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!)
I am so excited to try these! My 15 month old son made his first trip to the allergist and we found out he’s allergic to eggs AND wheat. He is an extremely picky eater as is, I can’t wait to test these out on him and love knowing he’ll be eating protein filled beans and not just “some-other-type-of-wheat-free flour-that-he-hates”. :0) *wish me luck*
fwiw .. “healthy” may be the last word I would use by putting black beans in brownies (and have tried this before – ugh). Digesting beans is no longer viable in my “vegetarian, gluten-free, sugar-free, soy-free, corn-free, mostly legume-free” world. Most beans, no matter how smothered in chocolate they are, lead to much unhappiness in my gut. If anyone here has general digestive issues, the most digestible beans are supposedly mung and aduki, so using those might be a “healthier” option?
I cant decide what is more beautiful you or those brownies both are to die for!! New to your lovely blog and I am totally obsessed! Thank you for sharing! I will be checking in again real soon :). It was very nice to meet you!
Have a fantastic weekend.
xox
Ash@ABpetite
http://abpetite.blogspot.com
Aw thanks, Ash. I will have to check out your blog too!
Oh my word…seriously amazing!! I have been wanting to try black bean brownies for a while but could never find a recipe that wasn’t smothered with sugar and eggs. I used half pb2 and half applesauce (plus 1 extra t applesauce) for the oil, and stevia instead of the agave/maple syrup, and they turned out absolutely incredible! Thank you Katie for this recipe, can’t wait to try your chickpea brownies!
I just made these and they are INCREDIBLE! Thank you so much Katie!! I followed the recipe pretty closely, but used 1/3 cup sugar free maple syrup and 3 splenda packets. I also used 115 g (the lower end) of chocolate chips. I weighed all of my ingredients, so I could be sure and get the same great product. If you are reading this comment wondering whether or not you should make these brownies, stop reading now and go make them; they are incredible.
That said, I CANNOT figure out how the nutritional value could be 115 calories per brownie. I have calculated it several times, and even when using my sugar free syrup, splenda packets and the lowest amount of chocolate chips, I still come in at 125 calories. Of course this difference is minuscule, but I am curious at the numbers. Usually when I calculate Katie’s recipes they are SPOT ON with my calculations. Weird.
Use regular maple syrup, not the sugar-free stuff. But you have to calculate it by grams. That really does make a difference. For example, a tbsp of oil is said to be 15g, but if you actually weigh a tbsp of oil, it’s more like 10-12! Sorry for the confusion!
I saw the recipe and immediately had to make it – FANTASTIC!!! These are the best healthy or otherwise – YOU are amazing!! Thank you
Melissa
how delicious! sign me up!!
I’ve seen these bean brownies so much I gave it a shot but unfortunately I could not find unsalted beans anywhere so I reconstituted the kidney beans in my cabinet and I can’t make a red black bean brownie or a blondie. So I figured I’d make a “red velvet” brownie xD
red chocolate :3 I look forward to the outcome
**Ingredients(are just based off you’re recipe because I’m no good at baking out of my head):
# 1 1/2 cup(s) kidney beans (250g)
# 3/4 tsp baking powder
# 1/8 tsp baking soda
# level 1/4 tsp salt
# 1/4 cup mashed Banana
# 2 tsp vanilla extract
# 1/2 cup quick oats (20g)
# 1/4 cup peanut butter (or other fat source)
I haven’t tried it…. it probably won’t work. But the idea is really nice.. Especially if you don’t have white or black beans. Just make a “red velvet” Blondie or brownie
Guys you can buy a bag of beans and sunk them in plenty of water for 24 hours and then just boil them for a couple hours and you will have unsalted black beans.
I am going to try and make this recipe but I will use avocado oil instead of the coconut oil, I will let you know.
I tried some before and they were really moist and lacked the fudgy texture of brownies that I love. They had to be eaten from the fridge or they tasted funny. This version looks like a regular brownie! I’m going to have to try these and give black bean brownies a second chance 🙂
I have really really really been wanting a brownie recipe that was flour and processed sugar free. I tried two different black bean recipes and one was horrible and one was barely tolerable. After that I gave up on black bean brownies (I thought I would just have to resign myself to eating your brownie batter dip). I saw this recipe in my inbox and was skeptical. But because it is a cck recipe and you haven’t steered me wrong so far, I will have to give black beans one more chance.
I just tried this! Well… A version of this. I used mashed banana & pumpkin, earth balance butter, coconut flour(!), and cannellini beans because that’s what I had in the fridge! I only made a partial batch, like 6 brownies. And I added protein powder, too, so they’ll be balanced enough for breakfast! They’re soooo fudgy I can’t believe it.. Thanks Katie and happy birthday 🙂
Can you send me this version? I don’t have oats and flax but do have coconut flour!
well now i’m curious. Soaking the beans as we speak.
All in all I was not a fan of the blondies… don’t get me wrong – they are good. In their own way. Just not something I liked. But I’m itching to try this recipe 🙂 Chocolate… only thing it lacks is mint to make it triple irresistible lol…
I think you have outdone yourself this time Katie. I’ve made a few of your recipes but I think this is without doubt the best. They taste amazeballs and actually just like the real thing. You can’t taste the black beans whatsoever, and previously trying the blondes I found they had a slight chickpea taste. So happy! And I’ve just made my step-kids very happy too!
I made these last night and they were okay. The texture was great but there was not nearly enough cocoa powder–they still tasted like beans! So I think in the future I’ll add a lot more cocoa powder.
Did you make any changes to the recipe? Can you give me more specifics about what you did, so hopefully I can help figure out what could’ve gone wrong?
I substituted half of the sugar for dates, which I soaked and pureed with the sugar and oil (no date pieces left over). Other than that I followed the recipe to a T. But the problem wasn’t that they weren’t sweet enough…they just didn’t taste chocolatey! I mean I guess there could be some sort of chemistry with the sugar and bean flavor but it seems unlikely.
If you added the date soaking liquid, that could definitely water down the flavor!
i love keeping the ingredients secret until the end 😛 I’ve tried brown bean brownies before and wasn’t too impressed because they tasted like… beans. So definitely looking forward to making your version