Rec:Beananza Bars

[Piccolina]

I love recipes that use innovative or unexpected ingredients, and I've recently come across a bar recipe that calls for beans!

This might raise a few eyebrows at first but if you think about it we use a lot of different vegetables in many dessert and baking recipes. For example corn, potatoes, squash, pumpkin, zucchini, and carrots. I'm missing some of the ingredients in my pantry right now but the next time I have them all around I may just take a stab at this neat recipe. What do you guys think? Would you try them? Have you ever made another dessert recipe that called for beans?

[size=+2]Beananza Bars

[/size]
Prep: 15 min, Cook: 20 min.

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 cup natural wheat and barley cereal
• 1 lb. canned pinto beans, or Great Northern beans, rinsed, well drained, coarsely chopped
• 3/4 cup dark raisins
• 3/4 cup chopped dates
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, or almonds
• 1/4 cup plus 3 Tbs. melted margarine
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. salt

Combine flour, brown sugar, oats, cereal, beans, raisins, dates, coconut, and walnuts in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Press mixture evenly into greased 9x13 inch baking pan.

Bake at 350°F until bars are browned and firm to touch in center, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.

Courtesy: American Dry Bean Board

Tips: Substitute 1-2/3 cups low-fat granola cereal for oats and natural wheat and barley cereal. Use a pastry cutter to chop beans quickly and easily. Substitute any canned or cooked dry-packaged bean variety.

This recipe serves 30 people. Due to the nature of this recipe, it adjusts the number of servings in multiples of 30 only.

Per serving: calories 148, fat 5.2g, 30% calories from fat, cholesterol 0mg, protein 2.6g, carbohydrates 24.9g, fiber 2.4g, sugar 16.0g, sodium 83mg, diet points 3.4.

 

[shannon in KS]

Definitely a make-it-and-try-it-out-on-your-coworkers recipe. I am kinda partial to "different" recipes, too, so I may have to try this one out for sure and not tell anyone the secret ingredient- notorious for that one!

On a lighter note, my ornriness tends to get the best of me, but between Dina's "Tart" thread and your bean dessert thread, the words "fart tart" keep sending me into thrashing fits of laughter......

 

[marmalady]

Looks very yummy - I have a Bean pie recipe I'll post under 'pies' if you want to take a look!

 

[Piccolina]

Looks very yummy - I have a Bean pie recipe I'll post under 'pies' if you want to take a look!

Thanks marmalady, I'd definately be interested in a bean pie Look forward to your recipe!