Using Beans Instead of Fat in Baking

My wife has been using beans instead of fat in baking for about a year now.  The taste and textures amazes most people when we tell them what is used.  The cake cooks just a bit faster than normal, so be sure and watch close the first time you cook with them.  The cake stays moist longer.

There are two easy ways to replace fat with beans in most baking.

1. Simply cover beans with water and cook until very soft.  Mash until the beans are about the consistency of shortening.  You can use a blender.  Replace the fat in recipes cup for cup.  For example, if a recipe calls for 1-cup margarine—use 1-cup mashed beans.  Liquid may be added to adjust the consistency.  Mashed beans do not keep long in the fridge, so use them or freeze them.

2. Grind the beans in your wheat grinder to make bean flourStore the flour in an airtight container.  Replace the fat in recipes cup for cup as above.  You will need to add extra liquid since the ground beans will be part of the dry ingredients.

Other types of beans will work, including canned beans.  The type of bean will have a slight effect on the taste.  White beans give it a slight vanilla taste.  The color of the bean should match the color of what you are baking.  For instants use black beans for chocolate cake.

Howard

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10 thoughts on “Using Beans Instead of Fat in Baking”

  1. Yech! I can see why you’d want to replace margarine with beans! Why anyone uses margarine is beyond me. Butter is much better–and healthier, too. but I can’t imagine chocolate chip cookies without that buttery taste; still, butter can be expensive so I’ll give this a try.

      1. Healthy Flourless Chocolate Cake

        Makes a 9″ one layer cake

        Ingredients:
        1-15 ounce can of unseasoned black beans
        OR 1 1/2 cup cooked beans, any color
        5 large cage free eggs
        1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
        1/2 teaspoon sea salt
        6 tablespoons unsalted organic butter OR coconut oil
        1/2 cup honey + 1 teaspoon stevia extract
        6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
        1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
        1/2 teaspoon baking soda

        Mint Chocolate variation:
        2 teaspoons mint extract (in place of 2 teaspoons vanilla)

        Preparation:
        Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9″ cake pan with extra virgin olive oil cooking spray, or just grease it with a thin layer of butter. Dust cocoa all over the inside of the pan, tapping to evenly distribute. Cut a round of parchment paper and line the bottom of the pan, then spray the parchment lightly.

        Drain and rinse beans in a strainer or colander. Shake off excess water. Place beans, 3 of the eggs, vanilla, stevia and salt into blender. Blend on high until beans are completely liquefied. No lumps! Whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat butter with honey until light and fluffy. Add remaining two eggs, beating for a minute after each addition. Pour bean batter into egg mixture and mix. Finally, stir in cocoa powder mix and beat the batter on high for one minute, until smooth. Scrape batter into pan and smooth the top. Grip pan firmly by the edges and rap it on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles.

        Bake for 40-45 minutes. Cake is done with the top is rounded and firm to the touch. After 10 minutes, turn out cake from pan, and flip over again on to a cooling rack. Let cool until cake reaches room temperature, then cover in plastic wrap or with cake dome (I use an overturned plastic chip bowl). For BEST flavor, let cake sit over night. I promise this cake will not have a hint of beaniness after letting it sit for eight hours! If you are stacking this cake, level the top with a long serrated knife, shaving off layers until it is flat and even.
        ~125.6g net carbs for the whole cake using honey/stevia.
        ~12.56g net carbs per 1/10th

        Healthy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

        Makes enough to thickly cover one layer, or fill and frost a halved stacked layer

        Ingredients:
        1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted organic butter, softened, OR 7 tablespoons coconut oil
        1/4 cup honey or agave nectar
        5-6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
        2 tablespoons coconut milk
        1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
        Pinch of sea salt
        Good-tasting pure stevia extract, to taste

        Optional addition for a glossy finish:
        1 fresh organic egg yolk

        Preparation:
        Cream the butter or oil in a small bowl until fluffy. Stir honey into butter with a spatula, then beat until smooth. Slowly blend in the cocoa powder (unless you want to redecorate your kitchen), vanilla, and sea salt. Beat in the coconut milk and egg yolk, if using. Add stevia, starting with 1/16 teaspoon. You’ll probably use less than 1/4 teaspoon. Just keep tasting and adjust sweetness to your liking.
        Gale Bolinger

  2. Find a fat source you can store, like Ghee. Ghee (butter with the milk solids removed) will store at room temperature for years. You cannot absorb vitamins A, D, E and K without enough fat.
    I’ve read a lot of prepper sites the past two years. There’s a great deal of dietary ignorance out there. I the SHTF for an extended period, there’s going to be a lot of unhealthy preppers running around trying to live on rice, beans and wheat.
    MY advice is to store jerky, pemmican, coconut milk, Ghee, canned salmon and sardines and freeze dried vegetables.

    1. I am in total agreement with you I recommend that you store fats in other posts. But if you are short of fat or on a low fat diet this is a good substitute. we use it all the time. Am currently building an olive press their is a lot of wild olives in the area where I live.
      Howard

  3. Thanks Gale for the two great recipes. Am going to try it for our birthday party. If you have anymore that you use that are healthy and we would have in our storage, please pass them on. We will put them on the blog for everyone. Thanks again Prepardness Mom

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    It is really a great and helpful piece of information. I am satisfied that you simply shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.

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