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!
the brownies are in the oven as i write — i substituted flax egg. They’ve been in there for 50 minutes and still are pretty much as gooey as when i put them in, bubbling up everywhere. It doest’y look like they’ll set properl. In case you get this immediately lol — what to do?? Thank you 🤍🤍
Hey AnnMarie – Sorry, just seeing this. How did they turn out? They definitely shouldn’t have been that gooey still after 50 minutes. Did you change the temp or anything about the recipe?
thanks for your response. So, the only thing i changed was using flax eggs instead chicken eggs. Truly they are the most decadent, smooth, chocolatey . . . puddings? truffles? The bottom part set a bit and it gets more gooey toward the top. I sort of formed them into squares and froze them. I eat it with a fork. Curious if you have any comments — i’d prefer if they set better, but honestly they are pretty stupendously yummy. Thank you!
Well I’m glad they taste good, but that’s so strange – they definitely shouldn’t have turned out that gooey. I’m wondering if the batter got too much liquid added to it. How much water did you use to make the flax eggs? When I tried these brownies with flax eggs, they weren’t as dense, but definitely weren’t gooey.
I had the exact same issue!!! Mine are a gooey mess that just isn’t setting up! I used 3 flax ‘eggs’ and didn’t change anything else. I tried twice, hoping the first was user error. 🙁 I’m so sad I really was excited to try them.
Oh no!! When I made these with flax eggs I didn’t have an issue, so I’m sorry to hear that! I should try it again.
Hey!
Just wanted to ask if I could use honey instead of maple syrup?
Yes! I think honey should work totally fine. Let me know how they turn out if you try them!
I really wanted to love these. Followed the recipe exactly.. Came out really eggy for me, more Of a moist sponge texture.. Not really fudgy at all.. I’ve made other black bean brownies with better results. I’m bummed. Still love your site!
Oh no!! I’m so sorry to hear that, Monica. Did you change anything about the recipe?
Loved these! Made them and shared with several people and they loved them as well. I’m wondering how they will freeze? Have you tried freezing them after baking??
Hey Sara – They should freeze just fine! I would just store them in an airtight and freezer-safe container bag or container.
Delicious! Nobody guessed what they were made of.
Woot woot! I love hearing that, Marisol. 🙂 So glad these brownies were a hit!
Loved these. I was wondering, could i make them without chocolate chips? Or would it taste like beans?
Hey Karrien – I haven’t made these without the chocolate chips, so I’m not entirely sure if they’ll taste more bean-like, but definitely let me know what you think of them if you decide to make them without the chocolate chips. 🙂
I just made these and they taste so good! The only “problem” is that, although the pan was well greased, the brownies stuck to the pan. It’s not like it will prevent me from eating the whole thing haha
So glad you enjoyed these brownies, Sonia!! Maybe you could try using parchment paper next time if you have that on hand to prevent the brownies from sticking. 🙂 Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate you!
Super simple recipe and yummy!
Hi Brittany, absolutely loved the recipe, the brownies turned out so fudgy and no taste of the beans. However, it left a little smell and taste of eggs. Any suggestion as to why this would’ve happened? I had simply put 3 eggs in the blender exactly as per the recipe so wondering why it turned out eggy. I want to try it again because if I can fix this one issue, its really the prefect healthy dessert. Thank you so much!
Oh no!! I’m so sorry to hear that, Ruhi. I haven’t heard of anyone saying the brownies tasted eggy to them. I wonder if it was the eggs themselves? Were they fresh or a bit older? You could try flax eggs instead or even swapping one of the eggs with a flax egg and using two regular eggs. If you use flax eggs, the brownies won’t rise the same, but they’ll still turn out for you! Let me know if you end up making them again and how they turn out. 🙂
Hi there,
I was planning on making these for my son but I was going to use flaxseed. Do you know if they will still rise at all? What will I be facing? Thank you so much 🙂
Hey Caroline – I have tested these with flax eggs and they still turned out well they just didn’t rise as much as with the regular eggs. Let me know how these turn out for you if you end up making them!
So, I tried them with flax and noticed that I could taste the coconut oil much more. I am going to try a little less oil and 1 egg with 2 flax and I think it will be perfect- for me 🙂
Thanks so much for your prior response.
Cheers!
Of course – thanks for sharing, Caroline! What type of coconut oil are you using? Refined has more of a neutral scent and flavor where virgin has more of a coconut taste.
Hi there how are you ?
I baked these brownies today.
I used the mini muffin pan
The taste is great.
But the texture was not dense and fudgey at all. I was surprised to see this raise in the oven. The brownies are crumbling and vert moist. Not dense and solid as store bought brownies.
I’m so sorry to hear that, Nadira! Did you change anything about the recipe?
Hi Brittany
No I did not change anything in your recipe. The only thing I did was to use mini muffin pans.
Mmm, and how long did you bake them for? Maybe they just needed to bake longer?
I baked them for 15 min because the muffin cups are very small. They were cooked. I used a toothpick to test.