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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.
I have tried a few of these in the past. This is simple and so good. I used stevia brown sugar and a scoop of banana protein powder for more
Protein. Topped with coconut yogurt and cinnamon. Very tasty
To preface- I’m not a black bean fan. I’m picky AF.
That being said…
I added cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves this time after my last round of(another recipe) still had that beanish taste.
Those three adds completely masked any semblance of bean. Measure to your liking.
I also did the recommendation of putting in a muffin pan. I did them in a silicone muffin pan and they cooked way better and in half the time. I did 350 but my oven runs hot and they were done in 18.
You can get 12 in a pan.
Highly recommend this method they come out less wet and still fudgey/brownie texture.
Oh, and the 5 year old gobbled it up. Fast. Kid approved.
It’s a fairly decent basic gluten-free brownie recipe. In no way, shape, or form does it hold up against a traditional brownie (when I stuck to the recipe to a tee, it ended up more like undercooked cookies), but if for some reason this is the recipe you want to use: it’s sweet, the ingredients are easy to obtain, it’s incredibly simple, and if you mask the taste of beans well enough; it won’t taste like beans. If you’re still on the fence about making these, just give it a go, experiment a bit: adjust the ingredients a bit, swap them out, or add some others. This is a good starting point no matter your baking experience.
P.S.: there’s a bit of a discrepancy when it comes to the serving size, since the nutritional facts use bigger servings (13.5 instead of the previously given 16)
At first, I was skeptical about using black beans in brownies. These ended up tasting so good, and I didn’t even taste the black beans!
How many servings does this make? I had to use a round pan and I have no idea how many brownies I should have. They ARE delicious though!
This makes 16 black bean brownies 🙂
You definitely don’t taste the beans but they are unbelievably dry , not very sweet and not a lot of flavor.
But they were easy to make.
Monk Fruit is supposed to be a one for one sugar replacement. Do you think this would work?
Thank you,
I believe readers have had success with that one! I just haven’t personally tried it here.
I’m very fond of this recipe, I do a minor modification by adding a sprinkling of dried cherries as well sometimes. I don’t find it to have a bean flavor, but I do rinse them very well beforehand. Cooking them on the shorter time side meant they were quite moist. I cannot find anywhere on the recipe telling me the number of intended servings so that the nutrition information doesn’t help me.
These are actually better than regular brownies! I blended my black beans with the eggs in my ninja blender and then pour that into the bowl, Substituted monk fruit for the granulated sugar, Used mini chocolate chips and followed the rest of the recipe. I bet you, my son won’t be able to tell the difference! Thank you so much for sharing this!
Hi. Can I swap the vegetable oil for olive or avocado oil? Can I replace the chocolate chips for dates? I’m trying to make it a bit healthier.
Avocado oil for sure! Olive oil may give it a bit of a fruity olive flavor. And I’m not sure on the dates–it would be tasty but it would give it a much different flavor! I’d love to hear how it goes if you try it out 🙂
I added 3 tablespoons almond flour!!!! FANTASTIC recipe!
So pumped you loved it!