These Fudgy Black Bean Brownies are a decadent gluten-free dessert (and no one will ever guess that they’re packed with fiber-filled black beans!)
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. 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). Brownies make you strong like bull.
Black Bean Brownies Video
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.
You’ll need to rinse, drain, and puree a can of black beans to make a good pasty base, then mix in the rest of your wet 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. You can use one bowl, just be extra sure the baking powder is well mixed. If you’ve ever experienced a mouthful of baking powder due to uneven mixing, well, you’ll make sure things are mixed real well next time.
Then just pour into a 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!
What people have said about these fudgy black bean brownies
“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
“Simply delicious! Moist, dense but not gooey, and the perfect chocolateyness! (Is that a word? Who cares, it is now!)”
Angela
“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 had to use an 11×7 pan so I only cooked for 30 minutes and they were the perfect, fudge-like consistency. I will be making these again!”
Victorria
More secretly healthy desserts you might like:
Chickpea Blondies
Chocolate Date Fudge
Banana Nice Cream
Salted Date Caramel
Sweet Potato Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 15-oz can black beans rinsed and drained
- 3 large eggs
- 3 Tbsp flavorless oil, like canola or sunflower 45 mL
- 1 tsp vanilla 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 degrees F (176 C). Puree black beans in food processor into a rough paste. In a large bowl, mix together the bean puree, eggs, oil, and vanilla.
- Dries: In a separate bowl, combine cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt, and coffee (if using). Add the dry ingredients to the wets, then stir in 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
- *For ultra-gooey brownies, remove brownies when the center still jiggles some. For firmer brownies, cook until toothpick comes out almost clean.
- For brownies that are really thick, double the recipe and add 15 to 20 minutes to the cooking time.
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.
Heather says
These were pretty good, but my husband wasn’t in love and I think 30 minutes was just too long for my oven with an 8×8 pan for whatever reason. I’d like to try again to see if I can get them more like the main photo which looks amazing. On the other hand, my MIL LOVED them.
A very good result was that the brownies did not taste like beans! I was worried they would (which I knew my husband would hate) so I totally tasted the batter. The batter definitely tastes like black beans. But the bean flavor was absent in the final baked brownies.
cb says
Velvety & delicious! Not beany (though my tiny cuisinart couldn’t handle the can of beans and I had to toss one of the eggs in there to loosen it up, and maybe I had more detectible skins that a more powerful blender would have left.) Otherwise, stellar (and I need to upgrade my kitchen equipment…)
Linda leeson says
Same with my smaller food processor. It got very tired. I added a bit of water. It finished the job under duress. I made it with stevia instead of sugar because my 16 year old grandson tends to inhale baked goods. If he eats the whole pan he’ll be good for his fibre content for a while !!
LALA says
This is a great recipe! I puréed the beans to a finer consistency with an addition of a bit of water, this seemed to make a big difference (so I didn’t see beans inside of brownie).
I added extra cocoa and extra coffee for flavor and used Splenda instead of sugar (1:1 ratio) and they came out delicious. You’re not able to tell they’ve got beans in them.
I love that they’re filling and great for an afternoon snack with coffee.
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Joanne says
Could I use 2 eggs to prevent these from becoming cakey, or to make them more fudgey? We are not a fan of cake-like brownies, and 3 eggs seems like a lot – just wondering!
Sarah says
You could certainly try it! I’ve found that these are less cakey simply with a shorter bake time.
angie brumm says
can I cut the sugar? with what?
I have date sugar not quite as sweet
I have half and half brown sugar too sweet
I can use diet pancake syrup?
Sarah says
I probably wouldn’t use syrup, but other readers have had success with Splenda, Truvia, and Latanko!
Melissa says
I put half of the sugar and replaced the other half with chocolat protein powder… result is amazing and, I’m also using monkfruit sugar
Hope says
Wow, I am shocked by how good these are! I made them with black soy beans and monkfruit instead of sugar to make them keto friendly. I could taste the beans a little last night when they were still hot so I was not so sure about the recipe… But I can’t taste them at all today.
I underbaked them so they are super fudgey. Just delicious!
I blended the eggs in with the beans, needed more liquid to make my blender happy.
Michelle says
Great brownie. Not quite as dense as I’d like so I will try to cook less next time. I’m really surprised how something w no flour can taste so cake-y!!! Gone over a treat w everyone.
EBLEAU says
Who knew a brownie could be so “healthy” – moist – delicious
Yumminess devine.
Shawn eaton says
These are the best. I make them for any event i need to bring a dish too. They are always a hit with everyone and they always ask for the recipe. Everyone shocked when i tell them they are made with black beans. The gluten free people always love them
Christina says
Love this recipe! I cook for 40 mins so they are a bit cakier. Tossed in just under 1/3 cup Andes mints this time and they were delicious.
