Gluten-free, flourless healthy Black Bean Brownies packed with nutrients for an equal-parts delicious yet healthful dessert. This easy dairy-free, refined sugar-free dessert recipe only requires a few minutes of prep time and is made conveniently in your blender! You can make these with chickpeas too!
There are two types of people: those who have tried chickpea or black bean brownies and have made them 50 gazillion times as a result, and those who have never tried chickpea or black bean brownies.
If you fall into the latter category, I’m here to help!
I’m willing to bet if you give them a shot, you’ll be compelled to make them time and again.
My guess is you already have every single ingredient you need right there in your pantry in order to make either chickpea or black bean brownies.
For me, this recipe is an oldie but a goody – it has been revised many times over the years, and has been a staple in my home ever since I tried them for the first time 5 years ago.
Our first go at garbanzo bean brownies was back in 2012, when – I daresay – the world was not yet ready for them; however, with the introduction of black bean brownies about a year later, you all took to the bean brownie like white on rice.
Now that we’ve had time to marinate on the idea of a healthy brownie made from the very ingredient we like to use in our chili, I thought I’d revisit the subject.
This classic recipe works for both chickpeas and black beans.
You can easily double it if you’re looking to serve more than 9 people (or if you’re a mega fan of dessert leftovers).
You can also add all sorts of your favorite brownie add-ins, such as chopped walnuts, some peppermint extract and/or orange extract + orange zest if you’re going for a different flavor altogether…you can even add booze, my friends.
Cointreau, for instance, is quite the brownie companion.
So let’s hop to it!
How to Make Black Bean Brownies:
All you need is one 14-ounce can of the bean of your choice.
Drain and rinse the beans in a colander, then add them to your blender along with the rest of the ingredients, save for the chocolate chips.
Blend it up to make your batter, stir in the chocolate chips, then proceed as normal.
Pour into a small baking sheet, bake for only 25-ish minutes, pull them out of the oven, then play the waiting game.
Allow the brownies to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Store brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. I recommend microwaving one for 15-20 seconds prior to eating!
You can also store brownies in a large zip lock bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Julia’s Tips:
- It is imperative you allow these brownies to sit at least 1 hour before cutting into them, or else they’ll fall apart very easily. If you’re doing a spoon brownie or a brownie sundae type of situation, the crumble shouldn’t matter, and you can dig right in.
- Be sure to use a high-powered blender. Many older blenders won’t be able to adequately blend the ingredients into a smooth batter.
Recipe Substitutions:
- If you don’t have coconut sugar on-hand, you can replace it with equal-parts cane sugar. I like using coconut sugar because it is considered a natural sweetener, is lower on the glycemic index than cane sugar, and contains minerals.
- You can also substitute the olive oil in this recipe with melted coconut oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil, etc.
- For cakey brownies, add 1/4 cup of oat flour, all-purpose flour, gluten-free all-purpose flour, or almond flour.
Options for serving:
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar
- Make homemade chocolate coconut frosting (use the instructions from this recipe).
- Top with homemade paleo salted caramel.
- Serve with a dollop of coconut whipped cream.
- Cut up some fresh seasonal fruit and top the brownies with it.
And that’s it! Pour, blend, bake, repeat!
If you’ve tried this fudgy black bean brownie recipe, leave a comment below letting us know how they turned out for you!
Double Chocolate Black Bean Brownies
Equipment
- Parchment Paper or cooking spray
Ingredients
- 1 (14-oz) can black beans drained and rinsed (see note)*
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar (see note)**
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 Tbsp avocado oil***
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon optional
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly oil an 8″ x 8″ baking pan, and line the pan with parchment paper.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas (or black beans). Add them to a blender along with the rest of the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips. Blend well until a thick, smooth batter results.
- Stir the chocolate chips into the batter.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 24 to 28 minutes, until the center of the brownies have set up. Note: The center of the brownies will not test clean when poked with a tooth pick – this is normal.
- Remove brownies from the oven and allow them to rest 1 hour before cutting and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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The bake time says 24-18 minutes. Can you clarify? 😄
Hi Amanda! Thanks so much for catching that! It should be 24-28 minutes. Hope you enjoy!
Why is there an ad over ingredients ! Hard to understand What each one is!im hoping I got the flourless choc cake correct ! Think it might get made tomorrow!
Hi Rayelee, My apologies for the inconvenience! When you click the Print Recipe button in the recipe card, you should be able to see the ingredients very clearly. You don’t need to actually print the recipe if you don’t want to but it should change the format of the card in such a way that it’s easier to see. Let me know if this helps 🙂
What ingredient do you recommend I might add if I do not want the brownies to be fudgy?
Hi Peg! I would add 3 to 4 tablespoons of flour. Regular all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour will work 🙂
I do not have chocolate chips ! Will they still be yummy ? Or should I wait until I can go to the store to get them?? Thank you!!
Hi Michele! The brownies will still be great without chocolate chips 🙂 They’re just there to make them super chocolatey and extra fudgy. xoxo
Definitely not the texture of normal brownies. Much more cake like, which was disappointing because brownie > cake, but they did taste good. They just weren’t quite what I was expecting or hoping for. So if you go in thinking you’re getting chocolate cake I think you’ll be very pleased.