Fudgy Black Bean Brownies

Brownies don’t last long in my house because I admittedly can’t resist their fudgy, chocolatey charm. It’s why I like sneaking good-for-you ingredients into my brownie recipes, like my chickpea brownies and sweet potato brownies. That way, I don’t feel so bad about eating them all!

This is why I always have a can of black beans in the back of my cupboard. It’s the perfect excuse to make these Black Bean Brownies over and over again! They’re a flourless and gluten-free treat with some sneaky protein thanks to, you guessed it, black beans.

And don’t worry, friends… Flourless brownies with black beans do NOT taste like beans. The beans are simply there as a flour replacer and for some plant protein. All you get is the rich, chocolatey goodness you crave from a classic brownie.

Black Bean Brownie Ingredients

Black beans – I used a can of black beans because they were already in my cupboard, but dry black beans cooked from scratch would also work.

Coconut oil – The source of fat that makes these brownies nice and gooey. I recommend using refined coconut oil to avoid any coconut flavors. Melted butter might work as a substitute, but I haven’t tried it.

Cane sugar – My main sweetener of choice for this dessert (along with some maple syrup). Coconut sugar or date sugar will also work.

Cocoa powder – I like using unsweetened cocoa powder, but you can use natural or Dutch-processed cocoa powder if you’d prefer.

Chocolate chips – The chocolate chips add a little more sweetness to make this “healthy-ish” recipe feel like an indulgent dessert. Try not to skip them!

This list provides further clarification on a few of the ingredients. See the recipe card below for the complete ingredient list. 

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Variations

• Vegan option – I haven’t tested vegan black bean brownies, but you can try replacing the eggs with an egg replacer or two flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with 5 tablespoons water). The brownies may not hold together as well, but they will still taste delicious.
• Coconut oil substitute – If you don’t want to use coconut oil, I’d opt for avocado oil instead. Olive oil might be too overpowering for this recipe.
• Add espresso powder – Adding 1 or 2 teaspoons of espresso powder is optional, but it will take the richness to another level. 
• More mix-ins – Combine the chocolate chips with pretzel pieces, chopped nuts, or fresh raspberries.

How to Make Black Bean Brownies

Step 1: Mash the beans. Start by pulsing the beans in the food processor until no whole beans remain.

Step 2: Add wet ingredients. Next, add the coconut oil, eggs, syrup, and vanilla, and pulse to combine them with the mashed beans.

Step 3: Add the rest. Add the sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt to the food processor and pulse to combine. Remove the blade, then fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Step 4: Bake. Pour the brownie batter into a baking pan and sprinkle extra chocolate chips over top. Bake the brownies until the edges are firm and set.

Step 5: Cool, then slice. Set the brownies aside to cool, then slice them into bars and remove them from the pan. Enjoy! 

Erin’s Tips and Tricks

• Start this recipe by draining and rinsing the black beans under running water. This will remove as much of the bean flavor as possible.
• No food processor? Use a mixing bowl and an electric mixer to make the brownies by hand. Just make sure those beans are well mashed before getting started!
• This recipe either makes 9 large brownies or 16 smaller brownies, depending on how you cut them.

Black Bean Brownie FAQs

Storage

Room temperature: Keep the baked and cooled brownies covered and on the counter for up to 3 days.

Refrigerator: Black bean brownies keep for up to 1 week when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.