Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies

They’re healthy! I’m in! All I knew before stepping into the kitchen to create these magnificent bars was: A) I needed cheesecake; B) I needed peanut butter C) Chocolate..because, well? Chocolate?

After that, it’s all kinda like a blur. I had to keep reminding myself to WRITE DOWN the ingredients WHILE I was on a roll. Because in all honesty, that was the last thing on my mind.
Taste testing while mixing however… THAT was on my mind.

I was a woman…on a mission.

So rich and decadent! There’s no way these taste low in fat at ALL.

And that’s why I love creating this type of stuff. I NEED to NOT feel deprived…or all hell breaks loose, and I lose my mind!

So. Cheeseake. Peanut Butter. And chocolate brownies. Is there reallly anything better? I think not!

You’ll notice when you read the recipe that these have black beans in them. BUT WAIT! STOP! Don’t go anywhere!

I’m the first to admit that when I used to see brownie or blondie recipes with beans, I’d hold my nose with a big ‘EWWWW!’

Not anymore my friends! They give the BEST fudgy-est texture ever known to man — without having to add syrups and brown sugar. Beans replace ALL that stuff for texture! And I promise you…you CANNOT TASTE THEM!

Super healthy. Super good for you. And just freaking YUMMM!!

And HEALTHY! Well…healthier than any coffee shop brownie!

Now. These have 2 stages: the brownie stage and the cheesecake stage. Don’t let that put you off either. The recipe took longer to type out…or to read even, than actually MAKING them! Cross my heart! So simple. Because your food processor does most of the work! And because they are worth it.

The only secret to baking with beans is: washing and rinsing them really really well. And I mean REALLY well! That way, you ensure a non-bean taste to the brownies. I like to put them in a strainer/colander in the sink and wash them under cold running water until the water runs clear! Then, strain them well before adding them to the processor/blender. It seriously takes about 20 seconds!

Nutritional info including the chips:

112 calories per brownie!

6.4g Protein | 3.8g Fat | 13g Carbs | 2.6g Fibre

Weight Watchers 3pp!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies

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Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 40 minutes mins

Total: 50 minutes mins

Ingredients

Brownies:

• 1 can Organic Black Beans , No Salt Added (about 1 cup) rinsed and drained really well
• ¾ cup quick oats
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup natural sweetener/sugar of choice
• ¼ cup Powdered Peanut Butter or natural peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons light butter , melted (can sub with coconut oil)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch sea salt
• ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk

Cheesecake:

• 1 x 250g | 8oz container low fat cream cheese
• 4 tablespoons (80g) light ricotta cheese
• 4 heaping tablespoons powdered Peanut Butter (I love Betty Lou's Great Stuff but you can use something like Pb2)
• ⅓ cup Natural Sweetener or any granulated sweetener/sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Topping:
• 2 tablespoons Reese’s Peanut Butter Baking Chips
• 2 tablespoons dark/semi sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven 180c | 360f.
• Spray a 8×8 inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
• Throw ALL brownie ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth (about 2 minutes). Wipe down the sides with a spatula and blend for a further minute. The mixture will be slightly THICK! Do not add extra liquids. Set aside to make cheesecake.
• Whisk cheesecake ingredients in a separate bowl until lump free.
• Pour brownie batter into prepared pan and even out with a spatula. Spoon cheesecake batter over top, and gently spread until even over the brownie batter.
• Optional: Top with chocolate chips and Reese’s chips.
• Bake for approx 40 – 50 minutes (depending on your oven) until the centre of the cheesecake layer is set