Patty says
Pretty good. When I blended the beans I added the 3 eggs to the mixture because it needed some liquid, and it turned out well. My only complaint is that I can still feel the texture of the bean skins a little, even after all the blending. However, these brownies have a very smooth texture and definitely achieve the goal of creating a healthier substitute for cravings: when compared to Baker’s Corner brand of brownie mix they have about 40% less sugar and significantly higher protein, per brownie, which is fantastic for a dieting fix. I baked mine for 30 minutes, and the bean skin texture plus the flatter rising are the only ways you can tell they’re not regular brownies! Yum.
cmal says
Hi Patty! I did what you did and I was grousing that there were more bean skins than I would appreciate. My nephew’s wife is a SMOOTHIE aficionado and she said I had too much liquid in the blender bowl with 3 eggs. I should put in ONE egg and blend the be-jabbers (her word) out of it and there will not be any texture left. Although the first batch was OK. The next one, two days later, following the ‘smoothie” pattern was much better.
Mary says
These black bean brownies are so moist .I used Monk fruit sugar instead of regular sugar . Great recipe
Matt says
Lord have mercy. I honestly didn’t expect these to be THIS good!
Quick question? Do these need to be… refrigerated?
Sarah Bond says
Yes, I would refrigerate them!
Gale Blankenship says
Thank you for recipes that help us live healthier lives while still enjoying food. Have you tried this recipe using alternate sweeteners such as stevia or Monk fruit? Liquid or powder forms. I don’t have experience using monk fruit or stevia in baking, except for Truvia. They taste great in smoothies, yogurt, cereal and oatmeal.
Gale Blankenship
Sarah Bond says
Hi Gale! Many people have made these with monkfruit in the comments and say it worked great! 😀
Denise says
These look really good but do you think there might be a way to do that without animal products? I am hankering for”normal food” that tastes normal lol. And sweets that are not all flat and crispy. J don’t know if eggs are the only way to do cakey? Thanks!
Sarah Bond says
I haven’t tried this recipe without eggs. You could try flax “eggs” like minimalist baker does here!
Kathy says
Best brownies ever. Baked for 30 minutes and drizzled melted semisweet chips over top. Amazing!
Pamela Joy says
I made these yesterday, and they are all that you promised! They will be a mainstay for my house, as well as to share with friends, family, and anytime I am participating in a Meal Train.
Cannot wait to try the chickpea blondies!
Thanks, Sara!
Pamela Joy
Marvel, CO
Mart says
I am addicted to these. I use 3/4 cup regular size chips in the recipe and whatever amount to cover the top with mini size chips.
I use parchment paper to line the pan because I seem to have trouble with just spray or anything else causing it yo stick to the pan.
TOASTY says
To increase the fiber content of around 5 g per brownie, I decreased the sugar to 1/2 cup and replaced the oil with apple sauce. They turned out really well.
Sarah Bond says
Great ideas!! Thanks for the tip! 😀
Emily says
Is there a reason why you process the beans into a rough paste as opposed to a smooth paste? I would think that a smooth paste would make the beans even more undetectable?
Sarah Bond says
We like the texture, but you can certainly puree until smooth! 😀
alison says
These were so good I wanted to eat the batter!! I also love black beans though lol I used coconut sugar and it worked perfectly!
Shari says
I love these. I added the oil and vanilla in with the beans, along with a tablespoon of water in the food processor to help them puree more easily.
I have also made a vegan version, substituting 1/2 cup of aquafaba (broth from cooking chickpeas) for the three eggs.
If add the eggs/aquafaba to the food processor/blender with the beans, the results will be very light and “cakey” – which came in handy when I needed to make a dairy-free, gluten-free chocolate layer cake (just double the recipe).
Carol says
Can pecans be added.
Sarah Bond says
Absolutely! 😀
Holly says
Love this recipe, I replace the oil with melted coconut oil😀
Jennie O'Shaughnessy DeLeon says
This is an amazing recipe! I did it with leftover beans I made the first time, & the 2nd time with canned beans & used bananas instead of eggs & monkftuit/coconut sugar instead of sugar. 👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌
Jane says
Has anyone use a 13 x 9 pan? We broke or 9 x 9, I’m checking every 15 minutes in case I cook faster
Sarah Bond says
They’ll just cook a bit faster, so keep an eye on them!
elorraine says
in case it helps…I had to use a 9 x 13 as well but made a ‘spacer’ using aluminum foil and it worked well.
elorraine says
I made this and my family loved them – my husband is wary of black bean brownies thinking them more of a vegetable than dessert but these ones changed the game – thanks so much!
Definitely double the recipe!