Vegan Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownies

would i be able to substitute the sugar for agave or maple syrup? Or would that change the texture of the recipe? can’t wait to try! :)

Tried these yesterday for my family and they loved them! Switched it up a bit by folding in some chopped dark chocolate and hazelnuts into the batter – gave it a bit of a Nutella feel! Will definitely make this my main go-to vegan brownie recipe from now on.

These are probably the best brownies I have ever made!! You don’t taste the beans at all and they are super rich and moist and flavorful. I put date caramel in the middle-so freaking good. I’ll make these again forsure!
Thanks :)

These look so delicious. I have been wanting to try black bean brownies for some time now….I can’t wait to try to make these on my day off…thank you for sharing . I will get back to you on my success. ..many blessings

Hi! Can I use regular eggs instead of flax eggs? Would I sub 2 flax eggs for 2 regular eggs?

Could I substitute coconut sugar for the cane sugar?

Can I sub apple sauce for the oil? How much will it affect the taste/texture?

These were amazing! You’d never know it was made of black beans. I had seen this recipe before but was reluctant to try it. But yesterday I decided to give it a try. My children loved them, we all did. I’m making them again today!

Stinky farts…
Y’all, these brownies are delicious, but I have to tell you they give me super stinky farts. I thought maybe I was just eating too many at a time, but this morning I just had a handful of crumbs, and still had a problem.
Maybe it’s because I made the recipe with real eggs* instead of flax eggs?
I’m not saying I won’t make these brownies again. Just wanted to give people a warning just in case I’m not alone. Maybe don’t make these for a first date. Haha!
*also, if you choose to use real eggs instead of flax, just use one. Otherwise, they come out too dry. Maybe just use flax to be safe.

What if you dont own a muffin tin and think about 8X8 or… :)

Out of all the black bean brownies I’ve made, your version is my favorite! I’m taking a double batch to our family Easter lunch tomorrow – I know they’ll be a big hit? Oh, preordered your cookbook for me – can hardly wait!

These are truly wonderful brownies. My husband and daughter had no idea they were made from black beans and I bake “non-vegan” all the time…eggs, butter, the works. I realize now you can have a tasty and healthy diet that’s totally plant-based! I do have one question, though. I want to coax more of the chocolate flavor from the cocoa and I usually add brewed coffee or espresso grinds to my batter. How do you think that will work with the beans?

This explosively delicious brownie is where it. All. Began. I’ve made a handful of your recipes so far, and this type of cooking and flavor profile and possibility is what I’ve been searching for all these years. ***Simple***, robust and flavorful, accessible. I have 4 cooking books in my kitchen that always stare at me and I never stare back. But your sway is everything. Thank your talent, thank you for your creative efforts, thank you for sharing these recipes with us, thank you for using fun language. I’m so grateful. ❤️

I love your recipes a though I’ve only tried these brownies & tofu that tastes good, the standard is set. I really look forward to trying more of your recipes. The brownies I’ve made at least 12x. ?

Amazing, fudgy and (what’s best for athletes) with good dose of protein! Even better the day after making them. Will definitely do these again! Thanks for the recipe!

Hi! Just letting you know I used this recipe on my blog and shouted you out. Thanks for the recipe, its been one of my favorites for years!

I’ve made 3 batches now and these just keep getting better. They’re a staple in our house and my boyfriend loves them! I’ve made some modifications: a little less cocoa, added 6 dates and an egg – they came out perfect and cake-y. Next time I’ll try and leave out some of the sugar and replace it with something (banana, more dates, stevia, erythritol…) to make them even more healthy. Highly recommended!

Oh. My. Gosh. These are freaking incredible!!! After storing them in a plastig bag over night, they were one of the best things I’ve tasted. I didn’t quite like them 30 minutes after they came out of the oven, they were a little bit too runny and too chocolaty, but oh my, that over-night storage did it, PERFECTION

Could I use Kidney beans?

Hey Dana! Have you tried to freeze these before? Just wondering if I can make them in advance and thaw out the day of. Thanks!

