These black bean brownies are made with 9 REAL food ingredients! This recipe is so quick and easy that you may want to satisfy your sweet tooth every week with it! They’re flour-less, vegan-friendly, and simply delicious!
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. Our family was craving a sweet chocolate treat so I developed a healthy recipe for black bean brownies…
Now you’re probably thinking there’s no way that something WITH beans and WITHOUT sugar could even remotely, possibly be good.
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).
- NO refined sugar– sweetened with maple syrup ! (double check those chocolate chips!)
- Made with BEANS…without a bean taste! Need I say more?
- 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.
I hope I have convinced you that these black bean brownies are quite possibly the best thing that will happen to you this year!
Here’s What You Need
- Black beans
- Maple syrup
- Coconut oil
- Vanilla (try my homemade recipe)
- Cocoa Powder
- Oats
- Salt
- Baking Powder
- Mini Chocolate Chips
- Chopped Walnuts, optional
Notes on Ingredients
There are some recipes that 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!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. Grease an 8×8 square baking pan (or use parchment paper).
Step 2. Blend the ingredients in a high speed blender (or a food processor).
Step 3. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Step 4. Spread the brownie batter in the baking dish.
Step 5. Bake. Cool. Enjoy!!!
To Serve
Are you looking for something to put on as a topping? Try a pinch of salt on these delicious black bean brownies!
Psst! If you’re going to add salt, I highly recommend Ava Jane’s Kitchen. You may think all salt is created equal, but unfortunately, 90% of salt produced around the world contains microplastics (gross, right?). Ava Jane’s Kitchen is an exception. Their salt is 100% microplastic free, and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a bag for just 1¢!! (Get your penny bag of salt on this page.)
FAQS
Black beans are a great source of protein, quality carbohydrates and fiber! They are also low in fat and contain magnesium, zinc, phosphorus, and several minerals.
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.
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!
More Dessert Recipes
- Triple Fudgy Paleo Brownies
- Homemade Yellow Cake Mix
- White Bean Blondies
- Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Berry Pie
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Black Bean Brownies
These black bean brownies are made with 9 REAL food ingredients! This recipe is so quick and easy that you may want to satisfy your sweet tooth every week with it! They’re flour-less, vegan-friendly, and simply delicious!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- 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 (try my homemade recipe)
- 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.
Nutrition
- Calories: 199
Keywords: Black Bean Brownies
I tried this recipe tonight and I don’t feel like I have the same amazing results. Are these brownies supposed to rise? They were very flat. I feel like I cooked them enough and had a few cracks on the top. Maybe I have bad baking powder.
★★★
They don’t rise too much Erica – they’re going to be more fudgy than cakey. But you should get some rise. Definitely test the baking powder!
WHAT?!?!?! These are AMAZING! I made these thinking that maybe I’d have a whole pan of brownies to eat if the kids didn’t like them… was I wrong!! The 3 kids LOVED them! One said it was fudgy, another agreed that it was like a Little Debbie brownie and the last just happily ate the chocolate treat! (Beans are a treat! Ha!) I haven’t told them yet! Can’t wait to see their reactions!
A few notes… I used unrefined coconut oil. It left a stronger coconut taste (which I LOVE) It made me think of adding some shredded coconut next time! And also, I had to cook these for 21 minutes. I tried 15 and it was SO liquidy still, so I added 3 minutes, then 3 more.
But so what!!!! We’ve got amazing, delicious brownies!
Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe!
★★★★★
You’re so very welcome Elizabeth!! ♥
These look amazing! Could I use granulated Pyure stevia sweetner instead of the maple syrup for glycemic index reasons? How would I substitute that?
You probably can Malitha, but I don’t use stevia so I’m not sure how to substitute. Perhaps start with a teaspoon and taste along the way?
I love Pyure stevia, and I’ve used it plenty of times in this recipe. I can’t say exactly how much I use- I just go by taste.
Wow I made these brownies and thought how they possibly taste good. Was I wrong or what????Ii did pre process the oats and I found that it made a difference with the texture of the mix. I have a husband who is not a brownie fan. … but he fell in love with these and woofed down 3/4 of the pan in two days. Because they have low fat, low sugar, and are gluten free that makes it so much better to justify eating them….so the calorie count is so much better. At least that’s what he thinks… thanks for sharing I will be making them again real soon !
