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!)
So good!!! I will continue to make these instead of regular brownies because the taste is almost exact and the texture is so similar!! 10/10 worth making!!
These brownies were really good!! I definitely wouldn’t say they tasted “normal” but considering the simple ingredients, they were really good. I did have to refrigerate them over night to let them fully solidify. I ate them cold, so yummy!!
Black beans are used in a lot of Asian desserts so it’s a familiar taste for me. Good to satisfy a chocolate craving and I love that they are only 3 ww points. I followed the recipe except used rolled oats. Next time I will blend more to make a smoother texture and cook a little longer than 18 minutes. Tastes much better after putting in the fridge.
Just made with some adjustments according to ingredients and quantities I had in the house…. they smell delicious! I now have to wait for 10 minutes for them to cool, which is going to be very difficult! I will let you know how they turn out once I have had a chance to sample!
Here you go! I created a 2 thirds recipe, based on the weight of black beans I had, which I had cooked from dried. I used gf oats, and vegan chocolate (crushed) and cacao buttered I didn’t have chocolate chips
I tried this with a few modifications:
-I used lentils instead of black beans since I had tons of lentils on hand.
-I used 2 teaspoons of baking soda instead of 1/2 teaspoon. This was just because I read the recipe wrong and made a mistake
-I used Reece peanut butter chips instead of chocolate chips since I didn’t have enough chocolate chips to make 1/2 cup
– I increased the cooking time slightly. This probably has more to do with the capacity of my oven than anything else. I put them in the fridge overnight before eating them.
It turned out delicious, so if you’d like to substitute green lentils instead of black beans, it worked for me.
Just made these!!!! They are so good!
I am sick if bean soups and stews so I decided to try your recipe. It was incredible!!! I doubled the cocoa powder and added a little extra maple syrup. Absolutely delicious!! I shared this with family and friends! I hope you are staying safe!
I love these, I make them a couple of times a month…although I did change them slightly as I found the original recipe a little thin for my personal taste. I use two cups of black beans, and scale up the rest of the ingredients (except the salt and baking powder), and bake them for 28 minutes.
Today, in a fit of inspiration I added about 5 drops of Orange Essential Oil (not sure what the equivalent in extract would be) and now I have to chain the refrigerator door shut and hide the key.
Chocolate orange sounds so good!
I have to admit that I was skeptical, but the brownies turned out delicious. We are not fans of overly sweet baked goods so these were perfect for us. I will make this again. No butter or flour, it’s hard to believe.
Hi Katie
I made this today for the 1st time. I put in a ripe banana to cut down on the oil. It was also my sugar component. I put in a 1/4 cup more quick oats. Excellent. Hubby ate it as dessert. He asked me to make these again. I baked this in our air-fryer as our apt. does not have an oven. We appreciate your recipes.
Absolutely wonderful!!!! I added 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, 2 tsp of cinnamon and some sea salt and this is by far the best recipe I have ever tried! Thankyou so much!
I added the 2 tbsp of sugar so that was the winning ingredient I think! I even liked the batter before it was cooked
Hands down best black bean brownies I’ve ever had. So poet gooey right out of the oven. Perfect for pndemic stress eating (and making)!
These brownies are amazing! Even my skeptical husband was impressed. They have a rich chocolate flavor and a nice tender yet slightly chewy texture.
I used whole rolled oats, because that’s what I had, and ground them in my food processor first then added the remaining ingredients. Worked like a charm.
Highly recommend this recipe.
I have made these brownies (with some modifications) probably about 30x now over the last 2 years. My husband absolutely loves these, and it really wasnt until I made non-healthy brownies that i realized how much better these were for you.
I started making these with my nutribullet exactly as the recipe recommends (with maple syrup, not honey) and I really struggled to get them to blend. As a result I would loosen it up a bit with whatever milk I had on hand (usually a nut milk). That has been a permanent modification when I make these now. Additionally, I like to top them with shredded coconut because my husband is a huge coconut fan. And finally (this was recent) I started putting these into a muffin tin. They come out like perfect little cakes that you can heat up a little before serving.
Honestly this is one of my favorite recipes for dessert.
Dear Miss Katie,
The black bean brownies came out DELICIOUS!! Never had brownies so good in my entire life. From now on, it’s the only way I’ll ever make brownies.
Thank you so much for making them!
My brownies didn’t rise? Any tips?