Black Bean Brownies – the ultra fudgy and decadent chocolate treat.
Edit: Thank you to everyone who has been asking…
After more than a year in the works, my NEW cookbook is finally available!
Based on your feedback, every single recipe in the book comes with complete nutrition facts including calories, total fat, carbohydrates, protein, and Weight Watchers points.
Above – Watch how to make black bean brownies.
I know what you’re thinking.
“Why would I want to eat a healthy brownie when I could be eating a deep, dark, rich, fudgy, and chocolatey brownie instead?”
But what if the deep, dark, rich, chocolate brownie is the healthy brownie?
No, not in a dream world. These black bean brownies are healthy brownies that DO NOT taste healthy, and I can say that with assurance, as they’ve been tested on three different groups of people used to “normal” desserts.
For the ultimate test, my roommate brought two pans of the vegan black bean brownies into work and set them down on the table without revealing the secret or saying they were healthy.
She came home with no brownies left… but with five requests for the healthy black bean brownie recipe!
You May Also Like: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Easy Black Bean Brownies
I know some of you have been disappointed by mediocre bean-based brownies you’ve tried in the past, which is why it’s taken me so long to come up with my own recipe:
I’ve tried some awful black bean brownie recipes in the past, too.
For example?
Don’t think you’ll get brownies by adding cocoa powder to my Chickpea Cookie Dough Dip and baking it.
Trust me. You’ll get cardboard.
I wanted a recipe that would not let people down; a recipe that could stand up to a regular sugar-and-flour brownie in a competition.
And these really do!
Also, huge thanks to everyone who’s been sharing these on Instagram!
If you try the brownies, be sure to rate the recipe here, or tag @ChocolateCoveredKatie on Instagram so I can see and like your pictures!
Black Bean Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups black beans (1 15-oz can, drained and rinsed very well) (250g after draining)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder (10g)
- 1/2 cup quick oats (40g) (See nutrition link below for substitutions)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave (75g)
- pinch uncut stevia OR 2 tbsp sugar (or omit and increase maple syrup to 1/2 cup)
- 1/4 cup coconut or vegetable oil (40g) (See nutrition link for substitution notes)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup chocolate chips (Not optional. Omit at your own risk)
- optional: more chips, for presentation
Instructions
- Black Bean Brownies Recipe: Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients except chips in a good food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Really blend well. (A blender can work if you absolutely must, but the texture—and even the taste—will be much better in a food processor. I use this food processor.) Stir in the chips, then pour into a greased 8×8 pan. Optional: sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top. Cook the black bean brownies 15-18 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut. If they still look a bit undercooked, you can place them in the fridge overnight and they will magically firm up! Makes 9-12 brownies. If you make this recipe, don't forget to leave a review! The trick with these: serve them first, and then reveal the secret ingredient. In all the times I’ve served bean desserts, not one single person who didn’t know beforehand has ever guessed!View Black Bean Brownies Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
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(No crazy ingredients!)
I tried these! I skimped a little on the chocolate and would probably change it to your proportions next time, but they were still enjoyable! My husband was highly amused but enjoyed a few.
We were wondering, what are the black beans replacing? Is it eggs? I am just wondering how you got the idea to put them in and why they’re needed. 🙂 Thanks!
It actually replaces the flour–and also adds moisture so you don’t need as much fat. Like flour, beans are starchy.
Definitely wasn’t my original idea to make black bean brownies, though. There are many other recipes out there. No idea who thought of the idea first, but it’s a great idea!
Thanks!!
I’ve never tried using beans in brownies before-but these look so good I may have to give it a shot!
Check out my latest recipe, review & giveaway @ Baking Blissful
i can’t wait to try these! but i’ll be doing them with cooked dried beans, not the canned type. and thank you so much for the metric conversions of the ingredients… it makes my life so much easier! 🙂 lisa
Hi Lisa,
I generally cook my own beans as well but found, in Katie’s white bean recipes at least, that the results were not moist. The canned beans (Eden Organics) work beautifully. Please post your results with the cooked black beans.
Thanks!
hmmm, that makes me worry. i’d like to hear if katie herself has any words of advice about the type of beans used. i’ll let you know!
Not to worry. They are so good that I’m sure they’ll be fine w the cooked beans – especially with the 1/2 cup of maple syrup…
I just tried them tonight with dried beans and honey. I found the initial “batter” to be pretty thick, but the addition of some black coffee thinned it down to the right consistency while enhancing the chocolate flavor. Even my always-skeptic husband liked them (ok, he ate half the pan – in one sitting). They were a HUGE hit for my 2 and 4 year olds, too. A new recipe box member. Thanks, Katie.
I will definitely be trying this soon. I have three girls under 5 (so I won’t be using any artificial sweeteners), but I’m really excited to try these with them, especially since my oldest is constantly asking me to make her brownies.
