EASY VEGAN BLACK BEAN BROWNIES

Yessssss. Okay so a few things. As I type this, I am pretty much packed for my biggest adventure yet. (UPDATE: currently in Montreal living with my friend for the next 6 weeks.) I am going to be travelling solo for 3 or 4 months around Canada, Iceland, the U.K. and Europe. I have never done anything like this before. I am doing it for all the reasons you might think: to gain perspective on my life thus far, to escape from the numbing routine of my home (I love it but it gets tired after awhile), to get out of my comfort zone, to meet new people, see new places, feel new feels, think new thoughts, discover hidden gems in my heart and mind I don't know exist yet, to grow stronger than I have ever been, to let go of past heartbreak, and hold on to self-love. 

I'll be spending time with family and friends - old and new - along the way, sleeping in homes, apartments, hostels, farmhouses? I don't have any huge, impressive plans to carry out in any place I'm headin to; I mainly just wanna wander around with my headphones on, listening to good albums and taking it all in. When I go to a new place, my favourite thing to do is walk around for hours. I WILL be taking my camera and documenting a bit of my travels, especially what I'm eating, 'cause I know y'all love that ;) But this is a trip of self-discovery and escape, so I won't be posting as often: just a heads up. All that being said, I have a looovely, delicious, quick and easy vegan brownie recipe to share today. It's inspired by a recipe in my current fave cookbook - and I don't say that lightly - Vegan Goodness by Jessica Prescott. Every recipe I've tried has been basically effortless, full of whole food ingredients, and super yum. 10 outta 10 would recommend. I'm stoked to hang with Jessica when I get to Berlin, where she lives.

The best thing about these brownies - besides that they taste great and come together in under an hour - is that they're packed with nutrition, but you'd never know. The bulk of them comes from black beans. I am posting a recipe containing beans today very intentionally, because it's Global Pulse Day! Pulses include chickpeas, lentils, beans and peas and Canada is one of the biggest pulse-growing countries in the world (eeyyy). Pulses are super nutrient-dense, giving you loads of protein and fibre. They're also way easier on the earth than other protein-sources (like meat COUGH COUGH) because they require less energy - ex. water - to produce. Another plus: they are nitrogen-fixing plants, which means they enrich the soil they grow in. People eat them all over the world for these reasons and more. If you want some resources on Global Pulse Day, get 'em here. If you wanna make a pledge to eat more pulses this year, check this out. And I will just take a moment now to link you to some of my own recipes I've used pulses in in the past. This curry is bomb. This lasagna is epic. This raw bread/cracker recipe is handy. This fully loaded dinner recipe/idea is vibrant. Until next time, XO! 

This post is sponsored by Pulse Canada, cuz I got bills to pay! All opinions are my own. 

EASY VEGAN BLACK BEAN BROWNIES
[ makes 9-12 brownies ]

Brownies:
1 1/2 ripe bananas (they should have black spots) 
3/4 cup black beans
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup cacao powder
1/2 cup oat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/6 cup olive oil
1/6 cup strong black coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup roughly chopped walnuts

Frosting (optional):
This recipe!

Preheat the oven to 350° F. To make the brownies: throw everything in a food processor - except the walnuts - and process until you have a moist, thick batter. Add the walnuts and process for just a sec so they get evenly mixed in. Spread the batter into a lined baking pan. Top with some more chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, vegan caramels... whatever you like! Bake for 30-35 minutes or until they smell ready and a fork or toothpick comes out clean. Let cool, then cut and enjoy! I would 100% suggest frosting them, but I was too lazy.