Black Bean Brownies
Hey No-Meat Athletes! It’s Christine, back with another healthy dessert recipe! For this Sweet-Tooth Friday I made a batch of vegan black bean brownies. I’m going to cut to the chase- for me this recipe is hands-down the best Sweet Tooth Friday yet! They’re even better than regular brownies! If you haven’t tried any of my recipes yet, drop what you’re doing and get baking!
I adapted this recipe from a King Arthur Flour recipe. I made a few changes like using whole wheat flour, raw sugar, and more coffee. Instead of adding chocolate chips (which add more sugar) I decided to use hazelnuts instead. The hazelnuts add a seriously fabulous “nutella”-like flair.
In my research on black bean brownies, I came across a nice tip. Someone mentioned there that it was a good idea to wash the salty can liquid off the beans, then return the beans to the can and fill with fresh clean water. This is what I did with great success. However, I’m not sure if this would be different with a pre-packaged mix, but when I mixed the pureed beans and water with the dry ingredients, there was not nearly enough liquid to make a batter. I ended up adding another cup of water to get it to the right consistency.
Without further ado, I give you my Hazelnut Mocha Brownies:
Vegan Black Bean Brownie Recipe
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 1/4 cups raw sugar
- 1 1/4 cup cocoa
- 4 tsp instant coffee powder
- 1 1/2 cups chopped hazelnuts
- 1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and filled with new water
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup of water (eyeball it by filling up half the empty can)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix together the flour with the salt and baking powder. For a nice layered presentation in a jar start with half the sugar, then add half the flour mixture, all the cocoa, the coffee powder, the remaining flour, the remaining sugar, and the nuts on top. When ready to bake, dump out the jar into a mixing bowl and stir to combine all the dry ingredients.
- Drain a can of black beans and rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear. Return the black beans back to the can and fill with water. Puree the beans and water. Add the puree to the dry mix along with the vanilla and extra cup of water. Stir to combine.
- Pour the batter into a greased 9×13 pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating the pan around halfway through. When the brownies are finished they should be firm in the center and the edges will be slightly puffy and starting to pull away from the sides. My batch was finished at 28 minutes. It’s important not to overbake in the oven because they will keep baking once you take them out.
- Let brownies cool completely then use a 2×2 in cookie cutter to cut into 24 squares.
I don’t think I can accurately express over the internet how freakin awesome these brownies are! I said it before and I’ll say it again: these are better than ANY brownie I’ve had, including the ones laden with tons of butter and eggs. It’s time to put your bean prejudices aside and give this recipe a try!
Happy Sweet-Tooth Friday!
xoxo, Christine
P.S.- Check out the rest of my sneakily-healthy desserts, including vegan pumpkin bread and gingerbread cookies with Guinness!
About the Author: Christine Frazier writes vegan recipes through lots of research, trial, and error … now she is applying the same theory to her other passion, writing stories. Follow along as she deconstructs bestsellers and learns how to write a novel.
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I have also seen these brownies, but never tried! Thanks for the recipe. If you have leftovers and want to overnight them to Brooklyn just let me know 😉
Have a great Friday!
.-= Mel @ She Runs Brooklyn´s last blog ..Angry Run = Mission Complete =-.
I’ve also heard of black bean brownies but have never made them. Your pictures look great- I’m definitely going to give this a try!
I’ve never made black bean brownies but I think the time has come. Thanks for the recipe!
.-= Julie´s last blog ..Much needed vacation! =-.
owwww I really want to try these! What a fun recipe
.-= Erica´s last blog ..Vegetables with Peanut Sauce, Pizza =-.
These look amazing! I will probably make them and NOT tell my boyfriend what the secret ingredient is. Hooray for fiber and protein packed brownies!
.-= Megan (The Runner’s Kitchen)´s last blog ..PB & Jelly Ice Cream =-.
Thank’s so much for your time and effort in figuring this one out for us. I am supper excited to makes these as I am madly in love with beans at the moment. I wonder what other things you can do with beans that are not the everyday. I never thought or heard of using them in baked goods. yum!
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Thanks Hethir! I’ve posted some other dessert recipes using beans. Most beans actually have a pretty neutral taste, making them perfect for baked goods! After you give these brownies a whirl, check out my recipe for Energy bars made with Great Northern beans.
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Hi Hethir!
I just found this recipe for chocolate chip cookies with chick peas – you should try it! http://eyeitryit.com/2011/06/14/ccccp/
I can’t wait to try and make these!!!
thanks for the recipe, i am definitely going to try these!
.-= janetha´s last blog ..super spicy. =-.
Its like you read minds (well, sort of). I made cookies last night — healthy cookies — and Bryan was telling me how we should make cookies with beans (I’m sure you understand my obsession with adzuki beans by now). So, why not brownies with beans?
