Vegan Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownies

Loved these brownies, very chocolatey and satisfying!
I added a teaspoon of instant coffee to boost the flavour.
Mine were done in 21 minutes.
Bit of a pain to get out of the muffin tin – definitely grease well. I might try baking as a slice next time.

Thanks for this recipe!

I was a bit wary of these brownies at first because I’ve made some very untasty black bean brownies. I didn’t have baking powder, so I replaced it with baking soda and vinegar. Let me just say that I will definitely be making these again. Some of the best brownies I’ve ever eaten! Also pretty simple to make!

Perfect. I have made these at least 3 times over the last few years and today I want to make them again. One of my favourite dessert recipes. I love to serve them with raspberries and icecream 😍
Thank you for the great content!

I work for a non for profit, and with my job I promote healthy eating to under-privileged children. With this being said, I was asked to bring a healthy dessert to the Holiday Extravaganza Party. Most children & their families were shocked that this recipe tasted like regular brownies. As soon as I told everyone what was in it they were confused!! I’m so glad I found this recipe, it makes me feel better knowing that it’s vegan & gluten free & low in calories. A healthy treat to share with my students! I wanted to add a picture but I wasn’t sure how! Thank you!!!

The flavor was delicious! But the texture didn’t work out for me. I soaked dry beans overnight and cooked them, but they were still not soft enough for Those muffins. I made what looked like biscuits

Just made these and topped them with your vegan ganache from the no-bake vegan brownies recipe. Amazingly good!!!

Just made these today after being won over by the seeming ease of this recipe and rave reviews here. As the 1st “legit” / intentionally vegan thing I’ve ever baked (for a Mother’s Day gift), my expectations were low. MAN, was I pleasantly surprised. The batter was so fragrant and delicious I had to lick the bowl and all implements clean. And my mom (an accomplished vegan baker) was thrilled with her treat. I recommend a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream on top for a sort of healthy Junior Mint experience. Thank you so much for the fabulous online find, this nonvegan (and black bean lover) will definitely make these again!

Amazing! So fudgy. Baking in muffins tins is perfect for portion control and serving. Definately recommend adding chocolate chips. Also very messy and sticky to clean up, but worth it 😋

Good and easy dessert which I’ve made a few times, but not my favorite minimalist baker dessert. It has a slightly one-dimensional beany-chocolatey taste. l. But if I were using a higher grade cacao that chocolately taste might be more rich and satisfying .* (I’m using trader joe’s cocoa)
As suggested, I added 1/2 bar of dark chocolate to give it some gooy chocolate inside, and walnuts too. :)

16g flaxmeal is more like 1tbsp not 2. The tbsp to g conversions are off. And as a whole, the flax egg instructions here don’t match what is linked. Please fix! I’ve actually made this before, it’s delicious, but I just remade my flax egg. Someone how I didn’t notice last time. Please fix! I’m looking forward to this next batch! :)

I made this with flax eggs, and it was a hit! I enjoyed these brownies with a scoop of nut-milk ice cream on top. Yum!

I really don’t like baking, but I love food processing, so this was an excellent recipe for me! I’m making it for a second time today, with agave instead of sugar.

Very good recipe, I made them with chicken eggs for lack of flax seed & coconut sugar, since I’m insuline resistant, and they were amazing. Next time I’ll make them with flax egg for more chewy texture & a bit more sugar, because the cocoa I used is quite bitter.

I made the recipe and found the consistency to be very powdery, not gooey at all. I checked several other similar recipes online and found that they call for 1/4 cup of cocoa powder or less, instead of 3/4 cup, as listed in your recipe? Could this be a typo?

These are incredible!! I can’t imagine that I will bother making “regular” brownies again after making and devouring these. Soo easy and delicious! Made exactly as written. Texture is great. About to make another batch with a mini muffin pan to attempt to help with my portion control. Thanks for the great recipe!

I adapted this recipe into oil-free brownie cookies and they were amazing.
Used peanut butter instead of oil
Used 5 Tbsp of water to 2 Tbsp of flax

Mixed in chocolate chips after processing!

YUM.

They are definitely tender and moist! I used eggs and pinto beans and they were just as delicious! I’m ashamed to say I finished half the batch in one sitting!! I am glad I found your website!!

This recipe is AMAZING!! I love that it’s so simple and you’ve listed sub ingredients. My 2 and 5 year old LOVE these and so do I! I did make in an 8×8 so it took about 45 minutes then I let them cool all the way and stuck them in fridge. We did try them before fridge, so good but I personally like them nice and cold, so fudgy! My kids couldn’t get enough and today we will add some chocolate chips. This is soo good especially if you’re a dark chocolate love like myself. Thanks so much for this recipe. So simple and such a keeper! Oh, and we get to lick the spoon since theres no eggs! ✌ ❤

New family favourite!

