These Black Bean Brownies are so healthy and super simple to make in a blender. They’re vegan and allergy-friendly, refined sugar-free with no flour and no mix! A perfect dessert to serve alongside other healthy and easy desserts like this Healthy Fruit Pizza!
One of the biggest ways we save money is by making things from scratch that I’d ordinarily buy at the store, like hot pockets and instant oatmeal packets. While developing this recipe for black bean brownies…
I had flashbacks to my childhood when I would have snack fudge brownies from Little Debbie in my lunchbox. You know, those little thick, fudgy ones with nuts on top?
I couldn’t believe that something so healthy, could taste so sinfully delicious!
Now you’re probably thinking there’s no way that something WITH beans and WITHOUT sugar could even remotely, possibly be good. Hear me out. I went through rigorous testing to ensure my taste buds weren’t wacked out when I made these:
- The first time I made these, they were for the kids and I. Aside from my serving, they ate the whole pan in 2 days. When I told the kids they had beans in them, they laughed and asked for more.
- The second time I made them, they were for the kids and the husband, who ruined dinner two nights in a row by grabbing more than a few of these when he got home from work.
- The third time I made these, they were for company. Two of our three guests had one brownie, another had two and not a single one of them batted an eye.
When I told Mr. Crumbs that they had beans in them, he looked at me like I had a third eye.
“Really?” he asked. “Yes, really,” I replied.
“Are you sure?” he asked again.
(Ha! As if I’d be joking about BEANS in BROWNIES!)
I told him, “Yes honey, for real. They really have beans in them. Can you taste them?”
“Nope, not at all. These taste good! You can put these in my lunches,” he told me.
Which by the way, “you can put these in my lunches” is one of the highest compliments you can get in our house.
I hope I have convinced you that these black bean brownies are quite possibly the best thing that will happen to you this year!
Black Bean Brownies
Not only do these super moist brownies taste SO amazing with a rich, fudgy chocolate taste, but it’s a such a great recipe because these brownies are:
- Made with 9 ingredients that are all 100% real food.
- Very allergy friendly– NO gluten, dairy, or eggs! (Just double check your chocolate chips if you are baking dairy free).
- Sweetened with maple syrup…and NO refined sugar! (double check those chocolate chips!)
- Made with BEANS…without a bean taste! Need I say more?
These brownies have LESS ingredients than processed brownies like Little Debbies, AND we’re avoiding the especially harmful ingredients like hydrogenated oils (bad-for-you vegetable oils) and high fructose corn syrup.
Ingredients for Black Bean Brownies
Made with 9 REAL food ingredients, these brownies are flour-less, vegan-friendly, and simply delicious!
- Black beans
- Maple syrup
- Coconut oil
- Vanilla
- Cocoa Powder
- Oats
- Salt
- Baking Powder
- Mini Chocolate Chips
- Chopped Walnuts, optional
Psst! Want to kick this up a notch? Try finishing this recipe with a pinch of finishing salt! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a bag for just 1¢!! Just add a pinch when you pull the brownies from the oven and try not to drool as you wait for them to cool!
(Get your penny bag of salt on this page.)
Note: I have seen some recipes which call for instant coffee, which doesn’t turn out with a taste like coffee, but deepens the chocolate flavor of the brownies even more. Although I haven’t tested it in this recipe, I’m sure it’s a delicious option. Let me know if you try it!
Are Brownies with Black Beans Healthy?
Yes! Since they are made with only 9 simple real-food ingredients, they are much healthier to eat than processed box brownie mixes or packaged brownies with unhealthy ingredients like Little Debbies.
According to Harvard Medical School, black beans are loaded with fiber, protein and a ton of other nutrients. It’s a great idea to make them a regular part of your diet!
I can’t mention enough that these brownies are free of refined sugar (even store bought brown sugar is refined sugar), and sweetened with natural maple syrup, which is real food that our bodies recognize as food!
How to Make Black Bean Brownies
This recipe is so quick and easy that you may want to satisfy your sweet tooth every week with it!
- Grease an 8 x 8 square baking pan (or use parchment paper).
- Blend the ingredients in a high speed blender (or a food processor).
- Fold in the chocolate chips. YUM!
- Spread the brownie batter in the baking dish.
- Bake. Cool. Enjoy!!!
Are Black Bean Brownies Gluten-Free?
This recipe is made without using gluten ingredients! Just be sure to check the oats and the chocolate chips to be sure that they are without gluten, if necessary for you.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
- Triple Fudgy Paleo Brownies
- Cast Iron Skillet Brownies
- White Bean Blondies
- Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Healthy Homemade Chocolate Pie
Black Bean Brownies
These Black Bean Brownies are so healthy and super simple to make in a blender. They’re vegan & allergy- friendly, refined sugar-free, no flour and no mix!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 18 mins
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: 12 brownies 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (how to make them homemade)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, divided
- 2–3 Tbsp chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Grease an 8×8 baking dish or line with parchment paper.
- In a high powdered blender OR in a food processor, combine the ingredients in the order listed.
- Process the ingredients until the batter is ultra smooth, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Fold in 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips and nuts (if using) on top of the batter.
- Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes, until the brownies are cooked through and set.
- Allow to cool thoroughly before cutting.
Notes
This recipe is easy to double. Use a 9×13 pan and bake for 17-18 minutes so that the center is thoroughly cooked through.
