Mini Black Bean Cupcakes with Salted Date Caramel
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free
Serves: 12
Ingredients
Mini Black Bean Cupcakes
  • 1 can black beans, washed and drained
  • ½ cup unsalted peanut butter
  • 1 medium ripe banana
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¼ cup honey (or maple syrup for vegan version)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
Salted Date Caramel
  • 12-15 pitted dates
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons warm water
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • Garnish: sweet cacao nibs
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  2. In a food processor, combine washed and drained black beans with drippy peanut butter and blend until there are no black bean chunks. Add a peeled banana, cocoa powder, and honey (or maple syrup). Blend again until smooth.
  3. Add in the vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt and pulse until combined.
  4. Grease 2 mini cupcake tins and grease them with cooking oil spray. Dollop about 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin tin, nearly filling the cavity.
  5. Bake the mini cupcakes for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes.
  6. Make salted date caramel (recipe below) and schmear the caramel onto each cupcake. Garnish with sweet cacao nibs.
Salted Date Caramel
  1. Remove the pit from moist, squishy dates. If they feel dry, soak them in hot water for a few minutes and then drain before proceeding.
  2. In a food processor or blender, combine dates, maple syrup, water, and sea salt. Blend until smooth. Add additional water if you prefer a thinner caramel sauce.
Notes
You will have extra caramel, but the recipe for the salted date caramel cannot be halved unless you have a very small (~3 cup) food processor).
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 2 mini cupcakes
Recipe by Uproot Kitchen at https://uprootkitchen.com/2015/02/13/black-bean-cupcakes-salted-caramel/