It seems ludicrous to make your favorite recipes just once, but when you’re a food blogger sometimes you don’t have time for repeats! But, after making a similar version of these black bean brownies a couple years ago I couldn’t help but try them again. They’re fudgy, sweet, and still one of the best brownies I’ve had to date. Never mind they’re loaded with fiber, omega-3s and tons of other good-for-you ingredients.
Just last week I attempted a vegan gluten free brownie recipe that was a total flop. They didn’t set at all and sort of remained “soup” in the pan. So disappointing. The worst part? I’d wasted an entire bar and a half of my favorite dark chocolate and a descent amount of Earth Balance in the process. Not cheap, not cheap, not cool.
Then I thought, “Why would I make unhealthy brownies if I could make healthy ones that I know I love?” See, I do reason sometimes, especially when it comes to dessert.
These brownies are ridiculously simple to make. They require a handful of ingredients you likely have on hand, and all you need is a food processor (or a blender) and a muffin tin. Does clean up get much easier than that? Let me answer that, NO.
Besides being simple they’re insanely delicious. The edges have a slight crispness and the inside is all fudgy, chocolaty goodness. Plus, you don’t have to dirty a knife cutting into them – they’re already baked into bite-size deliciousness. How convenient!
Enjoy these plain, with some vegan ice cream, dunked in almond milk, slathered with peanut butter or topped with fresh berries (credit to my smart friend Arleigh for the berry idea).
Better yet, I have another idea for these beauties coming up next week. Wish me luck! In the meantime, bake these brownies and tell no one what’s inside…until they’re three bites in and begging for the recipe. Hooray for healthy deception!
Vegan Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 15- oz. (425 g) can (~ 1 3/4 cups) black beans, well rinsed and drained
- 2 large flax eggs (2 heaping Tbsp (~16 g) flaxseed meal + 6 Tbsp (90 ml) water)
- 3 Tbsp (45 g) coconut oil, melted (or sub other oil of choice)
- 3/4 cup (72 g) cocoa powder (the higher quality the better)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- heaping 1/2 cup (105 g) organic cane sugar, slightly ground or pulsed in a food processor or coffee grinder for refined texture
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- Optional toppings: crush walnuts, pecans, or dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).
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Lightly grease a 12-slot standard size muffin pan (not mini). Make sure you've rinsed and thoroughly drained your black beans at this point.
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Prepare flax egg by combining flax and water in the bowl of the food processor. Pulse a couple times and then let rest for a few minutes.
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Add remaining ingredients (besides walnuts or other toppings) and puree - about 3 minutes - scraping down sides as needed. You want it pretty smooth.
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If the batter appears too thick, add a Tbsp or two of water and pulse again. It should be slightly less thick than chocolate frosting but nowhere close to runny.
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Evenly distribute the batter into the muffin tin and smooth the tops with a spoon or your finger.
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Optional: Sprinkle with crushed walnuts, pecans or chocolate chips.
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Bake for 20-26 minutes or until the tops are dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides. I found mine took about 25.
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Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes before removing from pan. They will be tender, so remove gently with a fork. The insides are meant to be very fudgy, so don't be concerned if they seem too moist - that's the point. Plus, they're vegan so it doesn't really matter.
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Store in an airtight container for up to a few days. Refrigerate to keep longer.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 brownie without toppings.
Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 12)
- Calories: 140
- Fat: 6g
- Sodium: 163mg
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 7g
- Sugar: 9g
- Protein: 5g
adapted from mylittlecelebration
These look so good but I’m scared of putting beans in brownies! However if I manage to find any I definitely want to try it!
Totally get what you mean about baking fails, waste of time and expensive ingredients! Tried wholewheat chocolate cake bars and they were not to mention completely disgusting but also wasted some pricey high quality coconut oil, cacao and flours!
Fear not! These brownies are legit. I’ve even tried other bean-based desserts before without luck. But these, are SERIOUSLY legit. The beans are completely undetectable!
These look amazing! How would I adapt this to a 9 by 13 pan as I am planning on making a few pans of these to feed a crowd? Thank you so much!
Help!! I made double batch!! Put in 9×13 after 30eating mins. Still soupy, will it firm up as they bake, also I turned heat down so brownies do not burn..!!????
Hmm, how high up the pan did they go? I’ve never done a double batch. They shouldn’t have gone too far up the sides…These are nearly impossible to burn. I’d continue baking until they are no longer giggly when shaken. Then, if they still seem soft once cooked, pop them in the fridge or freezer for 10-15 minutes to set even more. Hope that helps!
Thanks for replying back!! I BAKED FOR NEARLY 2 HRS!!! DID NOT BURN!!! They turned out looking just like brownies!! Just the bean flavor was still too noticeable????
Bee, what kind of cocoa powder did you use? I’m a “new vegan” (meaning I still like the taste of the real stuff) and I thought these were excellent. By the way, I used coconut oil and xylitol. I was just wondering if that could have caused the beans to be detectable for you. Even my non-vegan, chocolate loving kids loved these and I could never get them to eat black beans and chocolate before! :-)
If you can, give them another try. Be sure to rinse the beans thoroughly too. Good luck and Happy New Year Year!
Thanks Patricia! Those are great ideas!
Just made these with a combination of adzuki & mung beans that I had prepared earlier, I only had one cup of beans so I also included one cup of walnuts to make up for the bulk, otherwise I stuck to the recipe….turned out amazing!!! Thankyou very very much :)
I’m just about to make recipe and need measurement of water added to eggs?
Another tip: using pulses that are “no salt added” helps prevent the bean-y flavour!
I could totally taste the beans!!!! :-(:-) Hoping too try again with more raw sugar ?? Really like recipe want it too work for whole family!! Hubby will detect bean flavor!! Any other additives too disguise bean flavor?? Maybe butter extract!!!! Yeah!??! More vanilla?? Definitely cinnamon!!!!
No one so far that has tried this recipe can detect the bean flavor. The only thing that’s noticeable sometimes is the bean skin. I have made these twice, for 6 different people.
If the bean skin is noticeable just process them longer so that they grind down more. I make mine in a food processor and they turn out great!
I made this twice, for my kids (6 and 9 years old) You cannot taste the beans at all. They even saw me making them with beans and were “yuck this” “yuck that” and when I served them they asked if these were the ones with beans. I said “No, these are different ones” and they suspiciously started eating them moving on quickly onto devouring.
If anybody feels the bean taste is all in your head. Taste is a product of your brain!!!
I am annoyed by people who say they want to eat healthy and then start expecting things to taste the same as the bad stuff. Go ahead Dee, add a pound of butter followed by 3 cups of high fructose corn syrup and I am sure you won’t feel the bean taste anymore! SHM. Jeesh!
Some people have a more sensitive palate. Your response was pretty rude by my standards. You did not ‘call it like you saw it’, you made assumptions that Dee would add excessive quantities of the less-healthy items. It appears, to me, that she is attempting to make something different and healthier than the original version palatable to her family. It’s not always easy to go from one extreme to the other for everyone and you have no idea of what happens down the road after transitioning further. My own personal dietary changes have adapted over time, and my husband’s have been more drastic. We needed the alterations or we would never had stuck with it.
I just made these and they are so good. Can not taste the beans. My family will not eat beans, yet they did and they dont even know it..LOL. I used avacado oil instead of coconut oil bc my daughter doesn’t like the taste of coconut. Awesome and healthy recipe. 5 stars
I absolutely love these. I added a heaping tablespoon of instant coffee along with a few dashes of cinnamon. Am amazed that they come out so cakey/fudgy. I didn’t taste beans at all – and subbed Splenda for the sugar to boot. Good luck!
DEE listen TO me!!!! No bean taste over heree!!!!!!!!! Hubby could not tell and sayd to me “yum!!!!!!” delicious maybe next time add mre nuts????!! yum!!! nice work
Maybe you should tell your DH to make his own brownies
I made these the other day, and they were fantastic! I mixed everything by hand but the black beans, those went in my Walmart version of the bullet blender. To add some extra creaminess, I made cashew chocolate frosting, yummmmmm!
