Bars, Breakfast, Recipes

{Healthy} Mexican Hot Chocolate Breakfast Bars

Sarah

Would you like a rich, chocolately, fudgy bar for breakfast? They have a hint of cinnamon and cayenne reminiscent of the fancily flavorful Mexican Hot Chocolate that is so addicting once you get past the fact that you’re drinking something with a little heat. I bet you’ll love them.

{Healthy} Mexican Hot Chocolate Breakfast Bars | The Pajama ChefBut…… I know, I know. Chocolate for breakfast is everyone’s dream. Emphasis on dream, not reality. Especially in near brownie form, complete with chocolate chunks and coconut flakes. Perfecto! Nah, you say. No can do. Welllll, what if I told you they were healthy. What if I told you they were healthy without seeming healthy. What would you say then? I hope you’re in. I hope you’re game. Because these Mexican Hot Chocolate Breakfast Bars are secretly healthy. Made with a base of [gasp] sweet potatoes and black beans, this is one breakfast treat that anyone can get into eating.

I don’t usually calculate nutrition stats for my recipes, but I did for this one and discovered that each bar is 247 calories each, with 6 grams of fat. Thanks to the sweet potato and black beans, each serving has as much protein as an egg [6 grams] and as much potassium as a small banana [300 milligrams]. Add in the 6 grams of fiber and high amounts of vitamin A, this is a breakfast to be proud of. Unfortunately, the sugar content [29 grams] is higher than many breakfasts, but there are a couple ways this could be lowered–by using less honey or unsweetened versus sweetened coconut [or even subbing nuts for coconut altogether]. But that stat aside, I [the non-nutritionist, dietitian, and professional that I am] feel pretty good about eating this for breakfast. A bit indulgent, yes, but homemade, nutrient rich, tasty, and satisfying. Paired with a piece of fruit or some skim milk to round out the meal, these bars are really filling. Seriously… for the girl who usually eats a midmorning snack, a couple days when I ate one of these for breakfast at 8 am after a workout with a piece of fruit I wasn’t hungry until 1 pm. CRAY cray!

But don’t just take my word for it. Nutrition and all that boring info aside, I’m guessing you might be a bit hung up on the sweet potato/black bean base. I have two words: don’t. worry. I promise. Pinky swear, in fact. No one will be able to tell.

{Healthy} Mexican Hot Chocolate Breakfast Bars | The Pajama Chef

Case in point: the whole time I made these, Ben was playing video games in another room. True to routine, after they were baking, I visited him with the batter spoon for a test taste. Mum was the word, and he licked the bowl with a vengeance. They were pulled out of the oven and set on a cooling rack next to an assortment of clean dinner and baking dishes air-drying on a towel. Ben said they looked like brownies, and that he was looking forward to a breakfast treat. He even tried a piece that had cracked off the top and said it was delicious. Still, I said nothing. It was only when we had gotten into bed that I fessed up. What can I say… I can’t go to bed in deceit. Without batting an eye [at least, I think so… it was dark], Ben just laughed. He’s used to my kitchen games by now. And then, the next morning he took one to work for breakfast, along with a few others for his co-workers to try. That night, he came home with rave reviews. If that’s not an awesome testimony, then I don’t know what is.

{Healthy} Mexican Hot Chocolate Breakfast Bars | The Pajama Chef

I mean, I FINALLY tricked my husband into eating [and loving] something secretly healthy. I mean, I did here, so it’s been done before. But I failed here, and also have failed with a  smattering of other dishes over the years. Believe me, Ben eats plenty of healthy foods, but when it comes down to it, he would choose a rich, chocolately brownie over a bowl of sweet potatoes. Who wouldn’t? But why should you have to choose? If no one can tell, then I say game on and serve a secretly healthy Mexican Hot Chocolate Breakfast Bar in the morning. You won’t regret it…. especially if you heat ’em up for about 20 seconds before enjoying. Melty chocolate in the morning is the bestttt!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Breakfast Bars

  • Servings: 12
  • Print

heavily adapted from Eliza’s Edibles

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups no salt added black beans, drained and rinsed [a 15 ounce can or cooked my way]
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1 large sweet potato, scrubbed, peeled, and cooked [about 1 1/4- 1 1/2 cups]
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoons natural peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • dash of cayenne pepper [optional]
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chunks + more for sprinkling on top
  • 1/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes + more for sprinkling on top

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly grease and “flour” [using cooca powder] a 9×9 pan.

Add black beans and honey to a food processor and process until smooth, taking care to scrape the sides periodically to eliminate unsightly black bean chunks. Then chop sweet potato into small chunks and add to food processor along with the buttermilk, egg, peanut butter, and vanilla. Process again until everything is fully combined and very smooth. Mixture will be thick but not heavy.

In a small bowl, stir together cocoa powder, flours, baking powder, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper.

Transfer black bean mixture from food processor into a large bowl, then fold dry ingredients in. Stir until well combined, then add chocolate chunks and coconut flakes.

Spoon batter into prepared pan, then top with extra chocolate chunks and coconut flakes. Bake for 40-45 minutes, covering with foil for the last 10 minutes or so to ensure coconut on top toasts, not burns. Test with a toothpick to ensure bars are done, then cool completely before cutting. Keep refrigerated.

 

Published by Sarah

Librarian. Runner. Wife. Jesus follower. Loves reading, Indiana basketball, trying new recipes, coffee, cuddling with my kitties, cozy scarves, and cardigans.

28 thoughts on “{Healthy} Mexican Hot Chocolate Breakfast Bars”

  5. I would have never guessed that it would look and even sound so wonderful. But, your hubs and his co-workers testimony show that they absolutely are good. I have had to trick my hubs over the years but, I have not had too many successes…lol!

    Like

    Reply

  7. I love that you say cray cray, and that you said Ben licked the bowl “with a vengeance.” LOL! Good job tricking him, I do the same thing! I always fess up but only after Dennis (or whoever) has enjoyed whatever it is that is secretly healthy b/c I want them to judge it based on it’s appeal, not on whether it’s healthy or not. These sound so good and what a way to change things up in the morning!

    Like

    Reply

    1. haha sometimes i was in a weird mood when i wrote this…while watching an episode of bunheads. oh, abc family. yes- it’s definitely a good idea to let people try things before spilling the beans….pun NOT intended but when i thought of that, i had to write it. ha.

      Like

      Reply

  13. Love the new layout/design. (Sorry, haven’t been to your blog in a while.) These look decadent! I’ve made black bean brownies before, but these look way better than mine!

    Like

    Reply
  14. Pingback: Flourless Peanut-Chocolate Cookies | The Pajama Chef
  15. Pingback: Homemade Turkey Sausage Patties | The Pajama Chef
  16. Pingback: SRC: Almond Poppyseed Muffins | The Pajama Chef

Thanks for visiting... I would love to hear from you!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.