These Black Bean Brownies are easy to make, fudgy, healthy and completely flourless. All you need is a can of black beans and a blender! They’re also gluten free.
If you’ve never had black bean brownies, you are in for a treat!
Full of good-for-you ingredients like black beans, eggs, 100% unsweetened cocoa powder and cinnamon, these brownies pack some serious nutrients like fiber, protein and iron that you wouldn’t normally get from your average brownie made with all-purpose flour.
And the best part is they don’t taste like beans at all! Really! Beans are the last thing on your mind when you take a bite of these. It’s pretty amazing how tasty they are.
Ingredients in Black Bean Brownies
To make these brownies, here’s what you need:
- Black Beans – One 15-ounce can is all you need. Make sure to drain and rinse the beans beforehand.
- Eggs – The eggs help to keep the brownies moist and rich as well as act as a leavening agent alongside the baking powder.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Adds that pure chocolate goodness we all know and love! I used regular cocoa powder, but you can use dark cocoa powder if you’re a dark chocolate lover.
- Granulated Sugar – Helps to add a touch of sweetness to the brownies since the cocoa powder has none.
- Unsalted Butter – A touch of butter helps to keep the brownies moist. You can also use vegetable oil or applesauce to lower the fat.
- Ground Cinnamon – I love the combination of cinnamon and chocolate! However, you can omit the cinnamon if you want a pure chocolate flavor.
- Baking Powder – This acts as a leavening agent and helps to give the brownies a little rise so they’re not completely flat. But don’t worry – they’re still fudgy!
- Vanilla Extract – Really helps the chocolate flavor pop!
- Salt – A hint of salt helps to balance out the sweetness in desserts, including these black bean brownies.
- Chocolate Chips – Used for topping the brownies right before baking for extra chocolaty goodness!
How To Make Black Bean Brownies
The best part about these black bean brownies is that no hand mixing is required. You don’t need to use any bowls, let alone two separate bowls for wet and dry ingredients. All you need is your handy dandy blender. Just dump all of the ingredients into your blender (except for the chocolate chips) and blend until smooth.
Pour the batter into an 8×8 baking dish, top with your favorite chocolate chips and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
When they’re done, you should get something that looks like the photo above. Fudgy. Chocolatey. Irresistible.
Recipe Tips and Variations
A lot of the brownie batter can get left behind in the blender after mixing. Use a silicone spatula to get as much of the batter out as possible and into the baking pan.
Looking to cut out some of the fat? Substitute applesauce for the butter in the recipe.
Not a fan of white sugar? Use maple syrup, honey or coconut sugar instead.
To add a hint of peanut butter, use 1/2 chocolate chips and 1/2 peanut butter chips.
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! If you made this recipe or have any questions, let me know in the comments below!
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place parchment paper in 8×8 baking dish and set aside.
- Place all ingredients except chocolate chips in blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour and scrape batter evenly into the baking dish.
- Top batter with chocolate chips.
- Bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Shawana says
I made these tonight. I was skeptical an once i made them and the batter was runny i was scared. But it turn out great. Put in the freezer to cool because it had the house smelling an evryone couldnt wait. Im not going to mention the beans. Lol
Isabel says
Yes! That’s exactly how I felt when I first made them too! And definitely don’t tell them about the beans, just wait and see if they say anything 🙂
Claudia says
Hi, I’ve substituted 3/4 cup sugar with 1/4 cup each sugar, granulated stevia and granulated xylitol to make them diabetic friendly and they still are amazing. Thank you for sharing this great recipe 🙂
Isabel says
Thanks, Claudia!
Katy says
I would use Monk Fruit instead of sugar and there is no after taste nor chemicals added, still diabetic friendly and way lower calories.
Chelsea says
Just a quick question, what are the nutritional facts for these brownies? They look amazing and I can’t wait to try them!
Isabel says
Hi Chelsea, I’ve added the nutritional info. Let me know if you need anything else!
Allison says
I’m trying this recipe the “diabetic way”. I’m using Stevia(this could go poorly) in place of sugar, and 65% dark chocolate chips. It ends up being 11.5 carbs and 2g of fiber per brownie so I can eat them. I will let you know how this goes; they are in the oven right now!
Isabel says
I’d love to know how they turn out, Allison!
Paula Chapin says
These are, without a doubt, the moistness & most delicious brownies I have ever had. Totally unexpected but I had faith. Now I am grateful for this healthy, nutritious and delicious treat.
Isabel says
Thank you so much, Paula! 🙂 I can’t believe how tasty they are myself. It’s like magic or something!
Claudia says
This recipe looks delicious! Quick question, I cannot get canned black beans, so how many cups of cooked and drained black beans is equivalent to a 15 oz can? Thank you so much for your help! Claudia
Isabel says
Thanks, Claudia! There’s about 1 1/2 cups of beans in a 15 ounce can. Hope that helps!
