These Fudgy Black Bean Brownies are a decadent gluten-free dessert (and no one will ever guess that they’re packed with fiber-filled black beans!)
As I wandered the aisles of some nutrition fair back in college, one of the vendors offered me a sample of seemingly innocent brownies. I accepted the brownie offering, and it was good! But there had to be a catch. This was a nutrition fair after all.
That catch…black beans. In addition to being gluten-free, a cup of black beans has about half the calories that a cup of all-purpose flour has, it’s got 20% of your daily iron, AND it has a slightly higher protein content (15g). Brownies make you strong like bull.
Black Bean Brownies Video
How to make gluten-free black bean brownies
The secret to moist gluten-free brownies is black beans! They add structure and bulk, while also making them super soft and fudgy.
You’ll need to rinse, drain, and puree a can of black beans to make a good pasty base, then mix in the rest of your wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. I like to throw finely ground or instant coffee in with the dries. They add a little something something.
Mix the wets and dries separately to make sure everything gets mixed evenly. You can use one bowl, just be extra sure the baking powder is well mixed. If you’ve ever experienced a mouthful of baking powder due to uneven mixing, well, you’ll make sure things are mixed real well next time.
Then just pour into a pan, bake, and serve! I have this *condition* where I serve secretly healthy foods to unsuspecting eaters then ask them to guess the secret ingredient. And with this recipe, almost no one guesses the brownies are filled with beans!
What people have said about these fudgy black bean brownies
“These are the best brownies I’ve ever had!! You can’t even tell they have black beans in them. I followed the directions exactly, using coconut oil. I also used half milk chocolate chips and half dark chocolate chips because I didn’t have semi-sweet. Can’t stress enough how good these are!!!!”
Therese
“Simply delicious! Moist, dense but not gooey, and the perfect chocolateyness! (Is that a word? Who cares, it is now!)”
Angela
“OMG. These brownies are delicious!!! My family was hesitant to try them because of the ‘black beans’ but they had no problem gobbling them up!! I had to use an 11×7 pan so I only cooked for 30 minutes and they were the perfect, fudge-like consistency. I will be making these again!”
Victorria
More secretly healthy desserts you might like:
Chickpea Blondies
Chocolate Date Fudge
Banana Nice Cream
Salted Date Caramel
Sweet Potato Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 15-oz can black beans rinsed and drained
- 3 large eggs
- 3 Tbsp flavorless oil, like canola or sunflower 45 mL
- 1 tsp vanilla 5 mL
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 30 g
- ⅔ cup sugar 120 g
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp finely ground or instant coffee optional
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 60 g
Instructions
- Wets: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Puree black beans in food processor into a rough paste. In a large bowl, mix together the bean puree, eggs, oil, and vanilla.
- Dries: In a separate bowl, combine cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt, and coffee (if using). Add the dry ingredients to the wets, then stir in chocolate chips.
- Bake: Grease an 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan, then line with parchment paper. Pour in batter and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the edges are visibly cooked and the center doesn’t jiggle much when you shake the pan (a toothpick may still come out a little gooey, that’s fine!)* Allow brownies to cool before cutting.
Tips & Tricks
- *For ultra-gooey brownies, remove brownies when the center still jiggles some. For firmer brownies, cook until toothpick comes out almost clean.
- For brownies that are really thick, double the recipe and add 15 to 20 minutes to the cooking time.
Nutrition Information
I originally posted this Black Bean Brownies recipe back when the blog was in its beginning years. I’ve since updated it with new photos and more clear instructions.
diane says
I made a few modifications to this recipe to try and get ever a little bit healthier — I substituted monk fruit sugar for the white sugar, added a scoop of chocolate peanut butter powder, and used dark chocolate chips. My black beans weren’t pureeing very well, so I added a few tablespoons of coffee (since I put it in the batter anyway), and that freed up the blade to puree the beans well. End result — the batter was very wet, but the brownies were a little too dry. I do like them gooey, and 30 minutes was too long. I will definitely try again and cook for less time.
Finley says
I made these for the first time and used my Bullet to blend the eggs and backbeans first and then added the other ingredients and blended til combined, poured the batter into the pan and baked 20 minutes. I didnt get a crinkly brownie top like in the photo 🙁 and once they firmed up they were still quite gooey except around the edges, like eat it with a spoon gooey, so I would probably try again and see how they fared at 30 minutes. I do think they taste a bit different than a normal brownie.
Julia says
SO yummy. I replaced half the sugar and 2 T of oil with a very ripe small banana and added a dash of cinnamon. I think I overcooked, but still so delicious.
Judith Carneal says
Oh so yummy.
I’ve made them twice now… so good!!!