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Vegan Black Bean Brownies Recipe

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This healthy Vegan Black Bean Brownies recipe is so rich, fudgy, and ultra chocolatey! Brownies made with black beans are prepared with less than 10 ingredients which means they’ll be ready for you to dive-into in no time! And guess what? Black bean vegan brownies can be made sugar free as well.

Fudgy Black Bean Brownies are easy, delicious, and thanks to black beans, even healthy too! If you love fudgy brownies, these are the best!

Two brownies are stacked on top of each other with a bowl of chocolate chips behind.

I never thought I’d be coming to you with a recipe for brownies made with black beans. And yet, here I am! Every time someone tastes them they love them. But then they’ll ask me something like, “What’s the ingredients?”

Do I lead with black beans? No, I leave that til last. Because who wants to think they’re eating brownies with beans? And yet, they’re so good, they always ask for seconds.

Why This Recipe is a Winner

  • Black beans add an incredibly dense, base to this dish
  • Coconut oil gives this dessert wonderful texture
  • Chocolate chips add a rich, chocolate flavor in every bite!

It’s hard to imagine brownies made with black beans, but you may never go back to traditional brownies again! Of course, it’s not enough to have just any brownies, I had to make these black bean brownies vegan too!

Ingredients to make vegan black bean brownies on a white counter top.

I also love to serve these brownies with a dab of Coconut Whipped Cream on top!

Key Ingredients

You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time!

These easy black bean brownies are made with only a few ingredients, including:

  • Coconut oil — I used virgin coconut oil for added coconut flavor to these brownies
  • Black beans — A 15-ounce can of black beans works great, or 1 3/4 cups of cooked black beans.
  • Sugar — I use granulated sugar, but you can use coconut sugar instead.
  • Dairy-free chocolate chips
  • Cocoa powder
  • Flour — I used all-purpose flour, but whole wheat pastry flour would work too.
  • Cornstarch
  • Ground flax seeds — You can substitute ground chia seeds if you’d like.

I imagine you have several of these ingredients in your pantry right now. Although it’s true I’m making these black bean brownies with flour, you’ll notice that it’s not too much. That makes an extra dense brownie, that’s sure to please.

Marly’s Tips

Use virgin coconut oil for a more defined coconut flavor or refined coconut oil for a more neutral flavor.

How to Make Black Bean Brownies

Here’s a summary of the steps involved to make this recipe:

  1. Pulse Beans and Coconut Oil — Puse together the melted coconut oil and black beans in a food processor.
  2. Sugar and Chocolate — Add the sugar and chocolate chips to the food processor. It will be a bit bumpy, but pulse for a few seconds (up to 20 – 30 seconds) to break up the chocolate chips. You can always chop the chocolate chips into pieces on a cutting board if you prefer not to put your food processor to the test.
  3. Make the Batter — Add in the cocoa powder, flour, ground flax, and cornstarch. Give the mixture one more pulse until the ingredients are combined.
  4. Pour and Bake — Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan, using a spatula to distribute it equally across the pan. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  5. Cool — Once the brownies are done, remove them from the oven and set aside to cool before serving. The brownies will firm up as they cool.
Blended black beans, chocolate chips, and sugar is in the bottom of food processor bowl.
Chocolate brownie batter is being poured into a baking dish.

Marly’s Tips

Here’s some expert tips to help you make the best black bean brownies as easily as possible:

  • Make this into gluten free black bean brownies by subbing the flour with gluten-free baking flour
  • If you love walnuts, add 1/4 cup chopped walnuts to the batter
  • Make these into flourless black bean brownies by subbing almond flour for the flour (I do not recommend coconut flour). Making “no flour brownies” are that easy!
  • Use extra dark cocoa powder for an even richer brownie
  • You know I love peanut butter, so I definitely like subbing peanut butter for some coconut oil sometimes
  • To make black bean muffins, simply pour the batter into greased muffin tins and reduce the baking time to 25 minutes.

Sugar Free Black Bean Brownies

My recipe for vegan bean brownies includes granulated sugar. Of course, you can also sub coconut sugar. Some studies have shown that coconut sugar is better regulated by the body.

Here are a couple of ways to reduce the refined sugar content of these brownies:

  • Alternatively, you can make black beans brownies no sugar by using Swerve in the recipe. Just substitute 1:1 with sugar to reduce the sugar dramatically.
  • Substitute 1 cup of medjool dates (remove the pits first) for the sugar. You’ll pulse them in the food processor and they’ll add natural sweetness.