Looks FANTASTIC!
.-= Jamie Walker´s last blog ..A Very Indulgent Quinoa Dish…With CHEESE! =-.
I might make these for my co-workers and see if they notice a difference…
Wow! What a great recipe! I would love to try these!
Hey- sorry if you’ve mentioned this before, but where do ya’ll live?
.-= Erica´s last blog ..Vegetables with Peanut Sauce, Pizza =-.
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Erica,
Erin and I live in Maryland, near Baltimore. Christine lives in Baltimore.
Everyone: Erin made these brownies last night and we really enjoyed them. I would have never guessed they had black beans in them!
I’m a big advocate of rinsing canned beans to get rid of excess sodium. The brownies look great! Haven’t worked up the nerve yet to try black bean brownies… black beans and I don’t really like each other all that much.
.-= Sagan´s last blog ..Substitution for Protein Powders =-.
Oh my gosh I am SO TRYING THESE! They look AMAZING!!! Thanks for sharing Christine! 🙂
You know, I never think of trial and error as failure. I’ve always learned something from it; something that made future attempts better. So, from a learning point-of-view, it is always a success.
Besides, you ended up with such scrumptious brownies. So, all’s well that ends well!
Cheers!
I’ve never seen a brownie recipe with BEANS! How radical : )
Can’t wait to try it out.
.-= kara´s last blog ..Where Do You Pin Your Bib? =-.
i need to make these 🙂
.-= ttfn300´s last blog ..SheROX Danskin NE 2009 =-.
I made these this weekend and they are FANTASTIC! I even fed them to my dad who HATES beans, and he complimented them. They are super moist and tasty. I’ll definitely be making them again. I think they would be good with walnuts instead of hazelnuts too! Thanks for the recipe!
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I’m SO delighted that you tried them and liked them too!! Thanks Lauren!
I made these and they turned out great! I used almonds instead of hazelnuts because it was what I had. I’ve had black bean brownies before, but I must say this recipe was better. I love that they are vegan. My omnivore roommates thought they were tasty too!
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Hey Hayley! I’m glad you liked them! Almonds sound like a nice swap. Thanks for trying it!
I’m making these now, and I realized after I put it in the oven that there’s no oil in the recipe. Do these still turn out moist? If I wanted to use 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 water would it work?
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Brendan, my sister is the baker, but I made these and they turned out moist, like regular brownies. We did overcook the edges just a bit, but the next time we made them we just watched it more carefully.
I’m not really sure about using half oil, maybe she’ll answer that one for you!
Thanks so much for trying them out, I hope you let us know how it goes. -
Hey Brendan,
It’s not a mistake- there’s no added fat in these brownies. They really are moist just from the beans! I’ve never tried the recipe with oil. It’s not necessary, but I bet the recipe would still work if you did half oil and half water since you are subbing liquid for liquid. They’ll most likely be a little greasy though.
I LOVE these brownies! My friend/roommate and I started a “candida diet” (no sugar, natural or refined… no wheat/gluten, no dairy) So.. there’s not much we CAN eat. We’re both sugar fiends and she found and made this AWESOME recipe!!! I am a sugar fiend and they fill my “need” totally naturally and healthily!
Though we make it a little differently… and you might want to try some of these substitutes….
Instead of sugar and cocoa powder… try Stevia or Agave – and carob chips!!!
We also skip the coffee and nuts… you can use ground flax seed to add in some healthy omegas to your “brownies” too. We also use coconut oil… but she’s been the one making them and I don’t know what the coconut oil substitutes… I know some recipes for this call for eggs/butter… and I think that’s what it substitutes. But man, they are SOOOO Awesome! Worth experimenting and making different varieties to see what you like best.
I do recommend these alterations though, as they are indeed healthier!!!
Instead of sugar and cocoa powder… try Stevia or Agave – and carob chips!!! Instead of coffee, Ground flax seed. Instead of eggs/butter (in some recipes) coconut oil!!! TRY IT!!!
<3 Nurse Kelli =)
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Hey Kelli, that’s awesome that you like them! Where do you get carob chips; I’ve been wanting to try them in smoothies? Also, I’m a big coconut oil fan, so I bet that’s great instead of butter in some recipes.
Thanks for reading and commenting! -
Nurse Kelli, I’m also working on starting a candida diet! Slowly cutting out each major thing (sugar, dairy, etc.) week by week. Do you have any other tips or results you could share from your experience now that it’s been a few years?
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Can understand draining the beans for salt content, but why all this rinsing, doesn’t this wash away nutrients & vitamins?
