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Black Bean Brownies – No Flour Required!

4.99 from 8922 votes

Black Bean Brownies – the ultra fudgy and decadent chocolate treat.

The famous chocolate fudge black bean brownies recipe from @choccoveredkt... (500k + repins) https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/09/06/no-flour-black-bean-brownies/
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Edit: Thank you to everyone who has been asking…

After more than a year in the works, my NEW cookbook is finally available!

Based on your feedback, every single recipe in the book comes with complete nutrition facts including calories, total fat, carbohydrates, protein, and Weight Watchers points.


Above – Watch how to make black bean brownies.

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I know what you’re thinking.

“Why would I want to eat a healthy brownie when I could be eating a deep, dark, rich, fudgy, and chocolatey brownie instead?”

But what if the deep, dark, rich, chocolate brownie is the healthy brownie?

No, not in a dream world. These black bean brownies are healthy brownies that DO NOT taste healthy, and I can say that with assurance, as they’ve been tested on three different groups of people used to “normal” desserts.

For the ultimate test, my roommate brought two pans of the vegan black bean brownies into work and set them down on the table without revealing the secret or saying they were healthy.

She came home with no brownies left… but with five requests for the healthy black bean brownie recipe!

You May Also Like: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Black Bean Brownie Recipe
Black Bean Brownies
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Easy Black Bean Brownies

I know some of you have been disappointed by mediocre bean-based brownies you’ve tried in the past, which is why it’s taken me so long to come up with my own recipe:

I’ve tried some awful black bean brownie recipes in the past, too.

For example?

Don’t think you’ll get brownies by adding cocoa powder to my Chickpea Cookie Dough Dip and baking it.

Trust me. You’ll get cardboard.

I wanted a recipe that would not let people down; a recipe that could stand up to a regular sugar-and-flour brownie in a competition.

And these really do!

The Best Black Bean Brownies Recipe From Scratch

Also, huge thanks to everyone who’s been sharing these on Instagram!

If you try the brownies, be sure to rate the recipe here, or tag @ChocolateCoveredKatie on Instagram so I can see and like your pictures!

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Black Bean Brownies

These super healthy black bean brownies are the ultra fudgy and decadent chocolate treat.
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Yield 9 – 12 brownies
5 from 8922 votes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups black beans (1 15-oz can, drained and rinsed very well) (250g after draining)
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder (10g)
  • 1/2 cup quick oats (40g) (See nutrition link below for substitutions)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave (75g)
  • pinch uncut stevia OR 2 tbsp sugar (or omit and increase maple syrup to 1/2 cup)
  • 1/4 cup coconut or vegetable oil (40g) (See nutrition link for substitution notes)
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup chocolate chips (Not optional. Omit at your own risk)
  • optional: more chips, for presentation

Instructions

  • Black Bean Brownies Recipe: Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients except chips in a good food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Really blend well. (A blender can work if you absolutely must, but the texture—and even the taste—will be much better in a food processor. I use this food processor.) Stir in the chips, then pour into a greased 8×8 pan. Optional: sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top. Cook the black bean brownies 15-18 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut. If they still look a bit undercooked, you can place them in the fridge overnight and they will magically firm up! Makes 9-12 brownies. If you make this recipe, don't forget to leave a review! The trick with these: serve them first, and then reveal the secret ingredient. In all the times I’ve served bean desserts, not one single person who didn’t know beforehand has ever guessed!
    View Black Bean Brownies Nutrition Facts

Notes

Also be sure to try this easy Vegan Chocolate Mug Cake.
 

Have you made this recipe?

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About Chocolate Covered Katie

Published on September 6, 2012

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ABC's 5 O’Clock News. Her favorite food is chocolate, and she believes in eating dessert every single day.

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4165 Comments

Leave a comment or reviewLeave a rating
  1. Jennifer says

    You just made my day. I’ve always wanted to try black bean brownies but I’ve always been a little suspicious of the recipies that I see. I know, though, that I can always trust Katie!!!

