Can your friends guess the secret ingredient in these delicious fudgy black bean brownies?
This has to be one of the best chocolate brownie recipes, ever. Not only these brownies are fudgy and sweet, but they are incredibly healthy too!
These brownies contain a secret ingredient that none of your friends will ever guess! Don’t tell them what’s in them, let them have a couple of bites, and then reveal the secret ingredient! It’ll be too late for them to stop eating them because they are too delicious!
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When I heard about this recipe, I couldn’t believe it was actually going to work.
Black beans in a brownie?
But hey, yes it does work!
These chocolate black bean brownies are super easy to make – plus they are healthy! Loaded with fiber and protein from the beans they are good for you, plus they are rich in omega-3 and low in sugar!
Are black bean brownies actually good?
Black bean brownies are not good: they are delicious! They are small, dense, chocolaty, fudgy pieces of goodness. I swear! You won’t be able to stop eating them.
And knowing that they contain a good amount of protein and fiber makes them a much better homemade treat.
How to make black bean brownies
This black bean brownies recipe is incredibly simple.
All you need to make is a food processor or a blender.
They are pretty much a one-bowl recipe.
The main ingredients are a can of black beans (of course), one egg, a banana, soft brown sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder, baking soda, coconut oil, and some chopped nuts for decoration and crunchiness.
You just add all the ingredients (except for the nuts) in a food processor bowl, mix and you are good to go.
Honestly, it couldn’t be any easier.
Make sure to not over blend the mix. Just get it to a point until it looks smooth.
Once it’s mixed well, you simply fill the muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes.
I bake these chocolate black bean brownies in small individual sizes so they are ready to eat as soon as they come out of the oven. But you can easily bake them as standard brownies into a rectangular pan.
If you do, let them cool for 10 minutes once they are out of the oven before cutting them into little squares.
Black bean brownies contain black beans, which means it’s best to store them in the fridge. You can store them for up to 1 day in an airtight container at room temperature. If you plan to keep them for longer, store them in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
Just remember to take them out of the fridge at least a couple of hours before eating them to enjoy them at room temperature.
Another great trick is to warm them in the microwave for about 10 seconds before you eat them. They will taste as if they’ve just come out of the oven.
How to make the most delicious chocolate black bean brownies!
No one will ever know what’s in them! Fudgy, delicious black bean brownies that are scrumptious and healthy! Full of fiber and nutrients.
They never last long enough in my house to freeze them, but the great thing about these brownies is that they taste as delicious if you make a bigger batch and freeze them.
Just defrost them two to three hours before you want to eat them, and they will be as good as freshly baked.
How to make vegan black bean brownies
Super simple!
For a vegan alternative, substitute the egg for another banana, and you’ll have yummy protein-packed vegan black bean brownies in no time!
How to make gluten-free black bean brownies
For a gluten-free version, you can use gluten-free flour or simply substitute the flour for almond meal.
Other handy substitutions
Coconut oil: you can use light olive oil, hazelnut oil, walnut oil (yes, I tried it and it’s delicious with its nutty flavor!). I would avoid extra-virgin olive oil the taste can be quite overpowering.
Flour: you can use white flour, whole-wheat flour, gluten-free flour or even almond meal for a gluten-free natural alternative.
Soft brown sugar: you can use coconut sugar, white sugar or normal brown sugar.
Black Bean Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 15-oz can black beans - well rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup soft brown sugar
- 1 medium banana
- 1 large egg
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Some crushed nuts for toppings - hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175 C).
- Lightly grease a six-slot standard size muffin pan. I used some oil and then dusted the pan with a bit of cocoa powder.
- Rinse well and drain the black beans. I used canned black beans but you could also cook your own.
- Blend all the ingredients in a blender or a food processor for a few minutes, leaving aside the crushed nuts, until the batter is pretty smooth.
- Distribute the batter into the muffin tin and sprinkle the brownies with the crushed nuts.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let the black bean brownies cool before removing from pan.
- Store in an airtight container for 1 day at room temperature, or in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. You can freeze them if you want to keep them for longer.
Notes
How to store black bean brownies
Black bean brownies contain black beans, which means it’s best to store them in the fridge. You can store them for up to 1 day in an airtight container, or in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Just remember to take them out of the fridge at least a couple of hours before eating them to enjoy them at room temperature. Another great trick is to warm them in the microwave for about 10 seconds before you eat them. They will taste as if they’ve just come out of the oven.Can black bean brownies be frozen?
Substitutions
Coconut oil: you can use light olive oil, hazelnut oil, walnut oil (yes, I tried it and it’s delicious!). I would avoid extra-virgin olive oil the taste can be quite overpowering. Flour: you can use white flour, whole-wheat flour, gluten-free flour or even almond meal for a gluten-free natural alternative. Soft brown sugar: you can use coconut sugar, white sugar or normal brown sugar. Egg: you can substitute the egg for an extra banana if you want to make a vegan version.Nutrition
Did you make this recipe? Tag @gatheringdreams on Instagram. I want to see it!
Viv Digs says
BLACK BEANS!! what!!!!!
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
I know!!! I swear they taste delicious! First time I did them I didn’t tell Dan what was in there and he couldn’t believe it 😊