These are so yummy! My kids (4, 5 and 10) LOVE them! I make them in a mini muffin pan and use half the salt because the sodium is quite high. It makes 35. And when compared to little bites fudge brownies they have less calories and fat and 2x the fiber and protein! They also cost less to make! A little more than $3 for 7 bags of 5 brownie bites, instead of nearly $5 for 5 packs of 5. Better for your kids, a better price and fun to make with your little helpers! :)

Does anyone else have an issue with the brownie crumbling apart even after it’s been baked?

Great recipe! When they fall in the middle, it makes a perfect little dip for a small ball of ice cream! I made these for a get-together with friends that included a vegan, and a friend I knew was doing GF at one time (wasn’t sure if she still was, but wanted to make a GF dessert just in case). The diets of the other people there ranged from terrible junk food-filled to super clean organic eating, and everyone loved them. Luckily I doubled the batch. No one could guess there were black beans in them, even when I gave them hints :D My only problem with these is that they contain a lot of sugar, so I think next time I’ll swap it out with coconut sugar to make them slightly healthier.

Hi, was wondering if they necessarily have to be black bean? Can i use others like kidney beans?

Is there a way to adapt these to be more cake like so I can make them as mini cupcakes? I’m not vegan, just looking for a healthy treat for my kiddos and who are we kidding, I’m going to be eating them as well so something with less sugar, and these fit the bill. The batter was so delicious it wasn’t hard to clean the bowl between me and the kids! A note for others, I used the Vitamix and it worked great. It did need a few extra Tbsp of water, but otherwise made it super easy. Thanks for sharing this tasty recipe!

Could regular white sugar be used instead of the cane sugar?

These are the best ever!! I’m not kidding, my fiance is OBSESSED with them and who am i kidding, i am too. every time i see him (we’re long distance at the moment), these are what he requests. they actually travel great too- i’ve flown with them many many times both packed in my suitcase and my carry-on.

Can I use dry black beans after soaking them first? And how much would I use ?

These are awesome! Thanks for the inspiration!

I just made these and used 2 eggs instead and i used coconut palm sugar. It turned out nicely but they seem a little too dark and not sweet enough. Is this supposed to taste very dark? Or maybe coconut palm sugar isn’t sweet enough? The beans aren’t detectable but it’s too bitter for me. Did i do something wrong? How can I salvage them as I don’t want to waste them. Im thinking of mixing em in some homemade ice cream.. Would that work? Thanks!

I don’t know if it was that I used normal, not canned, natural black beans or the fact that I used a blender and not a food processor, but these came out not looking at all like brownies. Don’t get wrong, they were good and the bean taste was imperceptible, but nowhere like brownies. Maybe I’ll give it a go a secod time.

having made these many many many times for my dad (aging & illness have made him constipated – and these totally helped once I figured out what works.)
Tips:
*rinse the beans multiple times – rinse till there’s no one iota of smell (my tip: I soak with teaspoon of vanilla in water and let stand a while, then rinse some more). Trust me this is the tip that will convince you these work.
*I’ve made with all diff sweeteners: maple syrup, white sugar OR brown sugar OR honey – used them all, they all slightly change the flavor
*use high quality cocoa
*use choco chips or some grated dark chocolate on top / in them before baking. Makes a HUGE difference if you’re not going to frost.

I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, but this is the second (and last) black bean brownie recipe I’ve tried. I had high hopes, so it’s not “in my head.” They taste awful, I can’t taste chocolate at all. I can’t say they taste like beans because I’ve never eaten a bowl of plain black beans, but they taste… weird.

Awesome recipe! I had to modify this a little as I was fresh out of some ingredients, and ended up using dark chocolate syrup (in place of cane sugar and coco powder), additionally I grated a tonka bean as well in place of the vanilla extract. I realized after I did all this it was too runny and the chocolate flavor was almost lacking, so I added some instant coffee powder to enhanced the chocolate flavor, plus I added a couple of spoonfuls of tapioca starch to help thicken the batch. I did everything else as the recipe states, and despite these modifications I found this to be the best approach to a black bean brownie recipe. Next time I make these I will make sure to have all the ingredients on hand to see how much better it will be. Thank you for sharing this!

had high hopes in these, but honestly they have a disgusting aftertaste.

