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These fudgy, chocolatey black bean brownies are gluten-free, flourless, and made with a simple can of black beans! They’re the perfect healthy twist on the traditional dessert and so easy to make. Just throw everything in a blender, and it’s ready in 30 minutes from start to finish!
These black bean brownies are seriously impressive. They’re rich, fudgy, and loaded with chocolate flavor while being completely gluten-free and flourless.
The secret? A simple can of black beans! (I always have a couple of cans in my pantry to make my black bean soup, black bean quesadillas, and black bean tacos. 😉)
Everything gets blended together, making the prep super easy with minimal cleanup. Ready in just 30 minutes from start to finish, they’re perfect for a quick treat or last-minute dessert.
Plus, you’d never guess they’re made with beans – no one will know unless you tell them (and honestly, they might not believe you anyway).
Ingredient Notes
This is an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe, please scroll down to the bottom of the post.
- Black beans: They replace flour in this recipe, and I promise you can’t taste it. They give the brownies extra nutrition and are packed with protein and fiber. Plus, they keep them super moist, soft, and fudgy.
- Eggs: You’ll need 3 large eggs for this recipe, which help bind the batter together.
- Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness to the brownies and disguises any black bean flavor.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Gives these brownies their rich chocolatey taste. For an even more intense chocolate flavor, use half unsweetened cocoa powder and half Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- Melted unsalted butter: Adds some richness and buttery flavor. You could also use oil like canola, avocado, or coconut oil if you prefer.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds some warmth and spice to the brownie mixture.
- Baking powder: The leavening agent that gives the brownies just the right amount of height while still being super fudgy.
- Fine salt: Just a hint to help balance the sweetness.
- Vanilla extract: A dash of vanilla adds extra flavor. For a holiday twist, you can use peppermint extract or even almond or maple extract.
- Chocolate chips: This recipe uses semi-sweet chocolate chips for the perfect balance, but you can use any chocolate chips or your favorite toppings.
How to Make Black Bean Brownies
Add all the ingredients except the chocolate chips to a blender.
Blend until completely smooth.
Pour the batter into an 8×8 square baking dish lined with parchment paper. I also recommend spraying the parchment paper with cooking spray or oil to make sure the batter doesn’t stick at all.
Stir in half of the chocolate chips into the batter, then sprinkle the rest on top.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the middle is just set. Let it cool for 15-20 minutes at room temperature before slicing and serving.
Recipe Tips
- Use the right baking dish. I recommend using an 8×8 baking dish for this brownie recipe to give you the perfect size and height. A 9×9 baking dish will give you thinner brownies that need to be baked for a shorter amount of time.
- Use parchment paper and cooking spray. Be sure to use parchment paper and spray it with cooking spray or oil very well so the brownies don’t stick to the pan.
Variations
This recipe is great as written, but here are ways to customize it and get creative with toppings and different flavors to make it your own:
- Chocolate chips: Feel free to use mini, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter, chocolate chunks, or even white chocolate baking chips.
- Vanilla extract: If you want to make this for the holidays or change the flavor a bit, you can use peppermint extract or even almond or maple extract.
- Use candy: Add your favorite chocolate candy pieces like M&M’s, Reese’s, or chopped-up chocolate bars.
- Swirl ½ cup of creamy peanut butter into the brownie batter before baking for a sweet and salty twist.
- Add nuts: Chopped pecans, walnuts, peanuts, almonds, or pumpkin seeds would be great in this.
- Spread dulce de leche or caramel drizzle on top with flaky sea salt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not at all! Black beans generally have a mild flavor, so any trace of it is masked with cocoa powder, sugar, and chocolate chips.
You can make black bean brownies using a blender or hand mixer to fully incorporate the black beans with the other ingredients.
Absolutely! You can add or substitute different chocolate chips like mini, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, peanut butter, toffee, or butterscotch. You can also add nuts like almonds, walnuts, or pecans.
Storage
- Storing on the counter: To keep your black bean brownies fresh and fudgy, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Storing in the refrigerator: If you’d like them to last longer, refrigerate them for up to a week. Just be sure they’re fully cooled before storing to avoid condensation making them soggy.
- Storing in the freezer: For even longer storage, you can freeze them. I recommend freezing them in a single layer on a baking sheet and transferring them to a freezer-safe bag or container. They’ll keep well for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, let them thaw at room temperature or warm them up in the microwave for a few seconds for that just-baked taste.
More Desserts You’ll Love
If you tried this Black Bean Brownies Recipe or any other recipe on Isabel Eats, don’t forget to rate it and let me know how it went in the comments below! I love hearing about your experience.
Black Bean Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper, spray it with cooking spray or oil, and set aside.
- Place all ingredients except chocolate chips in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the baking dish, then gently mix in ½ cup of the chocolate chips.
- Top the batter with the remaining ½ cup of chocolate chips, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the middle is just set.
- Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
- Use the right baking dish. I recommend using an 8×8 baking dish to give you the perfect size and height. A 9×9 baking dish will give you thinner brownies that need to be baked for a shorter amount of time.
- Use parchment paper and cooking spray. Be sure to use parchment paper and spray it with cooking spray or oil very well so the brownies don’t stick to the pan.
- Chocolate chips: Feel free to use mini, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, butterscotch, peanut butter, chocolate chunks, or even white chocolate baking chips.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in July 2016 and has been updated with new photos, a better overall recipe, and more helpful tips.
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
These brownies turned out great!!!
I’m so glad you liked them!
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.
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?
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.
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!
I know, right? I was happily surprised when the brownies tasted amazing. Let me know if you make them!
Looks amazing. I think I will have to pin these for later 😉 Looks like a great treat.
Thanks, Sammy. I appreciate the love 🙂
black bean brownies? – very sneaky. I can hide some for my husband!
Yes! I love being sneaky with that stuff 🙂
I have a food processor, I don’t have a blender. BbWill that work?
Yep! Just process it until it’s smooth and you’re good to go!
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!
Thanks, Kelli!
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! 🙂
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!
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..
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.