* If you don’t want to go through the trouble of folding in the chocolate chips (and dirtying another bowl), you can sprinkle them all on top. Alternatively, you can fold all the chocolate chips in too. My kids liked having the small bits of chocolate on top.
** I’ve made these with canned beans and dry beans cooked from scratch and we preferred the tasted of dried beans from scratch, although the canned beans came in a close second. If you use canned beans, be sure to rinse them thoroughly (until the water runs clear) before using.
Keywords: Black Bean Brownies
What brand of chocolate chips do you use to make this a real food recipe?
Hi Rachael,
Enjoy Life brand! It’s available on Thrive Market at https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/go/thrivemarket/.
Thanks so much. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Can you use canned black beans? Thanks
Yes, you can! Just make sure to rinse and dry the beans. Enjoy!
If I make these again, I will add more cocoa powder b/c they didn’t taste chocolatey to me. They weren’t bad; the chocolate flavor was just too weak. I wish I had remembered to put the walnuts on top! I used a food processor and it worked well (baby was sleeping and my Vitamix blender is too noisy for nap time).
★★★
I made today and I put 4 times the cocoa powder and left out the chips and nuts…. healthier and delicious!
Hello,
Do you use quick/instant oats or do you need old fashioned oats for this recipe? I wanted to make them this weekend but only have the quick oats. Thank you for all of the great recipes you post. Everything I have made so far has been fantastic. I also use your DIY household products. This website is a life changer.
So happy our website helps you! Any oats should work but normally rolled oats are used.
LOVE this recepie!
super simple and they turned out perfect.
I’m about to make it for the second time. I added in some crushed walnuts and *chefs kiss* Yuuum!!
★★★★★
So glad to hear you liked this recipe!!
These exceeded my wildest expectations and were absolutely delicious! Even trying my hardest, I could not detect the beans in the flavors. (I used dry beans I had cooked rather than canned.) To me, the slight flavor of the coconut oil makes them just perfect! This recipe is one I will be making many times in the future! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed them, Lou?
Your recipe was the 3rd black bean recipe that I ever made and now is my absolute favorite because they actually taste like brownies—even without chocolate chips. These will be my go-to healthy dessert.
★★★★★
I’m so glad you liked these, Andrea!! ♥
If I wish to add pitted dates, how do I use it for this recipe. Thanks
I would suggest adding dried pitted dates in place of the walnuts. Make sure they are dried because extra moisture can cause texture issues. Good luck, Lisa, let me know how they turn out!
I haven’t made these yet. They would be perfect for my daughter who is allergic to wheat and eggs. Can honey be substituted for the syrup?
Hello Linda,
Yes! You can definitely use honey instead. Thank you for posting.
This is my new favourite recipe! You really can’t taste the beans, no one I’ve fed these to has ever noticed, it’s compliments all round. If you can’t find black beans red kidney beans work really well too.
★★★★★
Glad you love this recipe, Rohtak!
Hi Tiffany, Thank you for your blog. I’ve made your elderberry gummies and these black bean brownies. I appreciate your blog.
can I use Stevia for the sweetner?
Hi haven’t tried using stevia, Tammy, and I’m not sure how that would work since you’re removing a good bit of liquid. If you try this, please let us know how it turns out!
Is the cocoa powder unsweetened? Can I sub the coconut oil for vegetable oil or does the coconut oil contribute to flavor?
Ya-Tin, the cocoa is unsweetened and i would suggest staying with coconut oil but you can try if with vegetable oil if that is what you desire.
I want to make these with either applesauce or sweet potato instead of the oil. Has anyone tried this?
★★★★
Tiffany,
I have a son with a big sweet tooth and aversion to vegetables. Anything I can do to get more fibre and veggies in him is definitely something I’m interested in….do you have others I could try as well?
Do you think I could use olive oil instead of coconut oil? It’s what I usually bake with and am not the biggest fan of coconut. I even omit it from Anzac biscuits :/
If you have extra light olive oil, that would be okay. You could sub butter as well!
Just wanted to say thank you for this awesome recipe…I can make a pan of brownies now and eat half the pan myself without feeling guilty. It has the perfect moist fudgy yum brownies need but you know you your actually eating real food. I cannot thank you enough for your genuis with this combination!
★★★★★
You’re most welcome Liz!
OH. MY. WORD!! Made these last night and they were amazing! My husband even loved them so you just passed a very hard test!! 😂 I didn’t tell him they were black beans before I asked how he liked them! Thanks for working to help us eat better but still delicious! Love your blog!!
★★★★★
Thanks for the high praises Bronni! I’m so glad you all enjoyed them! ♥
Hi Tiffany,
Finally made your Black Bean Brownies and true to testimony, they’re very good. Since I knew the ingredients up front, I tasted the black bean, but my husband and his friend didn’t, so I imagine I probably wouldn’t have either. I prefer lighter brownies. Do you think I could just add 1/2 c of A/P flour to accomplish this? Also, you mentioned in your fun write up that they don’t have any sugar. Since maple syrup is a form of sugar, did you mean refined white sugar? I love finally having a gluten-free recipe that doesn’t taste weird. Thank you!
★★★★
Hi Linda! Technically maple syrup is a sweetener, not “sugar,” so that’s why I made that comment about the sugar. If you want to try to make them lighter, I’d switch the oats for flour and add 1/2 cup like you suggested. I’m not entirely sure they’ll actually get lighter because of the beans, but it’s worth a shot!