Black beans and brownies…sounds crazy right? Well, as many have discovered, using black beans in place of flour is a clever way to make brownies a bit healthier (and gluten free) without sacrificing a delicious chocolaty, rich-tasting dessert. Black Bean Brownies have been on my list of things to make for years, and had I realized how easy they are to make, they would have been made a long time ago! Essentially you just throw everything in a food processor (or blender), process for a minute, pour in pan and bake.
Then comes the true test…how are they? Amazing! Mike and I were both excited to try them and very pleasantly surprised how good they are (or were…the brownies are long gone!) They have a deep chocolate flavor, a not quite cakey and not quite fudgy texture, and were some of the best brownies I’ve had in a long time!
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 eggs
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
- Cooking spray (or additional oil)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray (or brush with oil) and set aside.
- Put black beans in a food processor and process until smooth.
- Add eggs, oil, cocoa, baking powder, vanilla and brown sugar, and process until completely blended. (Note: You may need to stop and scrape down the sides a couple times during this step).
- Add ¼ cup chocolate chips and pulse 5 times.
- Pour mixture in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle top with remaining chocolate chips.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Put on a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.
Source: Whole Living
I’m so excited to try these! My husband needs to watch cholesterol and loves brownies. Win-win, I’d say. (And you liked them!) Thanks, Alida!
That’s awesome! I really do need to try this sometime.
I shared this with a friend who is trying to live gluten free. Must say, they look scrumptious!
Stacy
That looks gorgeous! I adore chocolate in any suit :). I will try your recipe!
My family will love the recipe!
The only problem I had was storing them so they stayed fresh. I put them in a tupperware bowl and they seemed wet or too moist after a day….otherwise they were great!
These were so moist and fudgy ( which we prefer) I used my neighbors as unsuspecting guinea pigs and told them I just tried a new recipe…which I did, not one of them had a complaint and they were ALL shocked these were made with black beans!!!
I will definitely make them again and again
Loved these and they’re so easy, I’ve replaced the sugar with stevia xylitol and honey. Xylitol wins so far, great recipie I reccomend it!
Do you think these could be made with the whole egg? My daughter is sensitive to yolk. Could I just use whites or would I need to add something more?
Hi Kristie, you could definitely try just egg whites – 2 whites per 1 egg. Let me know how it goes!
You can sub in flax eggs. 1tbsp flax seed meal + 3tbsp warm water. Let that set for 2 minutes and it will replace an egg!
Can this be done in a blender if I don’t have a food processor?
As long as it is powerful enough to pulverize the black beans, I don’t see why not!
I have made these bean brownies many times. And my friends and family just love them. I can’t eat enough. I put everything in my blender, and it can’t be any easier. Thanks for the recipe.