Chocolate Black Bean Truffles

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By now I'm sure many of you have heard of those curious black bean brownies that popped up on many blogs a couple years or so ago, maybe you even made yourself some. I've made a few batches of them myself, each time trying a slightly different recipe, and I think they're pretty good. They're definitely not exactly like a classic brownie, but they still seem to offer a healthier fix when you get a chocolate craving. Today however, I'm not sharing a recipe for my version of the perfect black bean brownie. I'm sharing chocolate black bean truffles which, in my opinion, are even better.

Now before you skim the recipe below and think to yourself, "how can these possibly not taste like beans, especially when there's no refined sugar or butter and they're not baked?" Let me be the first to tell you that if you didn't know there were beans in the recipe, you'd be hard pressed to not think they were the real thing. The magic of whirling black beans, with coconut oil and a bit of maple syrup, is that they whip themselves up into a smooth dark dough-like texture that shows no trace of the beans they once were.

Upon first bite you break through the hardened chocolate coating and slowly your teeth sink into the smooth chocolaty filling. And just like a traditional rich cream filled chocolate truffle, they feel incredibly decadent and you'll only need one or two before your satisfied.

Chocolate Black Bean Truffles / makes 16-18 truffles

Here I've used beans I cooked myself. You can definitely use canned, but you may not need to add extra salt. Also, the sweetness is really going to depend on your preference. Taste the mixture before rolling into balls to see if you want more, but keep in mind that if you use a semi-sweet chocolate for the coating, it will add a bit of extra sweetness to the finished truffles.

1 cup cooked black beans, if using canned rinse and drain
2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
pinch of sea salt
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup, depending on sweetness preference
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped dark or semi-sweet chocolate

Place the beans, coconut oil, cocoa powder, salt, maple syrup, and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor. Blend everything until well combined, scraping down the sides if you need to. It should start coming together into a smooth ball. Pinch out about a tablespoon sized piece, roll into a ball and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Place in the fridge to chill for about an hour or in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile melt the chocolate in a double boiler. When the balls have chilled pull out just a handful (you want them to stay cold, so do them in batches), carefully insert a toothpick into the center and dip in the melted chocolate to coat. I found the best method for removing them from the toothpick was with a fork. Carefully slide the fork tines under the side where the toothpick is inserted and slowly twist while pulling upward and place on a sheet of parchment.

Let chill again so the chocolate coating sets. Store truffles in the fridge.