Black Bean Brownies (Printable Format)

Fudgy and rich chocolate brownies made with black beans, naturally gluten-free and nutritious.

# What's Needed:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
02 - 2 large eggs
03 - 1/3 cup melted coconut oil or unsalted butter
04 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

05 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar or coconut sugar
06 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Mix-Ins

09 - 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
10 - 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper or grease lightly.
02 - Combine black beans, eggs, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract in a food processor. Blend until fully smooth, scraping sides as necessary.
03 - Add sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt to the mixture. Blend again until batter thickens and becomes creamy.
04 - Fold in chocolate chips and nuts if using, using a spatula.
05 - Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Optionally sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until center sets and a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
06 - Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan. For optimal fudginess, refrigerate at least 1 hour before slicing into squares.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're fudgier than traditional brownies and taste indulgently chocolatey without any bean flavor sneaking through.
  • No flour means no fussy measuring or gluten worries, plus they come together in less time than it takes to preheat the oven twice.
  • The black beans add real staying power—they keep you satisfied longer than regular brownies ever could.
02 -
  • Those few moist crumbs clinging to the toothpick are your friend—pulling them out of the oven when the center still looks slightly underbaked is what keeps them fudgy instead of cakey.
  • Draining and rinsing the black beans is non-negotiable; skip this step and you'll taste something off that you can't quite place.
  • The cooling and chilling step changes everything—rushing to eat them warm means they'll crumble slightly, but a chilled brownie is a thing of beauty.
03 -
  • Use the best cocoa powder you can find because it's doing all the heavy lifting flavor-wise—the difference between grocery store cocoa and decent cocoa is noticeable and worth it.
  • A kitchen scale makes measuring the cocoa powder and other dry ingredients more precise, which means your brownies will turn out more consistent from batch to batch.
Return