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 400 five-star reviews, these bean brownies are perfect for healthy dessert lovers, gluten-free diets, or anyone who just wants to try a fun new recipe. Our community has had success making these with sugar-free alternatives as well as vegan options – see comments!
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. Their brownie recipe replaced the flour with 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).
The nutritionist in me was in love at first bite.
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
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.
Step 1: Mix the wet ingredients
You’ll need to rinse, drain, and puree a can of black beans to make a good pasty base. I like using a food processor for this, but you could also use a blender! Blending the beans first removes that distinct beany texture. Then mix in the rest of your wet ingredients.
Step 2: Mix the Dry 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.
Step 3: Bake!
Then just pour the brownie batter into a baking 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 – you really can’t taste them because they’re bursting with chocolate flavor!
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 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:
- Make it vegan but using flax eggs in place of the eggs. Combine 2 Tbsp of flax seeds with 6 Tbsp of water in a blender, 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!
Storage
- Refrigerate these brownies for up to 7 days.
- Freeze brownies for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, let them thaw in the fridge before reheating them for best results (I like to pop them in the air fryer for a few minutes to give them a nice texture!)
More secretly healthy desserts you might like
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 tsp finely ground or instant coffee optional
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 60 g
Instructions
- Wets: Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Puree 1 15-oz can black beans 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.
- 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.
- 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
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.
Jan says
Is it really 1.4 fiber and not 14 fiber?
Sarah says
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!
Judy Riley says
What I’d be don’t have parchment paper?
Sarah says
Great question, Judy! Just grease your pan well. You can also sprinkle the greased pan with cocoa powder to make it even more nonstick.
Jimmie says
Hi – What can I use if I do not have a food processor? Will an electric hand mixer work as well?
Sarah says
Hi Jimmie! I haven’t had the chance to try it but I think that would work! 😀
Keyana Sonifrank says
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!
Sarah says
So happy to hear, Keyana! 😀 Enjoy!
Tracey McLoughlin says
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?
Sarah says
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! 😀
PY says
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.
Sarah says
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.
Reagan says
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
Sarah Bond says
Thanks for the tips, Reagan! Glad you could find some alterations to make them work for ya 😀
Miyah says
These are absolutely amazing 😍 so fudgy!! I love them!!
Sarah Bond says
Yay! So happy to hear! 😀
Lucy says
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!
Sarah Bond says
Happy to hear, Lucy! Thanks for letting us know! 😀
Sam says
Hi. Any tried alternative to the sugar?
Sarah Bond says
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! 😀
Jessica says
Oh my goodness! These are delicious! I served them to my very pick…er…discerning kiddo who can detect healthy ingredients from a mile away and not only did she not suspect a thing she loved the brownies! Thanks for my new go-to brownie recipe.
Sarah says
So happy to hear, Jessica!! 😀
Jessi says
Can I use swerve or stevia instead of sugar to lower the calories?
Sarah says
I haven’t had the chance to try it, but I think some other commenters have said that it works well! 😀
Kimberly Spurgeon says
These brownies are so good! I usually laugh when someone rates a recipe, and then tells of all the changes they made to it. However, I don’t eat sugar so… I substituted 1/3 cup ground dates, 1/6 cup monk fruit, and about 1 Tablespoon honey for the 2/3 cup sugar. Oh my! These are so awesome! And almost totally guilt-free. Score! Thank you for sharing this.
Sarah says
YAY! Those substitutions all sound SO GOOD. Thanks for letting us know, I know there’s a lot of people who were looking for this lower-sugar substitute! 😀
Debra Carral says
Made these today and just had them as our dessert. Yum! Even my hubby, who is always skeptical with recipes like this, loved them. Since it was my first time making them, I didn’t make too many substitutions. I used vegetable oil, a little less than 1/2 cup light brown sugar (not packed down), and I used a little less than 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips. I don’t have instant coffee, so I omitted it. I baked them in a glass 8×8 dish for 30 minutes and they came out perfect.
I can’t wait to try the blondies next!
Thanks for the recipe!!
Sarah says
So happy to hear it, Debra! Hope you enjoy the blondies too! 😀
Emma says
They turned out well and everyone in my family liked them 🙂.
When I was trying to purée the black beans, I found that the beans would just go up the side of the food processor away from the blade. I added the wet ingredients to the beans and blended the mixture for a while and this worked perfectly.
Sarah says
Thanks for the tip, Emma! I sometimes have to scrape down the sides to get those pesky beans in the bottom, but adding the liquids also works! Enjoy! 😀
Megan L says
This is hands-down my favorite brownie recipe, I might even like them better than the boxed mix!