Ina says
Black beans with or without the liquid from the can?
Isabel says
Without the liquid.
Tabitha Pierce says
Have you tried them using honey or maple syrup instead of sugar?
Isabel says
Hi Tabitha, I actually haven’t but I think it’s a great idea. Here’s a good article about how to substitute those ingredients – http://www.tablespoon.com/posts/how-to-sweeten-with-maple-syrup/6dfa0e81-4197-4bdf-8d78-bbfc56257701 If you end up using honey or maple syrup, I’d love to know how turns out!
Kristin says
I made a batch of these brownies today and oh my word they are amazing ! I don’t think I will ever go back to baking them any other way. Thanks for a fantastic recipe !
Isabel says
Thank you! I’m so glad you liked them. And I totally agree about not going back to another way. They’re so good, right?!
Paula Chapin says
Thanks for the post. My grandsons are so picky and they don’t eat beans. I am going to try these today and surprise them the next time we get together since they do love chocolate!
Isabel says
Thanks, Paula! I hope they love them 🙂
Paula Chapin says
Same here with the grandsons. They are totally going to love them!
Linda says
These are amazing. My second batch is in the oven now. The first batch I made your recipe exactly just added 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper – I add this to any chocolate dessert for depth. It’s not spicy, paired well with the cinnamon. This batch I substituted coconut oil for the butter. I’ll let you know how they come out. Everyone who tried them liked them and was surprised by the beans. I doubt I’ll ever make brownies with flour again. Thanks.
Isabel says
Yay! That makes me so happy, Linda. I feel the same way – I’m not sure I’ll ever make brownies any other way again because these are so good! Also, I really like the idea of adding cayenne pepper. I’m going to have to try that next time.
Amber says
Can I skip the parchment paper and just use a glass baking dish? I just came across this recipe and have everything in the cabinet to make except the parchment paper!!!
Isabel says
You sure can! Just make sure to really grease the baking dish well with butter, coconut oil or olive oil. Whatever you prefer.
Danielle says
These brownies turned out great!!!
Isabel says
I’m so glad you liked them!
Lowell Bleck says
Peanut butter + chocolate is arguably the best combination ever, so there’s no way you’re going wrong with these brownies. Greek yogurt and honey lighten up the batter, and the nut butter is swirled on top for a marble-like effect—y’know, just in case the melty chocolate from the semisweet chips isn’t drool-worthy enough.
Kat says
Can you use refried beans instead of beans and butter? Do you think there is enough lard in refried beans to replace the amount of butter in recipe?
Isabel says
Hmm, that’s a great question, Kat. I’ve never substituted refried beans for butter so I’m not quite sure how it would turn out. However, I have substituted unsweetened applesauce for butter in the past (not in this recipe, but in others). I think I’d go that route before using refried beans.
Liz says
Huh, I wouldn’t have thought to use beans! But if they come out less dense and fudgy then I’d probably really like that 🙂 Pinned to try later!
Isabel says
I know, right? I was happily surprised when the brownies tasted amazing. Let me know if you make them!
Sammy says
Looks amazing. I think I will have to pin these for later 😉 Looks like a great treat.
Isabel says
Thanks, Sammy. I appreciate the love 🙂
Natalie @ Obsessive Cooking Disorder says
black bean brownies? – very sneaky. I can hide some for my husband!
Isabel says
Yes! I love being sneaky with that stuff 🙂
Laurie says
I have a food processor, I don’t have a blender. BbWill that work?
Isabel says
Yep! Just process it until it’s smooth and you’re good to go!
Yum Girl says
Welcome to Yum Goggle! We are following you on all your social media and hope you will follow us back. We will do our best to tag you each time we promote your posts. Kelli at YG!
Isabel says
Thanks, Kelli!
Jamie | Hola Croqueta says
Hi! I’m Jamie! I found you via FBP. I love to see another latina doing her thang in the kitchen AND in a blog! Makes me happy. These brownies looks delish too, btw. Hope to connect with you soon! 🙂
Isabel says
Hey, Jamie! Thanks for checking out my blog! (Isn’t FBP the best?) I’m happy you found me – I’m always looking for other latinas in the food blogging world to connect with. Your blog looks great, especially that Guava Cheese Pound Cake. YUM!
Nupur Mehra says
If somebody would have told me about using black beans in a brownie recipe, i would have laughed it away. I am still in shock and need to try it to believe this exists..
Pinned it, I hope i remember to buy all the stuff this recipe needs to try it asap. My memory is bad when it comes to healthy desserts, I often skip the healthy version..
Isabel says
I know, right? I was so surprised when I tried it and it tasted good, haha. I added some cinnamon to the recipe to make it a bit more Mexican flare. The beans give the brownies a lighter texture then you’re usual super dense brownie. BUT, if you like it a bit more fudgy, you could mix in some more chocolate chips into the actual batter in addition to the topping.