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From online research it seems normal to wash away the liquid &remains as it can cause gassiness and bloating. No mention of nutrients from what I can tell. I think the main thing from beans is the protein…which wont wash away.
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Hey Kelli! That sounds really interested. I keep meaning to learn more about and experiment with stevia- it’s all over the place these days! Do you use an alternative for the wheat flour, like rice or gram? Or does just the flax add enough binding for the beans?
Matt- I’ve seen carob chips and bulk carob powder at the Natural Market (David’s) but I’ve never tried it. That’s another on my list!
YUM!!! I just made these and took a little bit of a sneaky bite before they were totally cooled. I wanted to make something for my birthday tomorrow that I wouldn’t feel too guilty about having leftovers lingering around.
THANKS for this recipe! It’s definitely a keeper!
.-= shawna´s last blog ..Spicy Black Bean Burgers =-.
I lOVE the brownies…I saw the recipie yesterday and could not wait to make them. I took mine out at about 28 minutes and they looked and felt pretty firm, but after cooling, they seemed to have more od a fudge-like texture…did I not cook them long enough? I was kind of worried that I had over-cooked them, the toothpick came out clean…Regardless, they are delicious and I loved the addition of the hazelnuts! I cut the sugar back to 2 cups and used 3/4 cup hazelnuts and 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. Maybe next time I will cut the sugar even more and try carob chips. I am anxious to try your other recipies!
I made the brownies last night and totally love them! However, I agree with Tammy about cutting back the sugar some next time. As I didn’t have any cocoa, I substituted 7 squares of chocolate, a couple of which were semi-sweetened, so I eliminated almost 1/2 cup of sugar, but I think I will go further next time.
I might also experiment with a pinch of cayenne pepper next time, to give it a bit of a bite.
I tried your pinto bean apple pie last week and it was absolutely awesome! It was my first time on your blog and I admit I was not a dessert person. But I am now! It’s really great to find healthy desserts that consist of real food yet still satisfy that craving for a treat.
I will most definitely try that pinto bean brownie recipe on my guests next saturday. We’ll just keep a window open 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing!!
I am really hanging to try this recipe, but I can’t find canned black beans in any of the supermarkets here in Australia! I was wondering do you think cannellini beans would turn out the same?
I Love the STF recipes, I’m not an athlete but just a mum trying to find healthy ways to give my kids sweet treats instead of high fat junk. Thanks Christine these recipes are real gems!
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Hey Tracey!
It’s so so cool to hear that you are enjoying these recipes from across the world!
I think any canned bean should taste fine in these brownies- it may affect the color, but I imagine the cocoa will more or less cover it.
Thanks! Christine-
Hi Christine!
I made these today with cannelline beans and they turned out awesome! My kids loved them but my fella wanted to know where the chocolate chunks where! Can’t please everyone eh!
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I just made these today and they are amazing! Because I’m impatient, I didn’t wait for them to cool completely, but while they were still a tiny bit warm they were soooooooo moist and delicious. I made a few changes because of what I had on hand (omitted hazelnuts, used cooked dry black beans). Thanks so much for this recipe, they turned out great! I agree that they are better than the brownies I usually make with butter. I will definitely be making them again!
Hello! I just took the black bean brownies out of the oven and the whole house smells wonderful. I waited as long as I could for them to cool but took a piece when they were still warm. Very tasty! Can’t believe there are no eggs or oil or butter in the recipe. Fantastic! Even the batter tasted delicious (had to lick my fingers). P.S. Maybe my oven is wonky but I had to leave them in for almost 40 minutes (checking constantly last 10 minutes).
Just made these brownies all I have to say is AWSOME. I love em
I just baked these and they are awesome! I need one of those cookie cutters now 🙂
I can’t wait to try these, but I only have Faba or Red Kidney beans (used up my last stash of Black beans on the patty recipe Matt posted recently)… would either of those be ok? Thanks in advance for your advice!
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Hey Dasha,
I think any canned bean should taste fine in these brownies- it may affect the color, but I imagine the cocoa will more or less cover it.
Thanks!
Christine-
Thanks for the response Christine!
I ended up going out and getting black beans cause I wanted to stay true to the original recipe. But I’ll just use whatever I have for next time. Was tempted to substitute the sugar for agave like another poster recommended, but decided that taking out the eggs and butter was a good enough first step for me (still pretty new to the awesome world of vegan baking)! 😉
Looking forward to next week’s STF!
Dasha -
I forgot to mention that they taste AMAZING! Thanks for sharing this one!
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Is there anything to substitute for the coffee/will the recipe be affected if its not used? I totally want to try these but I’m not a coffee drinker at ALL.