  2. Sarah says

    Hi Katie,
    You don’t know me but I work with Emily, and I was actually one of the ones who asked her for the recipe when she brought in the brownies! She came in today and told us you’d posted the recipe on this link and that there was a secret to the brownies, so of course I had to come here right away and see what the secret was.
    I think I fell off my chair when I read what’s in them! Having already tried them I know they are good but reading through the ingredients, I still can’t believe there were beans in there! I’ve never tried beans in brownies and have no idea how you’d come up with such a thing, but they really are good and now knowing the secret I am going to have to make them tonight and see if I can tell now that I know they are in there.
    Sorry for the long comment, and thanks for the brownies!

  3. Lisa C. says

    I’ve never wanted to try black bean brownies before (although I love your blondies). But you convinced me. Making these today! Oh yes I am!

  4. Laura M says

    I’ve never heard of black bean brownies! I’ve always wanted to try your blondies made with chickpeas too, but I don’t have a food processor. I think it’s about time I made a new investment (or put it on my birthday wish list!)

    • Amber says

      def invest in one! I kept putting it off but finally broke down a year ago and I use it all the time. Not just for Katie’s recipes but my other favorite thing is to shred/slice veggies that I don’t use quick enough and are going to go in the trash, and stick them in the freezer! And Katie’s recipes are so easy it takes longer to wash the processor than to dump everything in and blend it!

    • Lanakila says

      I have this food processor and the only complaint I have is that it is really loud when it runs. Beats trying to use a blender though!

    • Nay says

      I do not have a foodprocessor either… I just made them and used a hand mixer
      These blondies are soooo good!! I still can’t believe how healthy they are.. I used
      Quick oats and they taste like oatmeal toll house bars! Thanks for sharing the recipe

  5. Amanda says

    First of all, Happy Birthday! I hope you have a great day.

    Second, I’ve never tried a “bean” brownie in general, but I would love to make one. I already like black beans, so the idea really isn’t the scary. Except, I don’t have a food processor. Good news, I can get one free! Which would be great, except I don’t know if their big enough for your recipes (my soul purpose for getting one). I’ve actually wanted to ask you about the size for awhile, but it seemed odd to question on a recipe without any mention of food processor. I have the option of either a 3 or 4 cup one (both Cuisinart), so are those big enough (or too big)? Or is one better than the other or should I wait until I can get something bigger?

    Either way as soon as I get one, your chocolate chip cookie dough dip is first on my list to make, then probably your nutella than this….. I’m already dreaming of how these will taste.

    (….and chocolate chips should never be optional)

        • Serena says

          Hey! I know this is a super late comment but I have a really mini food processor and I love it because I only make stuff for me (and whoever happens to be around at the time lol) so I don’t need to make giant batches =)

      • Briana says

        Is a food processor completely necessary? I don’t have one. And I don’t have the funds for one. Thanks!

        • Carol says

          I got a food processor for less than $15 at Aldi to see if I’d use it before buying a fancy one. I use it 3-5 times a month so when it breaks I’ll invest.

      • Nichole says

        I just made these and they turned out much too dry, will have to use less oats next time!! Still taste alright.

        • Jackie says

          First I measured the oats, then decided to weigh them. The measured amount was Way more than the amount when I used my kitchen scale. This may be why your brownies came out dry. I’m sold on weighing my ingredients from now on!

    • Bethel I Knapp says

      Quite idea on where you might be able to find a larger size processor. On Facebook, there are areas around where you live that sell stuff. They are called online garage sales, things like that. I found a “used twice”Oster Brand” processor with all the attachments for $25. If you find the one you have access to, might try places like that.

      Best wishes. . .

      • Dee Dee Switzenheimer says

        FYI: USED food processors can be easily found for approx $20 or less! Check your local thrift stores or FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE for your area or Craigslist or one of many other types of similar places. Good luck!

  6. Barb says

    I can’t wait to make these! Is the nutrition info for 9 or 12 brownies? Just curious! I always trust your opinion, and I’ve been wanting to try out the black bean brownies for a while now!

