Grain-free Chocolate Cappuccino Cookies

 Vegan, Gluten-Free, Raw Fusion

A few months ago I decided to try Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s Black Bean Brownie recipe (as seen on the Dr. Oz show) as a healthy dessert alternative for my husband.  He liked the taste of them but not the texture, as he’s more of a crisp cookie enthusiast.

Yesterday I decided to adapt this recipe to make cookies and am pretty excited about the result!

While it’s easy to buy canned beans (although finding ones with no added salt can be tricky) I am a huge advocate for enhancing the bioavailability and nutritional value of beans, by soaking and sprouting them.

Why all the extra work?

All grains, beans, nuts and seeds have a protective barrier that makes these items only “potential foods”.  The outer shell, skin or peel has phytic acid and other anti-nutrients that are designed to keep away insects and shield them from damage from humidity and over-exposure to the elements.  These anti-nutrients are not poisonous, per se, but they are irritating to the stomach and can keep you from getting the full array of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants.  I go into more details in my blog “Nuts about Walnuts”  and you can see me demonstrate the process with lentils at this video.  You probably already soak your beans overnight or during the day – this is just an extra step (germinating them in a paper-towel lined colander) that will ensure that the foodstuff is brimming with living energy and enzymes.

Grain-Free Goodness

With many more people going gluten- and grain-free, I love the idea of being able to bake something using beans as the base.  Chia seeds are the “glue” that hold together the batter, making these eggless and vegan.  And date paste instead of sugar is truly a sensible sweetening solution that we teach in the Natural Wellness Academy.  I made these “Raw Fusion” by creating a tantalizing icing using coconut butter, coconut nectar and natural coffee flavoring (I used Frontier brand but you can also make a strong espresso) I also added some powdered wheatgrass to the mix to boost the nutritional value and slow down sugar absorption.

Note:  If you don’t have the ingredients to make the icing, just spread some nut butter between 2 cookies for a perfect dessert!

Soaked and sprouted black beans boost nutrients and enzymes!

Chocolate Cappuccino Cookies

Makes about 24 cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked unsalted black beans*
• 10-12 medjool dates
• 1/2 cup filtered water
• ½ cup unsweetened cacao (non-alkalized)
• 2 TB. raw almond butter
• 2 TB. maple syrup or coconut nectar
• 2 TB. ground chia seeds
• 1 ½ tsp. alcohol-free vanilla extract
• ½ cup water
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• Coconut oil for greasing pan
• Optional: add 2 TB. powdered greens or wheatgrass for added nutrition

*Ideally you will make the black beans from scratch, soaking and sprouting them and cooking without salt.  You can replace with canned or frozen black beans but make sure they are salt-free.

Icing Ingredients:

• 3 TB. coconut butter
• 2-3 TB. coconut nectar (can replace with raw honey)
• 1.5 tsp. alcohol-free vanilla extract
• 1-2 tsp. coffee extract

Directions:  Pit and soak dates in the 1/2 cup of unfiltered water (see above) for 10-20 minutes.   Pre-heat oven to 305 degrees.   In a blender or food processor add the black beans, dates, date soak water, almond butter, sweetener and cacao powder.  Blend until smooth.  Stir in the remaining ingredients and let sit for 10 minutes to allow the chia to absorb some of the moisture in the batter.   Grease 2-3 cookie sheets with coconut oil.   Using a large spoon, put 1 1/2 spoonfuls for each cookie and round them out slightly.  Check after 20 minutes to see if they are the consistency you enjoy.  (My husband likes them very crisp so mine took closer to 30 minutes).  Using a spatula, remove them to a cooling rack or plate while you mix the icing.

In a bowl combine the icing ingredients, using a whisk or a fork until well blended.  Spread over cooled cookies.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes for icing to harden.  If you keep outside of the fridge, the icing will become soft but these are still quite good either way!

Cookies with Cappuccino Icing!

If you enjoyed this grain-free cookie, check out my Iced Peppermint Quookies, made with quinoa!