A Healthy Black Bean Brownies Recipe everyone will love. These really are the best black bean brownies – fudgy, rich, and delicious!
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These ultra-chocolatey brownies taste incredibly indulgent but are made with a secret ingredient that no one will ever guess! Black beans!
These rich and moist brownies are made entirely in the blender with no extra dishes.
They contain wholesome ingredients like black beans and oat flour for the perfect chocolate treat that is secretly healthy!
Why you’ll love this Black Bean Brownie Recipe
There is a lot to love about this brownie recipe!
- Full of nutrients: Black beans not only make these brownies moist, but they add so much fiber, vitamins, and minerals to your diet.
- Chocolate packed: I firmly believe brownies should be chocolate LOADED!
- Gluten and dairy free: These brownies don’t have any gluten or dairy products in them, and you would never know!
What is a Black Bean Brownie?
A black bean brownie is just like a regular brownie- but with a can of black beans in them and no refined flour!
Ingredients for Healthy Black Bean Brownies
Here’s what you need to make these easy brownies:
- large eggs
- coconut sugar
- black beans
- oat flour
- avocado oil
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- vanilla extract
- baking powder
- sea salt
- semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
You can find substitutions for all of these ingredients below in the green shaded box.
How to make Brownies with Black Beans
- In a food processor or blender, blend the eggs and coconut sugar on high for about 30 seconds or until the mixture becomes light and almost fluffy.
- Add all remaining ingredients (except chocolate chips) to the blender. Blend again on high for another 30-45 seconds, or until the beans are fully pureed. Don’t overblend!
- Fold in chocolate chips, then evenly pour the batter into a greased pan. Sprinkle with extra chocolate chips. Bake at 350° for about 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted into the center and comes out clean.
- Allow brownies to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing them from the pan and cutting.
SUBSTITUTIONS FOR
Eggs – Because there are three eggs in this recipe and no traditional flour, I did not test any egg alternatives. I don’t recommend substituting the eggs in this recipe unless you are feeling adventurous, because I am not sure how it will work out.
Coconut Sugar – Coconut sugar is a great granulated, unrefined sweetener that works well in baking recipes. For a similar flavor, it can be replaced 1:1 with regular brown sugar. You can also use regular granulated table sugar or maple sugar. Avoid liquid sweeteners as they have not been tested in this recipe and the increase in liquid may prevent the brownies from setting properly.
Black Beans – I used canned beans in this recipe, but cooked dried beans will work the same. If using dry beans, cook according to the package and then drain and rinse the beans, then allow them to cool to room temperature. You will need about 1 ½ cups of cooked beans for this recipe. You can also try white cannellini beans because they can usually be used interchangeably with black beans in baked goods, but black beans are more easily disguised in chocolate treats because of their color.
Oat Flour – I prefer to use store-bought oat flour in this recipe because it tends to make a smoother batter and is one less step; however, making oat flour is easy and cost-effective. Follow this tutorial for how to make oat flour. This should be done first before anything is added to the blender.
Avocado Oil – Any neutral-flavored cooking oil will work in this recipe. If using coconut oil or butter, melt it and allow it to cool slightly before adding it to the recipe.
Cocoa Powder – Select unsweetened cocoa powder for the best results. I like this cocoa powder for a super-rich chocolatey flavor.
Chocolate Chips – I liked using mini chocolate chips in this recipe because they distribute really well throughout the batter, but I have tried regular chocolate chips too and they worked just fine. You can use any type of chocolate chips, including options that are not semi-sweet, or even options that are dairy-free or contain no added sugar.
To Make Gluten Free: Use certified gluten-free oat flour.
To make dairy free: Use dairy free chocolate chips
Can I make this recipe without a blender?
Yes! This recipe can be made in a high-volume, high-powered food processor as well.
Because we need the black beans to be pureed, without a blender or a food processor it will be difficult to achieve the right consistency with no chunks.
How can I make sure these brownies are moist?
These brownies are going to be perfectly moist and tender as long as they are not overbaked. For my oven, 30 minutes was the magic number.
Keep in mind your elevation and oven type when baking. The prick test with a toothpick is the gold standard to tell if a baked good is done, but for this recipe, it is important to remember that there will be some melted chocolate from the chocolate chips visible when you poke the center.
Pro Tip:
- Do not skip adding the chocolate chips! The brownies will not taste nearly as good!
- Allow the brownies for 10-15 minutes before you try to remove them from the pan to help prevent them from breaking.
- If you like ultra-fudgy brownies, you can reduce the oil to ¼ cup and add the flesh from a large ripe avocado to the blender for a secretly healthy way to achieve a more fudgy consistency.
Pairings and toppings for the Best Black Bean Brownies
Try topping these brownies with a healthier cream cheese frosting using softened Neufchatel cheese and/or Greek yogurt, a little vanilla extract, and then sweeten to taste with your favorite sweetener.
Making whipped coconut cream is another easy and fun topping idea that is dairy-free!
How to store Healthy Black Bean Brownies
Storing: These brownies can be stored at room temperature or in the fridge in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. For best quality, consume them within 1 week of baking (they may start to dry out a little earlier if kept in the fridge).
Freezing: Simply place them in a freezer bag or airtight container and seal tightly. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then enjoy. If you only have a few extra brownies, another idea is to chop the extra brownies up into small bits and store them in the freezer to use as healthier ice cream mix-ins!
Reheating: You can reheat this recipe in the microwave, toaster oven, oven or on the stove.
Black Bean Brownies FAQs
Black beans replace flour in this recipe!
Our black bean brownie recipe only uses 2/3 a cup of coconut sugar.
Other healthy chocolate recipes:
Looking for another easy, healthy dessert? Check out these chocolate dessert recipes:
Best Black Bean Brownies
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar
- 15- oz can of black beans drained and rinsed well (about 1 ½ cups after draining)
- ½ cup oat flour
- 1/3 cup avocado oil
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt optional
- 2/3 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips + extra sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8×8 baking pan with cooking spray or coconut oil, and line the bottom with parchment paper (the parchment paper is optional but I like to do it so that I can lift the brownies from the pan without flipping them over).
- In a high-power blender, add the eggs and coconut sugar and blend on high for about 30 seconds or until the mixture becomes light and almost fluffy (no peaks, just aerated).
- Add all remaining ingredients to the blender with the exception of the chocolate chips. Blend again on high for another 30-45 seconds, or until the beans are fully pureed (there still may be some visible specks but no chunks). Avoid over-blending because the leavening agent has been added.
- Remove the blade from the blender and fold in the chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.
- Pour the batter into the greased pan. Spread evenly with the rubber spatula. Sprinkle the top of the brownies with some extra chocolate chips and place the pan in the oven. Bake for about 28-32 minutes or until the brownies have fully risen and a toothpick can be inserted into the center and comes out clean (don’t worry if the toothpick has melted chocolate on it!).
- Allow brownies to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing them from the pan and cutting.
christine H says
I definitely would like to try these! I think in the ingredients that the black beans would be 1.5 cups (if using cooked from dried?). thanks for the recipe!
The Clean Eating Couple says
I’m sorry but I’m not sure! I’ve never cooked them from dried. I’d look up roughly how many cups of cooked beans are in a can and see if that math works!
christine H says
It appears that a 15 oz. can of beans is approx. 1.5 cups of beans, not 1/2 cup as you have in the recipe.
The Clean Eating Couple says
The recipe says 1 1/2 cups beans.
D says
Yum