Fudgy Black Bean Brownies
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These fudgy black bean brownies are rich, chocolatey, and naturally gluten free. Made with simple ingredients, they bake up soft and decadent every time.
With over 100 five star reviews these black bean brownies are one of EBF’s most popular dessert recipes so if you haven’t tried them yet, here’s your sign!
They’re a breeze to whip up and come out tasting moist, fudgy and plenty sweet. And trust me, nobody will even be able to tell that they’re made with black beans. They get blended up in your food processor and are completely undetectable. The beans essentially just replace flour, plus they add some fiber and protein.
I’ve tried other black bean brownie recipes before and none have turned out as good as this recipe, if I do say so myself. I think you’re going to LOVE them just as much as we do!
Table of Contents
“No one knew these weren’t regular brownies! I’ll definitely be making these more often… love that they weren’t too sweet; sometimes brownies are sickly sweet and these were perfect!”
Why I Love These Black Bean Brownies
- Ultra fudgy texture: These brownies bake up soft, dense, and chocolatey, with that classic fudgy center.
- Simple prep: Everything comes together in a food processor, which keeps the prep quick and the batter smooth.
- Naturally gluten free: No flour needed, and they’re easy to adapt for different dietary needs.
- Sweetened with maple syrup: A natural sweetener that pairs perfectly with the rich chocolate flavor.
Ingredients Needed
- black beans – acts as a flour substitute and adds protein and fiber! I used one can of black beans (drained and rinsed), but you can always use dry black beans instead. I haven’t tried this, but someone else used 154g of dry black beans and the brownies turned out well.
- eggs – helps bind the ingredients together and provide structure for the brownies.
- coconut oil – to help add moisture to the brownies. Olive oil, avocado oil or butter works as a substitute.
- cacao powder – can’t have brownies without cocoa powder for that chocolate flavor! If you don’t have raw cacao powder, unsweetened cocoa powder works too! I really like Navitas organic cacao powder.
- sea salt and baking powder – two baking essentials!
- pure vanilla extract – for some added flavor.
- pure maple syrup – the perfect liquid sweetener for these brownies. Just be sure to use pure maple syrup, not the artificial kind labeled “pancake syrup” that’s made from corn syrup. Another liquid sweetener like honey or agave would also work.
- chocolate chips – can’t have brownies without chocolate chips! Feel free to use your favorite brand!
- walnuts – I love the added crunch the chopped walnuts add, but you can totally skip these or use another nut instead.
Dietary Substitutions
- Vegan: To make this recipe vegan you could use flaxseed eggs. I have tested these brownies with flax eggs and the brownies turned out, they just didn’t rise as well.
- Nut-free: Skip the walnuts and top your brownies with more chocolate chips if you prefer.
- Dairy-free: Make sure the chocolate chips you’re using are dairy-free.
- Low-sugar: To reduce the sugar content of these brownies you could use stevia-sweetened chocolate chips like Lily’s chocolate chips and swap the maple syrup with sugar-free monk fruit maple syrup.
How to Make Black Bean Brownies
Step 1: Preheat the oven and grease baking pan. Place the beans, eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
Step 2: Remove the blade and gently stir in your chocolate chips and walnuts, if using.
Step 3: Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes, or until brownies are set in the center and a toothpick comes out clean.
Step 4: Cool completely, cut into squares and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Black Bean Brownies
- Blend until completely smooth: Take an extra minute to fully blend the batter so the brownies bake up soft and fudgy with no texture from the beans.
- Do not overbake: Pull the brownies when the center is just set. They’ll continue to firm up as they cool and stay nice and fudgy.
How to Serve
I love eating these brownies plain, but if you want to get fancy here are some topping ideas:
- Nut butter – Add a drizzle of nut butter on top of your brownies for some healthy fats and added protein.
- Coconut whip – These brownies would be delicious with a dollop of coconut whip cream on top!
- Ice cream – You can’t go wrong with a scoop of ice cream when serving these brownies!
- Caramel sauce – These brownies paired with a drizzle of my date caramel sauce would be to die for!
- Yogurt – Want to eat a brownie for breakfast? Crumble it on top of some Greek yogurt (or any yogurt of choice) with a sprinkle of granola (this homemade granola is delicious) and fresh berries. Like a breakfast brownie sundae… so yummy!
How to Store
These brownies never last long in our house, but here are some storing tips:
- At room temperature: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.
- In the fridge: Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week.
- In the freezer: These brownies freeze well! Store them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the brownies in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
These black bean brownies are still considered a treat, but they’re definitely made with more nutritious ingredients than many desserts and baked goods. They’re made without flour so are lower in calories than many brownie recipes and they have 4 grams of protein per brownie. Plus, they’re naturally sweetened with maple syrup.
The black beans are used instead of flour so there’s no gluten in these brownies and they have a little extra fiber and protein. Not only is this awesome for dietary purposes, but it also means that you can blend the batter right in your food processor or blender.
I haven’t tried using another bean for these brownies and I wouldn’t recommend it. I. do have a recipe for chickpea brownies if you want to use chickpeas.
