Best Black Bean Brownies | Vegan
These Black Bean Brownies are fudgy delicious and can be ready in only about 30 minutes!
I know it sounds crazy to include a can of black beans in a brownie recipe, but don’t knock it until you try it. This unlikely duo is not only loaded with fiber but absolutely delicious!
You’ll love these vegan brownies because they’re…
- Perfectly sweet
- Easy to make
- Full of wholesome ingredients
- Delicious
These vegan brownies are even gluten-free because I use oats instead of regular flour. So simple. So tasty. If you are searching for more Gluten-Free Recipes, check out this list of some of my favs!
How to make black bean brownies
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
To make these brownies, you’re only going to need a few ingredients, a blender or food processer, and your oven.
Begin by placing 1 cup of oats into your blender or food processor and blend for less than a minute until they are nice and powdery to make oat flour. I have lots of other recipes that use oat flour as well.
Next, drain and rinse one can of cooked black beans or use 1.5 cups of your own freshly cooked beans. I like to place my beans in a colander and run water over them to rinse well.
Go ahead and add the beans and all other ingredients (EXCEPT the chocolate chips and walnuts) to your blender or food processor. Blend until nice and smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
Hopefully, your blender has a tamper that allows you to keep the ingredients moving smoothly, so it doesn’t have to be stopped and started so much.
If the batter is just too thick, add a splash more of almond milk and blend a bit more.
My favorite blender is the Vitamix 5200 because it is so powerful, it can blend anything. I actually own two of them because I use them in the Food for Life classes I teach for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
Spoon the batter into a mixing bowl and add the dairy-free chocolate chips and walnut pieces. Fold them together well with a sturdy spoon or spatula.
Evenly distribute the batter into an 8″x 8′ baking dish lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking to the sides. Use a spatula or spoon to smooth out the top.
I like to sprinkle the top with a few extra chocolate chips and walnuts but that is completely optional.
Bake at 350°F for approximately 20-25 minutes until you see the edges begin to get darker brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.
Your black bean brownie questions answered:
- Q: Are black bean brownies vegan? These are vegan because there are no eggs or dairy used.
- Q: Can black bean brownies be made gluten-free? Yes, and because we use oat flour in these, they are gluten-free.
- Q: Can I make my own beans instead of using can beans? Absolutely! This recipe calls for 1.5 cups of beans canned or fresh.
- Q: What can I use to substitute for brown sugar? Date sugar, date syrup, and maple syrup are great options.
- Q: What if my batter seems too thick? This will make a pretty thick batter, but if you see that it needs to be thinned down a bit, simply add a tablespoon or two extra plant milk.
More great vegan desserts
- Hot Fudge Cake
- Glazed Carrot Cake
- Heavenly Tootsie Rolls
- Best Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes
- Chocolate Vegan Cake: Sugar-Free
- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Donuts
For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!
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Vegan Black Bean Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole oats
- 1 can black beans or 1.5 cups freshly cooked
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 1/2 cup plant milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts optional
Instructions
- Begin by placing 1 cup of oats into your blender or food processor and blend for less than a minute until they are nice and powdery to make oat flour. I have lots of other recipes that use oat flour as well.
- Next, drain and rinse one can of cooked black beans or use 1.5 cups of your own freshly cooked beans. I like to place my beans in a colander and run water over them to rinse well.
- Go ahead and add the beans and all other ingredients (EXCEPT the chocolate chips and walnuts) to your blender or food processor. Blend until nice and smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Hopefully, your blender has a tamper that allows you to keep the ingredients moving smoothly, so it doesn’t have to be stopped and started so much. If the batter is just too thick, add a splash more of almond milk and blend a bit more.
- Spoon the batter into a mixing bowl and add the dairy-free chocolate chips and walnut pieces. Fold them together well with a sturdy spoon or spatula.
- Evenly distribute the batter into an 8×8 baking dish lined with parchment paper to prevent sticking to the sides. Use a spatula or spoon to smooth out the top. I like to sprinkle the top with a few extra chocolate chips and walnuts but that is completely optional. Bake at 350°F for approximately 20-25 minutes until you see the edges begin to get darker brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.
Video
Notes
- Q: Are black bean brownies vegan? These are vegan because there are no eggs or dairy used.
- Q: Can black bean brownies be made gluten-free? Yes, and because we use oat flour in these, they are gluten-free.
- Q: Can I make my own beans instead of using can beans? Absolutely! This recipe calls for 1.5 cups of beans canned or fresh.
- Q: What can I use to substitute for brown sugar? Date sugar, date syrup, and maple syrup are great options.
- Q: What if my batter seems too thick? This will make a pretty thick batter, but if you see that it needs to be thinned down a bit, simply add a tablespoon or two extra plant milk.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
Can the sugar be replaced by monks fruit?
Hi Mary- I think subbing monks fruit would be just fine.
Can I substitute coconut sugar for brown sugar? I cannot find vegan brown sugar
Hi JoAnne- I think coconut sugar would be just fine to substitute.
So easy to make. Found them to be moist and delicious!
Hi Sharon- Thank you for the great feedback, and I’m SO glad you enjoyed them!
Can I sub maple syrup for brown sugar?
Hi Autumn- Yes, maple syrup should work just fine.
Can you recommend a gluten free alternative to oats?
Hi Jessica- Oats are naturally gluten-free.
@Terri Edwards, Yes, but what other FLOUR could we use that is GF if we are allergic to oats?
Hi Nana- Minimalist Baker has a great guide to baking with GF flours that should help to substitute out the oat flour for other GF flours for this recipe. https://minimalistbaker.com/guide-to-gluten-free-flours/
Mate, the recipe for the oil-free vegan and gluten free brownies was so easy to prepare. The brownies baked very nicely at 180’C’ for 25 minutes.Taste test to follow, however the sponginess of the baked brownies tells me they will be delicious.
Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
P.S. I didn’t add so much sugar, rather I addef two tbsp of applesauce plus a extra 1/4 cup blended rolled oats to soak up the extra moisture.
Hi Frank- That’s awesome! So glad that they came out a success. 😀
@Frank Kovacs, How much sugar did you use?
Can I substitute sugar for maple or date syrup? If so can you advise how much please?
Hi CT- I think date sugar would be a good substitute in equal measure. I haven’t tried syrup but think it could work in equal measure as well, but you may need to add another 1/4 cup oats because they are liquid.
Hi! I live in Argentina and Iam so happy I found you! Cold you please recommend a susttitute for the apple sauce? We don’t hVe store bought here and making my own will delay the process… And I am excited to start asap
Hi Ambika- You might try pureed apples or mashed banana in place of the applesauce.
These are wonderfully delicious!! My family all loved them! I ended up using more plant-based milk (about 3/4 cup) but other than that, I followed the recipe to a T. So wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
Wonderful to hear! I’m so glad that your whole family loved them. For the WIN!
Hello do you think chickpeas could be used in place of the black beans?
Hi Robin- Chickpeas have a much different texture and density than black beans, so I’m thinking they probably would not be a good option for this recipe.
Do you think I could double this recipe and bake it in a 9×13 pan? If so, do you have a guess-timate on how long to bake?
Hi Laurie- I think that would work just fine. Probably increase the time in 10 minute increments checking to see for doneness.