I’m so glad you liked them Donna! My husband was a skeptic too, but these are now a staple in our meal plan!
Looks like a good recipe!! Do you have to use pure maple syrup or can you use light table syrup? Only because that’s what I have on hand!
I’d recommend pure maple syrup, but you can substitute. You might not need as much since table syrup had added sugar. Start with half the amount, and go from there!
I just made these and they are really good! I cut the maple syrup in half and added a few drops of liquid stevia. I like to experiment with lowering the sugar content on recipes for health reasons, and I think these still game out great, though I wouldn’t know the difference since I haven’t tried them with the full amount of maple syrup. I added a 1/4 cup of water to sub for the other 1/4 cup of maple syrup I left out. I think I almost liked the batter better than the final product lol, it was delish! I can’t wait to see what they are like tomorrow after they’ve chilled in the fridge. I recently bought chocolate hummus at the store and loved it and searched for more recipes to hide beans in sweet dishes. Thanks for your recipe!!
★★★★★
Great substitutions Natalie, and I’m so glad you liked these! (and yes the batter IS good!)
In my household, we call these “beanies.” I’ve been making them for a few years. I use Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free baking mix instead of oats, and they always turn out great. One tip I have is they taste better cold. My husband won’t eat them warm, because he can taste the beans in them while they are warm. I have to agree that they are better cold, although I’ll eat them no matter their temp! They freeze very well. Sometimes I eat them before defrosting them, as I like the flavor and texture of them frozen. Plus, I don’t tend to overeat them when they’re frozen. Try a little cayenne and cinnamon in them, if you like Mexican hot chocolate. It’s a fun flavor variation! Especially when they are served with a little whipped coconut cream on top.
★★★★★
Ooh – I like the idea of cayenne and cinnamon, and I bet the texture of them frozen is DELISH!!
I making this recipe for the first time – I prepared dried beans from the homemade bean recipe that you linked – and thank you for that.
Do you skip the last step of seasoning the beans with salt and pepper?
Yes! Skip the seasoning and use plain. Glad that homemade bean recipe helped!
These are amazing! I usually never rate recipes online, but this one truly deserves it! Not only are they a healthy alternative to traditional brownies, they taste great and are SO EASY! I even messed up and ended up putting all of the chocolate chips in the blender and they still came out perfect. My husband had no idea they even had beans – these are now my go to brownie recipe.
★★★★★
YAY! I’m so glad you came back to review and rate, and more importantly, that you loved them!! ♥
Hi Tiffany – just made these brownies and they taste very good ! I wanted to clarify how you store them though , so mine don’t end up tasting “”beany” – do you keep your batch in the fridge the entire time , only taking them out when you want to eat one ? Or do you just keep in fridge until ready to serve and then bring to
Room temperature ,say when serving toncompany ? Would you then put the leftovers back in the fridge ?
Hey Bess! I store mine in the fridge after baking and take one serving out at a time to eat. If you’re serving company, I recommend room temperature to slightly warmed!
Thank you ! I kept them in fridge , although they didn’t last long; they were very good !! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes 😀
Can I use quinoa flakes instead of oats??
I’m not sure Kaneez, I’ve never used quinoa flakes before. But if you’ve subbed them in other recipes using oats, I’m sure you’ll be okay!
what about almond flour instead of oats?
That would work!
Tiffany
These brownies made me very happy! It’s like a dream come true when you’re trying to eat and live healthier! Thank you for this recipe. I think this is way better than eating actual chocolate. I followed your recipe and had 3 already! I just wrapped them and put in the fridge. I’m saving them for my husband when he comes back from a business trip. I saw some raspberry brownies in my local coffee shop and thought it would be fun to put a little just raspberry preserves on my next brownie! Thanks again!, it’s such a joy!
★★★★★
You’re very welcome, Tricia!
Silly question – do you measure the 1/4 cup of coconut oil before or after you melt it?
After 🙂
Awesome thanks! Extra question since you respond so quickly 🙂 – the internet has informed me that when a recipe calls for only baking powder, to use dutch processed cocoa powder. I have no idea if that applies to black bean brownies – did you use dutch processed, or regular?