I used an immersion blender and blended the beans up with the (vegetable) oil. I also blended up 1/2c raw sugar with the beans. Then added 2 (chicken) eggs, and all other ingredients and cooked them in a mini muffin tin with dark choc chips for about 9-10 minutes. They’re quite nice. Although a little bit cakey. But a fudgy cakey.
I’d make again but I do think flour brownies are a bit better ? but that’s not to say these aren’t good!

I was looking for recipes for leftover raw egg yolks and found this recipe for Black Bean Brownies. I subbed 4 egg yolks for the flax eggs and carob powder for the cocoa powder. I love the batter, it is thick and yummy. I read the cooking instructions carefully but somehow skipped Step 6: “smooth the top with a spoon or your finger.” I have a delicious batch of abstract-shaped brownies. I’ll try the flax eggs next time but I’m quarantined due to the Covid 19 pandemic, I’m trying to use what I have in the pantry before my next visit to the grocery store.

Delicious! They remind me of Japanese sweets that have bean in them, and I can imagine they would be great with icecream.

This was a very easy recipe. My 13 year old loves to bake and we are on a vegan diet right now and she wanted to experiment with vegan desserts and she did it all by herself. They tasted very good and I hope my daughter and I can make them together next time.

I WILL NEVER LOVE ANOTHER FLOURY BROWNIE AGAIN.

I bet this recipe is DELICIOUS as-is. I avoid refined sugar so here are my modifications:

– 3 tbsp raw, creamy almond butter instead of oil or butter
– 6 dates and 4 prunes, soaked and drained and thrown in with the ingredients in the food processor
– about 1/2 cup of unsweetened flaked coconut (because why not)
– 1 tbsp coconut sugar (it gives the dried prunes and dates just that little sweet push they need)
– I did go for the chopped walnut recommendation in my second batch but folded them in instead of serving over the top

I served the batter with apple slices for a dessert and baked the rest and I honestly can’t get enough. This is one of those recipes I’m wondering where I’ve been my whole life, and how many more recipes like this I’ve been missing out on!

Thank you, Dana, for always being a seriously reliable source. Every single time I look up a recipe online, I search for Minimalist Baker as the source.

x
Emilie (also from Portland!)

So SO good.
I’ve made these at least a dozen times a year since I found on your site in 2015! I’m only sad I didn’t leave a rave review earlier. I’ve send your recipe to so many people, even passed along today! I’ve made for birthdays, valentines, or just any occasion to have something sweet!
My 4 year old loves these topped with chocolate chips so much.
Ps We use chicken eggs a lot more these days and they seem to rise more.
Thanks so much for all the amazing recipes.

I’ve never had a recipe from you that hasn’t been genius level. What I particularly liked was the idea to put it in muffin tins, this way the portion sizes are controlled and I can limit my consumption. I usually eat 2 or 3 and then put the rest in the freezer. When I want one, I just gently heat it up in the oven (or microwave, if I am in a hurry!). Although i love baked goods, I don’t have a real sweet tooth, so I omitted the sugar and added a tablespoon of Stevia. The choc chips were sweet enough for me. I also made a second batch and experimented with less oil and adding coconut milk instead. Equally delicious, just more cake like and less fudge. Thanks again, Dana!

These are amazing!! I ended up making them in my mini muffin tin. They made a perfect 24. I cooked them for 11 mins and they turned out great! The second time I made them, I added a scoop of greens(powder + 2Tbsp water) to the batter (anyway I can sneak veg to my kids I will)! They were delicious both ways!
Thanks for the recipe!!

This was a first for me! No flour brownies… Honestly, I really loved the batter before I cooked it! I would rate that 5 stars. I think next time I will make it a little denser and try freezing it to set a raw brownie! Cooked these are fudgy and delicious, and I was missing something texture-wise I might get used to if I keep eating them! ? I love your recipes, and Minimalist Baker has become a go-to for me. Thank you!

I am fully obsessed with the use of the muffin pan to make bite size brownies- I don’t think I’ll ever go back to using a flat pan- might try a mini muffin pan next time! Other honorable mentions: used an instant pot to make my own black beans, found out that flax and flax meal cannot be used interchangeably, and I used sunflower oil in lieu of coconut oil. <3

The only thing I did different was olive oil instead of coconut oil. Came out delicious!!! My husband, 3 and 4 year old kids loved it. I barely had one because they are it all but it tasted amazing soom going to make it again so I can have more than one :)

Hi! I made these in a mini-muffin pan and reduced the cooking time to 10 minutes. They turned out beautifully, and it made about 30 2-bite sized brownies.

Thanks for the great recipe.

Absolutely delicious and so easy to prepare!
I did have to add almost double the amount of water, could be that my heaped tbsps of flaxseed flour were too heaped :).. also, I substituted 1/2c of organic br sugar for 1 heaped tbsp of blackstrap molasses – just my way of incorporating it into my family’s diet for it’s mega benefits whilst avoiding any resistance *grin*. My husband couldn’t guess what the substitute for flour was and he loved them even more after the big reveal! My 2,5 yr old twins are fans too! Thank you for this mega alternative to a classic dessert option.

