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!)
Hi Katie,
Can these brownies be frozen?
I used old fashioned oats instead of the quick oats and they turned out great! I didn’t tell my guests they were black bean brownies and nobody had any idea. Delicious!
I made this with the kids this evening and it was a hit! They loved the way it smelled before baking and were excited that they got to taste the batter before it was cooked. All five kids approved it and they didn’t even care that it was made with beans! One child said that it was even better than the traditional fudge brownies! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe! It is going to be my go to recipe for brownies from now on! It was fudgy and had the right amount of sweetness.
I used rolled oats for the recipe because I don’t have the quick cooking kind in the house. I made it into oat flour in my spice grinder before adding it to the batter. It worked perfectly!
Just tried your brownies, and I was more a little skeptical! They were a great guilt free snack! Thank you so much. I also added a little coffee in the batter to make them richer and give me my afternoon caffeine boost!
I made these for my husband, but didn’t tell him they were made with black beans….he absolutely loved them! When I told him the ingredients he was shocked! Wants me to make them all the time now, they are amazing, love love love!
I eliminated the salt, used honey instead of maple syrup, added 1/4 unsweetened cocoanut, and used half the amount of vegetable oil, I also cooked it for an additional 10 minutes….with the subtle changes they were still sooooo soooo good
I cat wait to make them for my family.
Thanks so much 🙂
I want to make the black bean brownie recipe. Is the nutrition info based on 9 or 12 pieces? I am doing weight watchers so I want to count it correctly. Thanks! This looks so yummy.
I can’t have the sugar (whether it’s maple syrup, honey, whatever), but really want to try these. Do you think applesauce or mashed banana might work? Any ideas that aren’t artificial or substitutes?
Have you ever tried Jalapeno’s in your black bean brownies?
I made these in mini muffins instead….so good!!!!
These brownies were a hit except I tweaked them I used black beans avocado , cocoa powder honey vanilla extract some almond milk coffee creamer and pulsed it all and then for the top of the brownies I made a creme for it using butter almond milk creamer and vanilla – ! Then I froze them man they were good ! Today I’m making them adding chocolate chips and making a cheesecake frosting using cream cheese !
Hey, I just made these and they turned out surprisingly good! (I’m not even vegan and I liked them.) I did add the 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips and I guess without them the brownies would be less brownie-like, but they definitely shaped the taste a lot.
Re beans: You wouldn’t taste the black beans at all! I washed them though before adding them to the blender.
Re the coconut oil: I do eat coconut-containing stuff, but I’m not a huge fan of coconut in desserts which usually do not contain coconut. In this recipe, you can barely taste it, as in: even taste-sensitive people like me could only taste it in some parts of the brownies – but if you absolutely want avoid any coconut taste, substitute with some other oil.
Re blender: My blender isn’t good at all but everything blended very well without much effort, so don’t worry too much about the quality of the blender.
Used oven with 175 degrees C for 17 minutes. Turned out quite fudgy, we ate 2/3 of the brownies (me and my boyfriend) and have just promised each other not to eat the whole batch and refrigerated the remainder. Definitely worth trying, peeps!
I have made the black bean brownie recipe so many times!!! It’s by far one of my favourites! Thank you so much!
These were amazing!! I think cold they taste more like fudge…but brownie taste or fudge taste these are really really good! I’d pick them over a regular brownie even!
Stumbled upon this on pinterest and made it last night! This is by far the best healthy dessert recipe I have ever made! My husband and I ate a few last night while they were still warm and he couldn’t believe there were beans in them! I put the brownies in the fridge over night and I think they are even better today! Thanks for sharing this!
I had heard of black bean brownies and a friend of mine said she wanted to find a recipe for them. I came across this for her and just made them. It took awhile for the food processor to get it all mixed and smooth, but other than that they’re easy to make. I will definitely make these again. They are so yummy. My son loves brownies. Anxious to see if him and my husband can tell the difference. Going to try some of your recipes.
these brownies are so money! I put everything in my vitamix instead of food processor and also added nuts. DELISH!