Lovely idea with the cashew frosting! So glad you enjoyed these, Dana. (great name, btw : )
Hi! I was browsing the web for vegan desserts that I could bake for a friend and these look stunning! I was wondering though, because this recipe calls for raw sugar, if you know of any specific type of sugar I could use that’s 100 percent vegan friendly because I did a little research and apparently there’s some controversy about regular sugar.
Thanks :)
Can I use Stevia extract it is a powder. In place of raw sugar?
Yes, but I would recommend using far less since it’s much sweeter than sugar. And you may have to compensate with more cocoa powder or even a little flour for dryness since you aren’t using as much sugar, which dries the batter out. Hope that helps!
I was also wondering about using stevia extract, so to add some dryness to the batter, could i use some coconut flour? How much would you recommend (i know coconut flour REALLY dries it out)
I used 1/4 cup of honey instead of sugar, added cashews and poured in muffin papers, baked 25 minutes. Awesome. Also I made a cashew topping with natural peanut butter and chocolates made with honey. What a desert this is. 2 cups soaked cashews rinse and drain, 1/4 cup of honey, pinch of sea salt, 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 cup adams peanut butter or almond butter. Mix well in blender. Yummmm…. for chocolate… 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, 3/4 cup coconut oil, 1/3 cup honey, pinch of sea salt. Heat on low heat to melt honey. Pour in baking dish 8×8 or mini muffin papers. Chill they will firm up within an hour. You can add more sea salt for a more salty touch or sprinkle on chocolates in pan. Also you can add chopped nuts to the chocolates if desired. PS I also boil my own beans in water and sea salt. The best and economical by far. I did not notice any skins from the beans this way.
Huh??? Are you giving us another recipe?
Thanks Teri I’m about to make these and cannot have sugar and plan on using maple syrup as part of the sugar then subbing in crushed walnuts to make up for the dry amount.
Thank you Teri! I’m trying to not eat any processed sugars or flours and was wondering how I could adapt this recipe. THANK you for already doing the work and for the awesome “extra” recipes as well. Can’t wait to try them. This is why I spend the time to read comments! =)
So you turned vegan brownies into non vegan brownies. Vegan sugar is same as honey why did you changed ??????
Please use caution when using Stevia. I used it for ten years and couldn’t figure out why I developed asthma. If you are allergic to ragweed, you will probably be allergic to Stevia. The asthmatic symptoms begin gradually and worsen to the point, when exposed to other antagonists, that you can’t even talk to save your breath to enable breathing. Stevia should be treated the same as peanuts or any other food allergen.
Within three days of stopping Stevia I was able to breathe normally again.
Can i do them in a large square cake tin, instead of muffin tins.. like a traditional brownie?
Hi Dana,
I have a question about the brownies. Do I use sweetened or unsweetened cocoa powder?
Do I have to cook them first? I have only dried black beans, left them in water for a couple of hours and drained them. I think it´s not really possible to use them like this?!
you have to cook the dried black beans first. Best way is putting them in the slow cooker overnight just covered with water. I leave them in the slow cooker for about 10-12 hours until soft. Then drain the water and rinse the beans before use
I am newly diagnosed with type II diabetes….so I substituted SPLENDA (granulated) for sugar. These turned out wonderful and they keep well frozen. Thank you so much for sharing this good recipe!
Is it 350 degrees F or C?
Thanks
F
Dana
I ‘ve joined your list because you were not pushy in asking, and I like your writing /site style. I might even try the recipe as this is why I was making a search. Thanks
They are ridiculously delicious – sweet but not overwhelmingly so!
Made these last night. They are wonderful. No regrets!
They are simply fantastic. Super Califorgeristic Explelidocious!
This is my new favourite recipe! You really can’t taste the beans, no one I’ve fed these to has ever noticed, it’s compliments all round. If you can’t find black beans red kidney beans work really well too.
Thank you guys! I’ve just found black beans so I’ll be trying them tonight!
I tried making these today and followed the recipe to a T. But unfortunately, it did not turn out like a “real” brownie. It was OK, and would probably pair really well with vanilla bean ice cream, but it doesn’t fulfill my brownie craving!
These are delicious and sooooo easy to make – I couldn’t believe it! I like them better than regular brownies. Partially because they are so less awful for me. I added two eggs instead of the flax eggs and added chocolate chips on top – yum!
Are there other recipes for less sweet sweets that people love???
My daughter made these for me for my Thanksgiving dessert yesterday. Since I can’t have gluten or sugar, she used the coconut palm sugar in the exact same proportions as the raw sugar. OMG they were delicious!! I begged her for the recipe and some to eat the next day!! Now, I will be making them for my guests. It will be fun to make them and then tell people what’s in them. Thank you Dana for your tasty, tasty recipes.
Thank you for your post I was wondering about using coconut sugar !
Subbing sugar with coconut palm sugar is nonsensical. Both are refined sugars. Both have pretty much no nutritional value. Coconut sugar has nearly as much fructose as cane sugar. Environmentally, they both come from impoverished tropical areas, and rainforest is cut down to plant coconut palms.
If you want a sugar substitute, i suggest a sugar alcohol (xylitol or erythritol) which has much less calories. Or dates, which are high in fiber and nutrients because they are a whole food.
Coconut palm sugar is much lower on the glycemic index than regular sugar, making it a better choice for diabetics or pre-diabetics.
I used canned well rinsed garbanzo beans instead of black beans. The coconut oil that I use gives a slight hint of coconut. Very delicious , could not taste the beans.
Don’t fear the black beans!!! I made this yesterday and another batch is baking again as I’m typing this! You don’t taste the black beans at all!!
I have made these more than a dozen times now. No one can ever detect the beans. Ever. Everyone loves these. I use coconut sugar and depending on the crowd I might add a bit more. Thanks Dana for such a healthy, delicious, and foolproof recipe!!!!
Yay! SO glad you’ve enjoyed these so much!
My sister is sensitive to gluten and we have tried a few variations of this recipe. Our most foolproof recipe is posted on my blog at.
Yuck! I wasted my time and ingredients making these brownies. I’ve tried several healthy desserts and am yet to find one worth a darn. I guess sweets aren’t meant to be healthy.
You must have done something wrong. Why not post and ask for tips? I’m not a baker, but made these yesterday and they were awesome. My non-vegan husband loved them too. You’re missing out if you think healthy can’t be tasty.
I have an excellent recipe for you to try. My friends who never eat healthy even love these little muffins.
gluten free vegan double chocolate zucchini muffins
makes 12 muffins
1 1/4 cups Sarah’s gluten free flour blend (I use Namaste flour blend from Costco)
1/2 cup good quality cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
3/4 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 cup finely shredded zucchini, packed (about 1 zucchini)
1/4 cup canola or sunflower seed oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup dairy free chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin tin by lining with paper liners or spraying with cooking spray. In large mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Mix together coconut milk and vinegar until curdled. Add sugar, shredded zucchini, oil and vanilla. Add flour mixture and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Stir until just combined.
Divide batter into prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips on muffin tops. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Place muffins on cooling rack to cool. Store in air-tight container. Best enjoyed within 1-2 days.
I plan on making these today but I have one question.. Is there a replacement for the flax egg? Could I skip it? Otherwise would a Chia seed egg work? Thank you in advance :)
Hey there!
I’m a wee bit late replying to this, but when I first made it I used a chia egg instead and they turned out beautifully. :)
Have a great day!
Hello! I felt the same way. I’m Italian. I love to cook and eat GREAT tasting food and I get annoyed when it doesn’t happen. Actually I get angry…I’ve been trying to find a refined sugar free healthy dessert recipe–that’s easy. I stumbled upon “Chocolate Covered Katie” website/blog. OMG! I made her chocolate chip cookie cake-it is phenomenal. Even cold it tastes great. But heated in microwave for 20 sec next day and it tastes just like a choc chip cookie. Unbelievable. She has a sugar free version, which is what I used. I PROMISE you won’t be disappointed. Hope this helps
Great taste. But dry as dust. I made the mistake of using a convection oven. So even at 20 min they were overdone, and a big disappointment. My own fault, but heads up if anyone is using a convection oven. Reduce the temp and or time. Didnt imagine I would ever throw out a brownie, but these are sad.