    • alloyjane says

      I FOUND A WORKAROUND TO THE LACK OF FOOD PROCESSOR!!!

      The thing to do if you only have a blender is to grind your dry ingredients, set them aside, then pre-smash your beans with the wet ingredients, and then blend that wet mixture by itself. Put the bean mixture back in the bowl and then sift the dry into the wet like normal. See? Easy peasy pudding and pie.

      The results? FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC! It’s not any more work than fighting the blender in batches and it’s cheaper than a food processor if buying appliances is not one of your priorities. But if you’re of the bean persuasion, the texture will never not remind you of beans, no matter how smooth. Just like people sensitive to coconut can ALWAYS tell when a coconut product has been used, people who eat a lot of beans will recognize the feel. It’s not an issue, it’s just one of those recognizable things. Hopefully this helps!

      • Sadye says

        Thanks so much for the guidance — I think you hit the nail on the head! These are delicious, and I bet that the chocolate chips in there would’ve distracted anyone I was trying to sneak the beans past 🙂 Great work, Katie!

      • Joy says

        Just made these and they came out great! I have only ever tried one other Black Bean Brownie recipe and it was just ok. These are phenomenal! I cannot taste the black beans at all, even in the batter before baking. Love, love, love these. Also, added some chocolate protein powder to kick up the protein for pre-/post-workout fuel. This will be on regular rotation! I can’t wait to give it the fiance test, I swear he is the pickiest eater EVER.

      • Kelly says

        I used alloyjane method also but with a mishap. I blended the dry ingredients but included the chocolate chips in with these. The blender came close to making some globs but I caught it just in time. I transferred that mixture to another bowl. I did not pre-mush the beans. I just threw all the wet ingredients with the beans into the blender and once it was liquid and well-blended, I slowly added the dry ingredients in. When they would no longer blend, I used a spatula to help the dry ingredients get to the middle where the blades would suck them down. I’m comfortable doing it that way but would use the tamper if I had one instead.
        They turned out fantastic and my husband (not vegan) said “taste like brownies” and went back for seconds. A++ Thank you for the recipe and thanks alloyjane for the tips on using a regular blender! So many delicious sounding recipes call for a vitamix or processor and I have neither.

    • Christi says

      I just made this in my cheap little food chopper (was around $10), not even a food processor lol. Its a bit more labor intensive..I process the oats first then add in everything gradually and mix it a little bit with a spoon every now and then, adding a little almond milk to get it to blend a little easier, but its still fairly quick and easy and come out to my satisfaction! I love this recipe and the batter is amazing! 🙂

    • Anonymous says

      I was even sneakier trying to avoid buying a food processor- just put the beans in a sieve and push them through with a spoon. Came out lovely and smooth and isn’t too hard at all because they’re relatively soft anyway 🙂 hope that helps!

  7. Ellie says

    Thanks for writing the metric units! Although it’s fairly quick and easy to convert cups and oz, it’s really useful and makes a difference when it’s already there. I will definitely try this recipe 🙂

  8. Kelsey says

    These look so amazing! I too, have wanted to try black bean brownies but was pretty worried about how they’d turn out. But I know if it’s your recipe it’ll be awesome! Thank you so much for this!

    • Kelsey says

      Oh my dear goodness gracious. I just made these and they are gooooood! I made them in a blender since I don’t have a food processor, and I could see where they’d benefit from a smoother texture, but really they’re amazing as is. I also used 1 tsp butter extract (which I bought for your cake batter shake, which I love!) instead of 2 tsp vanilla, since I was out. I don’t think I’ve ever made a recipe the day it came out, but I’m glad I did on this one– wow, it’s good.

  9. Jessica says

    Sounds delicious! Can’t wait to try! Would you be able to turn your mention of white bean blondies into a link to the recipe? I did a search but couldn’t find them. Thanks!

  10. Mozzie says

    Black beans? hmm, help me here 🙂 normal black coloured beans, or canned? i used to make some red bean recipes, but i always used canned ones. Sorry for stupid questions, but i simply have never seen such thing.. and the recipe looks really good and i want to try it 😀

      • Kim says

        5 stars
        OMG. This is a winner. I never, ever leave comments but had to make an exception. They are easy and wonderful taste.

