The Best Recipes That Sneak Beans (And Fiber) In

Chances are, you’ve been told (or heard) that you should be eating more beans at some point. If you have, there’s good reason for it: Beans are nutritional powerhouses, rich in protein, minerals, and that all-important fiber, which the vast majority of us don’t get enough of. Beans are also affordable, versatile, and flavorful without being overpowering in a dish.

Videos by Sporked

And yet…a lot of people simply don’t gel with them, which is a real shame, given their numerous benefits. The good news, though, is that beans are also incredibly easy to incorporate into foods without people even realizing you’re doing it. If you’re catering for a picky eater or kids who you want to eat more beans (or a combination of the two), here are the best ways to sneak them in. 

Pasta Sauces

White beans have long been used in plant-based diets as a way to create creamy pasta sauces, but meat and dairy eaters can also make good use of them. When puréed and mixed with liquid, white beans become silky smooth, creamy, and clingy, coating each strand or piece of pasta incredibly well.

So, for an easy win, purée a half-cup of white beans and add them to your mac and cheese or cacio e pepe sauce. The beans will blend imperceptibly with the other ingredients and also work as a thickener (so you might need a bit of extra stock or milk in there to thin them out). Just make sure you hit them with a little more salt, as the beans can somewhat dull the intense flavors of a cheese sauce.

Sloppy Joes

I love a bean burger as much as the next person, but let’s be honest: They’re not fooling anyone. For people who don’t like beans, forming them into a patty and hoping for the best probably won’t cut it. You need to be a little more cunning than that.

Enter Sloppy Joes. These saucy sandwiches are perfect for hiding beans in, as when mashed up, they’ll blend with the liquid easily – while also serving a useful function to keep the sauce relatively coherent. Mash up some kidney or black beans and stir them into your meat sauce, making sure to simmer for a few minutes so you lose some of that bean flavor. Hey, I don’t mind it, but who you’re cooking for might. 

Black Bean Brownies

Whoever figured out black bean brownies needs a pat on the back. Not only do black beans boost the fiber, protein, and nutritional content of brownies without announcing themselves too much, but they also provide the body of the dessert – and therefore, can make it gluten-free. In essence, you sub out the flour for black bean purée, mixing it with eggs, oil, cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla, salt, baking powder, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. The moisture retention of the black beans means that the brownies stay fudgy and chewy. I promise I’m not just suggesting a healthier, but lesser version of brownies here: Trust me, they’re really good.