Healthy Dessert Recipes with Canned Beans: Peanut Butter Blondies, Flourless Red Velvet Cake

Jan 14 2016
In today's "Small Changes, Big Results" email, we're trading traditional (read: fatty) baking ingredients for canned beans. Don't be scared -- all you'll taste is rich, decadent deliciousness! These sweet treats need to be bitten to be believed...



Hungry Girl's Healthy Peanut Butter Blondies

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1/9th of pan: 120 calories, 4g total fat (1g sat. fat), 206mg sodium, 19g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 4g sugars, 6g protein

Click for WW Points® value*

Thanks to powdered peanut butter and pureed chickpeas, this tasty dessert makeover is shockingly guilt-free. You will freak when you try it!

Click here for a video demo!

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Cool: 1 hour

Ingredients:

One 15-oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup powdered peanut butter

1/4 cup whole-wheat flour

1/4 cup (about 2 large) egg whites

3 tbsp. Truvia spoonable calorie-free sweetener (or another no-calorie granulated sweetener that's about twice as sweet as sugar; see HG FYI)

2 tbsp. creamy peanut butter (no sugar added)

2 tbsp. canned pure pumpkin

1 1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. mini (or chopped) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8" X 8” baking pan with nonstick spray.

Place all ingredients except chocolate chips in a food processor. Puree until completely smooth and uniform.

Gently fold in 1/2 tbsp. chocolate chips.

Spread mixture into the baking pan, and smooth out the top. Evenly top with remaining 1 1/2 tbsp. chocolate chips, and lightly press into the batter.

Bake until a toothpick (or knife) inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, 25 - 30 minutes.

Let cool completely, about 1 hour. Refrigerate leftovers.

MAKES 9 SERVINGS

HG FYI: Truvia spoonable calorie-free sweetener is about twice as sweet as sugar. If using a no-calorie granulated sweetener that measures cup-for-cup like sugar instead of Truvia, double the amount called for in this recipe.

Clean & Hungry Tip: If you avoid sugar completely, look for powdered peanut butter with no added sugar (like Jif Peanut Powder -- the only ingredient is peanuts) and stevia-sweetened chocolate chips (like the kind by Lily's). And keep an eye out for more Clean & Hungry recipes from us. Clean & Hungry is our real-world take on clean eating! Happy about that? Let us know...

Hungry Girl's Healthy Flourless Red Velvet Cake

Print Flourless Red Velvet Cake Print

1/8th of cake: 127 calories, 5g total fat (2g sat. fat), 326mg sodium, 23.5g carbs, 4.5g fiber, 6g sugars, 6g protein

Click for WW Points® value*

Adios, gluten: This cake is made with chickpeas! And the cream-cheese frosting takes it to the next level...

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Cool: 1 hour

Ingredients:

Frosting

1/4 cup reduced-fat cream cheese

2 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! Light or Brummel & Brown)

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

3 tbsp. powdered sugar

 

Cake

One 15-oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup (about 4 large) egg whites

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup canned pure pumpkin

1/4 cup Truvia spoonable calorie-free sweetener (or another no-calorie granulated sweetener that's about twice as sweet as sugar; see HG FYI)

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt

2 1/2 tsp. red food coloring (like this all-natural option), or more as needed

1 tbsp. mini (or chopped) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9" round cake pan with foil, and generously spray with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, combine all frosting ingredients except powdered sugar. With an electric mixer set to medium speed, beat until smooth, 1 - 2 minutes. Continue to beat while gradually adding powdered sugar. Beat until smooth, another 1 - 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate.

Place all cake ingredients except food coloring and chocolate chips in a food processor. Puree until completely smooth and uniform.

Mix in food coloring. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spread mixture into the baking pan, and smooth out the top.

Bake until a toothpick (or knife) inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, 35 - 40 minutes.

Let cool completely, about 1 hour.

Spread the top of the cake with frosting. Refrigerate leftovers.

HG Tip: For easy slicing, first remove the entire cake by lifting it out by the foil lining the pan.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

HG FYI: Truvia spoonable calorie-free sweetener is about twice as sweet as sugar. If using a no-calorie granulated sweetener that measures cup-for-cup like sugar instead of Truvia, double the amount called for in this recipe.

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Chew on this:

Today, January 14th, is National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day. DIY with an open-faced sandwich: warm turkey pastrami, a thin slice of whole-grain bread, a squirt of brown mustard, and some sauerkraut!

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*The WW Points® values for these products and/or recipes were calculated by Hungry Girl and are not an endorsement or approval of the product, recipe or its manufacturer or developer by WW International, Inc., the owner of the Points® trademark.

Questions on the WW Points® values listed? Click here.

Hungry Girl provides general information about food and lifestyle. This information and any linked materials are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment. Click here for more information.