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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.
Fantastic!
Love your down to earth cooking, alternatives also for plant based eaters!
I followed the recipe exactly, except I used 425 g beans cooked from dried instead of canned, used cognac instead of vanilla extract, and added a teeny bit of freshly grated nutmeg. I did include the instant coffee. My pan was just a bit bigger than the recommended one. First, they’re not particularly fudgy or chocolatey, and not really chewy at all. There’s a slight bean flavor, but it’s certainly faint. I blent the beans into a “rough paste” as it called for, but ended up with brownies that have bean chunks in them. If I made these again I would definitely blend the beans to a perfectly smooth paste. All in all they’re okay, but not close to the delicious chocolatey, fudgy, chewy brownie that I had been craving and anticipating.
Hi D! The 425 g should be the can size, not the amount of beans (when drained, it will be less). Thanks for letting us know how those substitutions went!
For posterity:
1. 425 g / 15oz beans is definitely not the amount of beans to have to use. It’s the total mass of the can which makes no sense.
2. Recipe does not mention that the oven is convection oven which apparently should be used, not normal one which usually is the default.
3. Using as much salt as the recipe suggests in addition to salt in beans renders the cake salty.
Due to the imprecision of this recipe I was left with dry, salty, stiff mass instead of anything close to brownie.
Hopefully if one adjusts the recipe and then follows the proper one they will get something edible in the end :/
Hi Filip
I noted your mention about chunky bits, so I adjusted my plan for making, but otherwise followed.
Did you put a 1/4 Tablespoon of salt instead of a teaspoon? It was not at all salty.
oops, Fudgy* – not fishy
Absolutely gorgeous. Made with a couple of tweaks.
1. for those of you who process their own beans, it’s about 270g, but I had about 310g of beans (ie, soaked, cooked – the final product) and it was fine.
2. for blending the beans, I added the oil to the processer at that stage to help get a smoother paste.
3. I had some cranberries so I included those instead of the full amount of choc chip – still delicious! I also used brown sugar instead of white as that is what I had available. I don’t know if this affected the baking time noted below.
4. I got perfectly cooked brownies at 180c for 30 mins, after a thorough pre-heat.
Thanks so much for leaving such a thoughtful review, Cassie! Happy eating!
Very Good! I made 12 muffins. Will be making again. Thank you😊
These were delicious and so quick and easy to make. We are having a lot of snow for us in Nashville and it was a perfect snowed in treat.
can I use more cocoa instead of the chocolate chips? what would that change in the nutritional information. Also, what would you use instead of the oil?
I think that might impact the texture, but you could definitely try it! It would reduce the sweetness as well (and with that, reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe). Readers have commented that they uses coconut oil instead of vegetable, but I haven’t tested this without oil so I can’t say for sure whether omitting it would work.
Excellent! I found the beans had a smoother consistency if I ground them with the oil. The brownies are still quite sweet with ½ C sugar.