Is the nutritional info for one brownie? I just cooked up a bunch of black beans, so I will be trying these very soon!!

These are amazing!!!! I make a little earth balance frosting for each. Soooo good. I was thinking of adapting this recipe to a white bean blondie. And suggestions what to use in place of the cocoa? Equal part flour to replace?

Heaven! I substituted cane sugar for Xylosweet (Xylitol sweetener). I baked them in cupcake papers. They are fudgy, wonderful, chocolate bites of protein.

I made these lovelies using 2 chia eggs instead of flax eggs and they were absolutely perfect! We have eliminated gluten, dairy and eggs from my 5-year old daughter’s diet and have struggled to find good replacements for some of her favourite foods. This was definitely a hit and will become a permanent part of my baking rotation. Thanks so much!

I had such high hopes for these as the batter was delicious. However, they just bubbled over the muffin tins and became a sloppy gooey mess. Thank God I used disposable muffin tins. I should have just eaten the batter from a bowl with a spoon.

Anyone who knows anything about baking knows that eggs act as a leavening agent in baked goods. There’s baking powder in this recipe to make up for the lack of eggs, so if you decide to change the recipe and add eggs, PLUS the baking powder, you’re going to get very cake-like brownies. I think there needs to be quotation marks around the word “eggs” in the ingredients list, because people are obviously confusing them with omega 3 eggs, and don’t realize you’re creating an egg substitute with flax meal.

My family LOVES these brownies. I made them for the first time tonight and I’m pretty sure I’m now the favourite child! This recipe was so easy to make and it didn’t hurt that I already had all the ingredient in my pantry. Thanks Dana!

If I am not vegan, can I use regular eggs?

These were yummy! My husband has a huge sweet tooth and I am always looking for healthier things to fix for him! He really liked them! This will be my new go to for brownies! Next time I will be adding a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. (Optional, not necessary)!

Tried this recipe last night and it came out amazing. Used the Ninja processor to blend everything and after panning it up, put some walnuts and cinnamon in the bowl for a few pulses and it came out a crunchy, chocolatey topping for the brownies. Went vegan a few weeks ago just for fun to see what it is like (I’m an RDN) and these fully satisfied my craving for baked goods.

This was total awesomeness ! My family cudnt believe it had no flour … I sub the black beans with black chickpeas (aka kala channa in hindi) and used olive oil ! Halved the recipe and came up with 20 mini bars ! Thanks ever so much for this .. Definitely a keeper :))

Cheers
Kalyani

Hi!! Im sorry for my question but do i have to cook the beans before??

I used 2 eggs and they came out like cake brownies. I also added a teaspoon of instant coffee. So light and delicious — you really need to let them cool completely to get the best flavor.

These are AMAZING! I just finished them and had to run over here to thank you. I looked for a good black bean brownie recipe for a while, but most had substitutions I didn’t want–like dates and things that to me are too sweet. I was skeptical about the muffin tin, but they came out perfectly. They’re cakey and fluffy!

I will say that I tried one as soon as it came out of the oven, and even though I liked it I thought “hmm… I can taste the beans.” After I allowed it to cool, the bean flavor was gone. I think they just need to sit for a little and then they’re absolutely perfect.

The only substitution I made was I did use 2 eggs in place of the flax eggs, which might be why they turned out less fudgey and more fluffy. I am going to try them with flax too to see how they compare.

Thank you for a great, simple recipe!

These are SO good! I’ve places them in the freezer hoping I’ll ‘forget’ about them so I don’t eat them all at once! I used honey as my sweetener and threw about 1/3 cup walnuts into the food processor. I had to bake for about 45 mins (due to using honey I’m guessing?) but they turned out so delicious and still gooey, soft and well freakin fantastic. You’re recipes all just win at life! I haven’t tried one that I’ve not been impressed with!

