Sweet bean cream folded into whole oats and topped with Asian pears and blueberries
As a big fan of breakfast and a big fan of the bean, I have long aspired to figure out how to make the two meet in my kitchen. I know the power a gusto brekkie delivers for supporting you evenly through the rest of the day with lasting levels of satiety, and beans are the perfect prescriptive.
Beans at breakfast always seem to work when I’m in Mexico – must be the chilaquilles experience that is such a good match for the sun, the surf, the palapa. But somehow black beans and tortillas haven’t made the transfer back to my home far north of the border here in Northern California.
Still, I’ve persisted in the quest for making beans work on my plate for the first meal of the day. Primarily because when I have beans at breakfast, even just a small amount, the carry power for my breakfast through the rest of the day is clear. Even though hunger for other meals shows up as always, there is a detectable stability of energy and blood sugars throughout the day when I can find a way to bean at breakfast. And everyone knows that beans are your fat loss and weight management friend. I must confess to simply stirring some black beans into my oatmeal in the experimental phase. Nah.
Enter Cannellini Beans
Black beans may not have worked, but white cannellini beans presented a whole new possibility. I wanted something sweet to spread on my breakfast biscuits and to stir into my oatmeal, and I found the answer in this simple preparation – Sweet Bean Cream – that I’ve become quite fond of to fulfill my desire for beans early on – AND in a tasty fashion!
Sweet Bean Cream
- 1 cup cooked cannellini beans ( I cook mine in big batches in my Instant Pot and store in 2 cup batches in the freezer)
- 3 large dates, soaked and cut into chunks
- 1/8 – 1/4 cup water from the soaking dates (depending on how much liquid you have with the beans and for desired consistency
- 1 Tablespoon raw almond butter
Place all in a food processor or blender. Whir away until you have a fluffy sweet consistency – I used my mini Cuisinart, seen with before-and-after in the pictures at right. Store in refrigerator. Make bigger batches if you like, just double everything.
Spread on hot biscuits or fold into your hot oats, oatmeal, rice cream, or other breakfast cereal.
If you want sweeter, add more dates. If you want richer, add more almond butter.
Variations
And by the way, other nut and seed butters make for delicious variation – a favorite is raw sesame butter, or tahini. Let me know what you come up with.
I guarantee this sweet addition to your breakfast will give you more stay power – satiety – from breakfast, thanks to the many beneficial properties of the beans. Plus, this gives you a head start on those 2+ servings of beans ideal for every day, as detailed in Fit Quickies: 5 Minute Targeted Body Shaping Workouts.
From my kitchen to yours….
Eat, move, be!
Mmm, looks good Lani! 🙂 Will have to try.
Thanks Cathy! Will you be at Vegfest in SF this weekend?
Lani
This sounds bizarrely awesome! Who would have thought beans, almond butter, and dates could work together. Gonna try it this weekend.
Jeff,
So glad you like it! Let me know how she comes out if you try it.
Lani
Are cannellini beans the same thing as garbanzo beans? I can’t wait to try this.
Bette,
No, garbanzo beans are very different and a different flavor and texture.
Cannellini beans are sometimes on the shelf as white beans. Since I got my Instant Pot, I’ve been cooking big batches and freezing them in pint-size containers for use. In the bulk section they are cannellini beans. Maybe ask at the market for some assist?
Let me know how it goes!
Lani
Whipped this up right away and had it & banana slices on a piece of wg toast for a snack – yum – and it’s delicious in my steal cut oats with a sprinkle of cinnamon this morning. I’ll be keeping a batch in the refrigerator as a staple. Thanks!
Anna,
Wow! Way to take ACTION! That sounds fabulous and thanks from me – and all our readers – for adding your suggestion. Perfect!
Lani
By the way, I was out of cannellini beans so did a little google research and substituted navy beans. It seems cannellini, great northern & navy can often be interchanged, although navy do not hold their shape as well. I found them to be a great replacement in this receips since it’s pureed anyway.
I tried this last night with white kidney beans because that is what I could find and sunflower butter. It is really good! I had it this morning on quinoa with a chopped orange and I am still satisfied by almost lunch time. Great idea! Thanks for sharing it.
My goodness Sarah, how absolutely innovative and brilliant! Thanks for sharing your sidetrips!
Lani
Ooooo, I just added an equal amount of canned pumpkin to the sweet bean cream I had left, along with a sprinkle of Pampered Chef Cinnamon Plus (like allspice) to give it a pumpkin pie flavor, and it’s lick-the-bowl delicious. I’ll try adding cooked sweet potato or yam next time. I’m going to do some more experiementing with this as a base for dipping apples and pears. The possibilities are endless and perfect for fall! You. Are. Brilliant! 🙂
Oh my are you onto something Ann! Talk about brilliant! May I steal your ideas? Sounds like another article coming on with all the great suggestions and feedback I’ve gotten for Sweet Bean Cream!
Lani
Wow! Just whipped up a batch, using sesame butter I had on hand. Am making a slice of toast right now and had the spread on a pumpernickel square, since I couldn’t wait for the toast. (Have trouble with concept of delayed gratification.) It is amazingly delicious. Thank you!
Fantastic Joan! Ain’t it great to have beans so irresistable? Thanks for adding to the idea bank, too!
Lani
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