Vegan Black Bean Brownies
These healthy Vegan Black Bean Brownies are rich, fudgy, and ultra chocolatey. This recipe uses only 10 ingredients, meaning these brownies are ready to dive into in no time.
If you love chocolate desserts, this Chocolate Pudding Cake is a must!
I never thought I’d share 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 are the ingredients?”
Do I lead with black beans? No, I leave that until last. Because who wants to think they’re eating brownies with beans? And yet, they’re so good, they always ask for seconds.
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 vegan black bean brownies are made with only a few ingredients, including:
- Coconut oil — I used unrefined coconut oil for added coconut flavor to these brownies
- Black beans — A 15-ounce can of black beans works great, or 1 ¾ cups of cooked black beans.
- Chocolate Chips — Choose from many Dairy-free chocolate chips available these days.
- Cocoa powder — I have used both natural and dutch-process cocoa powder, and both work well.
- Flour — I used all-purpose flour, but whole wheat pastry flour would work, too.
- Flax — We’ll add a bit of ground flax seeds, but you can substitute chia seeds.
I imagine you have several of these ingredients in your pantry right now. Although it’s true I’m making these vegan 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.
How to Make Vegan Black Bean Brownies
Here’s a summary of the steps involved in making this recipe:
- Pulse Beans and Coconut Oil — Pulse together the melted coconut oil and black beans in a food processor.
- Sugar and Chocolate — Add the sugar and chocolate chips to the food processor. It will be a bit bumpy, but pulse in short bursts to break up the chocolate chips.
- Make the Batter — Add in the cocoa powder, flour, ground flax, cornstarch, and water. Give the mixture one more pulse until the ingredients are combined.
- Pour and Bake — Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan, using a spatula to distribute it equally across the pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a tester inserted in the middle, comes out clean.
- Cool — Once the brownies are done, remove them from the oven and set them aside to cool before serving. The brownies will firm up as they cool.
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!
What Makes This Recipe Shine?
- Black beans add an incredibly dense base to these brownies
- Coconut oil gives this dessert a wonderful texture
- Chocolate chips add a rich chocolate flavor to every bite
I also love to serve these brownies with a dollop of Coconut Whipped Cream on top.
Tip: Use virgin coconut oil for a more defined coconut flavor or refined coconut oil for a more neutral flavor.
Marly’s Tips
Here are some tips for these vegan black bean brownies:
- You can add ¼ 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).
- Make black bean muffins by pouring the batter into greased muffin tins. Reduce the baking time to 25 minutes.
Sugar-Free Black Bean Brownies
Here are ideas to reduce the refined sugars or to make keto black bean brownies:
- Zero-Calorie Sweeteners — Substitute Swerve 1:1 with sugar.
- Natural Sweeteners — Substitute 1 cup of Medjool dates (remove the pits first) for the sugar. You’ll need to pulse them in the food processor, and they’ll add natural sweetness.
- Flour — Substitute almond flour for the all-purpose flour for a low-carb option.
- Chocolate — Use sugar-free chocolate chips, such as Lilly’s dark chocolate chips made with stevia.
Reader Reviews
First vegan dessert I have made, and it was great! The 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 these healthy black bean brownies would be loaded with protein because of the black beans; however, they only deliver 3g of protein per brownie. If you want black bean protein brownies, feel free to add a quarter cup of chocolate plant-based protein powder. It will boost the protein level by up to 5g of protein per brownie.
Regarding fiber, the average brownie has around 1 gram of fiber per serving. Because of the black beans, these brownies boast nearly 4 grams of fiber per serving.
Are Black Bean Brownies Actually Good?
If you’re worried these black bean brownies taste beany, worry no more. You’ll get the added bonus of fiber, with the amazing decadent and delicious flavor of the best brownies ever.
More Vegan Brownies
These vegan black bean brownies are amazing! And if you’re ready for even more delicious brownies, start with these:
That’s it for these vegan black bean brownies.
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Vegan Black Bean Brownies
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- 15 oz can black beans
- 4 tablespoons water (see note)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup dairy-free chocolate chips
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (substitute gluten-free baking flour)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with vegetable cooking spray.
- Combine the coconut oil, black beans, and water 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 to 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 to 45 minutes, until a tester inserted in the middle, comes out clean.
- Once the brownies are done, remove them from the oven and set them 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 them 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
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Video
Notes
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.
This post was originally published in 2015 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.
Can you substitute Turbinado sugar for the granulated sugar?
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!
When you said with bean brine, do you mean the liquid in the can? Use the whole can-beans and liquid??
Hi Nancy – Yes, the bean brine is the liquid in the can. I’ll add a note to the recipe to clarify. Thanks!
do you need to melt the coconut oil first? I don’t use it often so I am never sure.
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!
is bean brine the liquid that comes in the can ?
Hi Trisha! Yes, bean brine is the liquid in the can. I’ll add a note to the recipe to clarify. 🙂
These look great! When you say bean brine, do you mean that you just dump in the whole can instead of rinsing? Thanks!
Hi Ali – Yes, just pour the whole can (liquid and all) in the food processor. It’s amazing what a difference that makes!
Can I use xylophone instead of sugar. I am diabetic
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!
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.
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!
In step #2, do you mean black beans, not chickpeas?
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!
These look beyond perfect!!!! I want a huge bite!
That’s actually a great comeback to people who ask vegetarians “where do you get your protein?”–saying “where do you get your fiber?” lol. It is an awfully neglected nutrient, and if I can get it from eating brownies then all the better! 😀
I never thought about it as a comeback to that age-old question. LOVE IT!! Maybe we should design a t-shirt.