Keto Black Bean Brownies

Here are my tips to make these healthy black bean brownies keto (or low carb):

  • Substitute almond flour for the all-purpose flour
  • Substitute a zero calorie sweetener, like Swerve, for the sugar
  • Use sugar-free chocolate chips, such as Lilly’s dark chocolate chips made with stevia.

Reader Reviews

First vegan desert I have made, and it was great! Family loved it. I took the left-overs to work so I wouldn’t eat them all. The guys at work were skeptical once I said the word vegan, but they all loved them. When they were done I told them about the black beans and the fiber, they couldn’t believe it!

Jessie H.

Hands down, the best black bean brownie recipe I’ve made!

Kerry A.

This has become my go-to brownie recipe!

Terry

Protein Brownies

You would think that these healthy black bean brownies would be loaded with protein because of the black beans, however, they only deliver 3g of protein per brownie. Of course, ompared to most desserts, that’s not bad. However, if you want black bean protein brownies, feel free to add a quarter cup of plant-based protein powder. It will boost the protein level up to 5g of protein per brownie.

Are You Getting Your Fiber?

According to many other nutritional experts most Americans are not getting enough fiber. In fact, on average, we’re consuming about 15 grams of fiber a day. That’s not a lot when you consider the recommendation is to get 30-35 grams per day.

So, how are we supposed to up our fiber game?

I’m convinced that adding fiber is the way to go, but that doesn’t mean we have to give up some of the foods we love. That’s where these black bean brownies come in. Whereas the average brownie has less than 1 gram of fiber per serving, by including black beans in the ingredients, these simple black bean brownies boast nearly 4 grams of fiber per serving.

Next on my list? I’m going to make a black bean chocolate cake!

Looking down on several slices of black bean brownies next to forks, and a bowl of chocolate chips.

Are Black Bean Brownies actually good?

If you’re worried these black bean brownies taste, well, beany, worry no more! You’ll get the added bonus of fiber, with the amazing decadent and delicious flavor of the best brownies ever!

So, in summary, these brownies are:

  • chocolatey
  • gooey
  • rich
  • decadent
  • full of fiber
  • easy to make

What else could you ask for!

More Vegan Brownies

These vegan black bean brownies are amazing! And if you’re ready for even more delicious vegan brownies, start with these:

Three brownies slices are stacked next to a glass of soy milk with chocolate chips and more brownies in the background.

As you can tell, we love these Black Bean Chocolate Brownies!

I hope you love this recipe as we do! Have you tried it? Be sure and leave a comment and a rating of this recipe below and then take a quick photo and share it with me using #namelymarly on Instagram. I love seeing your creations!

Three slices of black bean brownies are stacked on top of each other with a bowl of chocolate chips behind them.

Vegan Fudgy Black Bean Brownies

You will be swooning for these Vegan Fudgy Black Bean Brownies, made with less than 10 ingredients. They’re easy, delicious, and even healthy too!
4.89 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Black Bean Brownies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 292kcal
Author: Namely Marly

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 inch square baking pan with vegetable cooking spray.
  • Combine the coconut oil and black beans in a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
  • Add the sugar and chocolate chips to the food processor. It will be a bit bumpy, but pulse for a few seconds (up to 20 – 30 seconds) to break up the chocolate chips. You can always chop the chocolate chips into pieces on a cutting board if you prefer not to put your food processor to the test.
  • Add in the cocoa powder, flour, ground flax, and cornstarch. Give the mixture one more pulse until the ingredients are combined.
  • Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan, using a spatula to distribute it equally across the pan. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes, until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  • Once the brownies are done, remove them from the oven and set aside to cool before serving. The brownies will firm up as they cool.
  • Store brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Individual brownies can be frozen. Allow them to cool, slice them, and place on a tray. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Then transfer to a freezer bag. They will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Recommended Equipment

9x9-inch Baking Pan
9×9 inch Baking Pan

Notes

Use extra dark cocoa powder to make these brownies even more rich.
You can make these gluten-free by using gluten-free baking flour.
Make these into black bean muffins by pouring the batter into greased muffin tins and baking for 20 – 25 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Fudgy Black Bean Brownies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 292 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 10g50%
Sodium 137mg6%
Potassium 146mg4%
Carbohydrates 43g14%
Fiber 4g16%
Sugar 30g33%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 31mg3%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Enjoy!