        Thanks you

          • Suzy VanDyke says

            Thanks for the recipe! I googled black bean brownies because I didn’t have any chocolate. I had to make a few substitutions – subbed regular flour for the oat flour and had to add a little more oil, subbed regular brown sugar in for maple syrup. I also had to make my own baking powder with baking soda and cream of tartar. It all came out fine! I think it would have been yummier with chocolate chips on top but I’m still happy with it.

  11. Stefanie says

    I have tried black bean brownies before and enjoyed them. I have a question about coconut oil; does it give the baked goods a coconut flavor?

      • LinkTheHylian says

        If you are sensitive to coconut taste, yes, it might. I’m not a coconut “fan” but I don’t dislike it, and sometimes coconut oil can break (or make I suppose!) some things for me. I’m not a chemist, so I i don’t know if this is an unsound/un-tasty option, but maybe you could try half coconut oil, half vegetable and see how your taste buds react…?

    • Marie2375 says

      I think it depends on the brand of coconut oil. I think Spectrum does not really have a coconut taste, but the one from Trader Joe’s does.

      • Andrea says

        I like the coconut taste so I use virgin coconut oil from Spectrum…However, my friend does not. She gets hers from natural oils.com and says if you don’t like the coconut taste Don’t get the extra virgin kind. (I don’t know what that does to the nutritive value, but worth a try if you don’t like the coconut taste. My birthday is coming soon so I’m looking forward to trying your recipe as I’ve recently become a Nutritarian 🙂

    • Barbara P. Turner says

      No not at all! It’s just a lighter cooking “filament” that is better and cleaner than other oils. It’s lighter than Vegetable oil and of course with this type of cooking you do NOT want to use canola or lard. Not the right properties. It’s an excellent recipe and I’m Type II Diabetic and with no flour (white carbs) or sugar it’s perfect for Diabetics! I’ve tried several times to upload a picture of them in the pan but THIS SITE WON’T LET IT UPLOAD! HELLO!

    • Mercedes Brietzke says

      Yes it does taste a little coconutty. Not in an offensive way. With the ground up oats and the coconut oil, it almost tastes like there is shredded coconut in them.

    • Vita @ Juicer Depot says

      I made these brownies and they turned out awesome! It was nice to eat a brownie and not feel guilty about eating it. I was really surprised as to how good the taste was and I would have never known that there were beans in it if I didn’t make it myself. These brownies sure do satisfy your cravings for chocolate. It was also hard just to eat just one.

    • Barbara P. Turner says

      It’s really surprisingly delicious. I tweaked my batch with a good handful of chickpeas and it just makes them a bit more “solid” and delish!

    • Stephanie says

      Absolutely delicious!! I wouldn’t have known these had black beans in them if I didn’t make them myself! Loved this recipe and will definitely make again!

  12. Bridgit says

    Thank you! I can’t wait to make these. I’m always looking for fun things to make with my girls. These will be PERFECT to send it to school as a special treat.

  13. Jessica says

    Ok this is way off topic, but my brother walked by while I had your website up to write down the recipe (you need a print option, btw) and he said “Who’s that? She’s hot!”

    LOL! Love your website! 🙂

  14. Guilla says

    Dear Katie,
    I LOVE your recipes. I haven’t really had time to make any of them, I’ve been doing some research on dairy free recipes because my (almost) 3 year old daughter has recently developed an allergy to dairy products. But I promise to try something out and let you know how it goes, also I need to loose some 20+ pounds so your recipes definitely come in handy. Plus, I own a blog of my own recipes in Spanish (I live in Mexico City), I just started and it is kind of my hobbie but being a mom, plus helping my husband with his consulting company gives me little time to cook often and post more. I was wondering if I have your permission to translate and post some of your recipes on my blog, of course always referring to yours as the original source.