I made these brownies on Halloween for my newly vegan-ized husband. We were blown away by how good these are. I was too lazy to grind the organic sugar so I substituted regular white sugar, and I used vanilla paste instead of extract. Plus, I had some black cocoa powder on hand, so I added about 1 tablespoon of that too. I sprinkled the tops with chocolate chips and walnut pieces. Your description of how to tell when they are properly baked was spot on. Mine took only 20 minutes to bake and it was nice to know they were done. I let them cool completely before removing them from the pan, and they came out perfectly. Hubby requested I make them again today. Looks like I will be stocking up on black beans! Thanks so much for this recipe.

This is my second time around making these brownies. The first time I made them, I was at the cottage and used my family’s old (like, really old) food processor. The old food processor didn’t break down the skins on the black beans enough and left them with a less-than-pleasant texture. Plus, everyone was walking around with black bean skins stuck to the teeth for the rest of the night.

This time around, however, I used my KitchenAid mini food processor and it did a much better job of breaking down the skins…to the point where they were undetectable. The flavour of these is great and the texture is dense and chewy. I found the recipe only made 8 standard muffin-size brownies (instead of the 12 listed). I baked them for 22 minutes.

**Make sure you allow them to cool in the pan about 30 minutes before removing them! They will break if taken out of the pan if you take them out too early but hold together fine if you allow them to cool for a bit first.

This is a delicious brownie recipe! Thanks for sharing. I did as one other reviewer suggested and used cannellini beans in place of the black beans and it worked perfectly. I will definitely keep this as my “go to” brownie recipe!

Made it last night and loved it! I also added some salt flakes (and the other suggested toppings!) on top which was delicious!

Mine took 25 minutes but would definitely not bake them any longer to prevent the burnt cocoa taste. Oh and ofcourse let them cool like Dana says so they ‘set’. Tried one right out of the oven (impatient) and it was really soft and crumbly.

I made a few changes the second time around. Great Northern white beans made for a lighter texture. The cocoa gives the dark color, no need to use black beans. I added a half teaspoon of instant espresso powder and also a few dried prunes for depth of flavor. As always, topped with chocolate chips and pecan halves.

My spouse and I made this recipe countless times with these modifications:
– We used leftover pinto beans from our taco night instead of black beans (I purposely began leaving out the garlic and onion when I made beans because I knew I would be making these brownies!)
– Regular eggs instead of flax
-No vanilla because we never had any :( – I do not consider this an improvement, but we worked with what we had
-Maple syrup or honey in place of the sugar (and I think we reduced it to 1/3 cup?)
-We omitted incorporating the salt but sprinkled pink Himalayan salt on top of the batter right before going into the oven
-8×8 instead of cupcake pan
-sometimes we added chocolate chips
Definitely not vegan but 100% gluten free and they were amazing! We made them in our Magic Bullet which took a lot of patience as you can’t run the motor continuously but so worth it. It ought to be noted that it took a long time to puree the pinto beans but the velvety texture was so worth it.

I baked these for 24 minutes and it was too long. They came out dry and burnt tasting.

So good. I’ve made this recipe many times. I’ve made “cookies” out of them, and doubled the recipe to make in a 9×12 pan and bake for 40mins. I always add either a little spelt or oatmeal flour (and a little less sugar), which just makes them turn out a little more cakey and not so gooey.

Great recipe! Taste even better than regular brownies. Will make this again and again… :)

I love these brownies. Have made them more than once. I don’t even remember how many times. You’re recipes are no fail every time.

I reduced the oil by substituting applesauce and they were still so good. They turned out to have more of a flourless cake texture. Very dense and soft. A little homemade hazelnut spread on top with some raspberries and my family devoured them. Sooo good

These came out great! I followed the recipe as written, except we added peanut butter cups in between layers of the batter. Definitely made them not healthy, but made for a fantastic treat.

I’ve never tried a black bean brownie before, and I am impressed! I’ll be making these again. I tend to go a little overboard with baked goods so I wanted something healthier than the normal brownie, and I’m glad I found this recipe. Substitutions: I used eggs instead of flaxseed, brown sugar instead of cane, and subbed one tbs of light olive oil for coconut, and I added chocolate chips on top. I didn’t do individual servings, but used a 9×9 pan (25 minutes was perfect), with a greased parchment sling, let them cool and then chilled the pan in the fridge before slicing (they sliced beautifully). Thanks for developing this recipe!

I made this recipe (minus the nuts) for my friend that’s on the auto-immune protocol diet and they turned out amazing! So fudgey and rich and decadent. I added mini marshmallows on top during the last few minutes of bake time, then torched the tops afterwards for incredible healthy s’mores brownies. Will definitely make again! And I also used silicone muffin cups, which made taking them out a breeze.

These turned out delicious! My stepdaughter was requesting to make black bean brownies and we came across this recipe. The only modification I made was that we used eggs because we didn’t have flax meal to make the flax egg on hand. They turned out a little less fudgey as described, with a more cake-like texture – and still amazing! We’ll have to try it again with the flax egg just to see the difference. My skeptical husband even loved them – we will definitely be making these again!

