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!)
Can’t wait to try these brownies. I need to find some healthy desserts, and if these are as good as you say, I’m going to be delighted. I am going to try them on my family and then on a group of my friends.
Hi,
I just tried these but substituted three tablespoons of coconut peanut butter + 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce and extra Truvia for the maple syrup since I didn’t have any. This was a fabulous recipe!
Hi Katie,
first, i want to thank you for this recipe. with so many good reviews, i’m convinced to make this recipe. i was making these today, (but with red bean, because i can’t get any black bean) (and i skip the baking powder and the vanilla, also substitute the chips with raisins, veg oil with olive oil, and maple syrup with palm sugar and water)
and had some friends to tasted them. it smells great when i took it out from the oven (i was very excited) and i personally like it, although it tastes strange, rather chewy yet crumbling and very easy to fall apart.
but each of my friends had their own opinion. some said it tastes like medicine, some said it tastes weird, and the other said that they just don’t like it. and no one really like it.
i felt so discourage because i really wanted to make a delicious, healthy, vegan brownies that people love.
can you help me? are the skips and substitutes i did really matter? or its just a matter of different tastes and everyone had their own opinion. but what really bother me is that no one like it except me. (forgive my language)
thank you anyway
You changed the entire recipe; I don’t think it’s fair to say that Katie’s was disappointing! She even said that the chocolate chips were not optional. Raisins are nothing like chocolate
LOVED these brownies!!! I found the link through Pinterest & I’m so glad it led me to your website! I’m always trying to experiment with a healthier version of desserts. My sister, who’s the owner of 4 cupcake bakeries, thinks I’m very wrong for experimenting, but I have 4 kids who love desserts & I love to cook, so I do it to keep us healthier. I’ve tried chocolate chip cookie balls using garbanzo beans before, but not your blondies I’ve now read so much about. Can’t wait to try more of your desserts.
One question: I made this recipe almost exactly as written, with the exception of using Truvia stevia packets instead of the brand written. My brownies came out very fudgy, not as set up (or cake-like) as yours look in the pictures. Any idea why? Maybe I need to bake them more? I did 15 minutes on 350 degrees, let them cool, cut them & thought they needed more baking because they were gooey. Heated the oven back up, stuck them in for 5 more minutes, & that was it, but they still are a fudgy texture & almost gooey. Anyway, they taste amazing!!! Thanks for the recipe!!!
Oh My – These are delicious!!! I just made them and I failed to mention the “secret” ingredient to my kids and their friends who all “tested” the new brownie recipe for me. Everyone LOVES them. Thanks so much for all your work in testing and compiling this recipe. It is really Yum! I can’t wait to try other recipes from your collection.
Hi Katie! I featured your black bean brownies, with a few modifications, on my new special diet blog. I’m a big fan of your site and have to say that your blog helped me get through some tough times after being put on a special diet about a year ago. Thanks for everything that you do, and for inspiring hopeful food bloggers like me who are just starting out.
http://sugarfreefairy.com/black-bean-brownies/
These are delicious!
I tried some black bean brownies at a friend’s house and I could barely choke them down but these are delicious! I used flax meal instead of oats and agave instead of syrup. Mine actually came out extremely gooey – they have to be eaten with a spoon, probably because I’m in high elevation and I don’t always know what to change to accommodate the elevation. Still delicious though!
I made these this morning and just finished off my first piece. These are great! I accidentally baked them for 21 minutes, but had no apparent side effects. I also went with 1/2 cup honey for all the sweetener. Delicious!
Can these be made with almond flour so they are kosher for passover?
Actually I should have phrased it this way – since quick oats are not acceptable for passover (but regular old-fashioned are fine) what do you suggest as a recommendation? I am GF and I would love to have a dessert I can eat for passover!
Black beans aren’t acceptable by the ashkenazic tradition, and oats of all kinds are not acceptable to any passover tradition. If you are following sephardic tradition (as sane vegans often do), try using quinoa flakes!
Katie!! I cant even explain how awesome this recipe is. I love your blog and I just tried this today (ive been waiting to try it for a while now) everyone in my house LOVED it and couldnt even tell its not “real” brownies. Thanks hope you never stop sharing your healthy ideas… xoxo from Dominican Republic.
I’ve made these a few times now and in my latest batch I didn’t have black beans on hand so I subbed red kidney beans, and I like it BETTER! The black beans were good but the red beans give a softer, less harsh taste to the brownies and if you love Japanese red bean sweets like I do, you will love this recipe with the red kidney beans. The color still comes out brown and you still can’t tell it’s made with beans. I’m trying your bean blondie recipe next! Thanks!
I made these with half peanut butter, half coconut oil. I didn’t have vanilla extract and it was a brownie emergency (the men were playing a championship rollerhockey game and there had to be a post-game tream) so I figured peanut would cover the missing vanilla. I also used spelt bran in place of oats (no allergies here, and that’s all I had). Also, to save on the mess of cuting them, I baked them as mini cupcakes in wrappers for 10 minutes. FANTASTIC. I only told a couple of them the secrets of the brownies, and their minds were BLOWN. I’m going to try theses with oat flour, since the occasional piece of bran is still getting caught in my teeth. Thanks for this vegan rendition!
Thanks for a great recipe! I made these and omitted the oats and subbed in half unsweetened coconut and half flax. I baked them at 350 for 15 minutes only and they were still SUPER soft. I made an icing in my magic bullet cup with PB2 (powdered peanut butter), natural peanut butter, instant coffee, toffee caramel stevia drops, a few maple flakes, vanilla extract, a pinch of sea salt and unsweetened almond milk. I let them cool and iced them. Then I cut them up and froze them individually and they are AWESOME to eat half (or fully!) frozen. Like sticking a chocolate bar in the freezer before eating it! And it lasts longer this way too! Thanks again for the wonderful recipe!
OMG!! I just made these and was in love at first spatula-lick!! I’m extremely new to vegan/ gluten free eating, and some of your recipes have SAVED me!! Thanks so much!
Can I use cacao nibs instead of chocolate chips??