I just made these healthy brownies and I’m blown away they taste yummy. I did add real eggs and the batter was dry so I added 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted choc chips and I used Trivia an Stevia as my sweeter.Plus I tossed in a half cup of the choc chips an topped with a few pecan halves.I have pre diabetes so this why no raw sugar.
I am not a brownie person but a brownie fanatic friend of mine is celebrating his birthday tomorrow and I want to surprise him with a healthier fare since he is now concerned with his health. These brownies are amazing, I am a vegan and I bake so I had no problems, the recipe works like a charm. Thanks do much!
Yay! Glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for sharing!
Hi there,
Made these brownies once and they are delish! Thing is I had to wing how much water to add to the eggs since you don’t specify in the ingredients listings. So my questions is how much water? Thanks.
Kelly
There’s a link under ‘flax egg’ in the ingredients. But it’s 1 tbsp of ground flax to 2.5 tbsp of water :)
just made these for my daughter’s preK class and they are soooooo yummy! added a dash of cinnamon, a 1/4 cup ground up bittersweet chocolate chips and made them into minis. baked for about 10-12 min. definitely a keeper!
I am a diabetic. Wife made this for me and Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks!
I must hasten to say that she replaced the raw sugar with a suitable substitute of course :-)
I must hasten to say that she replaced the raw sugar with a suitable substitute (like Xylitol) of course :-)
These were super easy and delicious!
These are awesome. I don’t like black beans at all, you don’t taste them . I have some in the oven now.
Denise
These look delicious. I made a chickpea chocolate cake not long ago and it was delicious. Beans make awesome cakes! I’m definitely going to give these a whirl. We have a long car journey coming up in 2 weeks and these would be the perfect snack!
I can not believe I still have not made black bean brownies!!! Yours just look to tempting not to make!! Plus, I have been craving brownies for weeks!
Fabulous! Making these this weekend. :-)
Can you substitute 2 fresh eggs for the flax eggs? We have chickens you see….
See my answer to Sarah’s question!
I can’t find your answer would you ind saying again if normal eggs work or not?
Really is it that hard to ans a question rather than have someone search for it? Geesh.
Yes, eggs would work.
Same amount – 2 real eggs ?
I have tried regular eggs but my brownies do not turn out fudgy, just dense.
I made black bean brownies yearrrrs ago and brought them into work. People freaked out (like, became grossed out) after I told them what was inside. It was funny! I’ll have to give them another go as I feel like people have been perfecting them over the years. The ones I made were like eating pure fudge. These look great!
Are the beans cooked or dry? I am new to all this and didn’t know. Thank you.
Cooked!
I second Tiffany’s question.
I am also scared of using beans in desserts! But hopefully I will become brave enough to give this a try. :)
These look great! I haven’t made black bean brownies before, but I have used chickpeas in a similiar idea. These look a LOT better though.
Can I ask what editing software you use for your photos to add texts? Photoshop? Thanks! :)
Thanks Laura! I use photoshop to edit my photos and add texts. I actually cover a lot of that (with video tutorials) in my food photography e-course. You should check it out!
I made your black bean brownies the last time you posted them and they were incredible. Since then I discovered Vegan Sweet Potato Brownies too, essentially subbing out the black beans for cooked sweet potato. They’re fudgy, decadent and completely yummy too.
That’s a great idea using cooked sweet potato. Especially to use up extra sweet potatoes we might have for leftovers.
Is it the exact same amount of sweet potato? I made these yummy brownies and my husband doesn’t digest beans well. It’s an issue so that would be great. Do you add more oil?
Thanks
Can you substitute using 2 eggs?
I can’t speak to that since I haven’t tried it, but I would guess, yes. Honestly, I’d only do one egg if it were me. If you give it a try, report back with how it went!
I used 2 eggs and cooked for 20 minutes. They came out cake like instead of fudgy, but still delicious.
I just made these with one egg and a can of light red kidneys. They are delicious!
I also made these with an egg. Works fine! This is a great recipe. I want to let others know that I halved the recipe with no problems either. Definitely a keeper recipe. I would have no problem setting these treats out without feeling obligated to reveal the beans. Thanks for printing such a good recipe.
Hi, I make a version of these and they are very good (often even better the 2nd day). You can easily sub out the eggs with milled flax seed: just use 1 tablespoon milled flax seed and 2 of warm tap water for each egg. Let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes in a separate small bowl, then whisk or stir with a fork and add to the recipe as you would an egg. This works for most baking recipes.
Erika,
Let me make sure I understand. 1 tablespoon of milled flax seed with 2 tablespoons of warm water? I need to use 2 eggs, so do this twice? I would love to try baking without eggs.
Thank you
Hi Rachelle,
Yes, you would multiply the flax and water amounts for each egg in the recipe. I have had a lot more luck in vegan baking with the milled flax seed vs. something like Ener-G egg substitute.
It even works for cake!
Good luck and enjoy!
Erika
I’ve just tried replacing the flax with one egg. It turned out a bit fudgey. :)
Yes, cashews provide a certain creaminess that coconut milk lacks. Hope you like!
can chia be used instead of flax for the egg replacer?
Yes you can. Did not have any flax on hand, so I substituted 2 large eggs. Delicious!
Oooh yum! These are similar to some chocolate black bean cookies I’ve made. I added cacao nibs to those so I might have to add them to these, too!
Can you substitute chia for flax and maple syrup for sugar?
Wendy, I would guess, but I haven’t tried that so no guarantees. The flax substitution is fine. But the maple syrup will likely make them runnier, so I’d recommend compensating with more cocoa powder and/or some gluten free flour.
I used chia seed/flax seed blend and it worked JUST FINE.
By the way this recipe is delicious. I don’t taste no beans. Just chocolaty sweet goodness.
I’m not crazy about sweets :) So just one overwhelmed me.
Just made these! They really are the perfect brownie, no joke. I’m a dark chocolate lover and these have a really rich taste. I licked quite a bit of the batter out of blender and even without baking they tasted great: no bean flavor.
I’ve recently made the similar version and LOVED them! I used coconut sugar and it worked great. SO YUMMY!!!
Okay, just made these and they are all gone. My 3 kids and husband scarfed them up! They came out perfect, looked just like your picture. Nobody knew they were gluten-free, or made with beans. Shhh our secret!
Oh I want these so badly. You’re killing me with all the deliciousness you’ve posted recently!
Oooh I am so excited to see the new recipe next week!! :D I am sooo looking out for it!
I just made the original black bean brownie bite recipe for easter. Eager to try the new and improved updated version now.
I’ve made black beans brownies before and you’d never know. In fact, they’re super tasty!!
Oh man I have to make these as soon as possible. Brownies are my ultimate weakness.
Holy. Crap. Dana, these look amazing! I’ve made black bean cake before, but these totally look better. I like the use of the flax eggs too. Must try!
Dana, you have such a way with desserts with extra nutrition “snuck” in! The texture of these looks amazing, and I just love that they are made in a muffin tin – such perfect little rounds!
These are delicious and so easy!
need to incorporate black beans more often into my desserts. that looks insanely delish!
Great recipe! Think this would work in a brownie pan (8×8 or 9×9)? Would the cooking time vary in that case?
I used an 8×8 and cooked 27ish minutes, maybe 30, I can’t recall. But they were fudgy with a cakey top. Amazing.
This recipe is great! Just made them today, and wanted to ask, can they be frozen and saved for later? Did anyone try this?
You are my healthy baking Goddess!!!!!!!!!
Black bean brownies are the best! LOVE.
These look great, but where in the intructions does it mention the rest of the ingredients? I dont see any mention of cocao powder, salt, vanilla, or sugar.
In the instructions I say “add black beans through baking powder,” meaning all all the remaining ingredients besides the toppings. That includes the cocoa powder, salt, vanilla and sugar! Hope that helps.
Okay thanks :) These are now on my to-do list for today.
I made these and loved them! I did however put 2 tsps vanilla instead of 1. I also added a little honey and pecan bits to the mix . So good! I dont feel so guilty eating these brownies so Thank You!! :)
These look fantastic! Do you think using Egg Replacer would be ok, instead of flax seeds? I don’t have flax seeds, but have everything else ready and waiting in the cupboards! Thanks xx
I think so but no guarantees!