This recipe is phenomenal! If you love uber-rich, decadent (think molten lava cake) brownies,
this is the recipe for you!

I needed a chocolate fix and followed this recipe replacing the oil with unsweetened applesauce, and the sugar with maple syrup.

I was in a hurry and didn’t want to mess with muffin cups so I put it in a loaf pan and cooked it for the recommended time. OMG! It is heavenly!

I simply cannot believe these brownies are made of black beans …no eggs or flour!! They were not only simple to make, they taste AMAZING! I’m trying to make better decisions in terms of eating choices! With this recipe there is no sacrificing! Thank you for sharing!

I made these today for non-vegan friends. The brownies were a complete hit. They were blown away by the fact that there wasn’t any flour and instead beans and flax seeds were used.

I am a complete novice in the kitchen and especially with baking, and so was very nervous about entertaining. I want to thakyou for the recipe and the inspiration to make something vegan, relatively healthy yet tasty for my friends and their 4 year old twin girls as well as my husband and 4 year old little boy. Thanks to you we had A successful dinner party.

Just made these for a picnic with friends, followed the recipe exactly and baked for 20 minutes topped with walnuts. Have just eaten one chilled from the fridge and it is SO delicious and nice and gooey on the inside. I used a good quality fair-trade organic cocoa powder and the flavour is lovely. Will be serving them with blueberries or strawberries, I think that will go well. Love that they’re individual little cakes, it makes a nice change from brownie squares. Thank you!

It’s a fantastic recipe as is. The only thing I did different was add 1 tsp of cinnamon. I adore it with chocolate. We are plant based and my kiddo cannot have gluten so this was a really great, simple recipe.

thank you this recipe is yummy! I used my silicone muffin pan and it worked great :))

So rich and dark and fudgy! I even forgot there were black beans in it. My new favorite go-to healthy brownie recipe!

Yummmm! I like to make a recipe as written before modifying. So, my first try I only subbed maple syrup for the sugar. However, I completely forgot the oil. I was bringing them to a work dessert party, so I knew I would be making another batch. They were good, but not as sweet as I knew people would expect. Maybe it was a problem with the maple syrup substitution.

My second batch was amazing! I remembered the oil and added some extra brown sugar, along with the maple syrup sub again. Topped with vegan chocolate chips. They were a hit. No taste of black beans at all. A bit gooey inside. I used a good Dutch processed cocoa. And I made some of them in a mini cupcake pan because I was doing a double batch.

I will definitely be making these again. I might try using dates as a sweetener.

I loved this! I wasn’t sure it would be good after tasting the batter, but once it was cooked…heavenly!

I have now made this a number of times over the past year or so, I am currently sitting in front of the oven waiting for my fourth dozen to be done, as I am baking for my two daughters’ birthday party and one of their best friends has a complex range of food intolerances. This is one of two cake-type recipes her guts can tolerate, and she really likes it.

The only change I made was to use chia instead of flaxseed, because that is what I had in quantity.

Thank you for this recipe. I like eating, but not so much cooking and baking. Something like this is very achievable for a novice.

I followed most of the recipe. I had to use olive oil because that’s what I had. I used dark chocolate cocoa powder because I thought it would help make it taste more “chocolate-y”. I had to mix it like one of the other commentors said with the nutribullet and separate bowl. To me, I can taste the beans and flax quite distinctly. The texture is fine, like fudgy brownies, but it tastes only very slightly chocolate. It tastes like if I were to eat black beans and Grape Nuts together. Please Help! I was going to try it again with canola oil, regular cocoa, and mixed better in a real food processor. Will this fix the flavor?

Who thought you can bake with black beans! Super delicious. I used real eggs and mixed in hazelnuts and chocolate chips. The kids loved it.

So good and fudgy. Can’t believe it’s vegan and tasty. Thank you!

These are awesome, thanks so much :x

Love these! Will probably add a little more sugar or add agave next time if I make them for non -vegans who are quick to criticize. For me, they were great, really rich! I topped mine with chocolate chunks! I will definitely make them again.

Loved these! This is the first time I’ve used beans in baking. I’m super impressed at the results! Can’t taste the beans at all.
Few things I found while making them:
My old nutribullet could not handle all the ingredients. I used the nutribullet to make the flaxseed ‘egg’, then I added the beans and melted oil and blended all the wet ingredients. I then mixed the wet and dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
In summary: Great texture, super rich and so easy to make! ?

These are really excellent. I had only half a can of black beans left (I used some to make some shrimp and veggie wraps, yum!), so I halved this recipe. I didn’t quite have 7.5 oz of beans, so I just added some prunes until I had the correct weight. The brownies turned out so nicely! The prunes added a sweet fruity undertone that actually turned out way nicer than I expected.

