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!)
Long distance trail runner here and and am always on the hunt for some tasty, calories to eat on the run with some nutritional value! These are great and will definitely be making their way into my regular trail snack rotation! Super chocolatey and moist!
These brownies were actually bombed! made ‘normal’ vegan brownies at the same time and have been reaching for these ones over them. Would never guess they were made with black beans.
These are so rich and moist. My husband ate one and loved them, then I told him the secret ingredient. Amazing brownies!
These are completely amazing! I highly recommend adding an additional Tablespoon of cocoa, but other than that, this is a perfect recipe! Truly perfect. I’ve made them 3 times in the last week!
Oh my gosh! These are so delicious!! I will make them over and over!!
Hi! Love these!
However, the first time I made them they were great (I followed the grams measurements, and added sugar instead of increasing the honey to 1/2 cup), but the second time I made them I didn’t add the sugar and increased the honey to 1/2. You don’t have a conversion of 1/2 in g so I googled it and I think you don’t have the right conversions of the honey in general! 1/3 cup of honey is not 75g! It’s about 113g! Google told me 1/2 cup honey = 170g, which is a lot more compared to your conversion. I still decided to follow the conversion for 1/2 cup on every website I found (170g) and I ended up with a sticky mass that will never properly cook or set in the fridge 🙁 what is correct? 75g of honey or 1/3 cup?? What is 1/2 cup of honey for you??
I’m not sure where you read that half cup of liquid is 170g, but half a cup of liquid is always going to be 120g, so 1/3 cup of a liquid is 80g. Katie lists this on as 75g because some will stick to the measuring cup if using measuring cups, so when she measured it into a bowl on a food scale, it was closer to 75g.
Thank you for your reply!
However, that’s not correct, as liquids don’t all weigh the same. Honey is obviously
a lot heavier than water or other liquids as it is denser. 1/2 cup of honey is indeed about 170g. 1/2 cup of water is about 120g.
I read it pretty much on every website providing conversion charts as I really wanted to be sure, although a quick 10 seconds google search already gives the correct answer. Now that I bought cups to try and follow the strange cups measurements of US recipes, I also measured it myself.
So I suggest to help people following the metric measurements, by adding the correct weight of 1/2 and 1/3 cups of honey 🙂
It sounds like you are just measuring it in a solid or semi-solid state. We are taking about the liquid state. You can totally measure it in the solid state if you want, but to get the measurements the same as if using maple syrup, we always measure honey in the liquid state, and 120g of a liquid is 1/2 a cup. Hope that helps!
? I’m just measuring honey in it’s normal liquid state.. like, honey hahah
Sorry, but trust me (or just trust physics): honey is heavier than other liquids.. 1 cup of honey will never, ever weigh like 1 cup of water, or milk!
But yes, 1/2 cup of honey weighs **almost** the same as maple syrup: conversion charts will also say about 170g! How very inexact, right? Lol
Seriously though, all you have to do is grab a scale and measure 1/2 cup of water vs 1/2 cup of honey (yes, in it’s liquid state as you say hah).
Hope this helps!
Hi, we definitely do use a food scale for measurements. Food scales are much easier to clean, so we never measure things like honey with a measuring spoon. Liquid honey weighs the same for us as maple syrup.
I will reply to this comment since I can’t seem to be able to reply to your last one, strangely.
That’s good! Yes, maple syrup and honey have very similar weights. Not same as other liquids, that’s why it is very important to clarify the correct weight of 1/2 cup of honey in the ingredients list so that other people don’t end up waisting expensive organic ingredients because of confusing scale conversions, like I did! 🙂
Hi, yes we measure maple syrup the same, also the amount listed in the post. I’m just not sure what else to say here so am going to have to stop replying, and will just recommend that you use that amount for best results. It isn’t allowing you to comment further on the other thread because nested comments automatically close after a certain number of replies (just the way the site is coded, not anything personal!).
Absolutely delicious! I saw a YouTube video about black bean brownies so I thought I’d try a highly rated recipe. I wasn’t disappointed. I forgot the baking powder so they were a little flat but certainly didn’t disappoint. I used honey as I didn’t have any maple syrup, I couldn’t detect a honey taste. Great recipe!
WoW! Big hit with my kids (to whom I did NOT mention the main ingredient yet) and Gluten Free hubby. I do not have a food processor so I pulsed all wet ingredients +beans in my ninja until smooth, then separately pulsed all dry ingredients, then combined. There is absolutely no weird taste going on, and the texture truly is fudgy! I doubled the recipe and did one 9×9 pan and a tray of 20 minis (two bites) which were fab- (I’d recommend 15 mins for the minis and 16-18 for the regular brownie pan). Imma make these again for sure- goodbye crappy sugar filled super expensive gluten free brownie mix!
Thank you for this delicious recipe that does not compromise flavor! This is the 4th time I’ve made this. The entire family thoroughly enjoys it. I’ve shared with friends as well.
Thanks again!
I’m currently shielding due to covd and really wanted to try making these, but my husband who has to do the shopping at the moment bought black eyed beans instead of black beans, could I still use them? Or would it be best to wait?
Hi sorry we have never tried it so really have no idea. But hope you feel better soon!!