Healthier Alternatives to Popular Desserts by Adding

Proteins
Food products and processing systems
Division 4
Alexis Wolfe
Ashley Dittis
11th/12th grade
Springport High School
300 W. Main Street, Springport, Michigan 49284

Abstract
The Purpose of this experiment was to discover whether or not adding protein to desserts would
take away the appeal to teenagers and adults. If the black beans were added to the brownies it
would increase people's desire to eat it but it will also take away the flavor appeal to people. To
get the data that was needed for this experiment ,three different samples of brownies were made.
Whole black beans were substituted for flour. There was one control group that had an everyday
recipe for brownies. Brownie (A) Is considered the control group. There were two levels of the
independent variable brownie (B) was 50% black bean and 50% flour.(C) was 100% black bean

and no flour . After the brownies were made brownies volunteers were taken to taste test and
complete the survey about the individual kinds of brownies that were made. After reviewing all,
the data, it was discovered that the flavor of the brownies in Group (C) were ranked poor by
44.7% of the people that took the survey. The brownies in the control group were ranked above
average by 53.19%. Volunteers were also asked If told the brownies had more protein in them,
would they have been more inclined to try them out? 61% of the volunteers said yes, but
disliked the brownies. When asked if they were told a brownie was gluten free would it be more
appealing to them? 84% of the volunteers said no. With information like this, the conclusion
drawn is that substituting flour with an ingredient like whole black bean brownies doesnt
increase the appeal or enjoyment of the desert, only the nutritional value.

Introduction
The work was done to discover if people would accept a way to include more protein into their
diet with a treat everyone loves, brownies. Brownies can be a good way to get people to eat the
protein needed in an everyday diet. Everyone needs a way to get protein in their diet. The
approach was was to find a way to get protein into something most everyone loves, and to still
have it taste good. The nutrition teacher at Springport High School previously made these
brownies and served them before to people, and she said the overall consensus was that they
liked the brownies. There was prior research done with the making of healthier and more protein
rich desserts there had been tested ran with making navy bean cookies made out of navy bean

flour. There wasn't sufficient amount of tools to make navy bean flour so black bean brownies
were the closest that could produce similar results to the navy bean cookies.
Literature Review
Currently there are people who do not get enough protein in their diet, but too many sugars and
fatty acids. Part of the experiment was taking a look at more loved desserts by Americans and
trying to figure out a way to make them healthier and add more protein content to them. Previous
research has once been done at Springport High School by the nutrition teacher with whole black
beans, and other research found on the topic was navy bean flour or Whole black bean brownies
as a flour substitute in more favored desserts like muffins,cookies,cakes and etc. In an
experiment done by Texas A&M, navy bean flour was processed for an experiment to determine
the effects of the flour on multiple desserts(Protein health benefits, deficiency, sources of
Protien) . In the experiment done by Springport students a recipe for the brownies included in the
control group included ingredients like sugar, flour, and chocolate chips. and a recipe for 100%
whole black bean brownies and went half and half on one experiment to substitute the flour with
black beans as a healthier alternative. Similar research methods include an experiment done by
the nutrition teacher taking similar desserts and testing how people like them versus the same
dessert with less of a nutritional value. ( The Disadvantages of Carbohydrates.)
Materials and Methods
Does adding protein to brownies by substituting flour with whole black beans take away the
enjoyment of the dessert from teens and adults? Three different brownie combinations were
made to test this question. Brownie batch A was a normal brownie recipe taken off of Chow.com.

Brownie A

Brownie B

Brownie C

6 ounces bittersweet
chocolate chips (about 1 cup)
or coarsely chopped
bittersweet chocolate chips.

6 ounces bittersweet
chocolate chips (about 1 cup)
or coarsely chopped
bittersweet chocolate chips.

6 ounces bittersweet
chocolate chips (about 1 cup)
or coarsely chopped
bittersweet chocolate chips.

8 tablespoons unsalted butter

(1 stick), cut into 8 pieces.

8 tablespoons unsalted butter

(1 stick), cut into 8 pieces.

8 tablespoons unsalted butter

(1 stick), cut into 8 pieces.

2 large eggs, at room

temperature.

2 large eggs, at room

temperature.

2 large eggs, at room

temperature.