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66 Responses to Vegan Black Bean Brownies Recipe

    • Great catch! I experimented making this recipe with black beans or chickpeas. Or said better – I made them once when we were out of black beans and only chickpeas were available. 🙂 You know what? They were great both ways, but the black beans version won out. The recipe has been edited. Thanks!

  4. I am going to a Halloween Party and I want to make cupcakes. Do you think this recipe would work well? I have these great cupcake papers with blood dripping on them and so I will make icing and red beet juice dribbles on top. I will take a photo when I make them. Love the sound of these fudgy chocolate-ie brownies.

    Reply

    • Hi Marianne! This is a great question. I have used this recipe as cupcakes, but I could see where it could work. It doesn’t raise a lot, so it would result in some very dense, but tasty cupcakes! Please send me your photo – I’d love to see it!

    • I assume you mean xylitol? I haven’t used xylitol in this recipe, but I’ve had great success with it in other recipes. I typically use a 1:1 ratio when baking with xylitol, but if I were you, I might start with 1 cup and see what if that works. Let me know how it goes!

    • Hi Ali – Yes, just pour the whole can (liquid and all) in the food processor. It’s amazing what a difference that makes!

    • I don’t typically melt the coconut oil, but if it’s cold where you are, you might need to. I will put a container in the microwave with water and heat that up for about a minute and sit the container of coconut oil in that to loosen it up. Hope that helps!

    • Hi Jana – I’ve always had good luck substituting turbaned sugar for granulated sugar. I use a 1:1 ratio. I have not tried that substitution with this recipe so I can’t say for sure, but I think it should be just fine. Let me know how it goes!

    • Kidney beans have a distinct flavor that I think might come through in the finished product. That said, I would probably try it if it were the only beans I have in the house. Just be prepared the final outcome is not guaranteed. I have tried this recipe with a can of chickpeas and it worked great! Hope that’s helpful – let me know how it goes!

    • I have used almond meal in other recipes with great success and since there’s just a little bit of flour in this recipe, I think it should work fine. That said, I haven’t tried that so I can’t say for sure. Of course, now I totally want to try it!

    • I haven’t tried using honey in this recipe so I can’t say for sure. It could change the texture of the finished brownies.

  17. Thanks, Derek! I’m so glad to hear this. Just so you know, you have company…we made this recipe again too…and again. 🙂

    Reply

    • I love this question Ivalu, because I’ve actually made this same recipe using chickpeas instead. Just like with the black beans, pour the entire can into the food processor, including the liquid from the can. You can add some powdered cocoa if you’d like to make it a little darker, or go with it as is for a more lighter chocolate color. Let me know how it goes!

  19. I’ve made these brownies twice already, they’re absolutely delicious. The second time I added some seasalt (about half a tablespoon), that worked out great as well!

    Reply

  20. Added in some pecan nuts and rosemary for a ‘grown up’ version, taking out the choc chips (gasp)
    Ended up lovely! So fudgy, and not cloyingly sweet.

    Reply

  21. I was so skeptical about combing black beans with brownies that I read through review after review on Google to see if the hype was true. After making this recipe tonight I can hands down say, this is one of the best brownie recipe I have ever made. And not just for black bean brownies – all brownies. Thank you so much for sharing! Can’t wait to make this again and again.

    Reply

  23. The taste was phenomenal! Couldn’t even taste the beans! However, they turned out very ver gooey. Do I just add more flour or bake longer? (I baked for 40 minutes)

    Reply

    • Hi Jen, You’re making me think I should make another batch…like maybe tonight! Sometimes these brownies seem too gooey when they’re first pulled out of the oven, but after they cool they firm up. This is especially true if you store them in the fridge. They will firm up quite a bit. If not, yes, I would recommend cooking a little longer, but I’d put a piece of foil over the top so the top doesn’t get too crispy. Hope this helps!

  24. Hi I’m just wondering if you used Cacao powder? Traditional cocoa powder would have milk in it no? Which would mean these aren’t Vegan?

    Reply

    • Hi Allison. Thanks for your note. Most cocoa powders are made after the cocoa butter is removed from the bean. What’s left is ground into a powder, creating cocoa powder. However, there might be some cocoa powders where milk products have been added. For the most part, I have no trouble finding dairy-free cocoa powders. Hope that’s helpful!

    • As long as I can remember, cocoa powder comes in two varieties: “natural” and “Dutch” (alkalinized).
      Hot Chocolate powders had milk and sugar in them, as well as cocoa.

