These black bean brownies are fudgy, rich, and so satisfying! The perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth while keeping things lighter: no refined sugar, grain-free, and 125 calories per brownie!
I am a sucker for a delicious dessert bar; chocolate tahini oat bars and no bake snack bars are some of my favorites on the blog. But the recipe I come back to time and time again when I have chocolate cravings? These black bean brownies!
When it comes to brownies, let's be honest: it's all about that delicious fudgy texture! I am definitely a brownie fan, and you might remember a time when Sweet Peas & Saffron was filled with crazy over the top desserts.
These days, it's about satisfying that sweet tooth while keeping things on the healthier side. And these black bean brownies are CRAZY good, and were gobbled up by the whole family!
Reasons you'll ♡ this recipe
- it's refined sugar free, gluten-free and kid-friendly
- you can make them in the blender or a food processor, no bowls needed!
- they are fudgy, chocolatey and oh-so-delish
Recipe video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I made these brownies. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook.
Ingredient notes
- black beans- you'll need cooked black beans, whether you cook them on the stove top, in the Instant Pot, or just use canned beans. Measure out 1 ½ cups and make sure they are rinsed, then drained.
- maple syrup- you can swap for honey or brown sugar if you'd prefer; alternative sweeteners have not been tested.
- coconut oil- helps bring moisture and fudginess to the brownies; you may swap for butter or vegan butter. Make sure you use refined coconut oil to avoid an overly coconutty flavor (unless you like it!)
- eggs- I have not tested flax eggs in this recipe and do not know if they will work.
- espresso powder- brings depth of flavor and enhances the chocolate flavors in the brownies; swap for instant coffee if you don't have espresso powder.
Step by step directions
1. Blend ingredients- in a large blender, combine the black beans, maple syrup, vanilla, cocoa powder, eggs, espresso powder and melted coconut oil. Blend until smooth and no lumps of cocoa powder remain.
TIP- I use this Vitamix, but even cheap blenders will get the job done
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2. Prepare baking pan- Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit an 8 x 8 inch baking pan, and clip it in place using binder clips or kitchen clips.
TIP- spritz your baking pan with a little spray oil to help your parchment paper stick in place
3. Add batter- Spread the batter out into the pan, using a spatula to get it all out of the blender. Scatter the top of the batter with chocolate chips.
Remove the binder clips, and bake in a 350°F degree oven for 20 minutes, or until the center no longer jiggles.
TIP- do not use convection setting of your oven as it may cause the parchment paper to blow into the brownie batter
4. Cool, then slice- Allow the brownies to sit for at least 20 minutes, before lifting the parchment paper out of the baking pan and carefully slicing into bars.
TIP- they slice even better when they're completely cooled
FAQ
NOPE. Honestly, there is no way I'd ever guess that these were made with black beans, and even my kids (who let's be honest are the real food critics) love them!
No, you don't. You can swap for instant coffee if you have it, or leave it out. It simply adds to the chocolatey flavor of this recipe.
It may be possible to replace the eggs with flax eggs, however I have not yet tested. If you give it a try, I'd love to hear how it turns out!
I bet you could, however I haven't tried. I highly recommend sticking wax or parchment paper between them if you do try it so they don't stick together.
Recipe variations
- bake it up in a muffin pan
- swap chocolate chips for peanut butter chips
- add a sprinkling of flaky sea salt to the tops
- add chopped nuts to tops for added crunch (walnuts or pecans would be great)
- add ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract
- add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
More healthy treats
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Fudgy Black Bean Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups black beans drained and rinsed
- ½ cup maple syrup honey also works
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 3 eggs large
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted; see note 1
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prepare- Prepare an 8x8 inch baking dish by lining with parchment. Spray the bottom of the pan to help the paper stick, then clip it to the dish with binder clips (remove before baking).
- Blend ingredients- in a large blender, combine the black beans, maple syrup, vanilla, cocoa powder, eggs, espresso powder and melted coconut oil. Blend until smooth and no lumps of cocoa powder remain.
- Add batter- Spread the batter out into the pan, using a spatula to get it all out of the blender. Scatter the top of the batter with chocolate chips.
- Bake- Remove the binder clips, and bake in a 350°F degree oven for 20 minutes, or until the center no longer jiggles.
- Cool- Cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then carefully transfer to a cutting board and cut into 12 bars
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Tips:
- swap chocolate chips for peanut butter chips
- add a sprinkling of flaky sea salt to the tops
- add chopped nuts to tops for added crunch (walnuts or pecans would be great)
- add ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract
- add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
Video
Nutrition Information
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Lee says
Hi,
Could you please provide the ingredients in grams instead of cups? I know I could google it but it might not be the same conversion as yours.
Crystal Davis says
These look amazing. May I ask what type of chocolate chips you used? I noticed mention of “No refined sugar.” Were you only referring to the “brownie batter,” or does that apply to the chocolate chips as well?