I only use 1/2 cup sugar, and substitute 3 T. applesauce instead of the oil, and they turn out amazing every time. They freeze extremely well too, and I like to pop one in the microwave on defrost for ~20 seconds and spread with peanut butter. A perfect nighttime snack!
Sarah says
YUM such a good idea to freeze it like this! 😀 Thanks so much for dropping in to let us know about those substitutions!
Toni Carrozza says
These are phenomenal. Fed them to my very picky child and step children and they loved them so much! Has anyone replaced the eggs in this recipe with flax? Or any other subs?
Sarah says
So happy to hear it, Toni! 😀 I haven’t tried to make a vegan version of this recipe. I’d suggest trying this one from Minimalist Baker. Her recipes always seem to come out great! 🙂
Maggie says
Best black bean brownies I’ve ever made and I have tried a lot of recipes.
Sarah says
So happy to hear it, Maggie! 😀 Thanks for leaving your review!
Kayla says
I absolutely LOVE black bean brownies! At first my parents were skeptical and said oh we’re not doing sugar and we want real ones and so on…. But the smell of these bad boys wafted through the kitchen and nobody could stop eating them until they were gone. Tip: hide what you want to save on the freezer while you can!!! 💝 Five stars
Sarah says
Hahah LOVE this, thanks so much for dropping a note! 😀 Good luck scavenging the leftovers for yourself!
Anna says
Can I use pinto beans? It’s what I have on hand.
Sarah says
That’s a great question! While I haven’t tried it with pinto beans, I think it could work! Would love to hear how it goes if you try it.
Sneha says
Hi,
Can I use Dark Red kidney beans instead of black beans??
Sarah says
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! 😀
Brett says
I am trying to cut sugar out of my diet. Would mashed banana work as a substitute?
Sarah says
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!
Leda says
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.
Sarah says
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!
Gloria Wenstrand says
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.
Sarah says
So happy to hear it! Enjoy 😀
Alyssa says
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?
Sarah says
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!
Geneva says
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!
Sarah says
So happy to hear it, Geneva! That hint of Mexican spice sounds heavenly! 😀
Maida says
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.
Sarah says
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?
Noah says
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.
Sarah says
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!” 😀
Kay says
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!!!
Sarah says
YUM I’ll have to try adding a little raspberry flavor, that sounds great!
Ashley Lynne says
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!
Sarah says
😅 I know what you mean, I never eat just one! So glad you liked them, and thanks for sharing your tweaks!
Courteney says
I reeeally wanted these to be good but they were horrible. I followed the recipe to the T besides the instant coffee. They turned out cloyingly sweet and very glisteny from the amount of oil. Wasted a good amount of ingredients unfortunately ☹️ I’m not sure if it’s just my opinion of a brownie but I like mine dense and slightly bitter from the cocoa. This was more of a soggy, sweet sponge that smelled of chocolate.
Sarah says
So sorry to hear it, Courteney! They might just need a bit more time in the oven to get a little bit more of the cakey texture that you might expect from a gluten containing brownie. Thanks for letting us know how it went, though!
Erika says
Hi! I’d love to try this recipe but I don’t have canned black beans… Can I use dried black beans instead? Thanks
Sarah says
That should be fine! Just soak and boil them first 🙂
Erika says
I made these brownies and they were amazing! Everyone in my family loved them. I will probably make them again soon as they are almost gone already! Could I use half black beans and half red kidney beans instead? Thanks for the great recipe:)
Sarah says
I haven’t tried this but I think it would work! 😀 Would love to hear how it goes if you do try it out!
Brent says
First time making black bean brownies and happy to say these are a winner and I will be baking again. I made a three deviations from the recipe based on what I had on hand. I went with (a) canned black beans with salt added and skipping out on the 1/4 tsp. added salt. This reduced the sodium content by approximately 180 mg total, (b) I added in 1 tbsp. of chia seeds to get some crunch and add more protein, fiber, and other vitamins and minerals in trace amounts, and (c) I had walnut oil I needed to use and it gave a nice nutty flavor without adding in the walnut pieces. Hands down one of the best healthy brownie recipes out there. I reviewed at least 6 different sites before using this one and decided on it because of the high protein and fiber content plus the ease of the instructions and how quickly it came together. Thank you for this recipe!
