Original Recipe · Tested · Personal Notebook
Fudge-Like Chocolate Protein Bars
Chocolate protein bars with black beans, cocoa, and a dense, fudge-like texture.
- Yield
- 10 bars
- Oven
- 350°F
- Bake
- 16 minutes
- Chill
- Overnight
Ingredients
- 1½ cups black beans (about one 15-ounce can), drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 7 tablespoons chocolate protein powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup maple syrup, agave, or honey
- 3½ tablespoons coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ to ⅔ cup chocolate chips, adjusted to taste depending on how chocolatey Tom wanted the bars
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips in a food processor; blend until smooth.
- Stir in chocolate chips. Reserve some chips for the top if desired; the original notes mention both mixing them in and sprinkling them on top.
- Pour into a greased 8 × 8-inch pan. Sprinkle reserved chips on top.
- Bake for 16 minutes.
- Gently pat down when cool.
- Refrigerate overnight before cutting into 10 bars.
- Store in the refrigerator.
From the Creator's Kitchen
Tested personal creation: The creator developed these bars herself, adapting and experimenting with ingredients until they had a rich, fudge-like flavor and texture. She recalls that even Tom enjoyed eating them.
The handwritten directions specify a food processor, an 8 × 8-inch pan, a 16-minute bake, and an overnight chill. The creator confirms that the ½-to-⅔-cup chocolate-chip range is correct, with the amount varying according to how much chocolate Tom wanted. Some chips can be stirred into the mixture and some scattered on top; no fixed split was recorded.
No nutrition numbers have been calculated because protein powder and chocolate chips vary by brand.