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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.
Hi,
Can I use Dark Red kidney beans instead of black beans??
While I haven’t tried this before, I think it would work! I know kidney beans are often used in sweet dishes, so I don’t see why it wouldn’t work here. Would love to hear how it goes if you try it out! 😀
I am trying to cut sugar out of my diet. Would mashed banana work as a substitute?
Hi Brett! I haven’t tried it with banana but I think it could work. 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 if you try either!
I made a few changes,
Mainly due to the fact that I’m “Safe at Home” during these trying times.
1. I used no salt added black beans
2. I replaced the oil with 1T butter and
2T vanilla ghee
3. I used 85% cacoa chocolate bar.
chopped up instead of chips
4. Almond extract in place of vanilla
5. 1/2 C sugar instead of 2/3C
Also I put all wet ingredients in my ninja nutra bullet (because my food processor was difficult to get to and I didn’t want to move crap around ..lol)
They turned out wonderfully!
I plan on making a berry compote to top them with later.
LOVE all these tweaks (and love that you’re staying safely home in these times). Thanks for dropping in with your substitutions – these will be so helpful for other folks. Happy you liked them!
These brownies are the best!! The only thing I did different was add the wet ingredients to the beans to puree them. I also stirred in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts when I added the chocolate chips.
So happy to hear it! Enjoy 😀
I made these yesterday exactly as the recipe asks, and they turned out really dry. 🙁 I was excited for a really fudgy, gooey brownie like the photo shows, but it was completely opposite than that.
Do you know what might have happened?
Aw, I’m sorry to hear it, Alyssa! I think you might have just baked them a bit too long. When you insert a toothpick into these, it’s normal for them to still be moist and gooey. They’ll firm up a bit as they cool!
So good!! 🙂 I added a little extra cinnamon and Chile powder to make it more Mexican-mocha inspired, but the recipe is solid!! they were soft, moist, the right level of sweetness, and very chocolatey! I asked my boyfriend if he could identify how these were different from regular brownies, and he couldn’t tell me! I would love to try making them again with an egg substitute and see if they can be made vegan. this will be my new go-to recipe for brownies!
So happy to hear it, Geneva! That hint of Mexican spice sounds heavenly! 😀
This came out extremely dry, the absolute opposite of fudgy and moist. I followed the recipe exactly except for changing the sugar for tagatose. I only baked them 20 minutes and the toothpick came out almost dry and the brownies too. I don’t think they were dry because of baking. The raw batter was super dry and dense, like it needed some milk or something liquid. They also tasted a lot like black beans (I’ve made black bean brownies before and never had that issue). Not sure what failed for me but these did not come out nice at all.
Sorry to hear it, Maida! Sugar does play a role in keeping moisture in baked goods, so that could have played a role. But the batter shouldn’t have been so dry to start with – just to double check, did you add the oil and eggs?
I’ve tried some recipes and this one is one of the best. Although it’s lots of sugar, wondering if it’s possible to use less? Or maybe honey?
However the taste was amazing! I prefer these over butter/flower brownies.
So happy you liked them, Noah! 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!” 😀
Absolutely divine. I used avocado oil and raspberry chocolate coffee grounds from a local place and just wow. These are better than the “regular” kind!!!
YUM I’ll have to try adding a little raspberry flavor, that sounds great!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I just made these and they are AH-MA-ZING. I didn’t have any chocolate chips so I just increased the cocoa powder to 1/2 cup and I also added in a tablespoon of ground cinnamon for extra flavor – delish! Brownies are usually a weakness of mine, but now I won’t feel so bad eating a few pieces…or five!
😅 I know what you mean, I never eat just one! So glad you liked them, and thanks for sharing your tweaks!