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!)
They look so beyond delicious Katie! Hope you had a great birthday.
THESE ROCKED! Not for a healthy dessert, not for a low cal dessert, just for a dessert in general.
I used maple syrup and a can of regular black beans that had been sitting in my pantry for forever and needed to be used up.
I’d have no problem serving them at a party for people who had never had a bean dessert and didn’t like healthy food. I really don’t think anyone would be able to tell. These are that good!
I made these last night and they were delicious!! I substituted the quick oats for gluten free regular oats (I have a really hard time finding gluten-free quick oats) and they were still great!
Saw this on Pinterest and had to make them (didn’t matter that it was 6:30 am!) Delish! Cannot wait to make again and I will be passing this recipe along!!!
Thanks. 🙂
Hi Katie! I would never try black bean brownies before because they always got such mixed reviews, but I knew right away I could trust yours! I did it exactly as you said ad they were AMAZING! I gave some to my dad (without telling him thy were healthy… Or made with beans lol) and he loved them!!! I let him think they were just the normal kind and told him I was going to take them to a picinic we are going to on Saturday. He was Like ” yea that is a good idea!”. Then I told him they were bean brownies! He was shocked! He said he would never guess they were healthy bean brownies in a million years! He just kept saying ” that is crazy!” lol. He said “where did you get the recipe?” I said my girl chocolate covered Katie! Lol thanks so much Katie! Can’t WAIT for your book!!!! Lots of love xoxo
🙂 🙂
I made these last night, and they are awesome!! My parents, who love sweets and aren’t vegan or health obsessed, loved them. My dad said they were “the best.” They were so quick and easy to make too! I love how your recipes can usually be done in one dish/food processor, so I don’t make a mess of the kitchen. Thank you, Katie, for another incredible recipe! I will be making these very often 🙂
I loved these, and they even passed the boyfriend test!
I made these last night and didn’t tell my husband that they were Black Bean Brownies. He hates black beans. He gobbled a couple right down. Then I told him they were healthy and he wouldn’t believe what was in him. When I told him black beans he just had that look of awe on his face but he took a couple to work with him today in his lunch! You passed the test! These really are awesome brownies!
Have you tried date sugar in place of the sweetener? The magazine Eating Well has an article about sugars, and it looks promising.
Sorry, I haven’t. If you try it, let me know how it goes!
http://mynewroots.blogspot.com/ has an incredible black bean recipe for chocolate-cherry-chilli-walnut cookies, so similar to this – probably the most amazing cookie i’ve ever tried!
Hi Katie!
I absolutely love all of your recipes and I really want to try making these brownies this weekend! I don’t have a food processor, I only have a VitaMix. Will the Vitamix still work the same for all of your recipes where you say to use a food processor?? Thank you!
No… I’m not sure about this one. But I didn’t have success with a Vita and the cookie dough dip. Maybe do it in batches if you must.
My family LOVES black bean brownies!! For those of you who don’t have a food processor, if you have a strong blender (doesn’t have to be a VitaMix, but power around 1 HP), you can make this recipe. http://cheerfullyvegan.wordpress.com/2012/03/28/secret-ingredient-brownies/
I made these last night!!! But I did do a few things differently. I have celiac and didn’t have GF oats handy so I added almond meal in place of the oats and instead of agave/maple syrup I added regular sugar. Also, instead of the oil I added a combination of peanut butter and applesauce. These were AMAZING! I think it’s the best recipe on the blog! I am not kidding when I say that they are better than regular brownies! So moist and fudgey… exactly how I like my brownies!
I think they would be better with just PB and not applesauce, but they were still good. I will try just peanut butter next time. Thanks so much for the recipe!!
Update from another coeliac 🙂
I had gf quick oats on hand, but no neutral tasting oil (I figured garlic oil, whilst yummy when cooking savoury food… not a great choice for brownies). Instead of oil, I subbed the last of my cashew butter and some apple sauce. I also had no maple syrup to hand, so just used sugar for the sweetener. The batter was incredibly thick (probably because the oil and syrup had been replaced!) but the brownies were DELISH. Seriously, amazingly fudgy and generally wonderful. New fave recipe!
Do you happen to remember how much almond meal you used? I am thinking of substituting the oats for almond meal but I wasn’t sure if it should be the same weight or how that would work.
Thanks!
I absolutely adore black bean brownies!
I made these last night– they taste and feel JUST like the fudgey packaged “cosmic brownies” I ate as a kid!
I’ve tried black bean brownies in the past, and they were yucky and disappointing. Nothing could get me to try them again, except that it’s one of your recipes. Everything I’ve ever made of yours has been so delicious that many of your recipes should be illegal! I’ll give these a try… I’m counting on you!