Yes, you can use a high-speed blender to make these brownies if you don’t have a food processor.
More Brownie Recipes to Try
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Black Bean Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
- ¼ cup cocoa powder, or raw cacao powder
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup dairy-free chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup chopped raw walnuts, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease an 8×8-inch baking pan.
- Place beans, eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
- Remove the blade and gently stir in your chocolate chips and walnuts, if using. Another option is to sprinkle the walnuts on top of the brownie batter once you pour it into the pan.
- Transfer mixture to the prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes, or until brownies are set in the center and a toothpicks comes out clean. Cool completely, cut into squares and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Eggs: To make this recipe vegan you could use 3 flax eggs (1 Tablespoon flaxseed + 3 Tablespoons water for each egg). I have tested these brownies with flax eggs and the brownies turned out, they just didn’t rise as well.
- Coconut oil: Melted butter, avocado oil or olive oil works too.
- Maple syrup: Another liquid sweetener like honey or agave would also work.
- Walnuts: You can totally skip these or use another nut instead.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Equipment
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
REALLY good! So easy to throw together and really tasty! I am impressed! Will definitely be making these again!
Yay! So pumped you loved these brownies, Katie! Thanks for the review. It means the world to me.
How many squares did you have when cut your brownies? Awesome recipe!
9!
Okay, so I had my doubts. Really, black beans in brownies? What an amazing result! I don’t have a food processor, so I just crushed the black beans in a bowl with a spoon and then mixed in the rest of the ingredients.
Thank you! Definitely will make again!
Yay! So glad you loved these black bean brownies, Charlene. Thanks so much for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it.
It’s an amazing post for all the internet people; they will take benefit from it I am sure.
They were delightful! Better than many GF brownies i have tried previously. I loved it. My next will be the pecan pie brownies! Thank you so much fr such a great recipe.
So glad you loved these brownies, Ada! Thanks for making them and for the review. I so appreciate it.
These were GREAT! My husband couldn’t believe they had black beans in them and my 15 year old loved them as well. Have made them 4 times already. We added extra cacao powder (1/2C total) and extra nuts (1C total) for added texture and chocolatey flavor. The extra cacao powder masked the fact that they have beans in them. We also used butter rather than coconut oil as my husband doesn’t appreciate the flavor of coconut yet. Definitely a staple in our house now!
Ahh yay!! That makes me so happy to hear. 🙂 So glad these brownies have been a hit! Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it, Kaity.
I used red kidney beans instead, all I had, and honey, no maple syrup. Was absolutely delicious!
Oh awesome!! So glad it turned out with kidney beans. 🙂 Thanks for coming back to share and for leaving a review. I so appreciate it!
Amazing … would never know they were made with beans, at all 😜Deliciously fudge and chocolatey, so easy to make too, delicious🤗😋
So glad you loved these brownies, Angela!! Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
Made these this week and love them! They are so easy to make and I was surprised at how chocolate-y they tasted. My toddler loved them too 🙂 Truth be told, my 5 year old was not a fan – he seems to be very sensitive to textures and to beans and could tell the difference between these and boxed brownies but we will keep trying!
Woo!! So glad these brownies were a hit with everyone except for your 5 year old. 🙂 Maybe next time! haha! Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
It’s in the owen and we are excited to give it a try, wondering at what temperature is it best to bake? Thank you!
Hey Anna – 350F is noted in the recipe as the temp for baking these brownies. Let me know how they turn out for you!
I have made this twice, and every time they turned out really fudgy and yummy.
For those who want to make the brownies with own cooked black beans, be sure to weigh around 154g of dry black beans, and soaked overnight for them to expand into 260g of black beans (the net weight after canned black beans being drained).
I have made second batch of the brownies by swapping the maple syrup with honey. The aroma of the honey smells so great while baking!!!
Also, special thanks to Brittany for the sharing such an amazing recipe and the patience in guiding me through.
This is definitely worth trying if you want to enjoy desserts without guilt. 🙂
So glad you’re loving these brownies and thanks so much for coming back to share how you made them with dry black beans. 🙂 It’s super helpful for other readers, so I appreciate it!
I’m so confused – are you saying you only give your beans an overnight soak before blending into the recipe? You don’t cook them first, you only soak them?? aren’t canned beans already pre cooked? please clarify, as i really want to make this yummy recipe!
She was giving instructions for how she made these with dry beans that you need to soak and cook. For the recipe I used canned black beans, which are ready to go straight from the can!
oh my gosh, phew! I was just like…either I’m missing something, or my world is about to be ROCKED (lol). Thanks Teddee90 for the dry bean measurements and thanks Brittany for responding and for the recipe! Making these tonight!
Let me know how they turn out!!
Hi Elyse, apologies for left out on the instruction to cook after the beans being soaked. Hope yours turn out great.:)
How long did you cook them after they soaked? Would it be ok if I threw the dry beans in the instant pot to be able to make it all today?? Thank you for any ideas.