Have been wanting to try my hand at black bean brownies for a while now, and this recipe doesn’t disappoint! As per a comment above, I added a tablespoon of instant coffee and used an 8×8 brownie pan rather than a muffin tin. It ended up being not as sweet as I’d like, so I might add a touch more sugar next time, but I still have a delicious batch of fudgy and relatively healthy brownies!

Just made these and I was amazed at the rich texture! Couldn’t taste the beans at all. I used regular eggs and they turned out great. The only thing that I probably did wrong was using unsweetened cocoa powder in combination with organic coconut palm sugar instead of regular brown sugar which resulted in bitter brownies. I had to put some honey on top to make them edible.

One more question, do not quite understand the average coconut oil. When gives 3 T in milliliters ? Thanks

hello , what kind of beans is that? I tried to do with the black beans we have here in Brazil , but didn’t work out . The beans need to soak ? Because I tried to grind it raw and almost broke my processor. rsrsrrs Help, look so delicious

Hello, can i replace the raw sugar and use agave instead???

Wow!
It looks so delicious. Choco cookies. I love it.

Which recipe is better, this one or the other you previously posted? I don’t have time to experiment right now! Thanks.

These are quite possibly some of the best brownies I have ever eaten. These are what my mum and I would describe as a “close your eyes” dessert, where it is so delicious you have to close your eyes to savor the bite. I am not GF but my mum is and we had fun making this easy recipe and even more fun eating them. Thanks for the great recipe :)

I want to make these today using a mini muffin pan to make santa hats. Will the mini version work?

“9,000 billion thumbs up” from my 6 and 4 year old

They are simply awsome !!! I can’t wait to make them again for christmas!

Can i freeze them you think?

Many thanks Dana for sharing all your inpiration !

Well I made few days ago with the flax eggs and it turned out wonderful, moist, sweet and fudge. The only thing I added was a pinch of cinnamon. Today I tried a second batch and instead of the flax I decided to try 2 eggs, it turned out dry, bitter and plain inedible. What gives? Everything was the same except for the eggs. So bizarre !!!! Still trying to figure it out, as usually being vegan or not does not affect the final product this much. Has anyone experienced the same thing?

Do you have to use flax egg? Can you use just 2 eggs?

Thank you soo much Dana!! :) Just made these with a few modifications, didn’t have a food processor and my blender was broken so added 1/2 cup almond milk so I could hand blend/mix the batter and drizzled organic peanutbutter on top before putting it in the oven :) Amazing recipe, definitely going to be making these again!

i see it says ‘combine flax eggs and water’ but water is not listed as an ingredient so how much to use please? thanks

I just made my second batch of these in less than 2 weeks – the first was devoured in moments by non-vegan friends with slightly puzzled comments such as “Hmm, these are good. Black beans you said? *second bite* Wow, these are actually really, really good!” and I agree. For the first version I melted a few chunks of dark chocolate with the coconut oil and mixed it all in. For this second attempt I went for a slightly healthier version where I cut the sugar to just about a tbsp and instead blended a cup of soaked dates with the beans, otherwise following the recipe. It made for more batter but surprisingly, just the same number of brownies… *licks spoon* Both versions were absolutely wonderful and I’ll definitely be making these again. Thanks for the recipe!

Dear Dana!

Could I substitute raw sugar for honey or dates? If yes than in what amount?

I would also like to confess at this point that I have stumbled upon your blog a few weeks ago and ever since I am completely obsessed! I made 10 recipes or so already and I absolutely love every single one of them. Thank you for being such an inspiration :)!!! I am proving to everybody in my life that vegan and healthy can be flavorful and filling.

Ps. I live in Warsaw, I read that you just recently visited. I am happy you enjoyed your time here!

xx

These are not vegan. Eggs are not vegan.

