Black Bean Brownies

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). Mist an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking pan with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.

Put the beans, dates, cocoa powder, almond butter, chia seeds, and vanilla extract in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the walnuts and pulse just until evenly distributed. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan. Cover and bake for 1½ hours. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Per brownie: calories: 106, protein: 4 g, fat: 5 g, carbohydrate: 13 g, dietary fiber: 4 g, calcium: 31 mg, sodium: 1 mg

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Put the dates in a heatproof bowl. Add the boiling water and let soak until soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer the dates and the soaking liquid to a food processor. Add the nut butter, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract and process until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down the work bowl. Use immediately or store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before using.

Per 1 tablespoon: (15 ml): calories: 46, protein: 1 g, fat: 3 g, carbohydrate: 4 g, dietary fiber: 1 g, calcium: 17 mg, sodium: 24 mg
Note: Analysis was done using almond butter.