Made them and they were absolute chocolate heaven!! They were so goos I had to leave a comment and I never did this before – so that’s how good they were!! I used organic high quality cocoa, also cooked black beans (organic) and sprinkled on top with some vegan 70% dark chocolate- couldn’t tell they were made out of beans. And topped with fresh blueberries when serving, definitely deserve 5 stars! Next time I will top with some walnuts I bet it will be awesome as well

This is an amazing recipe, not overly sweet, baked up beautifully with edges and a fudge center. No need to bake even, serve batter alongside fruit as brownie dip. Thanks for this, this will be in our rotation.

I made these and loved the texture and that they were quick and easy to make. I could not taste the beans and that was amazing. I used a food processor and made sure to process well, stopping several times to scrap the sides of the bowl.

I personally did not like the amount of cocoa in the recipe I thought it made the brownies too bitter. (Disclaimer: I love milk chocolate, dark chocolate not so much.) However, my husband and mother-in-love loved them.

I made a couple modifications using a chia seed egg instead of flax because I found out in the middle of mixing I was out of flax. I added cinnamon and used maple syrup instead of sugar.

I will definitely try the recipe again with less cocoa. I saw a comment that recommended using dutch process cocoa, which I have. I also will try the date paste as a sweetener next too.

Thanks for posting your recipe. The comments with substitutions and recommendations are helpful.
I love finding healthy alternatives for my food vices!

Hi! Thank you so much for an awesome recipe! I made them in mini muffin tins and the recipe made 24 — I took them to a party and everyone loved them! Yay! People couldn’t believe they had black beans!! Gotta make some more!

I made these, but with red kidney beans, as black beans aren’t available where I live. I stirred in dried cranberries and chocolate chips, and baked for just 15 minutes (I tend to burn everything for some reason). They were really good: I enjoyed them but so did my omnivorous and junk-food loving teenage sons. I’m really pleased that bean brownies are popular in my house. It’s nice to bake for the family but I’m much more comfortable baking often when the brownies are basically a vegetable ?.

Hey Dana ! we made this with some changes and LOVED it a lot.

Thanks so much for a keeper. I have several bookmarked from your blog and keep hopping back to look for doable , vegan recipes all the time :-) stay blessed and keep posting those yummy treats !

I made these and followed the recipe exactly. They were fantastic and looked just like the picture! Rave reviews from my co-workers who had no idea there were beans in them. I will make these again.

Beautiful recipe. Works every time and is loved by all who try them. My food processor broke down so I made these using the vitamin plus a coffee grinder for the flax. It worked very well.

These were great, thank you!!! On a related note, I don’t use regular sugar in bakery recipes, I always sub for over-ripe bananas because the sweetness has fibre and goodness. Would highly recommend this as a sub if you’re not a fan of sugar. Those artificial sugar substitutes aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be. Love all your recipes! You make being a vegan fun.

I’ve been making these brownies on the regular for a few years and they’re STILL the best, most healthy brownies I’ve found. Thank you! I love them! x

Yum. I’ve made these three times in three weeks. I used muffin papers and also modified to make more flavor/spice by adding all of the following:
1 Tbsp finely ground coffee, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground turmeric, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1/4 tsp cayenne

These brownies are the best! I have changed it up a little using pyure organic stevia and also adding a chocolate protein powder. I sprinkle organic cashews on top! Makes for a great chocolate treat! I also make them in a blender because I only have a small food processor. Works great! Thank you for sharing the recipe.

I just made these. I am not sure about the people saying you can taste the Black Beans. I couldn’t taste them at all. Followed the recipe and made sure i ground my sugar in a coffee grinder. Put all the ingredients into my Vitamix and it turned out nice and smooth. I cooked for 26 min and they turned out perfect. I topped mine with some non dairy chocolate chips and they were wonderful. I will be making these again.

Really wonderful texture but for me something is missing in the flavour department. I will use top-grade cocoa next time (used a decent one this time but I can probably find one with more flavour) and I’d likely increase the sugar to match the amount of cocoa–3/4 cup (this equals 1 TBSP of sugar per brownie–not an unreasonable amount in my books, but I know that not everyone is comfortable with even that amount of sugar and I respect that).
I topped each one with a few walnut pieces and chocolate chips and Maldon salt flakes and they looked really beautiful. And again, A++ in the texture department.

Enjoying your cookbook immensely. You are an extremely talented baker and cook!

This easy recipe has become a weekly staple in our house! Daughter and I have newly-found food sensitivities (13 in all), and these brownies have helped us deal, in a serious way!

I sub avocado oil for coconut (one of our sensitivities of course) and even subbed applesauce one time, both with great results.

I always toss all the ingredients in my Vitamix and use the tamper really quick to get a super smooth batter…I sometimes even sneak in a handful of spinach or another veggie just ’cause…and kiddos are none the wiser!

I bake 24 mini muffins at 350 for about 12-15 min. Perfect! Thank you for your easy, adaptable, creative recipes!

