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 used 1/2 cup cocoa, cooked dried beans, and rolled oats. I also swirled in 2 tbsp peanut butter after flattening the batter in the pan, before topping with the extra chips. I Ihought they might turn out too dry but they were perfect! Totally forgot the pinch of stevia, which I would have subbed with monkfruit. Next time!
How many grams of sugar are in these? It’s not in the nutritional info.
Hi! This is the nutrition info for the peanut butter version, but the only difference in the two recipes is that one is made with pb while the one you’re looking at is made with oil. So the sugar amount in the two recipes is the same. Hope that helps! https://lett-trim.today/pb-brownies-nutrition/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
AMAAAAZINGGGGG
I tried this recipe yesterday for Sunday dessert. The brownies are AMAZING! the recipe is so simple that i wasnt expecting much but OMG. i followed your suggestion and didnt tell anyone until they were fully enjoying the chocolatey experience. Everyone was surprised including myself. i just signed up for additional recipes! i’m so glad i found you.
My favorite part is telling people after the fact 🙂
I just made these and they are the best brownies I have ever had!!! Thank you.
Can you substitute applesauce for the oil?
I have recently gotten back into trying out new recipes and I found the idea of making brownies out of black beans to be interesting. I gave it a try and I really enjoyed them. I had a few of my friends try them and they really enjoyed them as well. Some of the friends new the secret ingredient and others didn’t. So even when I told the ingredient to after they tried they couldn’t tell. Then one thing that I did a little different was to add the chocolate chips in and with the rest of the mixture and blended them in to the batter. I kind of felt they were missing something, but being as new to cooking desserts as I am I don’t know what to add. I am thinking of adding some eggs next time. Maybe that will improve the texture and taste.
Other than that I give them 4.5 stars out of 5 stars. 🙂
I could not wait the 10 minutes for them to cool. Now eating my 2nd brownie. Must stop. So dang good.
This is THE best recipe I’ve ever tried! And I’m very bad at cooking but there’s just literally no way in which these brownies can go wrong ! Thank you so much for sharing it with us !
Hi, we made two batches of the black bean brownies. So good, we even had to have a bit at breakfast 🙂 We wanted to know if this recipe turns out using other beans like pinto, navy, or even chickpeas? only because we ran out of black beans at the moment 🙂
This.is.the.best.brownie.ever!!!!! Honestly, it’s the best, my family loves it, I always make double batches as they can’t get enough. Friends don’t believe this has black beans.
Thank you for the recepie!
Ioana
I just made these brownies and they are utterly and fantastically delicious!!!!! My husband loves them, also! I can hardly believe that they have black beans in them.Delicious and nutritious……hard to best….
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe, Katie.
Are these considered vegan? I am not vegan and wanted to make them for a friend
They are! Just be sure to use maple syrup or agave instead of honey, and vegan chocolate chips (they can be found at regular grocery stores usually – some brands are listed in the commentary of this post: https://lett-trim.today/2018/05/21/vegan-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe/%3C/a%3E%29%3C/p%3E
I didn’t see anyone else mention, so for those wondering if rolled oats work the same as quick oats: I just tried it and they do! These brownies turned out delicious. I had trader joe’s old fashioned rolled oats on hand and didn’t feel like buying quick oats just for this recipe. I’m not sure if this would make a difference or not but what I did was before adding anything else to the food processor, I ground the oats first to a thin flour. Then I followed the rest of the instructions and added everything to the food processor.
So made this recipe for the first time. They were very good but I think I would use whole wheat flour orground flax. I didn’t really care for the texture of the instant oats even in the food processor.
Made
them yesterday for the first time. Will certainly do again. I was skeptical but they really area good!! I modified it just a bit, added 1 large whole egg and cut back on the maple syrup just a tad. Seemed like too much and was happy I did. Baked them in a 9 x 9 pan in a toaster oven and they turned out great!