Prepare to fall head-over-heels in love with these ooey gooey rich dark chocolate chickpea brownies.
Brownies… made from chickpeas???!
I know the concept sounds completely crazy.
But if you’ve tried any of my bean-based dessert recipes (especially the deep dish cookie pie!), you probably already know that the results can not only taste just as good as traditional butter-and-flour desserts, they’re often even better.
The beans add a softness and moisture to the texture that you just can’t get from flour, and people who don’t already know the secret ingredient ahead of time are seriously never able to guess!
Currently Trending: Banana Recipes – 30 Healthy Ideas
Flourless Chocolate Chickpea Brownies
These brownies are a combination of two reader favorites:
In other words, it’s the perfect recipe for anyone who hates making decisions.
They’re also great if you’re following a whole food plant based diet, because you can easily make the brownies oil-free without sacrificing any of the rich texture or decadent chocolate flavor.
Try frosting them with my Healthy Chocolate Frosting.
Or, the brownies are so deeply fudgy they honestly don’t even need any frosting at all.
I decided to add some because it makes them look much prettier, and also because I will never pass up an excuse to add an obscene amount of chocolate to a recipe any time the opportunity presents itself.
I’m Chocolate Covered Katie for a reason.
(Above – Watch the video of making the chickpea brownies)
Have leftover chickpeas?
Make up a batch of Flourless Blender Muffins, or use them in my favorite Veggie Burger Recipe.
Or, you know, just make more brownies…
Chocolate Chickpea Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas or white beans
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp dutch cocoa or additional regular
- 1/3 cup flour (white, oat, spelt, almond, sorghum, etc.)
- 3 tbsp milk of choice or applesauce
- 3 tbsp oil or nut butter of choice
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp each: salt and baking soda
- 1/2 cup sugar (for refined-sugar-free, try these Black Bean Brownies)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips – not optional (omit at own risk)
Instructions
- To make the brownies: Drain and rinse beans very well. Preheat oven to 330 F. Grease or line an 8-inch pan. Combine all ingredients in a food processor until completely smooth. A blender can technically work, but both taste and texture will be better in a food processor. Spread into pan. If desired, sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top. Bake on the center rack 14 minutes, then chill the still-underbaked brownies until firm. They taste better the next day, so I highly recommend not sneaking a taste until then! If desired, frost with melted chocolate chips or my healthy chocolate frosting recipe linked above in this post.View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
More Healthy Brownie Recipes
(No crazy ingredients!)
You know, I can remember a time when there were zero brownie recipes on my blog? How things have changed!
Really good. I tried the recipe yesterday. Only thing I would change is decrease slightly the amount of sugar but that’s my personal preference. This is definitely a keeper. Also I kept the aquafaba to make eggless macarons 😁 so two desserts with one can of chickpeas!
Recipe for the eggless macarons plz
These brownies were so good! I was looking for a healthy version of a brownie for a very long time and found this amazing recipe(can’t really tell the secret ingredient apart)!! Can’t wait to try out more and more recipes from your website!
Is the oven temp really set at 330 degrees or is that a typo??? I have a batch in the oven right now, so I hope 330 is correct. 🙂
I’ve made these brownies countless times at this point (did a white bean version once and chickpea version many times) and highly recommend them. However, I decided to try this yesterday using red lentils. I made a double-batch, so I used 500 g of cooked lentils (the equivalent amount of chickpeas) and kept everything else the same (though doubled, of course). The batter was very liquidy (which I was expecting), so it was definitely a pour into the pan (still using an 8×8-inch pan) rather than scooping. I set the oven to 350 degrees F and baked for around 40 minutes. It was still soft in the middle, but set, so I pulled it out. The brownie batter fell somewhat (again, no surprise given the fudgey centre), and eaten warm, it had a lentil flavour. But trying it this morning, it tastes pretty darn good. Worth a try if, like me, you tend to have a bunch of lentils on hand compared to chickpeas.
Made these this afternoon. Easy to make but next time I would zap the chickpeas with the liquid before adding the other ingredients to make it easier on my old food processor. Told my husband he is not allowed to touch until tomorrow! Mix tasted good before baking so fingers crossed.
💕💕
Wow these are really delicious ! definitely making these again
hello! i wanted to try out this recipe, so I wanted to know if I could use Chickpea flour, instead of chickpea. If so how could I sub?
let me know. Thanks!;)
Sorry we have never tried it!
could i use avocados in place of the oil somehow?
thank you!
Sorry we have never tried!
Made these into 7 muffins/cupcakes! Baked at the same time and they we’re firm enough out of the fridge in 15-20 mins. Even the carnivorous fiancé enjoyed!
Hi thanks for the yummy recipe! I baked for 14 mins as described and then put in fridge to chill/set. After a few hours it was still like the batter in the middle, consistency of a spreadable paste. only edges were anything like solid enough to cut/pick up. Is this how it’s meant to be? I popped back in fridge and will taste again tomorrow. Tasted great though! I could imagine spreading this on toast!
Hi, was your oven preheated? And are you in a high elevation or made any changes? Also, how is it the next day??
thanks for replying! Yes oven was preheated and at sea level. Next day it was still soft, unable to pick up, but we just scooped large spoonfuls out and ate it haha. I will try again with a little longer baking time and/or a little more flour. That might help?