  25. Surprised to see, white refined sugar, white refined flour and refined cornstarch in this “healthy” recipe.. Mmmm wouldn’t go near it!!!

    Reply

    • Hi Paula. Thanks for your comment. I understand that the word “healthy” is relative. I mean, some people think raisins are not healthy. I get that. This recipe uses only a half a cup of flour, compared to 15 oz (basically 2 cups) of black beans. That’s a pretty good ratio. I agree that it’s important to pay attention to how much sugar we consume. I care about these things as well which is one of the reasons we have reserve treats like these brownies for indulgences.

  26. Sounds delicious and would like to try this recipe. Is the 40 grams of sugar listed on the nutrition facts for the entire pan of brownies or for one serving (doesn’t say how many servings per pan)? Also wondering how using maple syrup instead of sugar would change the texture. Do you know if it would it make them more fudgy or less fudgy? And If using home made black beans how much liquid (water I guess) to add since there wouldn’t be any brine from a can?

    Reply

    • Hi Janice. Thanks for your note. You raised a good point and I went back to the recipe and changed the serving size. Because these vegan black bean brownies are so rich, we always cut them into smaller slices. The nutritional information provided is by serving. I have never tried using maple syrup with this recipe, but I totally would do it. I would reduce the amount of maple syrup by about 1/4 to 1/2 cup vs. the sugar. And you might need less liquid anyway so the fact that you’re not using canned beans is good. I would probably have some water at the ready, and if the batter is too dense, add a tablespoon at a time until you get the right spreadability (you want some denseness, otherwise it won’t set right). I hope this is helpful!

  27. First vegan desert i have made, and it was great! Family loved it. I took the left-overs to work so i wouldnt eat them all. The guys at work were skeptical once i said the word vegan, but they all loved them. When they were done i told them about the black beans and the fiber, they couldnt believe it. They are more than willing to help me eat more when i make them again. Thanks for everything!

    Reply

    • Hi Jessie! I’m so glad you (and everyone else) liked this recipe! It’s one of my favorites too, because it’s indulgent, but also healthy because of the beans! I used to have the same thing when I took delicious vegan treats to work. People would be so hesitant, but then they’d love it! 🙂

  28. Hands down, the best black bean brownie recipe I’ve made! I subbed almond flour for all purpose and instead of the sugar, I used 1/2 c of coconut nectar and 3 medjool dates. HEAVEN!

    Reply

    • Kerry! I’m so glad to hear this. And your substitutions sound DIVINE! I love almond flour…and coconut nectar! OMG!  🙂  

  29. This has become my go-to brownie recipe. I use coconut sugar and white spelt flour but only out of preference. The ingredients and ratios are spot-on in my opinion, Gooey yumminess! Thanks

    Reply

  30. The brownies I made with this recipe turned out wonderfully. I used almond butter instead of coconut oil and used whole wheat flour. This is the best brownie recipe I’ve ever tried! Thanks for this! 🙂

    Reply

    • Hi Rabab. Thanks for your note! We have began experimenting with erythritol lately…in a quest to reduce refined sugars in our diet and have had great luck with it! I haven’t used it in this recipe but I think it would work great. I may have to try it out myself soon. Let me know how it goes!

    • Hi Barbara! You could prepare the dough the night before, but if it were me, I’d just go ahead and bake it and then either freeze or refrigerate the brownies. They will taste just fine the next day!

  33. Am I right to say that the bean brine is actually what takes the place of the egg in these brownies? Heidi P.

    Reply

    • That’s right! Although if you don’t like the idea of having bean brine in your brownies, you can drain them if you like. It will work either way!

  35. Can I skip bean brine and use 1 or 2 eggs for the extra protein. I’m not vegan but am always looking for high protein snacks. I make my own black beans at home and want to use them in different recipes.

    Reply

    • Hi Mary. If you’re looking for an alternative to the bean brine, I would highly recommend adding ground flax seeds. It’s a great egg substitute because it creates a binder, but it also has protein. There are many concerns about using animal-based protein, and the lack of fiber is high on that list. I hope this is helpful information. Wishing you the best! Marly

    • Hi Bette. Thanks for your comment! Here’s more nutritional estimates per serving on these black bean brownies: calories: 292, carbs: 43, Protein: 3, Fat: 13, Fiber: 4. If you’d like to reduce carbs, I would suggest using almond flour and using a non calorie sweetener too. I hope this helps!

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