You guys will NOT believe what ingredient I used to make Chocolate Chip Blondie Bars last night. BEANS! Yes I realize it sounds weird, but once they are ground up in a food processor, white kidney beans, AKA cannellini beans, have the perfect smooth consistency for baking. Their beany taste is also magically masked when you add in the other ingredients.

I’ve been seeing tons of recipes lately for healthy desserts using beans. Black bean brownies, garbanzo bean cookies, white bean cookie dough “dip” . . . I really got inspired to experiment with this secret ingredient! I found these blondies on one of my favorite blogs, Chocolate Covered Katie.

It’s a goood feeling to eat a dessert that tastes delicious but is also packed with protein, fiber, and healthy omega-3s. While eating the blondies, I felt like giving myself a pat on the back!

Ingredients
Lightly adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie

1 1/2 cups white kidney beans
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 tbsp whole wheat flour
1/4 cup Trader Joe’s raw almond butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend all ingredients except chocolate chippers in your food processor until very smooth. Add chips in last. Bake in a greased 8×8 baking sheet for 30 minutes. Let them cool for a few minutes, and then indulge, totally guiltlessly!