    Anyway thank you, and BTW I am a little worried that you seem much skinnier in this pic than you did before, are you OK? 🙂 Hope you are.

  15. Jen says

    Hi CCK!

    I don’t usually make recipes the day they’re posted, but these were just calling to me, and I had no excuse because I had all the ingredients. OMG new favorite dessert right here.

    People, run to your kitchens and make these ASAP!

  16. Shauna says

    Can’t believe it, I just made black bean brownies this morning from another recipe…always check CCK first I guess! Hopefully these are ok too but I sense a Black Bean Brownie face-off in the works! 🙂

  17. Wendy says

    Hi Katie,
    Does coconut oil have a subtle taste or will you be able to taste it in baked goods? I’m asking because the person I want to make these brownies for isn’t crazy about coconut but if they can’t tell it’s in them I’ll still use it.

      • Catherine says

        Hi Katie,

        These look great. I have a question about the coconut oil – should it be melted, or straight from the jar?

        Thanks!

    • LinkTheHylian says

      I kinda posted this somewhere else in this comment string too, lol, but: If they’re not crazy about coconut, I would be cautious. For instance, I’ll have coconut flakes on a sundae or a couple shreds in a chocolate chip cookie, but not as a cake frosting or a popsicle flavor. However, with these being chocolate, when I make these I mighttttt take a chance – it’ll probably mask that coconut buttery flavor.

      • watcher513 says

        If someone doesn’t like the taste of coconut (regular coconut oil will have a slight coconut taste), get the Expeller Pressed, Refined Coconut Oil. There is No coconut taste at all with that one. Also, coconut oil is solid under 76 degrees. Over that, it melts, so if it’s hot where you are then it gets solid, it’s Fine. Does Not need to be refrigerated and it’s really good for you.

  18. Erica {EricaDHouse.com} says

    I am a die hard black bean brownie fan! I know that they don’t taste the best but they are close enough for me to enjoy guilt-free. I’m sure your recipe will blow the other’s I’ve tried out of the water though – can’t wait to try and trick my bf again with them 🙂

      • Meagan says

        I’m the same as you. I get satisfied from one rich, decadent brownie, than from an entire tray of something that tastes only OK. Actually, I made the black bean brownies from Happy Herbivore and they literally tasted of vomit- no joke! So yeah, I’d rather eat the real thing and enjoy it, then have to choke something down that is a “treat”.

        • Renee says

          5 stars
          There is nothing “okay” about this recipe, they are flat out delicious. There is no sacrifice here…just chocolatey goodness.

          • Laurie Wniarski says

            I agree, these are absolutely amazing. I don’t have a 8×8 pan, so I used a 7.5×11, they were thin, but so moist and incredible! Will definitely be making these again & again. I also ran short on the agave (less than 1/2 cup) and did not add any additional sugar, didn’t miss it!

        • Dawn says

          These definitely are NOT just “ok” , these are Incredible! I’ve made black bean brownies before but a different variation but these top the cake by far!! Not kidding – Must try! My sister-in-law made them for me with melted chocolate chips that she spread on top of them instead of putting them inside. They were so moist and chewy, like a fudgey brownie should be. Only way I want to eat them now, a big Wow for sure!! Thaaanks Katie!

          • Grumpy old cook says

            Really, Laurie? Who does that? You spent 30-40 minutes making brownies and you chucked them after one bite?! Are you sure you like brownies?

        • Sal says

          5 stars
          I’ve been using this recipe for the last few years and I always sun the maple syrup with date syrup cause that’s what always available in my house and it’s so good! Decided to share if someone needs it!

    • Victorea says

      I do not like black beans, but I’ve made this recipe 3 times and it is awesome! Last night I added chopped pecans to the top with the chocolate chips–Oh My Goodness!!!! I have been on low-carb diet for 8 years because of medical reasons and thought I would never be able to eat brownies again………This is great!!!