Hey! I have yet to try out any of your recipes but they look so good! I have a 7 year old cousin with gluten allergy and I am definitely trying the recipes out for her when I visit her this summer. :)
Can you subsite dates instead of the sugar? I have a lot of dates in my house (I try to eat a date a day) and I noticed that some of your recipes use dates instead of sugar. I was wondering if I could use some of my dates (especially the slightly dryer ones) in the recipe
I think that might work, but no guarantees on the texture and taste. I find that processing dates rarely fully purees them, which would make the brownies unevenly sweet and chunky. But if you were able to get them down to a puree, I don’t see why not! Hope that helps.
What a great idea to sub dates! How did the brownies come out though?
Just lovely! Talk about wonderful photos too! Amazing.
I also have a few black bean recipes that I adore but I am totally diggin’ these. Great job! I am sooo hungry now. :)
The first batch came out a little dry, but I added some applesauce and olive oil and oh my goodness, moist brownie heaven. I’m eating these for breakfast tomorrow.
Can you clarify how much baking powder to use?
What are your thoughts on subbing unsweetened applesauce for the oil? I know that making that switch often results in more cakey rather than fudgy baked goods, but since these are already flourless and pretty fudgy I’m wondering if they’d still be nice and fudgy with the applesauce instead of oil. What do you think?
Um… Am I right to assume that these aren’t canned beans?
The recipe says canned beans and tells you how many cups just in case you use the other.
Question: Did you use sweetened or unsweetened cocoa powder?
unsweetened!
Just made these, delish! I only changed two things, one: I lined my pan with If You Care cupcake liners and two: I threw in a handful of 60% cacao chocolate chips into the batter while it was whirling around versus putting them on top before baking. I sprinkled with pecan chips, baked…and they are wonderful. Thanks for such a great, healthy alternative to regular brownies! Love your website and always look forward to the emails.
These add ons sound delish! I’m going to try them next time I make this recipe.
Ummm… how much baking powder do you use? Definitely want to make these!
1 1/2 teaspoons.
These are so good!!! If I hadn’t used two eggs because I was too impatient to wait for the flax ‘eggs’, my 3 year old and I may have eaten the entire bowl of batter.
I used my Magic Bullet, so I had to pour each ingredient out into a bowl and then combine it with a spoon. I’m not a big fan of any kind of sugar, so I would like to try maple syrup next time. Has anyone had any success subbing maple syrup in this recipe?
I used coconut sugar which is low glycemic index and tastes amazing! Check it out! Brownies were AMAZING!!
In the oven as I write this and none too sooner…my hubby just walked through the door! Told him I’m making him brownies. I tasted the batter and no way will he even suspect black beans!! LOL They smell DELISH!
Hubby LOVED them! No reason to let him know they’re made with black beans…LOL The next day out of frig the taste is even more intense…YUM! Thank you for posting the recipe.:)
Love to hear it!
Thanks for the great recipe. I just made these. Because I don’t eat chocolate I substituted organic dehydrated coconut powder for the cocoa. They turned out FANTASTIC. I almost didn’t give them to my grandchildren because I like the muffins so much. In the end I did, because I know how to bake and they don’t.
Question: I don’t have raw sugar… can I use granulated sugar? Or would brown sugar be a better substitute?
I used granulated sugar and they came out quite nicely. I used the same ratio and they are pleasantly sweet. I’ve never made it with raw sugar though so I don’t know if it’s different in the end.
Delish! I added a pinch of instant coffee (to take the edge off the bean taste) and accidentally forgot to add vanilla… still fantastic – couldn’t taste the beans at all. Can’t wait to try them WITH vanilla. :)
I tried some black bean brownies the other day and decided to look for a recipe. This looks great.
(psst: “descent amount” should be “decent amount”. :) )
AMAZING!! Fantastic recipe :) I had not tried anything like this before, but am soo happy I did! Super easy to make, and took hardly any time or effort, but they turn out soo decadent and look like you’ve been chained to the stove for ages :)
Hubby was super impressed, and shocked even more when I told him the ingredients ;)
(Only thing I did different was chia instead of flax, and coconut sugar instead of raw)
I made these on Sunday because I simply could not stand the curiosity anymore! I used one real egg instead of a flax egg and they were PERFECTION! I think I like them better than “real” brownies. Thanks for the recipe!!
As a preschool teacher, I’m always looking for awesome healthy projects to bake with my kids! I made a batch of these at home last night and they are seriously DELICIOUS. Skeptics, take heart! It would be impossible to detect the black beans in these. I also added chocolate chips for my sweet-tooth hubby, and replaced the cane sugar with coconut palm sugar – more nutritive and lower glycemic. I’m definitely using this recipe for my next baking project at school! Also great because the kids can lick the bowl as much as they want :)
Thanks for an awesome recipe!
You left out part of the directions. After making the flax egg and adding the beans (step 4), you proceed to scraping down the sides and putting in the pan! Is the order of adding the rest of the ingredients important? You might want to change your directions to include the other ingredients so us linear-thinking folks can understand it. Thanks, Beth
Updated! Sorry for the confusion.
THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!
Due to my daughters allergies we’re on a strict no dairy, egg, wheat or soy diet which has made baking quite the hassel… These brownies however are a true enlightenment! We no longer miss “real” brownies. I don’t think I’ll ever want to bake “traditional” brownies ever again!
Love from Germany,
Jazz
P.S. I couldn’t get black beans so I subbed cannellini beans. Works just fine!
Since we are vegans who don’t use sugar, we tried substituting erthyritol sweetener for the sugar. It was awful! Had an aftertaste so bad we had to throw them out. I am sure it must have come from the erythritol. I am wondering if agave syrup or stevia would be more healthy?
I used agave in mine and they were wonderful!
Hi Sharon –
I’m considering baking these with the agave nectar (afraid to put in sugar – don’t want to trigger the sugar cravings that come with it). Did you have to adjust the ratio of agave? (meaning, did you put in the full 1/2 cup, or did you reduce it or add more?) Was the batter thinner because of more liquid and if so, did you just add more flour and/or cocoa?
Thanks!
I used between 1/2 half and 3/4 cup of agave, and the batter was just perfect. I made them once with stevia, and even though the batter was a little more stiff, the fudgy consistency was still the same. I prefer the agave flavor, though. As a side note, I have also made these with real eggs…they come out like muffins instead of fudgy brownies.
Hi Sharon,
How much stevia did you use? Half a teaspoon? I have pure stevia powder and from what I remember one teaspoon stevia is like one cup sugar. Did you change the cooking time?
Jennie, I used the same amount of granulated stevia as the amount of sugar called for in the recipe. Personally, it could have used a little more sweetness, so some extra granulated stevia with a little extra liquid would probably work well.
When you say granulated stevia you mean something with erythritol in it?
Oh, and thanks for your quick reply!
erythritol would probably work fine, though I have not tried it. When I say Stevia, I am referring to powdered stevia. I use Nu-Stevia, non bitter.
Hi Dana,
Do you use a baking blend or regular stevia. I have something like the second one but one teaspoon of stevia equals one cup of sugar and the results aren’t really that good. To be honest, I actually don’t want to try erythritol and I would prefer if I could stick to plain old stevia, but like I said before, the results, not so good. :(
Just Nu-Naturals Nu-Stevia non-bitter packets. And a little bit goes a LONG way.
I made a boo-boo, 1/2 tsp stevia = 1 cup sugar. No wonder the brownies I tried making (different recipe) tasted kinda funny. So, I’ll use 1/4 pure stevia powder because that equals 1/2 cup sugar. Should I add anything else to bulk it up since I’m omitting the sugar (maybe 1/3 cup apple sauce) or should I follow the rest of the recipe as is?
Thank you so much for your replies. :)
OH MY GOD. I made this last night and they are unbelievably good!! Even though I have a very small food processor, which started smoking and smelling weird, and I had to blend the beans with a hand mixer, and then I miscalculated the temperature conversion and nearly burnt them, and even though I almost forgot to put the beans in at all…..
