These rich and fudgy brownies have a secret ingredient – beans! This easy recipe is a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth. Top them with ice cream or coconut whipped cream for an extra special dessert!
Beans and brownies might not be two words that you normally put together.
There are a lot of reasons to add black beans or other legumes to desserts. They add some nice protein and fiber, and if the dessert is gluten free, they are a good starch that’s free of gluten.
I’ve been wondering if I could make really decadent black bean brownies that are gluten free, grain free, and super chocolatey. I definitely did not want to taste any beans at all. Could a bean based dessert really be delicious?
And I’m happy to report that these passed the test! They are so, so good! My son loves these brownies. And I’m happy that he’s getting a little extra protein with his dessert.
This is a nice recipe to try if you are new to gluten free baking, or maybe haven’t found a gluten free flour blend that you are comfortable with yet.
Do brownies made with beans taste good?
These brownies are rich, fudgy, sweet, and super chocolatey. They taste very much like a normal brownie. In other words, you can’t taste the beans – just ask my children, who love these brownies!
We gave these vegan black bean brownies the ultimate test – we ate the batter with a spoon. I figured if the batter tasted amazing without being baked, this was a winning recipe. And…it tasted just like REAL brownie batter! I let my son try it, too, and he was licking the spoon and asking for more.
What brand of beans is safe for food allergies?
You should call on any brand of beans you are interested in to see if they are safe for your particular allergies or dietary needs. One brand to check out would be Eden brand foods.
Can this recipe be made with lentils?
I think you could try lentils in this recipe, but the texture might be a little different. You might also be able to taste the lentils – they have a little stronger flavor than black beans.
If you’re looking for a more traditional brownie recipe, try these double chocolate zucchini brownies. Or if you love sneaky desserts with hidden veggies, try these grain free chocolate cookies.
How to store these:
I recommend storing these brownies in the refrigerator for the best results. The flavor and texture will be best if they are refrigerated. They are soft, with a fudge-like texture, and I find that they firm up in the refrigerator.
I haven’t tried freezing these, but I think if you wrap them individually, and then store in an airtight container, they would probably be fine in the freezer. You should be able to freeze these for up to three months.
After my past experiences, and after hearing other’s complaints about bean based desserts, there are a few things that I recommend doing so that these turn out well and taste delicious.
Baking tips:
- Blending the beans very, very thoroughly is so important. You don’t want any detectable pieces of bean skin in your brownies. To do this, you need to use a food processor or a blender. A mixer or a potato masher won’t do the trick.
- I used a lot of cocoa powder and sugar. I wouldn’t reduce the amounts – these truly taste like rich, fudgy brownies. I was not going after a healthy, light brownie taste here.
- I made these in a loaf pan, so that they would cook evenly, and so that the middle would not be too mushy. This made eight 2 inch x 2 inch brownies. If you want to make a double batch, I would bake them in two loaf pans.
- You must line the pan with parchment paper. If you don’t, the brownies will not come out of the pan in one piece.
- You can use the milk of your choice – use any non-dairy milk that works for your diet.
- I would not use a liquid sweetener like maple syrup in this recipe – they won’t become solid during baking if you use syrup or honey.
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Recipe
Fudgy Black Bean Brownies (Gluten Free, Vegan).
Ingredients
- ¾ cups canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 2 Tablespoons Vanilla Cultured Coconut Milk Yogurt
- 1 Tablespoon non-dairy milk
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup vegan buttery spread melted
- ⅓ teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 4x8 loaf pan with parchment paper, so that there is an overhang on each side. You will need the overhang to remove the brownies from the pan.
- In a blender or food processor, puree the black beans with the non-dairy milk milk and the yogurt. Stop periodically and scrape down the sides and make sure that all the bean skins are gone. You want this batter to be really smooth.
- Transfer the bean mixture to a bowl and add the melted vegan buttery spread, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
- Stir well. Spoon batter into the loaf pan and smooth it out with the back of a spoon.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. They may seem a teeny bit underdone in the middle - that's okay! They will firm up as they cool, plus this is a fudgy brownie, not a cake-like brownie.
- Allow to cool completely in pan, then lift the whole brownie out by pulling up on the edges of the parchment paper. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into 8 pieces using a very sharp knife.
Notes
Nutrition
Enjoy! We really loved these. I didn’t tell my six-year-old what was in the brownies, and he ate them right up and said they were the “best brownies ever!” Anytime you can sneak extra protein into your kiddos, that’s a win, right?
This post was originally published in May 2014. It has been updated with more tips and tricks.
Luz
Hey! So I used cane sugar, oat milk, soy yogurt and sunflower oil and baked it for 40-45 minutes.
The taste of cocoa would be too strong for a lot of people but since I love dark chocolate, it was good. ^^
Nikki Downes
I’m literally just about to make this and realised I’m not sure if it’s 3/4 of a cup or 3-4 cupS of Black Beans? Sorry I’m slightly confused!
Kelly Roenicke
3/4 of a cup!
Sam
I was wondering if this recipe could easily be doubled to bake in an 8×8 pan? Thanks!
Kelly Roenicke
If you need to double it you should do two loaf pans. These brownies are super fudgy, and they don’t cook well in the center in a larger pan.