Black Bean Brownies – no one will ever know!
Posted: 02/09/2014
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
These black bean brownies are a treat that you enjoy with a little less guilt! No one will even notice that they include black beans.
Sounds weird, right? If you haven’t tried beans in your baked goods yet, you’re missing out.
Never thought I’d utter those words, but it’s true.
Puree these little gems and they help make the most moist and delicious brownies — with no eggs, oil, or butter, plus you get added protein! Can’t get much better than that, right?
And when healthy snacking tastes decadent, we all win.
PSST: You HAVE to try this healthier deep dish chocolate chip cookie!
Black bean brownies may sound extremely unappealing, but I can assure you they are phenomenal. You will not notice the black beans in these, I promise.
I put this to the test on my mother-in-law. Now, she usually turns her nose up at my healthy meals and any attempts to make things healthier, lower in calories, or more whole-grain.
It’s not that she doesn’t like that we try to live a healthy lifestyle. It’s not that she isn’t grateful that I’m trying to keep my family healthy and well-fed. It’s more that she’s just a meat and potatoes, white pasta, white bread kind of girl.
I should also add that she eats and appreciates most everything that I make and is always very willing to try new things. And like me, she has a sweet tooth. Especially when it comes to brownies and cupcakes. When they said they were coming over for dinner, I knew I was going to make these brownies and put them to the ultimate test. I told my husband about my evil plan and got to baking.
I pureed the beans and got out the cocoa powder. I left the eggs in the fridge. I left the oil in the pantry. I pulled the whole wheat flour out of the fridge and left the all-purpose in the pantry.
I got the chocolate chips out though, because let’s be real, they are necessary. I also added espresso powder to complement the dark chocolate flavor.
I mixed it all together and baked them in a 350°F oven. After taking them out of the oven, I quickly got rid of all the “bean” evidence.
Keep in mind that I’m a terrible liar. I mean, really, really terrible. So my mother-in-law comes in and I can barely wait to shove a cold glass of milk into her hands with one of these moist, rich black bean brownies.
She tastes them and barely finishes saying, “These are great” before I blurt out, “They have black beans in them!”
I think her exact words were, “Really? Wow! I’d still eat another one even though I know that.” But she didn’t. Minor details, really. These brownies are phenomenal. Don’t take my word for it, try them, you’ll see!
And don’t worry, my husband and I didn’t let these go to waste. They disappeared all too quickly. Thank goodness for the reduced calorie content!
Head on over to Food Fanatic for the Black Bean Brownie recipe or read on to find it here.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
These black bean brownies are a treat that you enjoy with a little less guilt! No one will even notice that they include black beans.
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 oz.) black beans
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup oil (grapeseed, canola, or melted coconut oil)
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon espresso powder, optional
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 x 8 inch pan with nonstick cooking or baking spray. Line with parchment paper and spray again.
- Drain a can of black beans and rinse until the water runs clear.
- Pour beans, eggs, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt into a blender and blend until very smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
- Fold in half of chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Bake for 15 minutes, rotate pan 180 degrees, and bake 10 minutes longer, or until almost firm.
- Cool completely before removing from pan and cutting into squares.
Notes
- Recipe updated 5/12/2022.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 89kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 14mg, Sodium: 108mg, Potassium: 103mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 22IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 20mg, Iron: 1mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Pam says
Do you think I could substitute the sugar for Date Paste?
Rachel Gurk says
I haven’t tested them that way so I can’t say for sure, but let me know if you give it a try!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
I so need to try these. I want to give them to my husband and NOT tell him whats in them. Bwahahahaa. :)
Emily | Jelly Toast says
I’ve always wanted to try black bean brownies! I don’t know what I’m waiting for, but now I have no excuse to put it off :) These look awesome!
Lea @GourmetMommy says
Yep, sounds totally weird. And now I’m intrigued and will have to try. They look so pretty!
Bev @ Bev Cooks says
WHAT. Ohmygodyes.
Mom says
Okay, I’m a skeptic. Do these really taste like regular brownies? Really, you can’t tell there’s pureed black beans mixed in? I guess I’ll just have to try it and see :)
denise says
As a Crohnie, I’m always concerned with the possible gastrointestinal distress that could come from using the concentrated beans in recipes.
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
I seeeeriously NEED to try this!!
Amy @Very Culinary says
I made these last year and was pretty blown away. I need to make them again!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
I made black bean brownies once and they were terrible – they didn’t look anything like these!! These look fudgy and delicious!!! xx