{Black Bean} Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Adapted from: Skinny Taste

You will never believe that these brownies are made with black beans! I baked these last night for a wonderful wine & paint party a la Lisa Jordan and waited until half of them were gone before I revealed my healthy secret. All the ladies were wondering how they were so dense and moist - no one would believe that black beans were the secret ingredient. Just like the diet soda cake, you can choose any brownie mix of your choice to bake your favorite, guilt-free brownies!

Ingredients:

• 19.8 oz box dark chocolate fudge brownie mix
• 15 oz can black beans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Drain black beans and rinse well. Put beans back in the can and fill the rest with water. In blender or food processor, pulse black beans and water until smooth.

Mix pureed beans with brownie package mix (no eggs, oil, etc.).

Coat baking dish with cooking spray. Bake brownies according to package directions.

Yield: 20 brownies

Light Chocolate {Pumpkin} Cupcakes

Adapted from: Skinny Taste

I would call these {hidden pumpkin} chocolate cupcakes. The pumpkin puree serves to moisten the cupcakes, but once baked you can hardly tell it's in there. These cupcakes are simple and light, but taste rich and will satisfy any chocolate fix!

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

• 18.25 oz Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix
• 1.4 oz sugar free, fat free instant chocolate jello pudding mix
• 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 1/3 cups water

Chocolate glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2-1 tbsp 1% milk
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Directions:

Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners.

Combine canned pumpkin and water in a large bowl and mix to combine. Add chocolate pudding mix; mix well.

Add chocolate cake mix and beat for 2 minutes.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake about 25 - 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes.

Chocolate glaze:

Combine all dry ingredients, add vanilla and 1/2 tbsp milk, adding more 1/4 tsp at a time if needed until smooth.

Add to a piping bag or use a zip lock bag and cut the corner off, drizzle onto cooled cupcakes.

I then used some leftover cream cheese frosting from another Halloween treat for an extra taste of sweetness, but the cupcakes should be great with the chocolate glaze alone!

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Paula Deen Pumpkin Bars

Adapted from: Paula Deen

These pumpkin bars are a true fall treat. Perfect for a UNC tailgate and a Halloween spent in our night class. Friends at both enjoyed this delicious dessert!

Ingredients:

Bars:

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 15 oz can pumpkin
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 2 tsps ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda

Icing:

• 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Bars:

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread batter into 2 greased 13x10-inch baking pans. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

Icing:

Combine cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Yield: 48 bars

Cookie Surprise!

My dear friend Melissa taught me this recipe, which she dubs "Cookie Surprise". Simple and using only 3 ingredients, it has Melissa's name written all over it. She always manages to simplify and perfect any recipe she comes across. It's a crowd pleaser for sure - it was the first dessert to disappear at the Camp Downes dinner tonight!

Ingredients:

• 1 package chocolate chip cookies (Chips Ahoy or any generic brand)
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 container cool whip

Directions:

For the first layer, individually dip half of the cookies into evaporated milk and cover the bottom of an 8x8 dish.

Spread 1/2 of cool whip over the layer of cookies.

Repeat with the rest of the cookies, and spread remaining cool whip over second layer.

Top with chocolate chip cookie crumbs.

Freeze dessert for 2-3 hours, or overnight.

Sinfully Delicious Toffee Bars

Adapted from: Family Bites

These fudgy, chocolate chip cookie toffee bars are to die for. Graham cracker, toffee, chocolate, cookie dough... baked to perfection and cut into squares for everyone to enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (32 squares)
• 2 symphony bars, crumbled
• 1 roll refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
• 1 12-oz bag chocolate chips
• 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Grease 13"x9" baking dish and heat oven to 350°F.

Let the cookie dough sit out for around 10 minutes to soften up.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the 1/2 cup of melted butter, 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs and 3/4 cup of toffee bits. Pour mixture into the greased pan and press evenly until mixture covers bottom of pan. Refrigerate for around 15 minutes.

In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the milk, chocolate chips and the tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Stir frequently until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Spread the mixture over the graham cracker crumb mixture.

In another medium bowl, break up the cookie dough and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs until blended. Crumble the mixture evenly over the chocolate layer and sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup of toffee bits on top.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Before cutting, let cool for up to 2 hours.

Yield: 24 squares

Lemonade Confetti Cupcakes

Adapted from: Skinny Taste

With so many birthdays in the past week, it was inevitable that we would find a delicious summer dessert to bake for a friend. This was the recipe we chose, light and sweet lemonade confetti cupcakes topped with sprinkles. They were a big hit in the clinic!

Ingredients:

• 1 18.25 oz box confetti cake mix, we used Betty Crocker
• 2 1/2 tsp powdered Crystal Light lemonade mix
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/2 lemon, zest of
• sprinkles of choice, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line tins with 18-24 cupcake liners.

Mix water and lemonade powder. In a large bowl, combine boxed cake mix, lemonade mixture, applesauce, lemon zest, and oil. Using a mixer, stir until all ingredients are fully combined.

Pour batter into cupcake pans. Top each with sprinkles. Bake for 22 minutes, or you can insert a toothpick in the center of a cupcake to see if it comes out clean.

Let cool and serve!

Fruit Cobbler - Easy and Lightened Up

Adapted from: Beauty and Bedlam

Fruit cobbler is always a crowd pleaser, especially when you can choose the fruit and serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. We used sprite zero with peaches, but just like the diet soda cake we've baked before, you can get creative! We're trying blueberries next. Thanks to my sister Kimberly for sharing this yummy and healthy dessert recipe!

Ingredients:

12 oz. (1 can) sprite zero (or any other diet soda)

1 box yellow cake mix

2 16 oz. bags of frozen fruit, any kind

Directions:

Preheat oven 350°F.

Pour frozen fruit into a 13"x9" baking dish. Sprinkle cake mix over frozen fruit. Pour half a can of sprite zero over mixture. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 20 minutes covered, then uncover and bake for another 40 minutes.

Yield: 12 servings

Diet Soda Funfetti Cake

Adapted from The Skinny Taste.

In honor of our friend's birthday tonight, we decided to try out this diet soda cake. You can use any cake mix of your choice as well as any flavored diet soft drink. We used Pillsbury Funfetti and Sprite Zero, but you can get creative with any combo! The cool whip icing was also a hit.

Ingredients:

• 1 box funfetti cake mix
• 10 oz Sprite Zero
• 2 egg whites
• Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven according to package directions. Coat 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.

Beat cake mix, sprite, and egg whites for 2 minutes. Pour into pan.

Bake for as long as directed on box, or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

Wait 10-15 minutes before cutting to allow cake to cool. Top with cool whip for a light topping.

Yield: 12 servings, or 24 cupcakes