    • Jane says

      Oh Gosh Erica {EricaDHouse.com}! My son makes black bean vegan brownies and they are by far the best of any brownies. My son has a raw vegan restaurant, these brownies he started baking before he had the raw restaurant.. This is the only non raw thing he sells.. A lot of people say they are the best they’ve ever tasted, no sugar GF & vegan. I personally love them too, I’m actually debating on whether to make the recipe into a cake for a coworkers birthday on Friday.

    • Jennifer Roman says

      I love these brownies! I especially love that they are high-fiber and flour-free. Of course, that wouldn’t matter, if they didn’t taste Amazing, too. I used the basic recipe as written, using the maple syrup-only version. I added close to 3/4 c. of nestle chocolate chips. I have regular quaker oats, so I used them, as well. The brownies came out creamy, and I am currently chilling them in the fridge. I will say I baked them for 17 minutes, in an ordinary (non-convection oven), low rack. I will be making these again. 🙂

    • Pats says

      I made this recipe with cannellini beans because I’ve not liked the taste of black beans and chocolate in previous recipes I’ve tried. They turned out pretty good, but I confess I used corn syrup and actual sugar in the recipe. And the extra chocolate chips on top. Neither my husband or I could taste the cannellinis. the oats really did help get rid of even that slight taste. I’ll be making them again. But my version had 8-10 WW smart points after I entered all that sugar and chocolate (8 points for 12 brownie version and 10 for the 9-brownie version.) I’m now finding out how well they freeze, cause I dare not leave them unfrozen in my kitchen. I’ll eat them all!

    • Debra says

      These are sooo good!! I’m not ever making any other kind (guilty or not) And I was very skeptical!!
      I may try vegan chocolate chips and gluten free quick oats

  19. Kendra says

    I have never tried black bean brownies–but I am definitely NOT scared of making them:D Putting “weird” ingredients in desserts has never really intimidated me; after all, there isn’t a “right” way to make desserts–just because they aren’t filled with butter, sugar, and eggs doesn’t mean they aren’t made “the right way.” This recipe looks fantastic, and I will have to try it sometime soon!!

  20. Kerry says

    Im excited to make these tomorrow night. Im hoping they are as good as they look because Im wanting to make these for my daughters birthday treat to take into school. Im very new with trying healthy desserts but Im keeping an open mind and Im quite optimistic overall. Thank you, Katie, for what you do. 🙂

    • Vanessa says

      My boys {6,3} love them. I didn’t tell them that there are beans in them and don’t know the difference. They did see me mix the chocolate chips in. 🙂

  21. Amanda says

    My husband has recently had to go wheat-free, so I’ve been making a version of black bean brownies similar to yours here. They aren’t the same, but good enough that he’s very happy every time I make them! I make sure to warn others before they try them so they aren’t expecting normal brownies. 😉 I’m excited by the blondies recipe, too! I’ll have to try that one next!

    • Kelly says

      I am also wheat free…what did you substitute for the oats???? Excited to try. I also have a recipe for black bean cake with rough chopped apples, cinnimon, clove and other spices…but I’m wheat free and don’t know how to substitute the flour. HELP!!!

      • Anonymous says

        Oats are gluten free, except for sometimes they are crossed contaminated with wheat. You can certified gf oats. Or you can use a smaller amount (like 1/4 c. ) of flax meal or you could use 1 or 2 eggs. (I’m dairy free not vegan) I recommend 1 egg because I have made these twice and the first time they were good, the second time they they were really good but undercooked despite cooking them for longer than the recommended time, I think it’s because I used 2 eggs.

      • Anonymous says

        I put in a scoop of vanilla garden of life protein powder (about 3 Tbsp) instead of the oats (and left out the vanilla essence) it was delicious! the mixture tasted so good i almost didn’t want to bother cooking it hehe 😉 I also left all the oil out and put in 2 Tbsp applesauce and 2 Tbsp peanut butter instead.

      • kara says

        About half of us gluten intolerant folks cannot eat gluten free oats without a reaction. Any suggestions on a good substitute?

        • Danielle says

          I think I’m about 2 years late on this reply, but I just tried the brownie recipe yesterday with 1/4 cup almond meal and 1/4 cup coconut flour. They were great!

