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!)
Wow! I just made these with maple syrup as sweetener and applesauce and peanut butter instead of oil, and they turned out phenomenally! I made my own chocolate chunks by pulverising some raisins and mixing with melted 100% chocolate (i.e. baker’s unsweetened), pouring on wax paper and letting cool then slicing into semi-uniform chunks. Tasted sinfully rich and delicious–without all that guilt and fire and brimstone 😉
I made these for the first time a few months ago and we really liked them. I use dark cocoa, rapadura sugar and dark chocolate chips. The first time I also added dried cranberries, which were a nice addition. I just made the recipe again yesterday, adding some mint extract and leftover holiday chocolate chips (dark chocolate + mint chocolate). They’re SO good! I made extra beans and froze another 1 1/2c portion so I don’t have to cook dried beans every time I make these.
Just tried making them but with red kidney beans instead (what I had) and just organic sugar instead of maple syrup… Fingers crossed they taste great… The batter seemed rich and chocolatey.
I started following this website a couple of months ago beginning with the deep dish cookie pie (sugar free). Made the brownies (sugar free again, used agave) this morning and they are another hit! I love this website. Thank you for making TASTY healthy desserts and teaching the public how to feed their sweet tooth without hurting their health. I’m trying to lose weight and cut waaaay back on my old level of sugar intake and this website is a life saver! <3
Can I make these brownies in a muffin tin? What would I do different? Has anyone tried the brownies that way?
I just made these tonight – amazing! I only have a vita-mix and made these tonight – turned out amazing!
Loving the recipes – loving the single serving ones especially – there are days when one needs a sweet / goodie fix and doesn’t need a big pan of something hanging around. Thanks for sharing your recipes! Healthy and goodies are two words that can be used together!
Tried these at my sister n laws and loved them only thing is they were super gooey maybe she didnt cook them long enough
Just made these babies now…. TOTALLY UNREAL! A must for all brownie lovers 🙂
Tried this recipe today and it turned out fantastic! If anyone without a food processor is hesitant to try this recipe with a blender, don’t be! My cheesy little blender worked fine for it. I’m new to this site but will be lurking often, looking for new recipes to try. Thanks, Katie!
I made this. Really Really good! I used milk chocolate Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips and one extra tablespoon of cocoa. It was very light and fluffy and I could not taste the beans at all.
Can I use cocoa nibs instead? They aren’t sweetened like chocolate chips though, think I need to add more sugar or maple syrup?
I made these but subbed applesauce for the agave and peanut butter for the oil. DON’T do that! One or the other maybe, but if you do both, the brownies will be way too gooey in the middle. They taste fine but are way too gooey.
Hi everyone
I am newish to the blog but have been following it with fascination and delight over the past few weeks! I ahev recently been diagnosed with a gluten allergy and my one and only vice in the whole world is chocoate brownies. i cried when i got the results, and then found this blog – i had to try this recipe. i don’t have a food processor, so used a regular electric hand blender. It turned out amazingly delicious, but the consistency is more like a pudding – you have to eat it with a spoon and it cannot be lifted out of the pan like a brownie. Have I done something wrong, or is this related to the fact that I could not incorporate the ingredients as well as with a food processor?
I really look forward to your advice. Thanks so much Katie for this unbelievable blog, I am forever grateful to you that I can continue indulging in my single vice, which as it turns out is not a vice any more with this recipe!!!
Xxx
Another two thumbs up for this fabulous recipe. Processing the beans and wet ingredients until absolutely smooth is critical for success, as noted. I used a coffee grinder to make the oats into flour, then mixed all dry ingredients well before stirring in all the wet. Goya’s canned black beans; Guittard Extra-Dark 63% chocolate chips (vegan); the stevia and agave syrup; and vegetable oil were used. 5 devout omnivore chocolate lovers in my neighborhood have given this their stamp of approval, and that’s without adding the show-off chips on top.
Hi Katie,it seems my previous attempt at posting did not succeed! Thanks for a wonderful site, and a big relief for me as I have had to go gluten free recently due to allergies. And my one and ONLY vice is a chocolate brownie.
I had a question on these please – I tried them exactly as per your recipe, no substitutions etc, but mine came out more like a fudge after I froze the pan to firm up the results. They did not come out “cakey” as pictured. I don’t have a food processor so blended with a regular hand blender. The mixture was smooth but not 100% incorporated as a food processor would achieve. D you think that would be the reason for this? But the mixture was pretty smooth.
Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks again for a fantastic site.
Melanie
Sorry, I really (really) have not had success with a blender in these bean recipes.
Thanks, figured as much. I am now making a double batch because they are flipping amazing as fudge. Until I get my food processor, which is on my birthday list, we will consume this delicious recipe in any form it comes out of the pan. Thanks so much for an awesome site, I am a huge fan 🙂
It’s me again!
So I tried again (you don,t need an excuse to eat up the disaster on this recipe, even the disaster is delicious!)
I figured out that somehow I added ilk into this recipe when none was called for – I think I had 2 open at the same time and mixed them up. And I used my blender, which is quite powerful, this time. The results? Perfection! Thanks Katie, I love love love this blog.
Oops, so both posts are now showing! sorry about that!