Sarah says
So happy to hear you liked them, Brent! Love the addition of chia, and glad to hear the salted beans worked for ya! 😀
amira says
hi, what is d measurement in cup for 15 ox or drained bean? coz I use cooked black bean. also If I replace white sugar with homemade dates syrup, will that work? thanks.
Sarah says
It would be about 1.5 cups (drained) black beans. And I haven’t tried the date syrup, but I think it would work! They’ll probably come out even more moist and gooey!
Klarity says
I ended up replacing the eggs w/ uncle Bob’s egg replacer bc it’s what I have on hand. Then I used a small rectangular 3cup pyrex lunch container lined with spray and parchment. I like my brownies THICK. Mixed in handful of milk chocolate chips. Topped with more milk chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. Baked it mid rack for 35-37mins. 350d. WOW…I cant wait for them to cool down. But it taste good now on a spoon so imagine it later…
Sarah says
So happy to hear it, Klarity! I know a lot of people were curious how to replace the egg, this will be super useful for them! 😀
Serena says
The photos for these brownies looked delicious and fudgey, but mine came out super dry. I set my timer for 28 minutes and when I came back to check on them, the toothpick came out completely clean. I thought it would still be uncooked after 28 minutes but I guess it only needed 15? The beans also don’t totally grind down in the food processor. I’ve never had a problem with it but the bean skins were VERY noticeable in the brownies. I wish these had worked and come out as described.
Sarah says
Sorry to hear it, Serena! It’s possible that your oven just runs a little hotter. You could try when for less time if you give it another go!
Elle says
Great recipe! I would’ve never thought you could make something with black beans taste so good. I made these with coconut sugar this time (1:1 substitution) and while they were noticably less sweet, they’re still great! I often freeze them and they come out just as good, even when you eat them cold.
Sarah says
So happy to hear it, Elle! And thanks for letting us know that they freeze well! 😀
erika Brimmer says
I drop some of the sugar these are the bomb
Sarah says
So happy to hear it, Erika! 😀
Amanda Hoyle says
Used this as base recipe…Added accord to ingredients on hand (Greek yogurt, espresso, few Tbs. whole wheat flour to bind). Came out beautiful and shiny on top no need for ganache….cut them in small squares and refrigerated…very decedent for black beans….Think they’d be even more appealing w colorful m and ms On top for the kids
Sarah says
Oh yum, those additions sound delish! M&Ms would be tasty too 😛
Amee Scaliah says
Can I put unsweetened chocolate chips in it?
Sarah says
That would be tasty! They’ll just be a touch more bitter tasting.
Claudia says
I made a few changes to lower the calories of this recipe. Instead of sugar I used the same amount of monk fruit ( it has more sweetening power than sugar but I love my stuff extra sweet ).
I used Greek yogurt instead of oil and more cocoa powder instead of chocolate. They came out great !
Sarah says
Those substitutions sound great! Thanks for letting us know how they worked out!
Teresa says
Is 176 degrees for a fan oven ?
Or should it be lower for fan?
Many thanks in advance
Sarah says
176 will work for a fan oven, just test it early on with a toothpick to prevent overcooking.
Rose says
I’ve made this recipe a handful of times now, and each time they come out perfectly. Super simple, easy to follow and you cannot taste the beans at all!! These are the quintessential fudgey, chocolatey black bean brownies.
(Disclaimer: I always toss a couple extra handfuls of chocolate chips in my brownies, for posterity’s sake 😉 )
Sarah says
Aw so happy to hear it Rose! (I’m also an extra chocolate chip adder 😅).
Rachel T says
These turned out amazingly. I tried food processing the beans on their own and they wouldn’t blend very well, so I added all of the wet ingredients. This allowed them to blend into a super creamy paste. My fiance and I couldn’t believe that something that sounds so gross could be so delicious. I am baking more to share with my friends!
Sarah says
😅 So happy to hear it, Rachel!
Erika says
I think I finally need to get over my fear of black beans in brownies and give these a try. They just look so delicious!
Sarah says
YES! You neeeeed them!
ROBYN says
I made these for the first time and they’re delicious! They taste just like regular brownies and are super easy to make.
Sarah says
So happy to hear it, Robyn! 😀
Ann says
At least they’re healthy :/
Sarah says
Sorry to hear they didn’t work out for you, Ann! Would love to know what was wrong with them so we can improve.
Christina says
Amazing brownies! The kids had no idea they were made from black beans. Will keep as a family favorite ❤ Fast, Easy, & Delicious!
Sarah says
So happy to hear it, Christina! 😀 Enjoy!
Diya says
OMG! I must try these!
Sarah says
Yes! Try try! 😀