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I know this space. What's worse is stepping on the scale and KNOWING that chocolate binge was not a good thing.

I found a recipe that may save me this month: it's black bean brownies.

You take a package of low-fat brownie mix and add a can of pureed black beans to the mix. (I rinsed the black beans and topped up the can with water to replace the liquid I had rinsed off.) It takes ages to bake (50 minutes, give or take), but when it's done, you can't tell you're eating black beans.

I made it last night having thought I had lost my mind, but it's actually GOOD!

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Running towards better health.

Have a brownie that won't kill you

No Pudge Brownie Clone

This recipe comes the closest to the ones that are sold in the stores. Do not substitute Splenda or other sweetner, the sugar in the recipe carmelizes as the brownies bake, making them more sticky (when I used Splenda, they felt like rubber. On the box vital wheat gluten also appears, I learned that it helps the brownies rise as the batter is rich in sugar. I figure about 1/2-1 teaspoon is enough * I didn't have yogurt at hand but I had some milk and Jello Sugar Free Fat Free Instant Chocolate Pudding. I made the pudding according to recipe on the box and substituted it cup for cup (I omitted the baking soda because the soda is there to offset the acidity in yogurt, no yogurt= no need for soda). The brownies came out even better!

16 servings
time to make 40 min 5 min prep
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt (a 6 oz. container, Dannon works best)
nonstick cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix all dry ingredients.
3. Add yogurt and mix well.
4. Batter will be very thick.
5. Spray an 8x8 pan with nonstick cooking spray.
6. Spread batter evenly.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
8. Remove and cool.
9. Dip a knife in warm water and cut into 16 squares.

Make the above mix and if using it for the below single serve recipe -just store it in an airtight container in the freezer.

Or use the single serve recipe:

In a small microwaveable container mix 2 tablespoons of the above mix with 1 tablespoon of non-fat vanilla yogurt.
Microwave on high for one minute.
Top with fat-free frozen yogurt or whipped topping.
Tastes like a warm, fudgy brownie pudding - Yum!!!

Calories 83
Calories from Fat 2
Amount Per Serving
Total Fat 0.3g
Saturated Fat 0.0g
Polyunsat. Fat 0.0g
Monounsat. Fat 0.0g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 62mg
Potassium 13mg
Total Carbohydrate 18.8g
Dietary Fiber 0.7g
Sugars 12.5g
Protein 1.6g

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Do not let what you cannot do, interfere with what you can do. --John Wooden

I love these brownie recipes--I'm going to have to give them a try in a couple weeks when TOM comes around (my will power to avoid chocolate slips my week of)--especially the black bean one--who can resist getting some fiber with some chocolate--maybe it will help things move along a lot faster if you know what I mean!

I forgot to mention--has anyone ever tried the recipe where you take a cake mix and just add a can of diet coke (or whatever diet soda you want) and bake as normal? I made a cake for work a couple of weeks ago that way and it was so good, plus the cake part had only 160 calories per serving as opposed to 260! And everyone at work loved it! It didn't even need frosting!

ooooo - i want the recipe!

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SW: 330 | CW: 163 | GW: 150
How im doing it | Progress Pics | Homepage

Yes. It does get things moving.

It's a brownie mix with ALL the side effects of black beans... And that's ALL I'm saying on that.

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Running towards better health.

its seriously a box of cake mix and a can of diet pop. Mix and put in a pie pan and bake til it's cooked.

What's fun about it is the experimentation of pop flavors with cake mix flavors

Lemon cake w/ sprite or 7up
Chocolate cale w/ cherry coke or root beer
Spice cake w/ ginger ale

(just use diet soda and there are some fancier flavors of sodas as well - just pick what you like

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Do not let what you cannot do, interfere with what you can do. --John Wooden

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it's been part of the weight watchers arsenal for years I've tried the cake once or twice and it's pretty good... Especially the spice cake/ginger ale mix - with just some powdered sugar/cinnamin/nutmeg sprinkled on top (go extra fancy and put a doily down then sprinkle -and remove doily and you get a fancy design

__________________
Do not let what you cannot do, interfere with what you can do. --John Wooden

This is one of my most favorite cakes to make! I love the strawberry. You take a box of strawberry cake mix and just add one can of diet mt. dew....NO OTHER INGREDIENTS....Just the mix and the diet mt. dew. Bake it in the oven and then for the topping you use lowfat/sugarfree vanilla pudding (mix according to the package) and then you spread it on the cake and then you also spread lite cool whip to the top of the pudding and put it in the fridge. It is soooooo good. It is a weight watchers recipe. You can also do the same with chocolate cake and diet coke and then use choc. pudding and the lite cool whip. I don't like the choc. as much as the strawberry. Its always so light and fluffy and sooooo good!!!!

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Make the brownie recipe according to the box (or the cookbook) and add the black beans pureed with water in the blender.

The baking time triples, so be aware that this is not an instant desert, but it works. (I'm eating it now.)

__________________
Running towards better health.

hmm the original recipe i saw for it - it was black beans and brownie mix - so you're adding the eggs and oil and whatever as well?

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Do not let what you cannot do, interfere with what you can do. --John Wooden

Other flavor combinations to use:

- spice cake mix w/ diet orange
- Banana cake mix w/ diet root beer
- lemon cake mix w/ diet 7-up
- Chocolate cake w/ diet coke
- Lemon cake w/ Diet ginger ale
- orange cake w/diet Mountain Dew
- cherry chip cake w/ A& W diet Cream
- Lemon cake w/ Diet Lemon lime
- angel w/ Diet Orange
- White w/ Diet Orange
- yellow cake w/ Diet orange
- white cake w/ Diet Peach
- spice cake w/ diet lemon-lime
- White w/ diet ginger ale
- chocolate cake w/ Diet cherry coke
- devils food w/ diet vanilla coke
- chocolate cake w/ root beer
- marble cake w/ diet cream soda
- lemon with tangerine diet rite
- white cake mix w/ diet sprite
- Red Velvet w/ Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr Pepper
- Banana cake w/ diet root beer
- Pineapple cake w/ diet Squirt

I've also seen the addition of 2 egg whites to make the cake a little lighter and making it as a cupcake.. with a cool whip/pudding frosting

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Do not let what you cannot do, interfere with what you can do. --John Wooden