Since the end of October I have been traveling back and forth from NYC to Boulder CO. If you have been following me on Instagram you’ve gotten a sneak peak of a bigger picture that is about to come! It includes lots of recipes that I have been making for Kara Goucher. Kara is training for the olympic trials for the marathon, which will take place in February. I have been privileged to live with Kara when I am in Boulder. My goal has been to help Kara tweak her food intake so that she can recover faster and feel strong but light-footed on her runs. I have also been cooking dinners, desserts and everything in between. Kara and her family reap the benefits of my experimentations in their kitchen!
It is pretty much a dream come true that I have gotten to live in Boulder – the Mecca of training for triathlons and so many other sports! Plus, I get to do what I love everyday. Nothing makes me happier than helping athletes reach their goals and, more importantly, teaching them the proper way to eat. I am constantly promoting the message that to be a lean marathoner does not mean you need to eat less. If anything it means you need to eat more! That is, eat more of the right foods. This is one of my main principles back home in my health coaching practice.
Anyways, back to recipes…So while I am in Boulder I make a conscious effort to write down all the recipes I try and I make notes of what worked and what didn’t. For example, I note how Kara feels during and after her workouts depending on what she has eaten. Sounds to me like a good idea for a book…;) As Kara logs upward of 100 miles a week and builds up quite an appetite, it has become my job to have healthy options on hand when she returns home, not only to satisfy but also to get some quality nutrition into her body.
When I look at standard dessert foods I always ask – what can I add to this to make it more of a food that will help someone recover from a workout or give them some extra protein and/or fiber?For example, there’s gotta be a way to ramp up a typical piece of dark chocolate so that it has more nutritional value. The foods we eat should be working FOR us and that is the theory behind my recipes.
And so, one day in Boulder The Black Bean Fudge was born. It is packed with protein, healthy fats and complex carbs. It has become one of mine and Kara’s favorite late night treats. It’s just as soft and fudgy as your standard fudge but doesn’t have quite the same ingredient list. At first I thought to log it in my file of secret favorite recipes but then I decided that this recipe was too good not to share!
I use AboutTime Vegan Protein powder which is vegan and stevia sweetened – a must for me when picking protein powder. I really like baking with AboutTime because it is not grainy and has such a nice smooth flavor. It offers the perfect sweetness to my recipes without overpowering them. And since black beans also offer so much protein, this recipe is the perfect recovery snack. I love being able to eat fudge and know that I’m really eating beans. Amazing! And you would literally never know!
Enjoy this recipe – it is one of my favorites. It’s easy to make and so delicious!
Recipe
- 1 16 oz can of black beans (rinsed very well)
- 1 1/2 cup pitted dates (soaked in warm water for 10 minutes to soften)
- 1/2 cup pure cocoa powder
- 1/4-1/2 cup AboutTime Protein Powder
- 1/4 cup nut butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
Optional Add-ins:
- 3/4 nuts
- 1/4 chocolate chips
- In a food processor combine, beans, dates, cocoa powder, protein powder, nut butter, coconut oil, vanilla extract and espresso powder. Process until smooth and creamy. You may need to stop the machine and scrape it down a few times before you continue processing.
- If adding in the add-ins you can throw them into the food processor to combine them with the mixture. You want the nuts slightly chopped but chunky so don’t over process.
- Line a 9 inch pyrex with parchment paper (this will make it easier to pop them out), making sure the paper is coming over the edge. Spread mixture evenly into pyrex.
- Freeze for 1 hour or refrigerate for 3-4 hours and then remove fudge from pyrex and cut into evenly sized small squares. I got around 24-26 squares
- Store in the freezer to preserve longer (will last 4 plus weeks!) or the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Love this recipe! Any substitution for the protein, or just leave it out?
The recipe calls for black beans. Question I have is, does the beans have to be dried beans measured at 1 16oz or just a 1 16 oz can of beans and simply rinse then use as they are into the recipe?
The recipe calls for 1 16 oz can of black beans, though I’m sure you could use the dried beans if you cook then.
Any suggestions for substitutions of nut butters for athletes that are allergic to nuts
Tahini or a Sunbutter (made from sunflower seeds) would work nicely as well.
Lottie, what recommendation would you make for an espresso powder? 🙂
And please consider doing a cookbook together with Kara. It would be a great hit! 🙂 You are already doing it on your site, seriously consider a book for us athletes. You heard it from me 1st.! 🙂 🙂
When’s the best time to add the raspberries on top? Gotta have raspberries. 🙂 Also, are there any particular places to purchase the About Time protein powder in food chains? And just an idea, 🙂 , since so many readers are making your recipes, and many purchasing this particular protein powder on line…..ask About Time if on your behalf you can provide a promo code at checkout. Discount code: LOTTIE for 15% off + Free Shipping. 🙂 Just sayin’. (Hint Hint) 🙂 It would be Win Win for everyone and just might turn us into About Time loyal shoppers. 🙂
Hello Lottie! I have been wanting to make this protein chocolate fudge ever since the day that you uploaded the recipe & I FINALLY got around to it last night! I have to say, it is delicious!! I even had my picky fiance try the batter before freezing it & he said that it tasted like brownie batter! Love this recipe & I will definitely be making it again as soon as we eat this batch up!
It’s awesome to pay a visit this website and reading the views of all friends regarding this post, while I am also zealous of getting know-how.
Just made these with kidney beans instead of black beans – SO GOOD.
The repost of this at Women’s Running was titled “Protein Chocolate Fudge Is Your New Favorite Dessert” and boy was that prophetic. Yes, it is my new favorite. Quick and simple to make in batches, freezes well, tastes gorgeous, melts in the mouth, has that oh-so-important gooey, melty, rich chocolatey quality that brownies and brownie-likes should have, and is a little more virtuous than most because hey, black beans!
After following the recipe for the first batch I have changed things for subsequent batches, different nut butters, a mix of figs and dates, addition of goji, golden and mulberries, addition of different spices etc. No failures yet, only glorious delightful successes.
Thanks for the recipe!
Delicious but mine never firmed up. I put in the fridge for 5 hours and then the freezer for almost an hour. Still gooey. Any ideas?
Is there a substitution for the dates? Lots of sugar in them.
My own thinking . . . . dates provide both sweetness and the “glue” that holds the ingredients together and nothing else will have both those qualities but I expect at least some of the dates could be replaced by cooked and cooled mashed sweet potato or pumpkin for a lower Glycaemic Index and Load. Figs offer another alternative, having slightly less than half the carbs per at circa 75g for dates, 28g for figs per 100g. If you do experiment, I would like to hear about the results. I also might experiment myself!