1 cup granulated sugar.

1 cup granulated sugar.

1 cup granulated sugar.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

teaspoon baking powder.

teaspoon baking powder.

teaspoon baking powder.

teaspoon fine salt.

teaspoon fine salt.

teaspoon fine salt.

1 cup all-purpose flour.

cup all-purpose flower and

7.75 oz of black beans.

one 15.5 oz can of black

beans

Brownie batch B had 50% of a can of whole black beans and the normal brownie recipe from
brownie batch A was followed only substituting half the flower in the recipe with half the can of
black beans. Brownie batch C was 100% black beans. In each recipe the ingredients were mixed
in the blender to puree the beans and evenly mix all the ingredients together. After all the
ingredients were evenly mixed they were poured into a 9x9 inch square baking pan and cooked
at 350 degrees fahrenheit , for 30 minutes each. Each batch was cooked in the same oven as
well. once the brownies were taken out and given at least an hour to cool the first test was done.
The brownies were first tested on Mrs.Merrills 5th hour bio-botany class and Mr.Hennes 6th
hour Zoology class, separating the students in three different locations to prevent the data from
being skewed. The brownies were later tested on Mrs.Merrills 4th hour Bio-botany class and
Mr.Hennes 5th hour mechanical technical class and during a christmas walk through for parents
and students. while each person was tasting the brownies they were asked to complete a survey
on the Ipad provided to them. The questions asked about the texture of the brownie, the overall

appearance of the brownie, and the taste. Each question having a rating from poor to excellent.
At the end of the survey there were two questions asking if the person had been told before
tasting the brownie that they were protein brownies would they have been more inclined to taste
them, and if told something is gluten free would they be more inclined to try them. After each
survey the data was collected and the experiment repeated 4 times.
Results
With 81 respondents to the experiment we saw trends that included the brownie with 100% black
beans, were rated poorly in all categories

When the experiment was being tested there was obvious signs people could tell the difference
in the brownies and when asked if more protein in a brownie would make it more appealing 66%
of people said yes

everybody associates protein with being healthy and when asked if brownies with no gluten
would make it more appealing 32% of people said it wouldn't change their feelings on it.

Discussion and Conclusions

The Conclusions drawn from the results of this experiment were that while people agreed that
they would be more likely to eat the healthier alternative to a dessert, it wouldn't be more
appealing to them. With the experiment being based on the fact that we were trying to find
healthier more appealing alternatives, thats a good and bad thing. After reviewing the Results
from the actual taste test of the brownies we discovered that only 8-10% of the people that tried
either of the brownies with the whole black bean brownies even rated them at an above average.
However the overall appearance and test of the 50% whole black bean brownies were rated at a
greater scale than those of the 100% black bean brownies. Drawing us to conclude that the
Brownies that were made half and half were better overall compared to the brownies that were
made 100% with the whole black beans. Some of the comments made during the taste trials were
that the brownies in batch C were too bitter and not fluffy enough, it was more like eating bitter

fudge than anything else. When the brownies in batch B were tested it was said that they were
just fluffy enough and looked good, but they were to dry. We believe that if we were to have
done this experiment a second time around it would be with less black beans in batch C , so its
less like eating fudge and less flour in batch B so they might be a little more moist. Overall
people liked the brownies, the two said comments were really the only suggestions given by all
the people who took the survey. The data gathered proved the hypothesis correct because most
people said adding protein would make eating a brownie easier but the brownies that had added
protein were ranked poorly in most categories.
References
The Disadvantages of Carbohydrates. (n.d.). Retrieved January 22, 2015, from
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/disadvantages-carbohydrates-9951.html
Protein health benefits, deficiency, sources of Protien. (n.d.). Retrieved January 22,
2015, from http://www.bodhi.com.au/protein.html
(n.d.). Retrieved January 22, 2015, from
http://www.aaccnet.org/publications/cc/backissues/1987/Documents/64_193.pdf

Acknowledgements
Thank you :Mrs.Sanfford - for sitting down with and helping come up with an approach to
discover how people might react to healthier alternatives to desserts, and providing the recipe
for the black bean brownies.

Mr. Henne - For giving the idea after the original research project failed, and helping
with the supplies.

Mrs.Merrill - For allowing her class to be used to test brownies