This is a failsafe recipe. Despite my ineptitude, the brownies are sticky, fudgy, rich and gorgeous. Next time I think I’ll add some chopped dates as well. Mmmmmm. Thank you so much!
Wow…amazing! I wouldn’t have said so yesterday when they came out of the oven (not set and crumbly at the same time), but after sitting in the fridge overnight they are fudgy fantastic! The texture is perfect.
I used some black beans I had around with onions and chipotle peppers in them (tried to pick it out) and that little chipotle kick is amazing! Just the batter was so awesome, I knew these were going to be great.
To make them healthier, I used coconut sugar. I want to try using dates next time like Dr. Fuhrman’s recipe. You would never know they are made with beans, really!!!
These brownies were absolutely amazing! I used stevia instead of the sugar for reduced calories.. everybody in my house loved them so much! Thank you for a great recipe!
All the best from Amman, Jordan
1st attempt: in the oven now, I was so surprised that the flax and water, after sitting had the egg consistency. I could not help but to eat the batter, oh my goodness. If the finished product is anything like the batter… well lets just say it totally fooled me. I will bring these to family functions and then tell them after they eat it. Thanks for sharing, I am now subscribed to your emails. Looking forward to trying other recipes.
Wow I really love the looks of these. Do you think I would have success with baking these in an 8 inch square pan? Also that looks like a lot of cocoa. Is the amount of sugar enough to offset the bitterness of cocoa? I love bitter chocolate, but sometimes when I try to reduce sugar in recipes, the bitterness tends to be off-putting. I’ll be trying these asap!
Yes! Some readers have commented that they used an 8×8 pan without any issues. Also, if you prefer a less chocolate intense flavor simply add more sugar! It sounds like a lot of cocoa but I wouldn’t cut that back or the bean flavor may shine through a bit more. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the prompt response! I’ll try the recipe as is, it makes sense to use plenty of cocoa to hide the bean flavour.
This are amazing! I think I added a bit too much water – but not too bothered as they taste like a cross between fudge and a brownie. A winning recipe – many thanks!!
Love to hear it!
This was the best bbb recipe I had seen and had to try. Made them a couple of days ago, only I substituted 2 eggs for the flax egg (although I do have flax on hand and will try that also in the future), and organic agave nectar for the sugar. Love them – they are so dark chocolaty and I don’t feel guilty eating two of them with a glass of red wine! Hubby likes them also, but he has no idea what’s in them!
I was skeptical about these, because of the beans, but they are absolutely amazing! So fudgy and delicious, you can’t taste the beans at all.
These are SO good!! I made them with a regular egg, since I’m not vegan, just avoiding gluten and dairy and they turned out amazing! I almost ate the whole batch before I even baked it, so I made double the quantity :)) My whole family, none of who are vegan or interested in eating healthy even loved it! It was hilarious when I told them the ingredients, haha I’m making more today :D
Thank you for this recipe! I honestly like these more than regular brownies!
Just made these and they were delish! Didn’t have any black beans so made them red kidney beans and they turned out yummy! Also left them in for 20 mins and probaby could have even done them for 15 to get them more fudgey. But yum!
Has anyone tried to sub the sugar for stevia? if so how much would you use?
Thanks
I just made these with dark red kidney beans,1&1/2 real eggs and added a hand full of fresh spinach…they are great!! I topped them with melted choc chips for my kids. I love this recipe! Thank you!!
I’m in the process of making these brownies and was just wondering… I thought vegan excludes eggs…
flax eggs are a vegan substitute for real eggs. See the notes in the recipe. 1 flax egg = 1 heaping Tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 Tbsp water.
I substituted the oil for applesauce and they came out amazing! Great recipe! Delicious! Thank you!
These look great. We intend to bake a few dozen to sell for fundraising at the Relay for Life in Salinas on June 8th, 2013. Would it be appropriate to print and distribute the recipe in case any of the walkers or visitors want it? I would print it as it comes off the web, with credit to the author. I just don’t want to presume. Thank you.
That’s fine, Jon. Thanks for asking!
Made these exactly as directed and they were amazing! My (very picky eater) kiddos devoured them…what a great recipe! We will be making again and again!
I tried this recipe and they turned out great! My friend made them too and had similar success. Thanks for posting!
I do have a question though:
You mentioned that you had trouble with another recipe setting up. I have this problem all the time but I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong! I feel like it has something to do with the flax but I can’t seem to find a pattern – do you have any insights?
Yes, flax definitely has a tendency to leave baked goods extra moist in the middle, but it’s something I don’t mind. Ashley at EdiblePerspective would actually be a great resource if you’re looking for more information on the topic. She’s done a TON of experimenting and has come up with alternative “egg” substitutions that set up nicely. Hope that helps!
made these yesterday. very impressed. loved them. and making more this week. used regular eggs.
Made these… Exactly according to the recipe. They are edible, not amazing. The texture is good. They taste about as good as a chocolate diet bar. While the beans aren’t detectable, the high fiber taste is there. I am so disappointed, all these comments got my hopes up. But apparently commenters are not comparing these to real brownies. Headed to the bakery to buy real brownies, can’t take these to a luncheon.
I’m going to try my hand at these tonight, but since all of the reviews are raving about the recipe as is, I am going to follow it to a “t”. I don’t need them to be vegan (just gluten free), but I have no clue about these “Flax Eggs”! In the recipe, does “2 large flax eggs (2.5 T flaxseed meal + 6 T water)” mean that the 2.5 T flaxsee meal/6 T of water make one “flax egg” or is the amount for the 2 flax eggs the recipe calls for?
For the imperially challenged among us, also I wasn’t able to find tinned black beans, so used chickpeas (400 g) instead. I also substituted maple sirup for the sugar, added more cocoa approx. 1 cup as you mentioned; and added approx. 3 tsp Hemp flour. They would have turned out perfectly had I cooked them another few minutes but they were looking ready. Thank you very much indeed for a great recipe.
OMGosh!! AMAZING!! I made using 1/3 cup honey, 10 drops of Chocolate Stevia, 1Tbs of GF flour & I flubbed on the “flax egg” making with only 2Tbs flaxseed meal & 4Tbs water…(but it worked) everything else per the recipe..sprinkling w/chopped walnuts. Baked for 22 min & next time will bake for only 20, as the center wasn’t quite as gooey as I like, but still AMAZING & DELICIOUS!!! I’ll put them to the test serving to friends that are neither GF or plant based to see if they notice a difference.
Thanks for posting such a healthy, delicious & GF dessert recipe!!
I just made a double batch of these babies for our house warming party!
This recipe is gorgeous & just the perfect proportions.
Great recipe, I’ll be making a lot of these goodies !
Keep em comin,
Brooke in Toronto
oops…forgot to rate the recipe….5 STARS!
I tried these tonight w/high hopes that were quickly extinguished. I did sub in dates for the sugar (after looking up and verifying several times how to do it). I am going to try once again following the directions to a tee this time and adding perhaps a bit more sugar than called for. Honestly, it kind of tasted like bitter mush, w/no other flavor. Hoping changing the sweetener makes the difference as I really want these to work.
This is so delicous, thank you so much for the amazing recipe! Totally in love with them and don’t feel guitly eating a little too much! So delicous, i’ve converted my family and can’t wait to bring a batch for my friends without telling them what’s in it! The worst thing is waiting for them to cool, I still sneak in one while warm but it’s so much yummier once cooled!
OMG! I was craving a rich chocolate brownie and thought I’d try this. I love making favorites foods even healthier! These were AMAZING! I am a chocolate snob and they were perfect taste and texture without the sugar taste or sugar crash afterwards! I try tons of online recipes and this is the first comment I’ve ever written! THANK YOU!
Made these to add to your chocolate ice cream recipe and they are SO good! I’ve made black bean brownies before, but this is by far the best recipe! And the fact that they’re gluten free is so perfect. I think I’ll even add some mini chocolate chips next time. Thanks for a fantastic recipe!
Hi you use the letter T next to coconut oil … is that for teaspoon?
Tablespoons!
