- Beans are having a moment right now, that's for sure.
Weird recipes with beans that people love go from sweet to savory and are all filled fiber and protein. Do you think you’ve had any of the recipes on the list?
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Black Bean Brownies
Instead of flour, these brownies use pureed black beans as the base. The beans create a dense, fudgy texture while adding protein and fiber. Many people cannot even tell beans are the main ingredient.
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Navy Bean Ice Cream
Cooked navy beans are blended with cream, sugar, and vanilla to create a surprisingly smooth frozen dessert. The beans contribute a subtle nuttiness and extra creaminess.
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Red Bean Shaved Ice
Popular in parts of East Asia, sweetened red beans are served on top of finely shaved ice with condensed milk and fruit. The combination of beans and dessert can seem unusual to people unfamiliar with it. Do you think this is one of the weird recipes with beans?
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Bean Chocolate Truffles
Pureed black beans mixed with dark chocolate create rich truffles that look and taste surprisingly traditional despite their unusual ingredient list.
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Jelly Bean Baked Beans
Some adventurous cooks have experimented with replacing part of the sugar in baked beans with flavored jelly beans. The result is often bizarre, with fruity notes clashing against smoky bean flavors.
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White Bean Cheesecake
White beans are blended into cheesecake batter to add creaminess and protein. The flavor is mild enough that most people only notice the smooth texture.
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Bean Pizza Crust
Ground beans and bean flour can be used to make a pizza crust. While not entirely strange today, it still surprises many people who expect a traditional wheat base.
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Black Bean Chocolate Cake
Similar to bean brownies but even more ambitious, this cake relies heavily on black beans for structure and moisture. Do you think this is one of the weird recipes with beans?
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Sweet Red Bean Soup
A dessert soup made from adzuki beans, sugar, and water. To many Western diners, the idea of a sweet bean soup can seem unusual.
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Bean Smoothies
White beans or chickpeas are blended into fruit smoothies. The beans add thickness and protein without dramatically changing the flavor.
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Coffee Bean Chili
Chili already contains beans, but adding ground coffee creates a deep, earthy flavor that can seem surprisingly odd until tasted.
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Bean Fudge
Mashed beans mixed with sugar, cocoa, and butter can be transformed into a dense fudge-like candy. Do you think this is one of the weird recipes with beans?
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Lima Bean Cookies
Pureed lima beans are incorporated into cookie dough. The result is soft and slightly cake-like, with a flavor that most people would never identify as bean-based.
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Bean Meringue
The liquid from cooked chickpeas, known as aquafaba, can be whipped into stiff peaks that mimic egg whites. It can then be baked into meringues.
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Bean Marshmallows
Aquafaba can also replace egg whites in homemade marshmallows, creating fluffy treats with no obvious bean flavor.
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Bean Pancakes
Various cultures make pancakes using bean flours or mashed beans, resulting in savory or sweet versions with unique textures.
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Fermented Bean Candy
Some experimental chefs combine fermented beans with sweet ingredients to create candies that balance sweetness with funky, savory flavors.
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Chocolate-Covered Roasted Chickpeas
Roasted chickpeas are coated in chocolate and eaten like candy. They provide an unusual combination of crunch, sweetness, and bean flavor. Do you think this is one of the weird recipes with beans?
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Bean Milk Tea
Sweet bean pastes or bean purees are sometimes added to tea drinks, creating a thick beverage that feels halfway between a dessert and a drink.
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Bean Sushi Desserts
Sweet bean paste can be shaped to resemble sushi toppings and served over sweetened rice, creating desserts that look like savory sushi but taste entirely sweet.
What do you think of these weird recipes with beans? Tell us about it in the comments!