Thank you for this recipe! I use powdered stevia/xylitol mix (same amount) instead of sugar, and 1C of cacao/cocoa mix instead of 3/4C, and add 2 scoops of plant protein + a bit of warm water to make up for the extra dry (sometimes some dark, sugar free choc drops like today). Everything else the same. This is my go-to recipe for delicious healthy snack that feels like a treat (I freeze 2/3 of it). They are soooo so delicious (I too had tried many bean ones before that did not work) you really got it right, thank you!

I made these today and they are quite intense but pretty good! My 3-year-old made them with me and she loved eating the dough before it went in the oven. But when we ate them she only had half. Probably because they are quite heavy. My 1-year-old ate an entire brownie and seemed so happy :-)
Will make them again probably with maple or date syrup and maybe add some almond flour if it’s too runny.

Thank you so much for this amazingly simple recipe. They come out perfect and delicious every time.

These brownies are wonderfully fudgy! You would never know there was beans in them (for all you skeptics)! Never doubt the deliciousness of vegggies. Thank you for sharing this with us.

I just made these (and subsequently almost burned myself tasting them before I was supposed to) and I used toasted carob instead of cocoa, as well as the only muffin tin I have (a jumbo one) and they turned out perfectly! I reduced the heat and lengthened the cook time so the bigger brownies wouldn’t cook on the outside too quickly and the insides would get at least somewhat done lol! But it worked well because they’re flawless! Since you have to use about 1.5x the carob to cocoa ratio I had to gradually add more water until the consistency was right. Topped with dairy free chocolate chips and gained 5lbs ;)
Thanks for the recipe!! Awesome!

Great, easy recipe. Delicious results! I didn’t have cocoa powder so I used carob powder (which is sweeter) and so I only used half the sugar. I would expect, due to the changes, that the results would be less “chocolatey” (and maybe less sweet) – and it’s true, they weren’t “decadent” tasting – but oh soooo goooood!! I’ll be making them often. :)

The best black bean brownie recipe I’ve made; even the picky 6 year old loved it. Needed to add 4 tbsp water while blending to achieve the correct consistency. Used my silicone muffin trays so no need to grease the pan. Quick and easy!

These are INSANELY good! I’ve done Chocolate Covered Katie’s recipe before and hers are also very good, but this time I wanted something that was grain-free and hers use oats. These have the best real brownie texture (probably thanks to cooking them in a muffin tin – smart AND automatic portion control!) They’re a tiny bit crunchy on the edges and perfectly fudgy in the middle. I used coconut sugar instead of cane sugar with no issues. Wow! I can’t wait to make these for unsuspecting friends who have no idea they’re vegan, grain free and made with BEANS! :)

I have an unnatural affinity for beans. When I found this recipe for black beans in brownies, I just had to try it. I think I like them better than brownies from scratch recipe that I have been using! I’m not a vegan, so I opted to use two extra large eggs instead – still great! Next time, I may try a different oil. I found the coconut oil solidified quickly in the batter.

These are AWESOME! Didn’t substitute a thing!
I used one of those pre-cut brownie pans and made 9 brownies with this recipe. I still baked this for 30 minutes and they came out of the oven great :)

I loved this recipe! The brownies turned out yummy :D I only had loads of black beans as I was supposed to use them in a black bean chilli but they wouldn’t soften. I did use coconut sugar instead of palm sugar and chia seeds instead of flax seeds, thoroughly lush and guilt free! I’ve shared this recipe to my local vegan thread too.

Have baked these about a dozen times. The only modifications I have done is to replace oil with applesauce (only if I am making them for, ummm, myself). I have brought them into work and they get gobbled up without anyone knowing they are vegan, gluten free, and contain beans. I usually do had a healthy amount of chocolate chips to them as suggested and rarely add the walnuts. Enjoy!

Amazing work thanks Dana! This was my first all vegan intentional dish and I did this with a blender and used recipe pretty much as is. What a delightful perfect way to enjoy this treat. If you can restrain yourself they somehow taste even better the next day!

In your ingredients list, the 1 15-oz. (425 g) can of black beans is grossly inaccurate. 1 can of black beans is more like 250g.

Perfect brownies. Mine came out even better than the photo, with less sinking in the middle. The only changes I made were subbing coconut sugar and adding a few walnuts into the batter. Love the muffin tin idea, I’ll always do this now. This will be my go to recipe!

These are my go-to easy allergy-friendly dessert! My son can’t eat most of the Top 8, so these are a lifesaver. After making them for a couple years, I would say definitely err on the side of undercooking versus overcooking these. They go especially well with coconut ice cream :) Oh, and be sure to tell people the secret ingredient ahead of time! I personally know 2 people who are allergic to legumes who obviously wouldn’t think to ask ahead of time if brownies contain beans.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for this staple recipe!

These are the best!!! I am not vegan but am trying to limit meat and gluten free and eat healthier. I will also say I am not much of a baker. I did use half xylitol and half coconut sugar as I didn’t have the sugar specified in the recipe. These were so insanely delicious and so healthy compared to a processed flour version. I had my hubby try one without telling him what was in it and he loved it. He was so shocked there were black beans in them. No black bean taste at all. Just decadent chocolate goodness. Yum!!!