I made these almost right after I posted (exactly as posted with the maple syrup option) and I have to say that I don’t really care for them, although my girls do. If they actually eat what I made I will try them again with dark chocolate chips, the simply dark cocoa and something other than maple syrup and see if I find them more palatable. They smell cloyingly sweet and I’m hoping that maybe the smell is affecting my taste and that those changes might help. Regardless of whether that makes them more appealing to me, I’m grateful for a healthy brownie for my girls.
OMG! these haven’t even made it to the oven yet. I’m licking the spoon just as I would if they were regular brownies!!! Which, if taste as good once baked, I may never go back to again!!
You are a genius!
These are incredible! Subbed Simple Treasures Quinoa and Buckwheat flake cereal for the oats and raw cacao nibs for the chocolate chips. Used the 1/2 cup of maple syrup. Perfection!
Thank you SO much!
I was out of oats the second time i made these and all I have is dark chocolate cocoa powder, I also added pecans to the mix they have a more brownie like texture if you arent one for the fudge my family adores them but wanted to strangle me when i told them what they were made of 🙂
So I made these and they were fantastic. So delicious! My dad thought I was crazy, but he ended up loving them too. I was reluctant to share these things. Thanks for the recipe, it was a hit.
Thank you for making them!
Do you have a suggestion for someone who can’t eat oats? (I also can’t eat soy, cashews, or a few other nuts); also, are the beans supposed to be raw or cooked? I assumed cooked, but I’m seeing discussion about it above… thanks!
Cooked beans (or canned), and try ground flaxmeal maybe? Or rolled barley flakes?
I substituted quinoa flakes, and the consistency wasn’t as good as with the oat flakes. The brownies were mushy, they never really firmed up. I think the quinoa flakes aren’t as robust as the oat flakes. I’m going to try 1/2 quinoa flakes and 1/2 ground flaxseed, or maybe just quinoa flour, next time.
Quinoa does not absorb as much liquid as oats, would need to reduce the liquid, or perhaps add more cocoa powder. On that thought anyone had any luck subbing with cocoa powder and upping the chia/flax for more of a binding in place of the oats? Go a step further if you want to make SUPER RICH CHOCOLATE Brownies and attempted subbing pure cocoa butter for the nut butter, cocoa for the oats, and perhaps a bit of yogurt? I am great at coming up with ideas, just poor and can’t risk wasting my ingredients.
Thank you for such a wonderful recipe! I did end up replacing the oil with peanut butter and used 2 tbsp brown rice flour instead of the oatmeal. I cooked mine for 21 minutes because they weren’t done after 15. Turned out delicious ~ THANK YOU!
Anna,
Did the rice flour help for them to “rise” a bit more? I might try that cause my little girl just would not buy me the “little cake” idea cause they were too cookie flat, you know what I mean?
Hi Guilla! The brownies were very thick and chewy. They were not cake-like at all. So no, my brownies did not rise at all, actually. I put mine in the freezer, and they are so delicious that way! Just thaw it for a few mins and it’s like eating fudge.
Just wanted to say I’ve tried other black bean brownie recipes and they were good, but I LOVED the fudgy texture of yours! I subbed unsalted creamy PB for the oil and they were delish. Next time I plan on swapping the PB for almond butter and replacing some of the vanilla extract with almond extract. MMMMMMMM!
I do think these taste different that brownies with flour but I think that it’s a great thing! They were so delicious!!!! I made them exactly as printed. I had to bake mine about 5-7 minutes longer b/c they were so gooey. Then I would recommend letting them completely cool before cutting. And I have to say that I think they get better with time too! I made them 3 days ago and I just ate the last one tonight and every brownie tasted better than the last. My dad liked them and I’ve tried black bean brownies before and he hated them. Of course, I didn’t tell him this time, even after he ate it. It’s my little secret. 😉
Ok more specific- I used maple syrup, coconut oil and dark cocoa powder.
Hands down these are the best brownie ever! THANK YOU!
Tried making these in my Magic Bullet mini blender/processor and they didn’t turn out well at all. The food processor is crucial for these! I look forward to trying them again when my new food processor arrives! PS I was hooked on your different “milkshakes” recently, I would come home and have one every night after work, it was the highlight of my day! Yum
I tried my magic bullet as well, I don’t have a food processor. I added a few teaspoons of soy milk and they turned out fine.
I wish I could share a pic to show you how amazingly fudge-y these turned out!! They are DE.LISH!! By the way, after making three batches in a week I was out of black beans but was desperate for some more of these (since my whole family scarfed them down!) so I subbed garbanzo beans for the black beans, and they turned out great! Almost more milk chocolate than the dark chocolate flavor the black beans lend, but still so, SO GOOD!! Thanks for the new family favorite dessert!! 🙂
Hi katie,
I just made these but they came out really flat. do you know (or does anyone else know ) why this happened? maybe i didnt cook longenough or overcooked? thanks!
They’re not supposed to puff up like cake. More like fudgey brownies… I don’t like cakey brownies ;).
These are REALLY GOOD! Very moist and rich and dense and fudgy, which is exactly how I like my brownies! Great recipe, thank you for posting!