Best Black Bean Brownies
Posted Aug 23, 2023, Updated Oct 21, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These black bean brownies are an easy, healthy dessert made with 9 ingredients in 30 minutes and are delicious straight from the oven. This is the best black bean brownies recipe and it’s gluten-free, dairy-free and has no refined sugar.
I enjoy dessert so much that I eat it every night – which is why I like to create healthier recipes, like these Black Bean Brownies! Dessert doesn’t have to derail your healthy eating habits, with this black bean brownie recipe it can be part of your daily routine – because what good is a day without chocolate?
Topped with this Vegan Peanut Butter Frosting, these black bean brownies are one of favorite desserts. They are loaded with protein and fiber and are gluten & dairy-free! So you can feel good about enjoying a little chocolatey treat.
These are the only black bean brownies I have ever made that taste good directly out of the oven, and I’ve made my fair share over the years. I still like to let them cool a little bit so they retain their shape better. But if patience around brownies isn’t your forte, feel free to dig right in.
Black Bean Brownies: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Coconut oil. Melted butter (highly recommended) or ghee can be used in place of coconut oil.
- Coconut sugar. Any granulated sugar works well in place of coconut sugar. Or you can replace the granulated sugar with additional honey.
- Honey. Maple syrup is a good substitute for honey.
- Chocolate chips. Use your favorite mix-ins. Chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, nuts, etc.
Room Temperature Ingredients
Make sure that your ingredients are room temperature before adding them into the Vitamix (or another high-powered blender).
Rinse the beans with warm water, not cold.
Melt the coconut oil before adding it to the blending container.
This will ensure that your mixture blends easily and becomes silky smooth.
How to make Black Bean Brownies
This recipe is very easy to make, simply put the ingredients into the container of a blender and blend until smooth, then bake. Don’t forget to watch the video, and follow the step-by-step instructions.
Begin by greasing an 8×8″ baking pan, then set it aside. I suggest a ceramic or glass baking dish for the best results. If you use a 9×9″ baking pan, reduce baking time by 3-5 minutes.
Next, blend the black beans, coconut oil, honey and coconut sugar together until well-mixed.
Then, add the cocoa powder, vanilla, baking powder and sea salt and blend until combined.
Next, add the eggs and blend until the mixture is completely smooth.
Finally, stir in the chocolate chips by hand. I have also used pieces of chocolate bars, peanut butter cups, etc, and pulsed carefully to break them up in the batter.
Don’t over-blend. If you blend the mixture for too long it will start to get very warm. This becomes problematic when the chocolate chips melt when they’re added to a warm batter. Blend just until the mixture in homogenous {the same throughout} and smooth.
Then, pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread until the top is smooth.
If desired, top the black bean brownies with extra chocolate chips, then bake until the top and edges are just set (about 25 minutes).
Remove the black bean brownies from the oven and let them cool completely in the baking dish. Then, cut them into squares and serve.
Serve
These black bean brownies taste amazing on their own. If desired, here are some serving suggestions:
- Nut Butter. I like to drizzle some peanut butter, almond butter, Nutella, etc. on top of the brownies.
- Ice Cream. Serve them slightly warm with homemade ice cream like dairy-free vanilla ice cream, vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream, dairy-free chocolate peanut butter ice cream.
- Frost the brownies: or slather your favorite frosting on top. Suggestions include: peanut butter frosting and chocolate buttercream frosting.
Store/Freeze
Store black bean brownies in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 5-7 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Warm them in the microwave for about 10 seconds to restore the fresh-from-the-oven taste!
Recipe FAQS
Yes, you can double the recipe and bake it in a 9×13″ pan.
The only other bean I have tried to use in this recipe is great northern beans, and while it tasted good I far prefer black beans. I don’t suggest making substitutions for them. If you want to bake with chickpeas, try these healthy chickpea blondies.
They are still a treat, but they are made with nutritious ingredients and lower in calories than other baked goods.
If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
Healthy Black Bean Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 15 oz black beans drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup honey
- ⅓ cup coconut oil melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup chocolate chips divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8″ baking pan and set aside.
- Put beans, coconut oil, coconut sugar and honey into the container of your (Vitamix) or food processor. Blend until well combined.
- Add cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and vanilla. Blend until smooth.
- Add in eggs and blend until just combined.
- Mix in ½ cup chocolate chips by hand.
- Pour into greased 8×8-inch pan and top with remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is set and brownies are just barely pulling away from the sides.
- Let cool, cut and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Coconut oil. Melted butter or ghee are great substitutions.
- Coconut sugar. Any granulated sugar works well, or you can replace it with additional honey.
- Honey. Maple syrup or agave are good substitutes.
- Chocolate chips. Use your favorite mix-ins. Chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, nuts, etc.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These look awesome!! I just had brownies………..before dinner! HAHA Thanks for linking up with us! Please come back next week! #BloggersSpotlight
Dessert before dinner…always a good idea! 🙂
Wow! I am intrigued! I will HAVE to try these!!! Thanks so much!
Blessings and smiles,
Lori
Your Black Bean Brownies look amazing! Hope you have a very special Valentine Day and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
These sound yummy! I’ll have to give them a try. Thank you for sharing with Thankful Thursdays.
They look so decadent, but the fact that they’re guilt free & you can eat them for dinner makes them even more enticing. Thanks so much for sharing these with us on #SHINEbloghop. It was lovely of you to join us this week.
Thank you for hosting! 🙂 <3 Everyone should have chocolate for dinner...sometimes... 😉
I’ve heard that black bean brownies taste wonderful. Can’t wait to make them.
I really love them! Let me know how they turn out! 🙂
This is such a great alternative! I love the idea. Pinned!
Thanks so much Lela! Check back in if you try them! 🙂
Delicious! I love black bean brownies! Pinned to try later. 🙂
Yay! Thanks Raia! Let me know if you give them a try! 🙂
Can we use regular demon sugar in same amount rather than coconut sugar? And does it really taste like real brownie, not something folks fool themselves into thinking is delish but isn’t (like turkey bacon)?
First, I love you. Second, you can use any granulated sugar or just use 2/3 cup honey! You should try coconut sugar though it’s awesome! 😉 I’ll be honest…it tastes amazing but not like brownies that call for 12 TBS butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar (no explanation needed there). However they are far closer than turkey bacon is to regular bacon. I do have a paleo brownie recipe I’ll post in a couple weeks but can send you via e-mail that really does taste like the real thing but it’s healthy. These are still my favorite though, I just really enjoy eating them! 😉
OK, I may try it. Do I get the coconut sugar at Trader Joe’s if I decide to go crazy for health?
Yes, I think you can get it at Trader Joe’s! You can find it at almost any store in the baking aisles! I order mine through amazon subscribe and save. 😉
Hahaha! Thanks for asking this question, I will be trying to make these with demon sugar myself!
Hey Meg! Yikes draining the beans is a must for flavor and texture! I totally get the whole distracted in the kitchen thing though…I often have at least one kid clinging to my leg as I bake! LOL!
These look fantastic! Can’t wait to try them 🙂