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!)
These are ridiculously good! My fiancé (and let’s be honest, me too) needs to go on a diet so I figured I’d try to find a healthier dessert. I made these while he was at work, because if he saw me make them he’d never try them. We both love them!
A couple of notes:
I did not have quick cook oats, so I used regular rolled oats. I left everything in the food processor until I stopped seeing whole pieces of rolled oats. It took at least 3 minutes (stopping every minute to scrape and stir).
I do not like vegetable oil, the flavor and smell make me sick, so I used coconut oil. You can definitely taste coconut in these brownies. Thankfully my fiancé and I both like coconut so the flavor is fine, and maybe next time I’ll add actual coconut and some almonds, to change it up.
I did not have pure maple syrup, so I used all honey. The brownies do not have a honey taste at all. Very chocolatey, and a hint of coconut. These might be our new go to brownie.
Amazing. Even trying the batter as I was wiping down the sides of the food processor… it was yum 🤣. Took ages to get the oats down to a relatively small level to seem pretty smooth. I think I might use ground oats.. actual oat meal.. next time. I also used a mix between dark, milk and white choc chips as I was low on all 3. I didn’t have an 8×8 but put it into a cake pan that was a bit bigger with baking paper/parchment and held the paper up a bit to make it go to shape – thick enough to stay where I put it so it was still a nice Brownie type thickness. Can’t find a place to put a pic so you’ll just have to trust me haha. Amazing – decadent and delicious but not very naughty!
I have made this recipe 4 times and it’s a game changer. I put mine in a muffin tin so I have those crispy edges my family loves.
I am blown away by these. They taste so rich and decadent. Chewy outside and melty inside…I need another one.
Excellent. This is my go-to sweet recipe. I only feel moderately guilty about eating it! Shared with lots of people. Thank you!
LOVE these! So do my grandchildren, husband and whoever else has tried them!
Hi Katie,
Just finished making this recipe, waiting for them to cool off. I added some peanut butter chips since is my husband favorite.
Can’t wait to eat them. 🤗🤗
Hi, can I use a tin muffin tin instead of an 8 by 8? its all i have!
https://lett-trim.today/black-bean-brownie-bites/%3C/a%3E 🙂
I never thought I would be regularly making black bean brownies as I don’t even love beans OR brownies that much but this really is such a great recipe and I find I actually enjoy the brownie as it doesn’t weigh me down like normal ones do.
wow incredible. thank you
LOVE THEM!!!! i used a muffin tin because i didn’t have a normal 8 by 8. works great!!
I never leave reviews, but I’ve made this recipe over a dozen times and it is AMAZING!! By far my favourite brownie recipe. So moist and chocolaty and tasty! I make this as a healthier dessert for my toddler and he definitely approves!
Thank you so much for making them 🙂
Instead of the stevia, I chopped up 6 dates, and I used organic cacao powder, then sprinkled chocolate chips (real organic cacao chips) and walnuts on the top. I served with raspberries, blueberries, blackberries & strawberries. OMG so scrumptious- my new favorite dessert
Incredible! We cannot decipher these from flour brownies!¡!¡!
These are great!! I made them for a family gathering- my mom is on a pretty strict diet, but the rest of the family isn’t. I took your advice and didn’t tell anyone what was in them before they ate them (except my mom so she would eat one) and everyone loved them- even my 8 year old nephew! I made them exactly as the recipe states, and with extra chocolate chips sprinkled on top. Second time I made them I added half a cup of chopped walnuts and that was great too. I agree they’re so much easier to cut/remove from pan after fully chilled in the fridge, but it’s really hard to wait…
Hello!
Thanks for this recipe!
How is it 5 g of fat per brownie if 1/4 cup of coconut oil has 56 g of fat. I am wondering if you substituted with another low fat oil instead of coconut oil?
Hi, be sure to go by the gram measurements when calculating the nutrition facts 🙂