Oooohhh!!! :) I’m making a pan of these for a picnic on Friday, and I can’t wait to see how they turn out. All I can say is, they smell de-lish!! ;) thanks for the recipe…it might be used again…and again…and again. :)
:D
I just pulled these brownies out of the oven, and am waiting for them to cool a bit. However, if they are half as good as the batter tasted, they will rock! I did not have flax seed, so used 1/2 cup applesauce instead.
I was wondering if I could use an over ripe banana and reduce the sugar?
I didn’t see anyone saying anything in the prior posts.
Thanks!
You may be able to, but if it makes affects the consistency of the batter you may want to thin it out. Hope that helps!
ok. bare with me. im a regular guy and i dont bake ( learning tho. )
this looks like a simple desert. but what rack to use in the oven?
Im going with the middle one.
will let u know how it comes out.
the batter tastes good tho.
I tend to top-rack everything out of habit but the middle is probably fine. Hope you liked them, mine came out great.
the middle one is fine! hope they turned out yummy :D
I made this brownie! Totally a keeper recipe! I didn’t think a half a cup of sugar would be enough for us… so I had to add more after tasting. After baking…I still will add more sugar next time and believe me… we aren’t big sugar users.. but that just wasn’t enough for us. Otherwise… excellent!
Allison
I loved the ingredients in this recipe and made them last night, right before Mad Men. I had to restrain myself from eating more than 1.5. They were very fudgy and delish and my boyfriend (non-vegan brownie maniac) ate one and proclaimed them delicious. I didn’t even mention how good for him they were. I also topped them with cocoa nibs for the crunch factor, worked out swell.
I never say this, but- Oh. M. G. These are — they’re so good I don’t even have the words. I’m eating a huge piece as I type and I’m trying to eat it slow because I don’t want this bliss to end… I baked them for my husband and his sceptic friends, “Michael! She’s putting black beans in the $&@#in’ brownies!” And needless to say the pan is completely devoured. They’re like vegan flourless chocolate cake, healthy dark chocolately goodness. Well done. Can’t wait to try your other inventions :) and my husband is in love with brownie batter blizzards (though they’re pure junk so he hasn’t had one since he was in his teens) so I’m most likely making that next. You made my night, thanks ;D
First attempt at bean dessert, plus the use of flax “eggs”. Tasted great, but the batter was super-runny and did not look anything like brownies or cakey. King of blobbed together. What might I have done incorrectly? Did I just not let the flax eggs set long enough? Thoughts? I’d like to give these another try. Thanks!
Made these as a gift for a vegan teacher. Have never eaten anything vegan.
OMG they are delicious and I hope she will think so too!
Excellent recipe. I am not a brownie fan, but I enjoy these. especially with extra nuts. They are very chocolatey and not too sweet. My extra picky brownie loving husband even liked them.
I attempted these tonight. Used one whole egg instead of flax eggs but kept everything else the same. They came out dry and powdery. Couldn’t even hold one without it falling apart! :( they tasted good. Really chocolatey minis the powdery consistency. What went wrong!? I did add a little water to get it to blend and cooked for 24 mins. Let cool before attempting to remove. I’m so disappointed. Any suggestions so I can give em another go!?
I really want to give these a try. I just made some low kal, gluten free brownies and they turned out really tasty, it’s hard to believe that they are so healthy.
These are delicious! I substituted 1 egg because I didn’t have flax meal and chickpeas because I was out of black beans and they still turned out well. Thanks for the great recipe!
Tried these last night, and they turned out great! I added shredded coconut on top before I baked which took it over the top. I also didn’t have enough flax so I used half flax and half chia seeds tor the ‘eggs’, kept it nice and chewy.
These are the best brownies I’ve ever eaten! The family can’t even tell they are healthy! I’ll never make another type of brownie! Thank you for sharing this!
I made these exactly as written then topped them with mini chocolate chips and walnut pieces. They were delicious! I took them to a concert in the park and shared with my non-vegetarian friends and now everyone wants the recipe!
I had a similar problem to Talia’s: I subbed 2 regular eggs, cooked for about 20 minutes, and though they tasted DELICIOUS, they turned out really dry and crumbly. What do you suggest I add or change? Would it help to drop it down to 1 egg? (I saw someone else added apple sauce and olive oil, but I wanted to hear your particular advice). Thanks!
Don’t use regular eggs use the flax eggs and let the flax mixture sit in the fridge for 20 minutes or so
These were AMAZING! Previously I’d been disappointed by a black bean brownie recipe, but these were delish – rich, chocolatey fudginess that my non-Celiac, non-vegan family devoured within an hour. They couldn’t tell there were beans in them! The batter and brownies tasted and had the same texture as the regular, gluten-containing recipes I used to eat. I used 1/3 cup of cane sugar, 1T of brown sugar, and 3 packets of PureLeaf stevia to cut back a bit on the sugar and they were perfect. Definitely making these again, and I’m going to try them with pureed dates instead of sugar to see how that works. Thanks so much! :)
I really like this recipe! I’ve been searching for a healty brownie recipe and this one appealed because of its simple ingredients and easy preparation. I tried it tonight usign canola oil and brown sugar and topped with chopped walnuts. They have a great texture. My husband would like them a bit sweeter, so next time I’ll add chocolate chips on top next time or maybe try honey or pureed dates as a sweetener. I can’t wait to prepare them for my friend on a gluten-free diet. Beign vegan is a bonus. I will be sharing this link. Thank you!
These are AMAZING! I have read before that, with bean brownies, you need to let them completely cool before eating, otherwise they will taste like beans. I tried one hot, and then one cool, and the cool one was much better. Super fudgy, rich, sweet, and amazing. Brownies are my all time favorite dessert, and these might be some of the best I have ever had. I added a small chunk of chocolate and some almonds to each, and I cannot wait to make these again. I’m going to serve these to my junk food addict relatives and see if they can taste the difference.
These were amazing!!! Fudgy and chocolately. Thank you for the recipe!
These, Were. Amazing. I’m using the past tense because they didn’t last long! I’ve recently stopped eating grains, not necessarily Paleo or Atkins, just no grains. The batch of Paleo brownies I made were gritty from the almond meal, and had a bitter taste. These tasted exactly the way brownies should taste. No grittiness, just fudgy goodness. I’m VERY particular about my brownies…either making my own from scratch or using Ghiradelli mixes. These rival either of those, and sooo much healthier! I’m thinking I could even fool my husband with them (who was definitely not excited about the garbanzo bean cookies I made him try). I didn’t have any flax seed, so I used one egg, and I added 1/2 cup Good Life MINI chocolate chips. The mini chips are great because they suspend in the batter instead of sinking. Fabulous. I ground the raw sugar in my coffee grinder, so there was a little bit of coffee flavoring in these as well, which was a nice layer of flavor. I love baking them in the muffin tins because it’s like getting a corner brownie every time, and they cool more quickly, which means you can eat them more quickly. I’m excited about this recipe…can you tell?
Jory! So glad you enjoyed these brownies. You sound like a certified brownie expert so I’m SO glad these held up to your rigorous standards. It means so much to hear from our readers with such kind feedback. We especially love it when our recipes turn out fabulously for you. Thanks for sharing! John and Dana
I have made these brownies twice and they have not come out whole either time I have made them. They do taste delicious but they broke. I did substitute black beans for chick peas. I am wondering if that makes any difference. Can someone please help?
I have a 6 year old son with severe food allergies to wheat, eggs, and nuts. I made these brownies and everyone went crazy over them. I have to tell you that they are the best allergy free dessert that I have made. I just whipped up another batch for tomorrow. Even my teenagers, who know what brownies are supposed to taste like, loved them. I can’t wait to try some more of your recipes!
haha, love to hear it! Especially when non-vegan eaters dig these brownies. Did you tell them they had black beans in them? I’m sure their jaws dropped! Thanks for sharing :D
I have a question about the can of black beans. Do you use regular sodium or low sodium? Wanted to know how the sodium level would affect the flavor. I use Goya black beans for everything outside of baking as they have a perfect texture. Thanks!
Veo, I use regular. Since you rinse them so well it doesn’t matter either way. If you prefer low-sodium, that’s fine! hope that helps :D
Just out of the oven……..Amazing! Can’t help but wonder Who thought to use
Black beans! Genius..
