EGGS, DAIRY, NUTS, or GRAINS in this recipe, although you could add walnuts if you wanted to.

In TCM, black sesame is a blood and yin tonic that helps reverse grey hair to its original color by nourishing the blood. The color black is associated with the kidneys, so foods that are black are usually kidney tonics. Hence, the black beans as the second food to nourish the kidneys, which have a warming temperature to balance the cooling herbs. Next is Dates, which are iron rich and are used for nourishing the blood and the complexion - they are a standout beauty food. This recipe is packed with flax and chia seeds for omega 3s, 6s, and 9s which the skin also thrives with as essential nutrients. Honey is an emollient and moisturizes, and harmonizes the liver. Buckwheat strengthens the capillaries and blood vessels, reduces blood pressure and increases circulation due to Rutin content.

So what’s with the high fat content..? Well, did you know your skin cells are made up of mostly fats, water, and proteins? 🙋🏼‍♀️

Damaged skin barriers need healing from the inside out, with oils especially.

Your hair follicle grows in the dermis layer where your skin also has its nutrition, hydration, and immune system.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have! it’s become a new favorite treat to bring to gatherings too since it is free of so many allergens and no one will suspect it’s healthy!

Black Bean & Black sesame brownies

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup virgin cold pressed coconut oil, melted

  • 1/3 cup organic black sesame paste (not tahini)

  • 1 cup dates, soaked for 5 minutes, drained, lightly squeezed of extra fluid (no pits or stem)

  • 1/2 cup honey

  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder (good quality)

  • 1/4 cup buckwheat flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

  • 1/4 cup almond milk (or alternative milk of choice, or water)

  • Black beans 1 can drained,  rinsed, dry

  • 2 ounces dark chocolate (pieces of a chocolate bar/chocolate chips) optional

  • 1 TB chia seeds with 3 TB water; let sit for 5 minutes

  • 3 TB milled flax seeds with 9 TB water; let sit for 5 minutes

Supplies:

  • Blender

  • Blender spatula

  • One 8×8 pan

  • Parchment paper

Instructions

  1. Preheat & Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8 inch baking dish with parchment paper or grease it well.

  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the buckwheat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

  3. Mix Wet Ingredients: In a blender mix together the melted coconut oil, black tahini paste, honey, flax and chia (soaked in water), the beans, then the dry ingredients. Make sure the batter is smooth before taking it out of the blender. I use a vitamix blender. You can use a food processor to blend the beans but they may not come out as smooth. Careful not to stress the machine too much with over blending.

  4. Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the top with chocolate chips or diced chocolate bar if you wish.

  5. Time: Bake for 60 minutes. Check center to make sure it’s not liquid. It’s okay if the fork isn’t completely clean, but the fork tines shouldn’t be liquidy when you take the fork out.

  6. Cool: Let the brownies cool completely in the pan overnight (or at least 12 hours) before cutting. They are also great when chilled, which enhances the fudgy texture. Eating them too soon may make them too soft, but they are still yummy.

Tips for Success

  • Black Sesame Paste: Ensure you are using a smooth black sesame paste/tahini, not just the seeds, for the best texture. Make sure the black sesame paste smells and tastes fresh (not bitter or rancid)

  • Intense Flavor: For a deeper color and earthier taste, use 1/4 cup black cocoa powder mixed with 1/4 cup regular cocoa powder.

  • I highly recommend a blender spatula to get all of the batter out of the blender. This could be tedious without.

Other notes:

  • if you have constipation, this may help you

  • If you have loose stools and they get worse, this recipe may be too rich for you.

  • Always pay attention to how your body feels after a food and how it responds.

    Happy eating 🍫

Heidi Keating