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Hey Leslie,
The coffee adds a richness and depth to the chocolate flavor, but it’s not necessary. If you want, before adding the cup of water, you could brew it with chai tea or any kind of tea just to add another layer of flavor. Another option would be adding a tablespoon of creme de cacao or other liqueur.
If you just omit the coffee, it’s no biggie- the brownies will still be yummy. Thanks for the question!
Christine
These are completely delicious!
I have made them twice. I used 1/2 cup pecans and 1/2 cup chocolate chips instead of hazelnuts, and a cup of black coffee instead of the coffee powder and the water. Also, I only had brown sugar.
I cooked my own beans, measured out 2 cups and added water to the beans in the measuring cup, making sure that it stayed in the 2-cup range.
The first time I made them, I used all black beans, and the second time, I used a mix of white beans, red kidney beans, black beans, and chickpeas (about 1/2 cup of each).
Both times, DELICIOUS.
Thank you!!
These were so delicious! It’s hard to stop eating them! I reduced the sugar to 2C just to see what would happen, and they were sweet enough for me. I also did not add the nuts since I like my brownies all fudge, no nuts. 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
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Oh!I made them GLUTEN FREE! I used 1/2C millet flour, 1/2C sorghum flour, 1/2C potato starch, and 1t xanthan gum. Awesome.
I just made your recipe and love it!! I wanted to experiment and used walnuts instead of the hazelnuts and raspberry jam for fun. LOVE IT!! Thanks for posting this!
OMG!! These are so freakin’ awesome! Thank you for this!!
I just made these, but I had to do a couple of modifications. First, all I could find was Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder. I prefer dark chocolate, so it worked out well. It makes them almost black in color, but who cares. Then, I cut the sugar. 2-1/2 cups seemed like a lot. I did a little less than 2. Even with the dark cocoa powder, they taste great. Awesome recipe. I would have never thought of making brownies with beans. Now, if I can only get my wife to try them.
Made these just today! DELICIOUS!
And so easy to make! 🙂
I didn’t have any nuts around the house so I used a bit of left over shredded coconut.
Thanks so much for this recipe!!
Can’t wait to try more!
OMG! This just looks awsome. I’m going to make them tomorow for the 4th of july party and see if anyone can tell the difference.
Thanks so much for the recipe,
Can’t wait to eat it.
My wife and I made these tonight exactly as stated… I had them with mocha almond ice “cream” (made from coconut milk) and give them a big thumbs up. We’re not going to tell the kids these have beans in them until the brownies are gone.
I have made these brownies twice now- they are so amazing! Thank you so so so much for sharing this recipe! I really appreciate it 🙂
I made these (but with walnuts) and I wonder, why do you have the ingredients mixed in the order you have chosen? I would have whipped the sugar with the bean puree, mixed in the other liquids, and then added the dry mixture and stirred to combine. The brownies weren’t bad at all — I couldn’t taste the beans in them, they were rich and moist — but they seemed more like a piece of chocolate cake rather than fudgy on the inside, crispy on the outside like a great brownie.
This was the first recipe I’ve tried from your site and these brownies are AWESOME! I used walnuts instead of hazelnts (just because of the price at my grocery store) but these little morsels of goodness were fudgy and delicious and you would never know they were made with beans!
Thanks for sharing!
Made these brownies for a trip this past weekend. They are fantastic. Used a little less sugar and used a really dark cocoa from Holland. Will definitely make these again.
I made these today, and I love how simple they are. I was worried they’d be too sweet with all that sugar, but they really weren’t at all. Thanks for the recipe!
I can’t even begin to tell how delicious those brownies look. I love recipes with pictures, because they give me that extra bit of motivation I need to start baking 🙂 Thanks!
Can you use buckwheat flour instead of whole wheat flour?
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Hey Heather,
Buckwheat flour is not actually made from wheat, so it doesn’t have gluten. Gluten helps provide “chewiness” and keeps baked goods from being crumbly and falling apart.
Usually when I use buckwheat flour, I do half the amount called for with buckwheat and half with regular flour.
If you’d like it to only use buckwheat flour, a little (1/2 to 1 tsp) of xanthan gum will help bring the chewiness back.
Buckwheat is not as soft as wheat flour, so replacing some with something like cornstarch or potato starch can help with the texture. Check out my post on gluten-free baking or read Emily J’s comment above: she made them gluten-free with a combination of flours, starch, and gum.
Thanks,
Christine
Made a batch yesterday, used 1/2c walnuts in place of the hazelnuts and half my cocoa was special dark, wicked good Christine, thanks.
These REALLY ARE better than any other brownie I’ve had. I didn’t have any instant coffee on hand so I used espresso instead. These brownies have so much more taste than any crap you’d get from a box… SO YUMMY! I was planning on giving this batch of brownies to my friend at work for her birthday- I’m not sure if they will last until Monday though 🙁
Thank you Christine!
