Fudgy Black Bean Brownies (grain-free)

These grain-free fudgy black bean brownies are a hit every time I make them! They’re dense, fudgy, and no one ever guesses that they’re full of beans… 

This recipe is a re-do of my very first brownie post on this blog from way back in 2011! (It is craziness that I’ve been blogging that long!) Even though the original was good, I felt like it needed a little work. And some better photos. So I made some modifications and here we are! If you were looking for the original recipe, sorry. Hopefully you’ll love this revamped one just as much!

Fudgy Black Bean Brownies

Beans. I usually use organic dry black beans for these brownies. After soaking them for 24 hours, I rinse them daily and leave them in a colander on the counter to sprout (find out why here). Once they sprout, I cook them in my Instant Pot and then they’re ready for the brownie batter. It might seem like a little too much work, but I don’t mind.

However.

You don’t have to use dry, soaked beans for this recipe. You can just use organic canned beans that you have drained. I prefer to use sprouted beans though, because that’s what I always have on hand. If you do use canned bean, make sure you strain them well before adding them to the brownie batter.

Flax/eggs. You can use either eggs, or an egg replacement in this recipe. I’ve use both and they both work fine! For the egg replacement, I usually use a flax meal/water combo. But if you have another egg replacement that you love, feel free to try that.

Applesauce. Using applesauce takes the place of any oil that a brownie batter usually would have. If you want, you can use pumpkin puree instead. That works well, too, you just have a little different flavor in your end product. But it will still make delicious fudgy black bean brownies!

Sugar. I like to use coconut sugar in these brownies. I haven’t tried any other replacements. If you try to sub this for another sweetener, just make sure to use a granulated sweetener.

Cocoa. While my kids like things a little less dark, I am always in the mood for chocolate that is as dark as possible! You can use 1/3 cup of cocoa powder if you like your brownies a little less dark. If you’re like me and love dark chocolate, go ahead and use 1/2 cup of cocoa powder.

Chocolate chips. These are totally optional. My kids love chocolate chips in brownies, though, so I usually add them in. I like to make my own honey-sweetened, dairy-free chocolate chunks, but you can use whatever kind of chocolate chips you like.

Other options. You can add in some walnut before baking, or even add a little peppermint to the batter, if you want! Both yummy options.

More delicious gluten-free brownies.

Looking for more healthy brownie options? If these fudgy black bean brownies aren’t your thing (or even if they are) you’ll probably find a recipe you like below! I love them all….

• one-bowl cassava flour brownies
• banana walnut carob brownies
• pumpkin mocha brownies
• vegan dark chocolate brownies
• cassava flour peanut butter swirl brownies
• dark chocolate coconut flour brownies