These puff up a lot (reminds me of souffle). Not really like a proper fudgy brownie, but still, not bad. Using dark cocoa powder would be better, as would adding chocolate chips

These brownies were so delicious! The whole family loved them, and they had no idea of the ingredients – until I told them following their last bite :). They were rich, moist, and full of chocolaty flavor. I followed the recipe exactly.

It’s the third time i make these!! All the family adores them! Thanks.

SOFT COOKIES TOO: Thank you for this great recipe: I use navy beans which work great. Recently I added about 1/2 cup left over bean juice and 1/2 c oatmeal flour, refrigerated overnight and baked the next day at 350 for 30-35 minutes on a cookie sheet w/ parchment. It made delicious, soft cookies … as an alternative to brownies.

I made these for friends over for dinner and they were amazing!! Got so many compliments! They are not too sweet which is good because the date caramel is so it is a nice balance. I made them the night before and they held up well. Didn’t crumble. A definite make again. Trust me, you do not know they are made with beans.

I brought these to work and my coworkers could not believe they were 1.gluten free 2.vegan 3. Made with black beans(!?!)!!
They turned out so well!! The texture and taste are both fabulous, my 10 year old nephew can’t get enough of them!
Definitely going to be a go-to recipe for me :))

Delicious!! I added chia and made them with real eggs because I didn’t have flax meal, next time I’m going to try making them vegan. I was skeptical about the beans but they turned out great!

My brownies came out super tight so i ended up adding 4-5 tbsp. of unsweetened almond milk. Turned out great!

I made these for the first time yesterday and they were delicious. My only problem was with how delicate they were. By the time I stored them in a container, they were practically crumbling apart. I think next time I will try to bake them a few minutes longer so they really set. Other than that, the taste was amazing!

Fantastic thick smooth chocolatey taste!
I also note that the insides are pudding-like until they are cooled off. So do not worry for those who cannot seem to turn off the oven…

I made these tonight, but did not have all the ingredients and did not want to add fat. What I did: used 2 ripe bananas in place of the flax eggs and oil. Only two things I would do differently next time. I would buy a better brand of cocoa as I used Hersey’s (all I had) and I would not use baking cups, but rather put directly in the pan as the recipe suggested. Had I done this there would have been less sticking.
My sister who is not vegan started eating these with the vegan ice cream I made and then asked what they were made from. When I told her they had black beans in them, she quit eating and said she could taste the beans. So, my advice, don’t tell your family and they will never know.
Great recipe, thank you for sharing.

Made these, awesome! Used 5 oz bittersweet choc chips for cocoa and oil (added with beans while blending and they melted while blending) also eggs for flax. They did not collapse like picture, but stayed domed. Put 4 chocolate chips on each after baking and spread when melted. They do NOT taste like beans, but like a really delicious brownie! Thank you so much!

I’ve been a bit dubious about black bean brownies, but these came out amazing. I made them for my last day at work and everyone went nuts for them and couldn’t believe when I told them what they’re made of (but I worked somewhere super open minded so it was a good kind of surprise!).

I made a double batch in a muffin tin and wish I had made more. But little bits of them stuck to the pan, so the only thing I’ll change next time is that I might dust the pan lightly with GF flour.

OMG, I made these brownies already four times and everytime they come more and more delicious. The reason why? I added a bit more liquid. About 2 tbsp of water, and they come out fluffy and so good. Nothing else, this recipe is spot on. I put a piece of dark chocolate in the middle and also ( for those with no vegan or GF problems) a drop of caramel mixed with Baileys. Oh boy, serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and berries and you have a sumptuous desert. ( For the vegan friends I used cashew ice cream and fresh organic berries) this is winner and nobody tasted the beans at all. I believe adding more liquid make the butter more thinner and easy to mix.

These were surprisingly really great! I’m usually sensitive to bean flavors, but cannot detect even a hint of bean in these. I used regular canned black beans (organic, salt added) and rinsed them really well, omitting the salt in the recipe. I also used Hershey’s “Special Dark” cocoa powder, which is a mix of regular and dutch processed cocoa. No substitutions, although I did need to add a splash of liquid to keep my food processor from seizing up (I used almond milk). They’re really fudgy — maybe a bit stodgy for some people’s tastes, but not mine! Great for a passover recipe (in our tradition we eat beans and can use chemical leavening agents). Thanks so much! :D

Absolute perfection! I have been so good about my eating habits lately, and I didn’t want to screw it all up with indulgence…but DAMMIT I WANTED BROWNIES! Found this recipe (I’ve used others from the site before) and had all the ingredients, so I gave it a shot. Holy Chocamole! They are so good. I didn’t tell my kids about the beans until after they flipped out over how good they are and not they think I’m just messing with them…couldn’t possibly be healthy, beany “brownies”. These things are legit. Thanks so much!
I followed the recipe exactly, but prepped my pan with good Irish butter- because I like the richness it adds to chocolate, and I’m not vegan.