What would you suggest for a coffee substitute? I don’t use coffee or espresso.
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you could try ground chicory and/or dandelion…the taste is extraordinarily similar…i am a coffee addict and dandelion mix satisfies me!
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Wow, seriously? How do you make your mix, and where do you get your supplies? I’ve never used either of those ingredients before. I had some black bean brownies at a local gluten-free/dairy-free baker and was amazed at how good they were and have wanted to try making them at home every since!
Also, thank you for the great blog posts. Your recipes are awesome! Keep up the good work, it’s appreciated 🙂
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Just made these and they are (were?) amazing. I didn’t have any coffee or nuts, so I blended 2 TBS cashew butter in with the beans and water for a little extra flavor (barely noticeable, but good). Just a word of caution, add the extra cup of water at the end, little by little, just until you reach a good batter consistency. I only needed maybe 1/8 cup or so after filling the rinsed beans with fresh water. I blended my beans with a stick blender with the water and cashew butter, and that seemed to work well. There were a few flecks of bean skin remaining, but they were unnoticeable in the final product. I initially considered cutting down the sugar or replacing some with Splenda, but ended up adding the full amount for my first attempt. I didn’t think they were too sweet, but I might try to cut the sugar back in the future. Oh, and I used low-sodium black beans.
27-28 mins for me, and they puffed up quite nicely and were not overdone or gooey in the middle (I watched them closely after 20-25 mins). They were a little fudgier than how I normally make brownies, but they still had a good amount of “cakiness” to them, and were delicious. Approved by my picky, non-bean-eating (newly vegan) boyfriend, his omnivore friends, and me. No one could taste or see the beans, and we cleared away half the pan in a matter of minutes. And even better that they’re low fat, zero cholesterol, high fiber, high protein, and vegan safe! This is my new favorite brownie recipe! Thanks Christine for the super recipe, and thanks to Sonia @ Master of her Romaine for initially piquing my interest in black bean brownies!
I have these in the oven right now, the batter tasted awesome I can’t wait to taste one or 10 of these 😉
WOW! I just had to comment. These taste….AMAZING. The entire pan was gone in 3 days! These are sooo healthy, sooo moist, and sooo delicious. And at only 80 calories a brownie, I can have one every day@ My mom tried one and was shocked that their was black beans in it!
These are my favorite. I’ve fed them to lots of omnivores and they have no idea they have beans in them 🙂 I’m making the mix for family as Christmas gifts. Thanks!
Hi There! I stumbled upon your amazing blog and I am so glad… it’s fantastic here. I am going to spend some serious time going through it! I did make the brownies and posted them on my blog (www.lapuremama.com) thanks for the great recipe; I will be back for sure! 🙂
In he oven now, but with 2 cups ans 1 tsp. of liquid, the batter was the consistency of peanut butter. Is this the proper consistency?
I made this recipe yesterday with a few changes: I omitted the hazelnuts (as I don’t have any) and used only half a cup of sugar and about one and a quarter cups of agave nectar.
This recipe is amazing! I served some to my friends and they all said that it tasted very decadent and they would have never guessed it was actually quite a healthy brownie (unless I told them, of course).
One of my new favorite recipes! I am looking forward to trying your recipe for White Bean Blondies as well!
These are the best! My family had no idea! I met with a dietician to help me evaluate my diet and she suggested I try black bean brownies. That’s how I found your website and now I’m a huge fan and have recommended it to others. I’m a runner and I am thankful for all your articles!
I tried this recipe today but used Splenda in place of sugar (same amount: 2 1/4 cups) to cut back on the calories. They turned out okay, but not as good as regular brownies. I thought they needed more sweetener (they seemed a little bitter). Any ideas?
P.S. I used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder. Maybe this gave them a slightly bitter taste?
I’ve just made these, yum! I subbed the cocoa and sugar for dark chocolate (100g) and 1/2 cup sweetener, and put cherries in instead of nuts. Delicious!
I found black bean brownies on a bodybuilding web site years ago and it was the best way to get xtra good stuff in the kids. This is a grand “from scratch” recipe. If you are super busy or just plain lazy you can make this from any brownie box mix just add the beans and can water to mix— stir and bake… it works the same and is xtra quick.. IMO this scratch recipe is tops!
Just to be clear…. blender the beans and water to puree then and to bowl and mix in box mix…. didnt ant you to think I meant just add the beans and water…
This sound great will give them a try
This is great!!! I am baking it right know and the even batter tastes delicious. From know on i can eat VEGAN brownies:) THANK YOU SO MUCH for this;)
Thanks so much for this recipe! Just made them the other day, and the last one was just eaten by my dad. I’m a teenage vegan, and making things that are healthy and also impress my friends/family is hard to find, but you made it so easy! Definitely on my post-half-marathon snack list (:
wow! This looks awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Must make these. They sound delicious (and nutritious)!