I’ve made a few different kinds if bean brownies and these were the best so far but still not quite sweet enough for me. I used unpacked brown sugar, so maybe that was my problem. I will make these again but just add some more sweetener. Thanks!
These were really good! However, mine didn’t sink in the middle like yours, but rose. I was looking forward to the little cups yours seemed to form. Any suggestions? Is it an altitude thing (I’m in Florida)?
Should I not have used unsweetened cocoa powder? My batch seemed to turn out kind of strangely and based on all the rave reviews, I must have done something wrong. Argh!
Just made these brownies and they taste AWESOME!! I’m tricking my boyfriend to eat these tomorrow since he is disgusted by anything that gluten free and/or vegan! Can’t wait to see his reaction because these are the best gluten free brownies I have ever had!
In regards to the coconut oil, does it make the brownies taste coconut-y? Also, I’ve seen both refined and unrefined coconut oil in the stores, is one preferred over the other? I’ve never used coconut oil, but I’ve been wanting to try it!
The coconut oil didn’t give off a coconut flavour! I find that often when it’s cooked the coconut flavour kinda just disappears!
Okay, so I just made these after convincing my gluten-free hubby that they sounded amazing. …..OMG! Amazing! I just tried one and I am in complete heaven. Delicious! Thank you so much for this!!!
made these subbing chia+water for the flax eggs and they were awesome. made a second batch without any baking powder and put into pop molds, yumm.
These brownies kick b…
The best GF cake I’ve ever had!
:)
Will chia seeds work for this recipe? Also, will these taste like regular brownies? I’ve recently converted to veganism from being a meat eater, and I kinda need these to fool a meat eater as well.
Any answers would be super appreciated!
They DO taste like brownies – be convinced by the reviews, not just my word! And I would stick with flaxseeds because they’re going to give it a better consistency. If using chia seeds, grind them first if possible. Hope that helps!
Just made these… substituted the olive oil with unsweetened apple sauce because we are oil free and they came out AWESOME! Thanks so much for a great recipe. =)
How much apple sauce did you use?
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These were delish! I have made a handful of different black bean brownies, all vegan and gluten free, but this was the simplest, most delicious recipe! I used beet sugar, because that’s what I had, and baked them in a square pyrex, which added about 5 extra minutes to the baking time. They were fantastic!
I am going to make these for an event, but need bite size. So am using mini muffin pans. Does anyone know the amount of time I should bake them?
Nancy, I’d check them at 12, 15 and 18 minutes. They shouldn’t take longer than 20 at most. Hope that helps!
The batter fit perfectly into my 4×6 min-muffin pan and I took them out of the oven at 18 minutes. They looked a bit gooey at 12 mnutes and I forgot to check them again until 18 minutes but they look great. Baking for 18 minutes is probably fine unless I comment back in 30 minutes with a disaster story. Good luck!
Can you use normal eggs instead of flaxseed eggs and could you sub kidney beans in for black beans? Your advice would be really appreciated :)
You could give it a try but I haven’t given that method a go myself, so no promises that it will turn out the same. Let me know how it goes if you do though!
Oh. My. Goodness.
I was having a hankering for brownies tonight and was searching google for brownie recipes that didn’t require a million ingredients and were soy-, nut-, dairy-, egg-, AND gluten-free. I was pretty sure whatever I would find would taste like my cereal box but I was pretty desperate.
Anywho, I found this recipe and decided it was worth a go. Literally, the beans are undetectable. I couldn’t believe it. SO good. Thank you so much!
I tried these and they are one of the best brownies I’ve ever tried! i tried another black bean brownie recipe before and it failed, so I was skeptical. But definetley try these they are a keeper!
I just baked these and they’re awesome! Delicious. So chocolatey!! Thank you.
Delicious, fudgy texture and a rich chocolatey taste! I added a scoop of cappuccino protein powder and balanced that out with a few tablespoons of coconut milk and they tasted great!
I just made these delicious brownies today, and they were all gone within a couple of minutes! I posted the recipe on my blog(with full credit to Minimalist Baker!) because I knew people would love them?
Thank you
Mercedes
I topped 3 with pecans, 3 with cashews, 3 with raspberries and 3 with banana. They turned out incredibly! Thank you for the great recipe :)
How many servings will this make?
About 12 brownies.
Oh my goodness!! These are amazing. I have tried other black bean brownie recipes that didn’t produce the most desirable results but these, you weren’t messing around when you created these. Thank you! This recipe is going in my “favorites.”
Ann Kroeker on her Food on Friday site, referred us to your recipe for black bean brownies, and I definitely will try them.
These are fantastic! I made them as a surprise for my daughter and for company tonight and everyone loved them, adult and child alike. Who woulda’ thunk?
THANK YOU for this recipe! It was the inspiration for our recipe overhaul at Rocky Mountain Middle School. Last year they were cooking boxed brownies in a microwave. Very exciting new year for them!
I just made this. OMG!!!! Delish. I made only 1 substitution. 1/4 c Ideal Brown sugar substitute and 1/4 c coconut sugar simply because I did not half 1/2 c of either. Wonderful. Will definitely make again.
THIS RECIPE IS DA BOMB!!! I haven’t had a decent brownie since I went gluten free over a year ago and this brownie is soooo satisfying. I love that it’s mostly just beans and cocoa powder! The only tweak I made (cause I didn’t want them to come out sticky, and the ones in the photos here look a little collapsed) was I added 1TB of tapioca flour and 1TB of coconut flour. They came out sooooooooo good- still fudgey but with a decent crumb as well- but next time I’ll probably just add 1TB of tapioca so they’re a bit more dense.
Hey there!
Has anyone ever tried making these in one big pan instead of the muffin tins? Would it work if I adjusted the baking time a bit?
Thanks in advance,
Jazz
Thank you for this recipe. I’ve tried other black bean brownies recipes, some with twice as many ingredients and some of them expensive or hard to find. This is a winner and I’ll make it often!
I just took these out of the overn + tasted them.. not bad at all, but they DID taste a tad nutty… nothing I mind, but we’ll have to see if they pass the test of my younger brothers. It may be the almond extract I added rather than the beans (I used white, because though I SWORE we had black, a thorough searching of the cabinet revealed I was mistaken), but I’m not quite sure. I will be making these again though, considering the amount I would like a chocolate dessert. :)
Hey, I made these tonight after a tough day craving sweet things and helping my sister recover from an operation and am happy to report that they were DIVINE!!!! Very good recipe; I tweaked slightly and swapped half the sugar for agave and used two eggs, cooked for 20 minutes which made them cakey but still amazing, and am very much satisfied after eating two do them (and some batter…!). Thanks so much for a great recipe!
Just made these today and they are AMAZING! Can’t detect the beans at all. I am blown away. I wanted to make smaller brownies so I used a mini muffin pan and reduced the baking time to 12 minutes and they turned out great.
Vegan, free of flour, gluten, and refined sugar AND full of fibre, protein, antioxidants and other nutrients? AND delicious??? Holy grail.
Surprised at how easy this was to make! They’re rich and fudgy- and I used 1/4 c raw honey, 1/4 c sugar and they still turned out great. The taste came out to be more like a dark chocolate (probably due to the cocoa powder I used) which is a beautiful thing! I sprinkled mine with shredded coconut, paprika, and walnuts (separately). The variations are endless- I bet you could even do some orange zest to twist things up :)
I will try this recipe tomorrow…..thanks!
These were a bake sale hit. Thank you! I’ve been sharing this recipe everywhere.
I used eggs from my backyard chickens, granulated organic sugar, and a combo of chick-peas and kidney beans. I baked them a little too long, so no fudgy centre, but I still think this is an excellent recipe! I’ll make them again!
