Best Black Bean Brownies
Posted Aug 23, 2023, Updated Oct 21, 2024
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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.
Do you melt the coconut oil before or after you measure the 1/3 cup? These sound great-can’t wait to try them!
I measure it in the solid state, and then melt it!
can I use Cacao instead of cocoa powder? If so, would it be equivalent amount?
I’ve baked bean brownies before and liked them but this recipe is MUCH better. I did use brown sugar because I did not have the coconut sugar. As for the chips, I ground them up for extra ‘fudginess’. LOL. My only change would be the coconut oil. I didn’t care for the background taste of the coconut. I will however, be making my 3rd batch soon. ( I doubled the recipe this first time 😄 )
I just ate some of these tonight! You could always substitute butter or ghee for the coconut oil if you don’t love it!
I’m really looking forward to trying these as well! The pictures just make them irresistible! Thank you for posting. I’m so curious, what ARE your top 3 desserts on your site??
So excited to make these. I made another black bean brownie recipe this week, but whenever I see you make these on your stories I want to make them; and the video is so well done. IT’s cool how God made beans and enabled us to discover that they make delicious brownies; who would’ve thought? I’m hoping to make these on Monday!!!! Thank you Laura for sharing these tried and true recipes. 🙂
Hi I love this idea !!! I was wondering though how much calories would each brownie have ?
Hey Carolina! I don’t calculate the number of calories in a serving, but you can use a site like this and enter the ingredients to determine that information!
Wow! Not only are your photos amazing but these BROWNIES! I’m sort of afraid to make them because I dont know if I could be trusted around them. Pinning for later!!
Thank you so much Katie!! That’s the great thing about them….they’re super healthy so there’s no need feeling bad about eating half the pan in one sitting! (Not saying I do that or anything….) 😉
OMG! These look to die for! They look like they have the perfect texture. I cannot have dairy, so these would be perfect. I’ve thought about purchasing a new blender, so I will have to look into the Vitamix. I love the idea behind your blog. Also, my friend and fellow blogger are hosing a link up on Mondays if you are interested.
Tori
http://www.thesweetlifediaryofahealthnut.blogspot.com
Thanks so much Tori! I totally understand not being able to eat dairy! :*( I am seriously in love with my Vitamix! I could talk about it all day if you have any questions! (I’m not endorsed by them and don’t get any money for saying so either…I just LOVE mine so much)! I use it multiple times a day for so many things.
do you have the nutrition breakdown of the fats (saturated, trans)
I shared these on twitter and they were a big hit! I am not at all surprised though because they look delicious! I love the idea of the black beans too, I had never considered adding them to sweet recipes!
Thanks so much Charlotte! 🙂 I LOVE using beans in desserts! It seems unusual but tastes amazing!
This is awesome! I think we will have to give these brownies a try. Thanks for sharing with us at MMBH.
XOXO