Red Bean and Chocolate Muffin Recipe: This unique muffin recipe combines sweet red beans, cocoa powder, and other basic dry ingredients to make a delicious treat. The best part? It is topped with coconut and chopped walnuts to add an extra crunch. This muffin recipe is perfect for a baker looking to try new flavors.

SWEETENED RED BEANS

• A key ingredient when making this muffin recipe is canned sweetened red beans.
• Sweetened red beans are also called adzuki beans
• Sweetened red beans are often found in bingsu, a Korean dessert made of shaved ice and other ingredients
• Find canned sweetened red beans: Most Asian supermarkets, in the canned goods section
• Inside a can: it looks like red beans in sauce (see photo below)
• There is sweetened red bean paste, which is much sweeter than the canned beans. Feel free to use paste instead of beans, but use much less (about 2 tablespoons)
• Learn how to make sweet red bean paste from Just One Cookbook

SWEET RICE FLOUR

• Another key ingredient is sweet rice flour, made from glutinous flour
• Plain rice flour is made from short-grain or long-grain white rice
• It is more like a starch versus all-purpose flour
• It looks like cornstarch and naturally gluten-free
• A substitute for sweet rice flour is tapioca flour or potato starch
• Find it in Asian markets or natural grocery stores

TIPS FOR MAKING RED BEAN AND CHOCOLATE MUFFINS

• Make sure you have the red bean and almond milk mixture blended before you start baking
• Pre-heat oven! Prep your muffin tin with paper or silicone liners
• Have your toppings ready: I used walnuts and sweetened coconut flakes
• Only a little amount of white sugar is added because the sweetened red beans are very sweet.
• Craving even more chocolate? Make my Buttermilk Chocolate Cupcakes

WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER CANNED SWEETENED RED BEANS

• You won’t use the entire can of the sweetened red beans, here is a list of options to use up the leftover beans
• Make bingsu, Korean shaved iced, from Korean Bapsang
• Make Matcha Red Bean Cake, from Yummly
• Make red bean and coconut cake, from Yummly
• Or double the muffin recipe!

QUESTIONS ABOUT RED BEAN AND CHOCOLATE MUFFINS

Q: Instead of blending together red beans and almond milk, can I just use sweetened red beans from the can?

A: Well, yes. If you do, the muffin itself will have chunks because of the red beans. When you are mixing the batter, be sure to ‘squish’ the batter so the beans get mixed in. If the muffin batter looks too dry, add more almond milk

Q: Can I use another milk?

A: Yes! I always have unsweetened almond milk on hand, thus I use it when I bake and cook at home. Go ahead and use whatever milk you have on hand. Remember, if you use a milk with a higher fat content like whole cows milk or coconut milk, it will become creamier and softer. More fat = softer and shorter gluten strands.

Q: I can’t find sweetened red beans, can I use another cooked bean?

A: Simply, no. This recipe is designed to use sweetened red beans.

Q: Can I use all sweet rice flour? I don’t have almond flour

A: Simply, yes. Almond flour adds a slight flavor and texture to the muffins.