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Crystal, great question! It definitely depends on what kind of chocolate chips you are using - if you're looking for refined sugar free check out Pascha, Hu Kitchen, or Lily's Sweets for options without any refined sugar. I hope this helps!
Cindy says
I don't have a blender, could I use a Nutri Bullet instead?
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Cindy, absolutely a Nutri Bullet should work! Hope you enjoy!
Anne says
These are so good! I studied several recipes for black bean brownies after I had them at a party. These met my requirements for rich chocolate flavor and not too much sugar. I also love the smooth texture. I have made them several times. Whenever I start to have a chocolate craving, these come to mind. It doesn’t hurt that these are so easy to make. Thank you for this recipe!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Anne! I'm so happy to hear these are your go-to. Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review!
Sonia pichinte says
I have to admit i was really skeptical at first even as they were cooling out of the oven . However it satisfied my sweet tooth i added instant coffee instead of the expresso powder and it gave it like a nice depth . I don’t really like beans but I’ve got no complaints here Denise thanks for the recipe.
Denise Bustard says
Yay! I'm so happy you gave them a try, Sonia! I know, black beans in brownies sounds so weird. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to report back, I really appreciate it! <3
Inger Lopez says
A few weeks ago I tried this recipe and it was an immediate hit.
I don not like cooking but was up to making a healthy snack..
Everybody loved it and A friend of even even aak me to make it as goodies foe her birthday.
Such an easy eecipe
Denise Bustard says
Hi Inger! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed! Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to leave a review, I really appreciate it 🙂
Current Resident says
I've tried other fudgy black bean brownie recipes and like this one the best-a batch is cooling on my kitchen counter as we speak. Minor tweaks that worked for me; reduced honey to 1/3 C., substituted a pinch of ground coffee since I don't have espresso, and added 1/4 t. of baking powder and a pinch of salt. Since I really like chocolate, I also hand-mixed in 1/2 C. of semi-sweet chips to the batter.
I think they taste best right out of the fridge. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Denise Bustard says
Thank you so much for reporting back with your modifications, that's so helpful for others 🙂 So happy to hear you enjoyed!
Oana says
Super easy, super yummy
Denise Bustard says
Hi Oana! So so happy to hear you enjoyed the brownies. Thank you so much for coming back to leave a review, I really appreciate it!
Kristy says
DO you think that this recipe would work using flax eggs to make it vegan?
Denise says
Hi Kristy! Great question, unfortunately I have not tried. I do think it would work. If you give it a try, would you report back to us?
Darla says
So good!!! Love this recipe. My family ate them and loved them. Couldnt believe they are healthy!
Denise says
Hi Darla! I'm so happy you and your family enjoyed! Thank you so much for your review!
Naomi says
I used the Coconut sugar instead of the maple syrup, and I didn't love the consistency, nor were they quite as exciting as the other comments. But I froze them, and I eat them out of the freezer after giving them a few minutes (so not rock solid, but still frozen) and BOOM! They are so good! Freezing them was the key for me! Thanks for sharing!
Denise says
Hi Naomi! I have to say I tried these with coconut sugar and was underwhelmed as well. I think it's just less sweet and fudgy. So glad you could save them by freezing them! Thanks for the tip!
Jan says
These are my go to brownies from now on...so easy and so delicious! Thanks, Denise!
Denise says
So happy you enjoyed! Thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to leave a review 🙂
Daria Doering says
I looked over all the black bean brownie recipes online, and I thought these had the most healthful ingredients. I prepared these as written (well, I did substitute 1/4 C. xylitol for 1/4 C. of the maple syrup), and they are to die for! Thank you so much!
Denise says
So happy you enjoyed, and thank you for sharing that it worked with Xylitol! Thanks for taking the time out of your day to leave a review, Daria!
Jennifer says
BEST brownies I've ever tasted! They're super fudgy and simple to make. I threw in the ingredients I had on hand: a 540 mL can of black beans (which is a bit more than 1 1/2 cups), honey, vanilla, heaping scoop of cocoa, no espresso powder as I didn't have any, eggs, vegetable oil as that's what I had handy, no chocolate chips. This recipe took all of 5 minutes to make while the baby napped. They turned out amazing and I feel good enjoying this chocolaty treat knowing that I'm getting a little extra protein and iron. Thanks for the recipe!
Denise says
Holy moly, what a HUGE compliment! Thanks so much for your review, Jennifer!
Sherriebrown says
Can these be frozen
Denise says
Good question! I haven't tried (they always disappear first!). Let me know if you give it a try.
Alicia says
Hi Denise! Can the coconut oil be substituted with any oil? Unfortunate coconut allergy sufferer here... <-- But your recipe looks perfect and delicious!
Denise says
Hi Alicia! I have only tried with coconut oil but I bet vegetable oil could work in these? Let me know if you give it a try!