I’ve made this recipe twice now and am looking forward to making it again. This is a really good recipe and I highly recommend everyone try it! The second time I made the recipe, I used some really high quality dutch chocolate cocoa because I ran out of the regular cocoa, and WHOA, it was a step-up from the already good brownies that they are. Because I read a lot of reviews before making, I rinse the beans three or four times in a colander. Give it a try.

I just made these, soooooooooo yummy! I did have success using “Ener G” powder egg replacer. I also realized I didn’t have any black beans left so I swapped it with black eyes peas. Still came out delicious!! Thank you for this awesome recipe!!

Can you use egg replacer (the powder) instead of flax egg?

I made these last night and they are amazing! Every other black bean brownie I’ve tried has come out tasting like black beans… But this one works perfectly. So amazingly fudgy! I made them in my mini ninja blender, came together in no time at all. Topped with walnuts. Even better cold, out of the fridge.

For those of you wondering if this recipe tastes like a normal brownie– almost. There is a tiiiiny bit of residual bitterness from the beans, but it blends in with the chocolate pretty well. You’d never guess it was beans unless you knew the recipe. And as long as you blend until totally smooth (the batter should look shiny, like regular brownie batter), the texture is totally smooth and fudgy.

Wondering if anyone has substituted real eggs for the flax eggs. I cannot eat flax and do get a lot of eggs from my neighbor. I’m thinking about trying it anyway but was hoping someone else may have had some experience with it.

Hi Dana,

I’m going to make these but I’m in Colorado so I was going to adjust the recipe for baking at altitude; I have a little cheat sheet. I’m wondering if you’ve had any experience or heard from any of your followers regarding baking these brownies at altitude?

Thanks,
Christine

THREE STARS:: Made these and they were to gooey to even take out of the tin. Baked for 20 more minutes and still not firm enough to remove. I have them all the oven now for 40 more minutes. Hope they don’t burn. I did try a not so firm one and it tasted really dark. I like dark chocolate, but these aren’t looking good…

I’m having one of these brownies warm with a glass of red wine. Delicious and easy to follow recipe!

I made these brownies and they are excellent. I followed the recipe exactly and the cooking time recommended was exactly what was required. My non vegan friends ate most of them – I only got two!

Hello Dana! I know this is an older blog post, but I just found it and would love to try the recipe. I’m no longer vegan, so I was wondering your thoughts on using real, fresh eggs? I’m not intimidated by the flax – I just don’t currently have any in my pantry! Does anyone have advice or experience making this recipe using hen layed eggs?

I made these tonight and the recipe was quite easy to follow. This was really my first attempt at vegan baking, so a few missteps with the vegan egg (one tablespoon of flax seeds, ground, is not the same as 2 tablespoons of ground flax, e.g.). And I didn’t have the proper sugar, or forgot to grind it finer. So, my friends and I are biting down on bits of sugar, which is an error on my part, for sure. This is why I’ve been so fearful of baking; everything has to be exactly right. Well, I’m over the worst, now, and slightly less afraid. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!!!

oh i think i know where i messed up. I used dry black beans, and 15 oz. I guess i should only have used 7.5 oz?

No processed sugar? I adapted the recipe somewhat and it worked GREAT! I used Chia eggs instead of flax just because I didn’t have flax on that day. Also, replaced all sugar by dates. I cut up dates and submerged them in water for the night. The next day, I removed all water and blended in the dates with the beans. If your batter is too thick just added date water. I ended up using my water in my spinach, almond mik granola smoothie! The brownies turned out as promised. I am from Canada so I quick cooled them by leaving them outside. Beware of squirrels. They love them.

I love that your recipes are so easy to follow and not at all difficult especially for a novice baker. Made these brownies to the delight of my co-workers who could not believe they were made with black beans and loved the fact that it is only 140 calories!!!
Thank you!

Hi! I’m thinking of trying to make these, but can’t figure out the meaning of 3 T on the ingredients list. It says: 3 T oil. What does the T stand for? Tbsp?