Just made these, they are awesome! I think I would use a little Les cocoa next time, and I think I over cooked them. But they were still amazing! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Just made a batch this evening. I followed the recipe to the letter. They are super easy to make, chocolatey-rich and — as so many others have commented — you’d never know they were made with black beans. The extra treat (aside from their nutritional value, compared to traditional brownies) is being able to lick the spoon when you’re done, since there are no eggs in the mix! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
Just made these! The house smells wonderful. I’m not a big brownie fan and I found this recipe whilst searching gluten free / dairy free / sugar free treats. The picture hooked me! I’m just tasting them now. I used eggs instead of flax (2 large) and based on other comments I reduced the cooking time by 5 min. I substituted Truvia for the sugar. And I did one batch as two-bite brownies (mini muffin tin) and those were ready in 15 min. You don’t taste the black beans at all. I do however find them very salty – guessing this is based on the amount of baking powder. I would use more sugar / sweetener, no salt and top with chocolate chips or similar next time. I’m missing a real chocolately experience. All in all, a great success and I will definitely try these again.
These are amazing. My husband said these are the best brownies he’s ever had. My daughter wolfed them down and I just had two for breakfast. An absolutely amazingly great recipe. I added a handful of unsweetened coconut to the batter and a pinch of himalayan salt to the top. Yum!
They’re in the oven right now. I substituted rice syrup for sugar and cashews for walnuts (didn’t have the respective ingredient in the house). The kitchen smells like a chocolate factory already! Can’t wait to have a bite.
amazing! wow, these were so so so so good. not to mention really quick to make. i substituted an equal amount of agave for the sugar. the result was decadent. not too sweet. topped with walnuts and a chunk of 85% dark chocolate and BLISS. thank you so much!
Yay! Glad to hear it. Thanks for sharing!
Dana,
I made those last nite and they came out great! I use agave instead of the raw sugar and I had a few of my friends/family try them out and they Loved them. Thanks Dana for sharing your recipe. :)
Yayaya! So glad to hear it. This is seriously one of my favorite and most popular recipes. Glad you like!!
By far the best black bean brownies. I love that there is no flour. They come out soft, rich, and dense with a bit of crunch at the edges. I topped mine with chopped hazelnuts amd used coconut sugar as my sugar. i bet you could probably use date syrup too although I am uncertain as to how you would adjust. Next time I will try that, same proportion. Other than the fact they ate gluten free, I also like that this recipe does not use flour. Superb, and I have enough for 11 more days.
Really delish. I do not think I rated it in my last comment. Five stars.
Made these exactly as stated except I did not have any vanilla extract.
Fantastic texture, no discernible bean flavor but nowhere near sweet enough for my family or me. I like less sweet than my husband but found these verging on blah. Maybe the vanilla extract would help?
I will make these again when I get more vanilla and will definitely use more sugar.
These brownies are wonderful! Thank you so very much for the recipe! I like them because they’re healthy but many of my family members are gluten intolerant so they’re great for family functions as well. I’ve made them a few times now and they’ve been great every time!
Word to the wise: these do NOT do well as sheet brownies!!!
They do, however, work great in cookie form if, like me, you don’t own a muffin tin.
(Also, the idea of beany sweets isn’t actually that weird–if you look at Chinese food, there are lots of sweet bean dishes, and few savory ones.)
hello, I tried them however the batter was really hard, there was not enough moisture to absorb the cocoa and I had to add some oil. Is it possible to have the measurements in grams?
Thanks
I’m planning on making these today! But I’m just curious if you think honey would work as a sugar substitute in this case?
I am so happy with these brownies! I’m doing a cleanse right now (and i’m a vegan) and I really wanted something motivational to give some non-vegan friends tomorrow that screams “vegan can be freakin delicious too!” This does it! Even the batter amazes me I can’t believe how well everything comes together, other black bean brownie recipes are not this good….Bravo!
Can you substitute the oil for applesauce?
I wouldn’t substitute it ALL, but up to half, yes.
I substituted 1/2 an small avocado plus 2 tbsp water for the oil. These turned out perfect! My nieces and nephews ate them up and the adults had a couple each even after I “spilled the beans” about the ingredients. Thank you for the brilliant recipe!
I just made these today and they are fabulous! I was a little nervous at first to make them considering you don’t usually put beans in brownies, haha- but after they came out of the oven they looked great and they taste even better! I am so happy I made these and I will definitely be making them again!
I love black bean brownies! Can this batter be frozen to use later?
I wouldn’t recommend it, but yes it’d probably work :D
I’ve made this many times- it has a fudgey texture and rich chocolate flavor. I use 1 1/2 cups black beans instead of 1 3/4 and 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder instead of 3/4 cup. I prefer to use regular cocoa powder over Dutch-processed (Hershey’s Special Dark), which I find to be slightly bitter in this recipe.
Thank you so much for this awesome recipe. Just a quick question: I used a cookie sheet because I did not have muffin tins and the texture is kind of gooey rather than cakey. Did I do something wrong or is it supposed to be fudgy and gooey? What can I add to make it more cake-like?
Well the muffin tins help separate the batter and create “crusts” or hard edges on all of the brownies. If you use a regular pan only the outer edge gets crisp and the center remains kind of soft, which is OK, but not preferable if you were looking for a more cake-like texture. To remedy the issue, I’d say add a quarter up of flour (whole wheat pastry or even oat flour?) and a splash of almond milk if it appears too thick. Hope that helps!
Have been gluten-free for just a month. I have been searching high and low for everyone’s “best” recipes. I decided to try this recipe and have to say, I love it. Is definitely a keeper!
I made these but cut the sugar in half and replaced with organic apple sauce.
I added a bit more flax because the apple sauce made it runnier.
Got yourself a winner here! Yum yum yum!
I’ve made these several times now and they’re fantastic. My children love them and, as we’re vegan, it’s an easy way to get them to eat something rich in iron.
Love to hear it! Thanks Stephanie. I have a holiday variation coming soon :D
This may be a silly question
I notice there are canned beans being sold that have no added salt.
Which ones are being used in the recipe?
Indigo, I just realized this recently myself after going to a new grocery store that had the two kinds. I would recommend the no salt added. But either way, because you rinse and drain them well, it shouldn’t impact the flavor that much either way. Hope that helps!
Are the calories fat carbs and protein numbers for the serving size or for the whole batch?
Redonkulous good. Fudgy and perfect. I used chia eggs (1 tbsp ground chia plus 3 tbsp water) and date sugar. I added 1/4 cup walnuts and chocolate chips.
Made these for a family holiday gathering and everyone loved them (not just the GF folks they were made for). Just wanted to add that I did use a mini muffin pan and they turned out just fine (and the bite size serving helped). Thanks for posting this recipe!
hi! looking forward to trying these! i scanned the comments for brown rice syrup substitution, and one person did that but didn’t mention how much, or how they turned out. have you tried it, and what would you suggest?
thanks!
wow. these are incredible! i did use brown rice syrup, 3/4, plus a couple of dried figs (soaked for few minutes). the grocery was out of unsweetened cocoa powder, so i used a bar of unsweetened baker’s chocolate (100% cacao) instead (melted it!), and skipped adding any oil (as baker’s chocolate has cocoa butter). i upped the baking powder a pinch because of the substitution. (sorry for all the detail; hoping it helps someone in a similar situation)
the batter was rich, smooth and thick. i was concerned that maybe the subs would make it too moist or runny, but i ended up with incredible, thick brownies with wonderful crust and moist centers. they were not delicate as i had feared, held up about as well as any regular brownie. my folks (who have no food sensitivities) were amazed when i told them the ingredients. dad likes dark chocolate and the unrefined sweetness did well for both of them. i was so happy to share a chocolate dessert with them for the first time in many, many months!!!
thank you, and bless you for your blog! i usually don’t comment on these things, but this experience was exceptional!
happy holidays.
Haha, love it! So glad you liked these :D
I made these using a 9×9 pan, to thin, I will use an 8×8 next time. definitely satisfied my chocolate craving. These turned out so good, thought I would try some of your other recipes.
Thanks Lucy! Glad you liked them :D
Totally awesome brownies! The beans are not detectable at all and they passed the 10-year old chocoholic test. I didn’t mention the vegan part or the beans part and everyone is gobbling them up. Totally in love and totally making these again! Thanks for another great recipe.
Thanks for sharing, Heather! I’ve shared these with many people and didn’t mention until later that they had black beans and were vegan. They were shocked! But you really can’t tell. Another variation of this recipe coming soon that I think you and your 10-year-old will love! Stay tuned :D