Enjoy Healthier Desserts with Beans!

Bean desserts?! That’s right, the key to healthier desserts is beans, and the good news is that you don’t need to compromise on flavor because not only do bean desserts improve nutrition, but they are delicious! Here is some food for thought on tasty ways to use High Plains beans to create delectable desserts.

These Mayocoba Bean Blondies will satisfy any sweet tooth.

Why Use Beans in Desserts?

Even though dessert may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of beans, beans are such a versatile ingredient that they complement a wide variety of desserts perfectly. So, why use beans in desserts?

• Beans are packed with healthy fiber, plant protein, and vitamins and minerals like potassium, folate, and iron. Knowing we are eating a bean dessert helps eliminate that somewhat guilty feeling many of us tend to get after indulging in sweets. Read more about the many health benefits of beans here.
• Bean desserts allow you to experience different cuisines. Did you know bean desserts are common in many countries in Asia? For instance, sweetened red bean is often used as a filling for baked goods or rice cakes, or as a topping on shaved ice. You could try making some of these desserts with our red beans!
• Beans let you put a new spin on old favorites. Maybe you love brownies (who doesn’t, right?). Well, what about Black Bean Brownies? They are tasty, fudgy, and indulgent.
• Bean desserts can be a fun way to surprise family and friends. Whip up a batch of a healthy bean dessert, like these Mayocoba Bean Blondies, and see if anyone can guess the secret ingredient.
• Beans work well with many dietary restrictions. Beans are vegetarian, vegan, and naturally gluten-free. So, bean-based desserts can be a perfect choice if you or your loved ones follow any of these diets, and a great way to add fiber and vegan protein.

How to Use Beans in Desserts

This all sounds great, you think, but how do I actually use beans in desserts? Check out these helpful tips:

• Swap beans for butter. One way to use beans in desserts is as a substitute or replacement for the fat in a recipe. For example, beans can help replace some or even all of the butter or oil in baked goods. It is easy – simple puree cooked beans and substitute them for the oil or butter in the recipe. You can try a complete one-to-one substitution, or you can start by reducing the butter amount by half and replacing the other half with pureed cooked beans. For instance, instead of 1 cup of butter, use ½ cup of butter and ½ cup pureed beans. Less calories and fat, and more fiber and protein!
• Puree beans. Pureeing beans is often the answer. You can add pureed beans to baked goods in place of butter, like described above. Or, something like a red bean puree works well as a filling for a sweet rice cake or other treat, as is frequently done in countries like South Korea and Japan.
• Cook beans well. Al dente beans usually aren’t very desirable in desserts. Make sure to cook beans until soft and creamy, so that they are smooth and work perfectly with the texture of the dessert.
• Add other flavors. As we all know, beans are delicious as is! For desserts, though, also add other tasty ingredients like vanilla extract, chocolate, fresh or dried fruit, cinnamon, or other spices.

Pureed cooked beans, like our flavorful Mayocoba beans, are a great addition to a wide variety of

healthier desserts

Are all beans the same in desserts? Not exactly. Here are a couple things to consider when making bean
desserts:

• Think about color. Choose beans that work well with the final color you want for your dessert. For instance, black beans are a perfect match for chocolate desserts to deepen that nice, chocolatey color.
• Take advantage of the different flavors of beans. For example, black beans have a pleasant, natural sweetness. A bean like a creamy, buttery Mayocoba bean goes well in muffin batters, or in smoothies. Especially when you add beans, smoothies can be a very healthy sweet treat and a refreshing way to cool down on a hot day.

Bean Dessert Ideas

After all this talk of bean desserts, now it is time to dive into some specific recipe ideas. We already shared our videos of Mayocoba Bean Blondies and a Mayocoba Bean Smoothie. But this is just scratching the surface! Options for bean desserts are limitless.
For example, pinto beans often are used in savory dishes. Of course, our High Plains Pinto Beans are perfect for those recipes, but they also go amazingly well in sweet baked goods. Check out this mouthwatering recipe for Pinto Pineapple Muffins on the Colorado Dry Beans website! The recipe creator, Colleen, shares, “The sweetness and crunch of the pineapple, along with the creaminess and fiber of the pinto beans, gives you an excuse to eat this muffin at any time of the day! With a punch of protein from the beans and eggs, we use this muffin as a “refuel” after the kid’s sports practice. Always keep a dozen in the freezer – you won’t regret having a healthy and delicious muffin in your back pocket.”
Another great option is to make sweet bean dips. Serve them as an after school treat, or display them with a board of fresh fruit and other dippables after a dinner. This Mayocoba Bean Snickerdoodle Hummus is sure to hit the spot. If you’re still skeptical, watch this back-to-school news clip from 2022 to see how the newscaster enjoyed bean desserts! And be sure to check out our High Plains Black Beans page to get some ideas for Black Bean Brownies or Chocolate Banana Black Bean Smoothies.

Have fun experimenting with different types of beans in your desserts!

As you can see, there are so many fun, tasty ways to make your desserts shine with beans. Here at Northern Feed & Bean we are certainly big bean dessert fans! We hope this post inspired you to also get creative in the kitchen and whip up a delicious bean dessert. If you try one, please tag us on Instagram and Facebook – we would love to see what you made! You can also follow us on YouTube for bean recipe inspiration, which of course also includes bean desserts.