Hey Jill! My coca is plain ol’ regular cocoa. I’m sure the difference is important if you’re making a super light and airy cake, but when you’re make fudgey brownies, I think you’re safe. 😉
Thanks! I made them and they were delicious. Both my husband and I could tell that there were beans in them, but I love them anyway!
★★★★★
Ho no! I forgot the oats … sily me.
Thanks for the recipe. I’m going to try this Friday while I have the oven on. I finally get to use the home canned black beans I’ve done. I’m just not a bean person so they’ve been waiting patiently. Now we’ll probably love these and I’ll want to can more. 🙂
Do you have other recipe suggestions using beans for non-bean people?
Yay! I hope you love these Joy! I do have several bean recipes for non-bean people. Here are some reader favs:
https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2017/10/pumpkin-swirl-black-bean-brownie-recipe/
https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2016/08/cookie-dough-hummus/
https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2016/07/chocolate-hummus/
I did try the recipe and… I would make it again. Admittedly, I’m not that much of a brownie person. I know 😮 (and you already know I’m not a bean person. lol …BUT give me LEMON and you’ve got a winner. Hmmm, wonder if there’s a white bean and lemon recipe somewhere….
My husband knew what they were the first day and, although he’s game to try a bite of most things, he didn’t seem thrilled. I forgot about them in the garage (my big winter refrigerator) about a week, tried them again and… yeah they were quit good. Gave my husband a small piece not saying what they were and he went back for more! PS mine did take longer to bake but I can certainly handle that.
I have made these 2x. Both times tast great but don’t ever get beyond “fudgey”. Like really fudgey. Too fudgey. not like a brownie at all. I am putting back into oven. I did 5 minutes, let cool, a little tiny bit better. Trying for another 6 minutes. I can’t even cut they they are so gooey.
Anyone else have this? I followed recipe exactly.
★★★★
It might be a matter of preference Alexandra. My husband prefers “cakey” brownies, but these aren’t cakey at all. If you want them to be more “done” in the middle (although, they will still be fudgey), you can use a 9×11 pan instead of an 8×8. That will make for thinner brownies, but they should cook all the way through. I’m not sure why yours are gooey – I literally just made these last week and they’re not gooey at all – even in the center pieces!
Bummer, mine are gooey too. Will NOT hold together, more like a chocolate sauce after about 40 minutes in the oven LOL, I guess I’ll just poor them onto ice cream and say “Have at it kids!” tastes great though!
★★★
SS – try refrigerating them. These are best when they cool COMPLETELY, as they will be somewhat soft fresh out of the oven!
Is there a substitute for the oil? I am eating oil free but would love to be able to make something like this just without the oil. I was wondering if a nut butter would work instead of the oil?
Hi Heather! The oil acts like a binder in this recipe, so I’d go along the lines of applesauce or pumpkin puree. I’d also reduce it slightly – coconut oil solidifies at room temperature, but applesauce and pumpkin won’t, so you want to use slightly less so they don’t “melt” apart on the counter. 🙂
I’m surprised how many of these comments are people asking if they can sub their favorite sugar for the type you used. Substituting sweetener is not the complicated.
★★★★
Sometimes subbing a different sweetener can effect the outcome, especially when baking and even more so if the sweetener is a different texture (i.e. granulated sugar vs. a liquid sweetener). They’re also asking because sometimes using one sweetener actually tastes significantly better than another (like maple syrup does instead of honey in this recipe, I think anyway). It’s not hard to sub, but if you’re not sure of the outcome and don’t want to waste ingredients, it never hurts to ask! 🙂
Have you tried adding eggs to this recipe? We here LOVE a fudgy gooey brownie!
I haven’t Joni, but you’re welcome to! I’ve found that if you undercook the brownies a bit, they’re fudgy, but they also don’t hold together well. Maybe adding an egg would do the trick!
My Husband hade it today and does not like it bud he doesn’t like brawnies any way
I’m sorry he didn’t like it Erika, but if he doesn’t like brownies, I can see why. These are definitely for brownie-lovers only. 🙂
I’m boing to make you black been braunes. Right now I’m cooking the beans will make the brownies tomorrow.
Will give you heads up after every one has tried them.
Made the brownies today. Thay are great my Son loves them , all you taste is chocolate.
My Husband sase if it tastes like beans he wont eat it all ready brushed his teeth will
trye them tomarow its 11:30PM . I made a double batch my Son and I allreddy ate have of it.