Chocolate Apricot Chunk Muffins

When I first came into contact with this recipe, I thought the lady telling it to me was crazy. Black bean, banana and coffee muffins? I was sitting in a Good Food Store gluten-free baking class- and would have never believed how good they were if I wouldn't have tried them for myself. Not only are the gluten free, they are also refined sugar free and SUPER easy to make and adapt. Chocolat-ey, fudgy, chunky and healthy, these moist muffins can be eaten for breakfast, as a snack or for dessert. (For dessert, top with cream cheese frosting- recipe below- or make the batter in a cake pan and layer with strawberries and fresh whipped cream :)

Ingredients:

15oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed

2 brown bananas OR 1 cup applesauce

1/4 cup of coffee, brewed and cooled (leftover from morning is perfect)

1 1/2 cups oat flour, OR 1/2 cup oat flour, 1/2 cup white rice flour, and 1/2 cup brown rice flour

1 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tbsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup agave OR 1/2 cup agave, 1/2 cup honey

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 cup rough chopped dried fruit (dust with a few teaspoons of corn starch to keep the fruit from sticking together) Some favorites are dried apricots, cherries, cranberries and blueberries. 

(optional: 1/2 cup chocolate chips)

Process: 

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Place the drained and rinsed black beans in a food processor with the brown bananas. Process until smooth. Add cooled coffee, blend to combine. Set aside.

3. Mix salt, baking powder, cocoa powder and oat flour (or oat, rice flour blend, whichever you are using.)

Set aside.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add egg and agave (or agave/honey mixture, whichever you are using.) Using the whisk attachment, whisk on medium until light and frothy. (<-- Important! White foamy froth is good news.) 

5. Reduce speed, add vanilla and the black bean, banana and coffee mixture. 

6. Add the dry mix all at once. Mix. 

7. Add the chopped fruit that has been dusted with corn starch and chocolate chips if using. Mix till all is well combined.

8. Fill the cups of a muffin tin- the batter should come almost to the top of the cups. 

9. Bake 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. 

Store in an air-tight container and enjoy all week!

(If making this as a dessert- top with cream cheese frosting once cooled. Also, you can totally pour this into a cake pan and make it in the shape of a cake.... delicious.)

Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 oz. unsalted butter, softened

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla extract

2 tsp. lemon juice

1. In th ebowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and cream cheese.

2. add sugar one cup at a time

3. add lemon and vanilla.