I tried this but also had to tweek it with ingredients on hand. I used 2/3 c Agave nectar instead of raw sugar and 2 real eggs. I lowered the temperature for the agave and baked for 20 mins. I also blended them in my Ninja blender. I’m pretty happy with them. I will definitely try them again but maybe with one egg. Two eggs made them more cake like and shorten time to 15 mins as they were a little dry. The next test is to see what my husband and 3 boys think of them!

I’m new to vegan cooking and I really, really wanted to like these. But I just couldn’t. Can’t. They are awful. There has got to be a better way to do this.

The strange thing is, the batter tastes GREAT. But once baked, they feel and taste like a dry, chalky, bean cake. And that’s exactly what they are.

If you actually think you’ve given these to food savvy adults who tell you they can’t tell the difference, they’re just trying to be nice. Seriously. Pass on this.

Life is too short not to splurge on a real brownie. Live a little.

OMG. YOu would not believed how excited I got just tasting the raw batter!! I was NOT expecting it to taste THAT good! The final result is of course not exactly the same as a normal unhealthy brownie, but it still tastes reeeally good with a surprisingly fudgy and light texture. LEGIT, as you say! I like it even better because it’s vegan and nutritious and very importantly, satisfies that craving. Thanks so much..<3

if I was making for friends I would definitely up sugar to 3/4 cup but for me, the amount in the recipe is great. Really impressive and fun to work with new ingredients in this way.

Made these this weekend and they were soooo good. The batter is especially delicious. I ran out of cocoa powder (only used half a cup) so I put some vegan dark chocolate chunks in the food processor to substitute and it was great!

Hi love, I’m going to make this recipe, but had a question. Do you think instead of raw sugar I can use a liquid sweetener? Like maple syrup or honey? Thank you so!

THESE ARE SO GOOD I CAN’T STOP EATING THEM

Oh and I am on here because the hubby has Celiac disease so thank you for your site. Makes life easier.

One question. I am not vegan. Can I use regular eggs in this? Please don’t kick me off your site cause I use eggs. Your recipes are amazeballs. V

Absolutely phenomenal. I will never ever buy box brownie mix again. I baked these twice in the last week and no one had any idea that they were gluten free and vegan. So rich and fudgy and super easy…mmmm!

What does the T stand for in “3 T coconut oil, melted (or sub other oil of choice)”. 3 teaspoons?

love love LOVE these! hands down the best vegan brownies I’ve made. Deep, dark and fudgy like a brownie should be and you’d never know there were beans in there!
I like to put a spoon of homemade salted coconut caramel ( v & gf ) in the centre of each brownie, drizzle with homemade chocolate ganache ( also v & gf ) and then top with sea salt crystals.
Out of this world!

These are phenomenal!! I think they’re better than traditional brownies! So rich and fudgy. I baked them in an 8″ square pan for about 30 minutes. Now the only problem I have is trying not to eat the entire pan tonight… :)

I have made these three times now and thought it was rude not to let you know how much I love this recipe. Thank you!

I made these a few months ago when my husband and I were avoiding dairy, sugar and gluten. After two weeks I really NEEDED chocolate and these were exactly what the doctor ordered. We recently went back to eating vegan and I immediately thought of your wonderful brownies. Thanks for such a gem of a recipe, it’s become a standard in my arsenal. :)

Every time I pause the processor to scrape the sides, I have to force myself to refrain from eating all of it already! The batter is SCRUMPTIOUS, Dana. I’m wondering if I could replace some of the sugar next time with a mashed banana… We’ll see. Thanks yet again. You are a gem.

These were amazing, I replaced the raw sugar with stevia.
These were the best I have ever tasted.
Thank you

Yummy! I tried these brownies but I substituted the raw sugar for honey. The beans ARE completely undetectable. The brownies turned out moist and delicious however with the addition of the honey and perhaps a bit too much water when processing my black beans the brownies are somewhat falling apart when I remove them from the cupcake pan. Next time I may use more flax egg/egg to compensate for the liquid honey.

Thanks for the recipe!