I make these all the time, and no one can tell there are black beans in them. I use walnuts instead of hazelnuts, and I lowered the instant coffee to 3 tsp. so the coffee flavor is not so strong. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Hello!
I am wanting to try this recipe this weekend but all i have is “regular” white sugar. (i know, i know, *cringe* at the thought of white sugar.. at least i got the organic kind tho! :))Would this work just as well or is the raw sugar necessary? or would brown sugar work?
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nicole, i was wondering the same thing! i ended up trying the recipe with just white sugar and the brownies were great! and because that’s all i’ve used for this recipe (made it 4 times already haha), it’s not like i’ve known if it changes anything. but i’d love to know!
I made these last night and they were amazing! And so filling too!
Do you think these would still work if I replaced the wholemeal flour with gluten free flour? Anyone tried it?
My first attempt–they’re in the oven as we speak! Hey, ‘ya can lick the spoon/pan without any worries.
I made these for a RSPCA (the Australian version of the ASPCA) fundraiser, and they are the best brownies I have ever had! I’m lactose intolerant, and msising chocolate like nothing else, so these were a godsend.
They were also the most popular thing at the bake sale – a massive hit!
Thank you so much for the recipe idea! I never follow recipe directions unless it’s for something really obscure that I’ve never made anything like before so 99% of the time I only look for ‘base recipes.’ I tweaked a lot with this one — almond milk instead of water, walnuts instead of hazelnuts, more black beans, a bit less sugar, more liquids…etc. Lots of tweaks, but I was happy with how they came out! Thank you! I’d add less coffee/expresso next time as the taste was stronger than the chocolate taste but for now, I have a batch of good pick-me-ups to share with my mother for morning time! Thank you so much for the inspiration and for helping make vegan/vegetarianism an easier switch for us mid-converts! 😀
Thank you so much for this recipe, the brownies came out delicious 🙂
I’m new to using Non-European recipes and finding that some of the ingredients differ here. I went with white beans which were fine but I’m not sure about the Cocoa. Mine had a bit too much, even though I only put one cup. What kind of Cocoa do you use?
thx 🙂
I tried these last night, although I cut the sugar down a little bit and used only 1 tsp of espresso powder, but they were delicious. Definitely took care of my chocolate craving and even tried a little bite with homemade nut butter, delish!!! Thank you for posting!
These are amazing!!! I didn’t have instant coffee, so I used a shot of espresso mixed with the water. I will definitely be making these again and again…I might add some vegan chocolate chips once in a while for an extra rich chocolatie treat 😉 Thanks so much for this recipe!
Made these tonight. I did not have the hazelnuts, used one cup of vegan choc chips. I did bake for 30 minutes. Awesome! Also added a tsp of cinnamon.
Thanks for the recipe!
Just made these and had it topped with a homemade vegan coffee ice cream. Holy Wow! These brownies are delicious – and I’m kind of a brownie freak. Thanks for a fantastic recipe!
Thank u so much for this recipe! I’ve just recently dedicated myself to a healthier lifestyle and I’m taking my family down with me ;0) I just indulged in ur black bean Brownies! I used only 2 cups sugar and may do less next time, and chopped walnuts. I pulsed the nuts in the processor so they were really small cause I’m trying to hide them from my kids. My 4yr old son not only ate his entire Brownie but finished off my husbands too. He said he wants to take them to preschool to share with his friends! Now that’s success! I’m so inspired to try all kinds of variations. Thank u so much!!!
I made these last month and they were a huge hit! I waited until after my non-veggie friends ate them to tell them the secret ingredient and they were pleasantly surprised. I plan on making them again this weekend as a post-race snack for my running club.
RECIPE CHANGES/SUBSTITUTIONS: I didn’t have instant coffee, so I used double strength brewed coffee instead of water, and it worked great, but next time I will try triple strength as the flavor helps to mask the beans. I didn’t have a can of black beans, only dried beans, so I soaked them like the package said, and pureed 1 3/4 cups of the beans. I used chocolate chips instead of nuts, but I recommend using nuts since they will help to hide the texture of the beans (or maybe my food processor just didn’t puree the beans enough). I added extra cocoa by accident, which I liked, but I should’ve added extra sugar too. These brownies are THE FUDGEYEST brownies I have ever had! I and my 2 and 3 yr old boys love them :).
