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!)
just had brownies for breakfast, I think I finally have my life figured out! jeje best idea ever!!! I usually have a piece of bread with some beans spread on them plus veggies on top as breakfast, but c”mon! I mean, brownies for breakfast??? life can’t get any better than this 🙂 loved them
LOL, I’ve totally done the same.
Katie–
I have been following your blog since 2010, and I have loved EVERY recipe I have tried. One of my all-time favorites is the “secret ingredient” cookie dough dip. I actually found THIS recipe (the black bean brownie one) when I was scrolling through Pinterest the other day, and I decided to make them for a gathering I went to last night. I made two batches, and just like your friend, I just brought them in and set them on the table. I didn’t tell anyone they were healthy or that they had any “secret” ingredients. Other deserts that were on the table that night: an apple pie, two blueberry pies, and a pound cake (the pound cake baked by a lady who NEVER goes home with leftovers when she makes it…it’s THAT good). By the end of the night, BOTH pans of the brownies were empty, and I had 10 requests for the recipe! All three pies, AND the pound cake had barely been touched. No joke! These were completely AMAZING. Even my SUPER picky 12 year old niece (who only eats chicken fingers and pop tarts) ate 4!! NO ONE knew what they were made of, or even guessed it! Thank you SO much for this recipe. It’s become a new go-to, and I will be making it for every gathering where food is necessary from now on!
Every time I make brownies, they taste bitter. This recipe once as well as other brownie recipes I’ve tried . Any ideas why? Is there a specific type of cocoa you use? Someone suggested it might be because the type of cocoa I’m using is stronger and I should use less. For modifications, I tend to substitute applesauce or avocado for the fat and stevia instead of sugar.
You need to make the recipes as written. Otherwise the creators of the recipes, whether it’s Katie or someone else, can’t be responsible for the outcome because it’s no longer their recipe you’ve made but your own.
These are just the best!!! So so good! My kids and husband love them!
I used old fashioned oat and it worked out fine.
Simply the best black bean brownie recipe available. Katie hit it out of the park with this one. I have tried many a black bean brownie recipe, but none compares to this one. When I made this recipe for the second time last night, I didn’t have chocolate chips on hand. I did have a four-ounce bar of Ghirardelli 70% dark chocolate, so I just crushed it up and threw it in. Delicious.
I finally got around to trying these tonight and they were amazing! I think I like them better than your pumpkin brownies and that says a lot. I successfully substituted 3/8 cup white rice flour for the oats. I did increase the cooking time considerably- not sure if this was due to my substitution or because I have to bake things in a roaster oven since our oven is broken. After about an hour they still didn’t test done, but they weren’t black or crisp around the edge either, so I’m not sure if my roaster oven was heating consistently. Either way, When they appeared uniformly dry/puffed on the top and we got tired of waiting we pulled them out and figured they’d firm up while sitting. They sure did and they were awesome!
Although my daughter turned her nose up at these, they satisfied my craving for something sweet. However, if you are a weight watcher, they are not 3 points on the new PointsPlus system, they are 5 points each for 9 servings or 4 points for 12.
omg. thankyou. gooey, RICH, fudgy amazingness. i added extra oats (just normal ones, had no quick oats) and cocoa and wow. i have had three and not even sorry! so strongly recommend, more than my other brownie recipes. as a recently declared vegan, thankyou for making this the easiest, best, most delicious transition! my friends are getting a tad annoyed with all of the pics of the brownies that i’m sending them ahhah but who cares, this might be the best brownie i have ever eaten. THANKYOU KATIE btw i am so obsessed with your website, i told one of my friends about it and she told her friends and now they are all obsessed too! chocolatecoveredkatie is seriously one of the best finds.. thank you pinterest
I LOVE these brownies! They are my fav. And the best!! Great one Katie!
They also work w/ white beans if your out of black 🙂
I made these yesterday and added 200g sweet, melted dark chocolate to the wet mixture. Oh my god, they are divine. Making another batch on Thursday to take to work!
Amazing recipe, best black bean brownies I’ve ever made. I actually made mini muffins instead they turned out great! Will do again, your taste testers will have no idea their made with black beans. Thanks Katie
I’m pretty sure you’re my most favourite person on the planet right now. (Don’t tell my husband or kids)
What would happen if I added an egg?
Why would you want to add an egg? If you are looking for moisture and/or fat, the ingredient list as is provides plenty of that.
I tried peanut butter instead of oil. It was great! But I had to add a little extra liquid to get it all to puree, and then cook it a little longer to cook off the extra liquid. But definitely delicious. I thought they were great to start out with, but I was curious about adding peanut butter so I had to try it.
Love these brownies! I sub half of the oats for chia seeds and it works great!
I was all ready to make these when I realized, to my dismay, that I was out of black beans. Used cannellini beans instead and they turned out soooo yummy!!