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This fudgy Black Bean Brownies recipe is a decadent gluten-free dessert (and no one will ever guess that they’re packed with black beans!) With over 500 five-star reviews, these bean brownies are perfect for healthy dessert lovers, gluten-free diets, or anyone who just wants to try a delicious new recipe.
save this recipe!I’ve been baking some version of these black bean brownies for years, ever since I tried my first bite of one back in college while studying nutrition.
Since then, I’ve rigorously tested this recipe to achieve absolute perfection. It’s fudgy, rich, and flavorful (without any bean flavor coming through!). And with hundreds of five-star reviews, it’s sure to come out perfect for you too!
- Gluten-free without any special flours
- Perfect make-ahead dessert (they get even better chilled)
- Loved by readers who didn’t think they’d ever enjoy a bean-based dessert
Reader rating
“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 will be making these again!” —Victoria
Why black beans?
The secret to moist gluten-free brownies is black beans! They add structure and bulk, while also making them super soft and fudgy. 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). For the nutritionist in me, it’s love at first bite.
Reader rating
“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
Substitutions & Variations
This bean brownie recipe is customizable in so many ways (just take a peek at the comments section to see the delicious modifications our community has had success with)! Here are a few of my personal favorite ways to switch up this recipe:
- Top it with caramel (this salted date caramel slathered on top after baking absolutely takes them tot he next level).
- Make it vegan but using flax eggs in place of the eggs. Combine 2 Tbsp of flax meal with 6 Tbsp of hot water Let it sit for 10 minutes until it thickens, then use that as a replacement for the eggs.
- Add nuts, like chopped walnuts, pecans, or even a drizzle of peanut butter!
- Make it lower sugar by using monk fruit, stevia or agave nectar.
- Make them in a muffin tin if you prefer brownies with crispy edges!
P.S. If you like these, you’ll love my peanut-free chickpea blondies and these flourless sweet potato brownies!
Fudgy Black Bean Brownies (No Flour!)
Ingredients
- 1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained, 425 g
- 3 large eggs
- 3 Tbsp oil, a flavorless oil like canola oil or vegetable oil, 45 mL
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, 5 mL
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 30 g
- ⅔ cup sugar, 120 g
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 60 g
Instructions
- Wets: Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Puree 1 15-oz can black beans (drained and rinsed) in food processor into a rough paste. In a large bowl, mix together the bean puree, 3 large eggs, 3 Tbsp oil, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. (You could also just add everything to the food processor and blitz until smooth. The first method gives your brownies a little more bean texture, while the latter is more smooth.)
- Dries: In a separate bowl, combine ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ⅔ cup sugar, ½ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt, and coffee (if using). Add the dry ingredients to the wets, then stir in ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. (If chocolate sinks into the batter, then reserve a handful. About 15 minutes into baking, sprinkle the remaining chocolate over the brownies so you can get chocolate layers throughout the brownie.)
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!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, while also improving the recipe to be fudgier and less cakey.
Is it really 1.4 fiber and not 14 fiber?
That’s correct, because the portions are relatively small compared to if you were eating black beans by themselves (essentially each brownie contains 1/16 can of beans). That said, I usually eat two :p Enjoy!
What I’d be don’t have parchment paper?
Great question, Judy! Just grease your pan well. You can also sprinkle the greased pan with cocoa powder to make it even more nonstick.
Hi – What can I use if I do not have a food processor? Will an electric hand mixer work as well?
Hi Jimmie! I haven’t had the chance to try it but I think that would work! 😀
I used this recipe last night and it was so good! I couldn’t tell that these were made with black bean. The brownies were so chocolatey and moist they were amazing! Thanks for sharing this!
So happy to hear, Keyana! 😀 Enjoy!
Made these last week and just about to make another batch, they are soooo good!! Cookes mine for 30 minutes and they just melted in your mouth when still slightly warm (they never got a chance to cool properly they were gobbled up)
Just wondering could you freeze these?
So happy to hear you’re liking them, Tracey! While I haven’t had the chance to freeze these and test it out, I’ve heard from people that they do freeze well! 😀
Hi I am writing this as they are cooking in the oven right now! Can’t wait to try them as I’ve had success with other bb brownie recipes. If I wanted to make them in muffin tins how should I adjust the timing? I will probably split this batter into 8 muffins.
Enjoy!! I would just reduce the time a bit (hard to say by how much, as I haven’t had the chance to experiment with it). But I would just bake until the top is firm and a toothpick still comes out a little gooey.
These are fantastic! I did notice the oil seemed to be a lot, I would cut it down to 2tbsp since I could see a shine from it on the top of my brownies (I also used vegetable oil, so it might be that) and i think i could cut either the chocolate chips or half of the sugar out, but I don’t even notice they’re any different! So glad my food processor is finally getting semi-regular love for these
Thanks for the tips, Reagan! Glad you could find some alterations to make them work for ya 😀
These are absolutely amazing 😍 so fudgy!! I love them!!
Yay! So happy to hear! 😀
I made these and they are delicious however I cooked for 30 mins and they definitely could have done with 5 mins less. I added roasted walnuts. Yum!
Happy to hear, Lucy! Thanks for letting us know! 😀
Hi. Any tried alternative to the sugar?
Hi Sam! A past commenter wrote, “I made them sugar-free by subbing in Lily’s stevia-sweetened dark chocolate chips and Lakanto golden brown monkfruit/erythritol blend and you wouldn’t guess they weren’t made with real sugar!” Would love to hear how it goes for ya! 😀