Incredible recipe! Being coeliac, I used fresh ground almond meal and coconut flour with a bit of amaranth flour, and substituted the raw sugar with rapadura and agave syrup and honey (didn’t have much rapadura left!). Absolute success and the coconut flour gave its own lovely signature to this brownie!
This has to be hands down best brownie in the books!! This will be my go to for chocolate cravings.
Hello!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I follow it 100% and the brownies turn out amazing every time. I was wondering, though, have you ever tried using cooked black beans instead of canned? I am not much of a baker, so I’m not sure how much I would need to use and what amount of water I would need. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you,
Jessica
hi NMA, what is the fat and protein content in each piece of brownie?
These are fabulous! I think they get even better after a couple of days if you can wait that long – even moister and fudgier. Bonus – the brownies come out of the pan so easily too.
toooooo sweet! i used a half mix of splenda and sugar where you cut the amount in half so i used one cup but next time i will definately use less.
excited to try these. I’m a confessed sugar/junk addict but am trying to cut some of it out. Thought these were worth a try. They were a bit more cakey than dense like brownies and have good flavor–not exactly like a store bought mix, but definitely good. So far the kids like them and don’t really know the difference…no mention of beans here. I didn’t have instant coffee so added 1/4 cup of brewed coffee in place of some of the water, but I think I added too much additional water bc the batter was a bit thin, probably why they were more cakey. I did cut the sugar back to 2 cups also. Thanks so much for the recipe.
These brownies are A-mazing! They are simply the best brownies I have EVER had! Thank you so much no meat athlete! I didn’t tell my brother that there were beans in them, until he ate one and he didn’t care because he liked them so much. They are so fudgey and delicious, thanks again for the recipe:)
Made these for my boss’s birthday and everyone loved them, thank you!!!!
Just found this recipe yesterday and had to try it. I have never used beans in a dessert and thought, “Awesome! Dinner in a brownie;)” I had my 5 year old kitchen critic give them a try and she absolutely loved them!!! We made a couple adjustments such as no coffee and soaked dates and agave rather than sugar.
Thank you for the delicious recipe:)
Made these this morning with a couple modifications: only used 2 cups sugar, and used applesauce in place of the 1 cup water. Consistency of brownies was more fudgey, and they were really delicious. Thanks for the great recipe!!
May I have permission to link back to your black bean brownie recipe in a short and sweet blog post? Mahalo! Great recipe!
Aloha,
Tina
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Of course! Thanks.
I’ve just come across this recipe and am really exciting about making it. However, I’m in the UK and can’t buy black beans (at least not in the supermarket) – just wondering if you can suggest a suitable alternative?
I saw this recipe and was SO excited since I havent made black bean brownies in a long time and lost my original recipe. I hate to say this but it was a HUGE FAIL. Idk what I did wrong.. I followed the recipe perfectly (made sure to rinse the beans well) and it still tasted too salty, a bit too ‘gummy-like’ and well Im just sad because I hate wasting food but I can’t even give this to anyone.. just a heads up to anyone wanting to make this since there are tons of rave reviews of people loving this, but for me it wasn’t good. (Also Im not a ‘newbie vegan’ lol; I’m used to ‘weird food’ and love black bean brownies- just didnt work for me).
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Even the left over batter in the mixing bow tasted pretty decent, really. I’ve made black bean brownies using mixes( most of which are vegan by default, btw). But I wanted to try these which are made from scratch. They’re baking in the oven now. I like the idea they’re nearly fat free, so one can eat more of these than the traditional brownies and not feel too much guilt. As well, the fiber from the whole wheat flour and the beans would be more filling, so I doubt I could eat too many!
first time i made these i didnt like them, i could taste the black beans and although the texture was nice and stodgy the taste was a bit weird but i really wanted that moist heavy texture so i tried again but this time but agave syrup in with the beans when i pureed them and less water – amazing! soo gooey, no-one could believe they were black bean and have been ordered to make more 🙂
I was a bit dubious about these, but thought I’d give them a go, and I’m very pleased I did, they were delicious! The mixture tasted so good that I thought it would be hard to spoil it, so I added some protein powder to make them even more nutritious. Thanks for the recipe!
Wait for the brownies to cool completely before cutting (and eating) them??? What are you, some kind of sadist? LOL! Okay, I waited 35 minutes before cutting (and eating) them – they are so good!
I did change it up a little bit, though. I had asked my husband to pick up some hazelnuts from the store on his way home. He couldn’t find the bulk hazelnuts, so he bought two 2.25 oz. packages of hazelnuts instead. I decided that wasn’t enough nuts to put in as chopped nuts and opted instead to puree those in with the black beans, vanilla and all of the water (including the additional cup), before mixing it in with the dry ingredients (you gotta love the Vitamix). Of course, you *have* to have some chewable nuts as well, so I added about a cup and a half of coarsely chopped walnuts to the batter. Also, my 9 x 13″ pan is missing in action, so I had to use the next size down (about 8 x 11″). It took about 37 minutes at 350 degrees, but worked out fine.
