These Black Bean Brownies are simple fudgy brownies loaded with protein from plant-based ingredients. One serving of these decadent, chocolate-loaded brownies contains twice more protein than a regular brownie recipe thanks to the black beans! Plus, the recipe is gluten-free and vegan.
I love making healthy brownies and turning the classic recipe into delicious treats hiding nutritious vegetables, like my Butternut Squash Brownies or Healthy Brownies. These black bean brownies are no exceptions and are a great way of loading with natural proteins.
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Black Bean Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup Black Beans - 15 oz canned black beans, raised, drained
- ½ cup Maple Syrup - (note 1)
- ½ cup Peanut Butter - (note 2)
- ½ cup Almond Milk - (note 3)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Almond Flour - (note 4)
- ½ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- ⅓ cup Dairy-Free Dark Chocolate Chips - (note 5)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Line an 8-inch x 8-inch brownie pan with parchment paper. Set it aside.
- In a food processor, add the canned black beans, maple syrup, peanut butter, almond milk, and vanilla extract.
- Blend on medium/high speed for 45 seconds or until it forms a consistent batter. You will still notice some pieces of black beans skin, and that is OK.
- Add the dry ingredients except for the chocolate chips: almond flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, and baking powder.
- Blend on medium speed for 30 seconds or until the batter is thick and consistent.
- Remove the blender blade, pour the dark chocolate chips, and incorporate into the batter using a spatula, or keep the blade and use the pulse button a few times on your food processor.
- Transfer the brownie batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly using a spatula.
- Bake the brownies for 35 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until the top is dry and a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out with a little sticky crumb on it meaning the brownies are still fudgy.
- Remove from the oven and cool down for 15 minutes into the pan. This step is crucial to ensure the brownies hold and don't crumble, so don't skip this step.
- Lift out the parchment paper from the pan to release your brownie and transfer onto a cooling rack.
- Place the brownies for 10 minutes in the fridge for a fudgier texture.
- Remove from the fridge and slice into 9 squares.
Notes
Nutrition
What Are Black Bean Brownies?
Black Bean Brownies are a fudgy of my vegan brownies made with black beans as the main ingredient to make a protein-loaded dessert.
Black beans are high in protein and a great source of iron which is particularly useful on a vegan diet.
As a result, black beans brownies are an excellent vegan dessert to indulge in sweet treats while bringing powerful nutrients to your body.
Ingredients and Substitutions
You only need these simple ingredients to make these decadent fudgy black bean brownies perfect every time:
- Black Beans – These are the foundation of the recipe, providing a moist, dense texture and a big protein boost. They also help make the brownies incredibly fudgy.
- Maple Syrup – This liquid sweetener adds moisture and balances the flavor of the cocoa. You can also use other liquid sweeteners like agave syrup or coconut nectar.
- Peanut Butter – Peanut butter adds healthy fats and a rich, creamy flavor. It also helps bind the batter together. Almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter also work well.
- Almond Milk – This helps to achieve the right consistency for the batter. You can also use other milks like soy milk if you want to increase the protein.
- Vanilla Extract – This brings a classic, aromatic flavor that enhances the chocolate.
- Almond Flour – Almond flour gives the brownies their structure. Oat flour works too.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – This is the main flavor for the brownies, providing a rich, dark chocolate taste.
- Baking Powder – Baking powder helps the brownies rise just a bit and gives them a soft, cake-like center.
- Dairy-Free Dark Chocolate Chips – These add pockets of melted chocolate throughout the brownies, making them extra decadent. You can also use chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans.
Carine’s Baking Tips
The trick to making fudgy black bean brownies is to be patient!
- Rinse Your Beans – Be sure to rinse and drain the canned black beans well before you add them to the food processor. This helps remove excess salt and liquid, which can affect the final texture of the brownies.
- Don’t Over-Process – It’s okay if you see a few small specks of black bean skin in your batter after blending. Blending too long can make the batter too smooth and take away from the fudgy texture.
- Parchment Paper Is Your Friend – Using parchment paper to line your pan makes it much easier to lift the baked brownies out and transfer them to a cooling rack without breaking.
- Cooling Is Crucial – Do not skip the cooling steps. Letting the brownies cool in the pan and then in the fridge allows them to firm up and become fudgy. If you slice them while they are warm, they will likely crumble.
- Make Them Fudgier – For the best fudgy texture, place the sliced brownies in the fridge for a couple of hours or even overnight. They hold their shape much better and have a denser texture when chilled.
How To Make Black Bean Brownies
This recipe is super simple to make, it’s one of my fastest brownie recipes. All you need to make these is a food processor and 5 minutes.
More Vegan Brownie Recipes
If you love vegan fudgy brownies, I recommend you also try:
Hello dear, will it works with dry black beans?
You can cook dry black beans, then measure the amount of cooked black beans to match the amount of canned black beans.
Do I need to cook the dry black beans before start bake? thankyou
Absolutely! or like me use a can of black beans, they are already cooked.
Can I use mashed banana instead of maple syrap?
I wouldn’t swap a liquid sweetener for fruit puree, it will end up fragile, and ultra moist.
If I want to use dates that are soften to substitute for maple syrup, how much would you recommend?
I am not sure, blended dates are fudgy, has fiber and will not bind the remaining ingredients as maple syrup. By doing that you remove liquid binder, you up fiber, it’s a new recipe to create and I can’t guess as it’s something you need to test first.
can I use all purpose flour ?
No, they will be gummy and dense.
do you use refried beans or whole black beans ?
As mentioned in the recipe card, I am using a can of black beans, which means whole black beans
I love these so much! I bake them almost every week for my 2 1/2 year old. Love that it has good fiber, protein and fat to balance out the sugar rush. I also use 1/4 cup maple, a little monk fruit powder, and carob powder (caffeine free) to avoid too much of a crash for her. Thank for this one.
Hi, the recipe calls for an 8 x 8in pan but the pictures and in the video you’re clearly not using an 8 x 8 so which is it?
When I took the pictures, I was using an odd-sized pan (roughly 10 x 6.5). This has exactly the same surface as an 8×8 square pan which is much more common, hence why I recommend it.
With the same area, the thickness is the same, so it bakes the same!
I followed your recipe exactly and it was SOOOO delish! I love the fudgy cohesive texture and it’s so tasty. I eat 4 a day! Thank you for sharing. I look forward to cooking more of your recipes soon.
Thank you!! These are one of my favorites 🙂
I did not use oil. I used half a banana and a small Gerber baby food prune purée cup that I had on hand. I did not have flaxseed meal, so I did not use. I also did not have chocolate chips. Since the mixture was so sweet from the maple syrup, banana, and prune, I toned the sweet down with dollops of natural peanut butter on top and used a toothpick to swirl through to make a pretty design on top. Did everything else as instructed. These were absolutely the most delicious brownies I’ve ever had! They were so moist they just fell apart in your mouth and the peanut butter swirls made them look very pretty 🙂
Love this recipe as-is, but wondering if I can sub applesauce or mashed banana for some of the oil and/or maple syrup?
You can always swap some of the oil for mashed banana or applesauce, the result is moister, the brownies hold their shape a little less tho.