The batter alone for these brownies was divine (they almost didn’t make it into actual brownies). They actually pass as brownies. I’ve made some pretty awful baked goods with beans and these were a vast improvement. I made them in my Vitamix so my batter was super smooth with no hint of beans. If you are a fan of dark chocolate I think that you’ll love these!

Absolutely fantastic recipe! Didn’t follow it 100%.. used chia instead of flax and coconut sugar instead of cane. Also my measurements were a tad adjusted, but turned out beautifully! Beans are undetectable, crunchy exterior and a fudgy soft inside. Just stunning! This ones for the books! Thanks! :)

These just came out of the oven and they really are good! I made them with 2 eggs and melted butter. I’ve run out of raw sugar, so i used white sugar and 1/2 Tb molasses to get the same nutrition. I made it in an 8×8″ pan and also added bittersweet chocolate chips. ;) They were fluffy and yummy! The was maybe a very slight hint of beaniness, but if i didn’t know the ingredients i don’t think i would have noticed at all. Next time i will try using dates, my preferred sweetener.

This recipe is fantastic. I’ve made them in muffin tins, following the recipe almost exactly (only change was I used melted Earth Balance rather than coconut oil), with a few chocolate chips sprinkled on top, and they were perfect. Last night I made another batch, but this time I put them in a pan so that I could marble peanut butter through them. I’m not sure of the exact pan size (it’s rectangular, but probably equivalent to an 8×8), but they are thinner than in muffin tins, which I should have thought of when I decided on a baking time. I baked them a bit longer than the muffin-shaped ones, and they were over-done. That said, they are absolutely delicious. They come out of the pan easily, and are just a bit crumbly/dry.

I will continue making this recipe often. My 10-year-old picky eater loves them, and I’m happy to get extra protein and fiber into his dessert. Of course there are so many possible variations. Most of all — it’s super easy! I throw everything into my Ninja Master Prep, which is what I use these days instead of a food processor, and they come together in minutes with easy cleanup.

I made this and the only change was monkfruit sugar in place of the regular sugar. They turned out perfect! And zero sugar calories that way! Thanks for the great recipe

Delicious! Husband says “don’t expect macrobiotic desserts to taste like the original”, to which I replied “1) I am not trying to eat macrobiotic and 2) I’m going to be optimistic until I have no reason to be.” He is now convinced!

Maybe I processed mine longer than suggested but it was my first time (ever) with my estate sale food processor. At any rate my batter was smoother than the photos and mine weren’t as collapsed as those in the pictures. Also, I had a pouch of cocoa from a farmer’s market. It turned out to be a scant cup, (maybe 7/8 instead of 3/4) all of which was added to the batter for expediency and convenience. That additional powder could have accounted for the more robust physical result. The batter that resulted from the additional cocoa had a consistency that didn’t require additional water.

I’ll be branching out to Dana’s variations of these brownies. Peppermint. Peanut butter. Date caramel? New to me, but YES!!

I found this recipe around 3 years ago and I’ve made these brownies countless times. It’s my go to recipe. I’ve followed the recipe and I’ve also subbed the sugar for date sugar, coconut sugar and maple syrup. I’ve added carob chips once or twice, dairy-free chocolate chips and cacao nibs.
This recipe has never steered me wrong.

It’s perfect for curbing a little bit of the sweet tooth and for people who don’t like sweets but can appreciate a good dessert.

1. I doubled the recipe to make a 9×13 pan instead of cupcakes.

2. I used canned organic black beans, so I rinsed them thoroughly…as I do anything from a can. For liquid, I used filtered water from my handy dandy Berkee lol… I know I used less than a cup of water, but not sure of exact amount…just added for thinning purposes.

3. Instead of coconut oil, I used 1 small golden beet (pre-baked and peeled), and 3 Tablespoons of raw cashew butter (made in-house at Common Ground…no oil or salt)

4. I think I made 3 “flax eggs instead of 2, but I’m having a brainfart and can’t remember for sure.

5. I added 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda to go along with the baking powder.

6. I baked for 27 minutes (original recipe called for 20-26 minutes for cupcakes), then added almond slivers and baked for 12 more minutes to roast a bit without burning them.

Deep, rich, dark chocolate flavor.

I would add a photo, but don’t know how to do that on my cell phone….

Incredible brownies! I don’t know why I’ve never made black bean brownies yet in my 3 years as a vegan :o I used kidney beans and made 9 slightly larger brownies :-) so rich and fudgey! 10/10

As a glutenfree, I am so grateful for your tasty recepies. It says these do not burn. Mine did slightly. So will cover them after halftime next time. I used a mixture of cake and palmsugar. As palmsugar is less sweet, I increased the amount a bit. Still, I will increase more next time. These are not very sweet. Just a tip for all the glutenfree bakers out there, Doves farm quick yeast really makes a difference. Creates airholes like gluten. Also. I don’t knead again after the dough has risen. Just cut or scoop out my rolls. Otherwise the air is kneaded out and they don’t rise again as glutencontaining meals do.