I typically prefer to just keep a small amount for ourselves and give the rest away (to avoid all the extra calories and sugar that we really don’t need), but when I told my husband “These have got to go,” he replied, yeah, right here (pointing to his stomach).
Thanks for the great recipe, Christine!
WOWZA! so glad I came across this recipe (like 6 years later lol) but they turned out so good! I used brown sugar, added some coconut oil and honey, and omitted the nuts, and they were still AMAZING! thanks so much!!
I’ve been making lentil brownies. Same deal as the black bean…you cook lentils, then purée them. Add other ingredients such as whole grain flour, sweeteners ( I use agave nectar) and baking soda, and semi sweet chocolate chips…these taste great. Lentils cook fast and are cheap, too. I often add peanut butter powder, so these brownies are low fat, too. They’re sort of a mini meal as they’re whole food, and full of nutrition and fiber…
Id given a goodly amount of these lentil brownies to a friend and she to,d me her teen aged son & friends tore them up!! They loved them. Lol, she didn’t tell them what was in them…
I would like the nutrition information on these brownie?. What are the calories, fat, sugar and protein content? They sound and look delicious. Can you substitute anything else for the sugar (i.e. Splenda, Truvia or Purevia? Would it be an equal amount? Thanks.
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Ilene – I ran the nutritional info on these as I made them, with maple syrup instead of sugar and a tablespoon of flax. It assumes the recipe makes 12 servings. Here it is:
Nutrient
Amount
% of Daily Target or Limit
Total Calories 187 11% limit
Protein 6 g 12% target
Carbohydrate 43 g 33% target
Dietary Fiber 6 g 25% target
Total Sugars 23 g No daily target or limit
Added Sugars 21 g 48% limit
Total Fat 2 g No daily target or limit
Saturated Fat 1 g 4% limit
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g No daily target or limit
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g No daily target or limit
Linoleic Acid 0 g 2% target
α-Linolenic Acid 0.2 g 18% target
Omega 3 – EPA 0 mg No daily target or limit
Omega 3 – DHA 0 mg No daily target or limit
Cholesterol 0 mg 0% limit
Minerals
Calcium 85 mg 8% target
Potassium 350 mg 7% target
Sodium 297 mg 13% limit
Copper 417 µg 46% target
Iron 2 mg 13% target
Magnesium 76 mg 24% target
Phosphorus 155 mg 22% target
Selenium 10 µg 17% target
Zinc 1 mg 18% target
Vitamins
Vitamin A 0 µg RAE 0% target
Vitamin B6 0.1 mg 7% target
Vitamin B12 0.0 µg 0% target
Vitamin C 0 mg 0% target
Vitamin D 0 µg 0% target
Vitamin E 0 mg AT 2% target
Vitamin K 1 µg 2% target
Folate 33 µg DFE 8% target
Thiamin 0.2 mg 15% target
Riboflavin 0.4 mg 35% target
Niacin 1 mg 7% target
Choline 15 mg 4% target
These were amazing. Everyone is asking me for the recipe. I used some amaretto instead of water. Next time I will use all amaretto instead of the full cup water. I also will add more instant coffee and less cocoa powder. I’d like to taste the coffee more. I also added a bit of matcha instead of flour to try to make a super caffeine brownie!
Hi from Germany, where we’re not familiar with oz.
The receipt says to use 115 oz, or 1.15 oz? Both don’t seem to be right, as far Google’s conversion from oz to gram or liter is right.
Or am I reading the receipt wrong and it should be 1 lb and 15 oz black beans?
And does this indication of weight mean the weight of a can with beans and water or just the beans? Because I only have dry beans and no cans…
Thank you for your help!
I made these recently with a few modifications. I was horrified at the suggestion of 2 1/4 cup sugar, so I opted instead for one cup of maple syrup. They were not as sweet as a normal dessert but I actually liked them with the toned down sweetness. Also, the syrup made the batter more fudgey, which was great. I added one flax egg (one tablespoon ground flax and three tablespoons water) for more binding power which was probably unncessary but didn’t hurt either. And I sprinkled the top with some vegan chocolate chips, raw sugar and sea salt for some extra decadence on the lid. These are great – now my go-to recipe! Thank you!
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Awesome and healthy recipe. I love brownies but I am also gluten intolerant but I can eat these brownies. They taste awesome and are so fudgy. A great recipe indeed. Thanks for this.
i’ve seen black bean brownies, and now i have the perfect recipe to try! you are seriously queen of healthy baking!
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