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!)
Delicious!! so happy I can have a guilt free dessert! Also taste amazing with a few drops of peppermint oil in them!
I love this recipe! I had a few adjustments that i thought i should share!
-i did have quick oats so i substituted quinoa hot cereal flakes- they worked great!
– i did not add sugar and stuck with the original maple syrup measurement and it was totally sweet enough
– i added a .5 tbs more cocoa powder and it came out great
I loved these! I did make my cocoa powder tablespoons heaping, I’d omit the extra two tablespoons of sugar next time (it was pretty sweet for my taste), and I’d like to try it again with refined coconut oil to not have as much of a coconut taste. But I’d definitely make them again.
I totally played the “guess what’s in these brownies” game when I served them. I had guesses of flax seed, eggs, almond flour, chick peas, peanut butter, applesauce, agave (I used maple syrup), and more. They were floored to learn of the black beans.
Thank you!
I thought the black been brownies were very good. The raw batter was not so good. So I kept adding things as I mixed. I added 2 more table spoons chocolate powder and 2 small packets of truevia. Plus I did put the chocolate chips on the top. To. Seal the chocolate deal. The brownies came out of the oven smelling good pluss they really tasted good and chocolatetie . I will definitely make these again.:)
Hi Katie. I found your website with the black bean brownie recipe on it two weeks ago. I decided to make them as a surprise for my mother and sister. We have been trying to eat healthy and I wanted to add a dessert to the mix. They had no idea that it had black beans in it. 🙂 They were totally surprised by it when I told them. My sister took some to work and her people wanted the recipe. I even made some for our vacation and had my brother try them. He did guess it was a bean, though he wasn’t sure which. He’s pretty smart. But he ended up having 3 of them and he isn’t a sweets person. Thanks for making this recipe. I will be using it quite frequently. 🙂
Love this recipe thank you Katie!
Deliciously gooey! Just the kind of brownie I love – I’m a fan!! My oldest could detect the beans but my youngest loved them. Funny, though, since my oldest loves the bean-based chocolate chip cookie dough dip! ?
I tried these and they were delicious. I doubled the recipe due to the size of my pan and used 1/2 cup whole meal spelt flour and 1/2 cup almond meal and omitted the chocolate chips and added biona organic peanut butter. They tasted devine
These are really really fast and really really good! I substitute the oil for an overripe banana plus a tablespoon of veggie oil and I also take about half the amount of chocolate chips I plan to use and throw them into the food processor to get smashed up and really get the chocolate flavor in there! I love to have these around as a guilt free snack. Would recommend 100%
I made these last night! It is taking every ounce of self control I have to stay out of my refrigerator and wipe out the pan! Thank You so much!!!!!! I have missed Brownies so so so badly and this recipe is my new favorite 🙂 I don’t have to worry about getting sick eating a chocolate dessert anymore and I can bring this to a party too! No one would ever guess what they are and I can have one along with the crowd again! I think I need a brownie lol
I added some coarsely chopped coconut chips along with chopped walnuts and they were awesome.
OMG these brownies are so good, my whole family loved them, Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe, it’s now my go to brownie recipe xx Liz from Australia
I just made these today, and they came out great! I used 1/2 cup maple syrup for sweetener, unsweetened applesauce instead of oil, and a generous half cup of chocolate chips. It was plenty sweet enough. Most of the finished brownies disappeared quickly! Thank you for the recipe. 🙂
These are quite possibly the best brownies I’ve ever eaten!
OMG these brownies are amazing my kids loved them
Katie! Thanks for sharing this recipe! I just tried it (with half of the amount) and it is AMAZING! I don’t have food processor so I used blender, and yes, the texture is not that similar to brownie brownie but I liked it. 🙂 For oil part, I use half coconut oil and half almond butter.
I am so glad I found this recipe and tried it because I’m a newly lactose intolerant person and I don’t have to stay away from bakeries now! 🙂