          • Tiana bell says

            Hi Daniel, I know was a while back. Do remember if you changed anything else like baking time. I tried you substation but the batter was too dry for the food processor. I added thing to water it down but then it would not cook. I am going to try again

  22. Andrea says

    I have some black beans in the cupboard (dry) and I’ve been wanting to create a healthy dessert for a while now. This is exactly what I was looking for, and I didn’t even know it! Thanks 😉

  23. Melanie says

    Happy Birthday! Thanks for making all of our lives a little sweeter and healthier! I can’t wait to try these. I might have to fit them in my busy schedule tonight. =)

  24. Jackie_T says

    I made these with white chocolate and broken up hershey bars and they were great! planning on giving them to some of my non-suspecting ballerina friends. Ballerinas have quite the sweet tooth.

  25. ruby costa says

    I attempted to make black bean brownies once. I think they turned out as they were meant to, but I didn’t enjoy the texture. BUT i am willing to give these a try 🙂

  26. katy sparrow says

    happy birthday katie!!

    I have made several different batches of BBB, but the texture was never traditional–always more gummy, like you could totally tell something was up with them, and you couldn’t call them ‘fudgey’. Thanks for your efforts to make em awesome!

  27. carolyn says

    QUESTION TIME.
    1) Could this be made with use of a food processor that only stores 1 cup of ingredients at a time??
    And 2) (this is not directly related and I’m sorry if this wastes your time at all): Are you a strict enough vegan that you don’t eat honey?

    • Kate says

      I have a small food processor too. I just blend up the beans in it until its the texture of hummus. Then put it in a bowl and mix the rest with a hand mixer. Works greats.

        • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

          Hi Carolyn,

          I’m unsure where I stand on the “veganism and honey” issue. More bugs probably die in the making of my organic kale or broccoli! So I don’t go out of my way to eat foods with honey, but I also won’t flip out if I happen to consume it accidentally.

          • Elexa Carrero says

            5 stars
            So I made these brownies and love them! I did a ton of experimenting with them to see what I could do to change the flavors and this is what I found:

            Any bean works. I’ve used cannellini, kidney, pinto, great northern, rosada, and of course black, and I’ve mixed them all together in different variations. They all tasted the same. The only difference was texture. White beans, when used alone (I like to call them blondies), created a more cake-like texture (fluffier). When mixing different kinds, they become a great texture of not too dense, not too cakey, if you’re not into the super fudgy brownies.

            It’s very adaptable to flavor profiles. I’ve tried cherry amarreto, coconut almond, peppermint, peanut butter, Earl gray, and raspberry white chocolate. I’m going to experiment more with lavender, orange, ginger, pumpkin spice, ect.

            I prefer to sweeten with dates on most variations, as they give a caramelly flavor!

            If you want the alterations, I made notes! I don’t think I can post pics on here, but I can type it out. Thanks for the recipe!

  28. Kit-Kat says

    I’m the chocolate and brownie queen in the family, so I’m for sure going to make these! Thank you so much Katie, you’ve made my day absolutely faaaaaabulous!!!!!!!

  29. Ellie says

    My food processor just recently broke and it’s probably going to be a while before I can it replaced. Would it be possible to make this recipe in a regular blender? It looks really delicious!

  30. Lucy says

    These look a-ma-zing! I really liked your recipe of the Brownie Batter Dip using the garbanzo beans. What a creative use of something that’s actually (ahem) nutritious in a homemade dessert.
    Thanks, Katie! 😉

  31. Krista says

    Just made these! I did end up substituting peanut butter for the oil, and they still turned out divine enough for my very unhealthy family to enjoy. 🙂

  32. Amelie says

    Omg, I love brownies, and they’re even better when guitl-free! These look amazing (: The one thing I’m curious about, however, is the nutrition facts. I plugged the ingredients into a calorie counter and got 274 calories for nine brownies!?I understand that ingredients vary and such, but surely not by 150+ calories? twelve brownies are 205 calories each if anyone was wondering. I used 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, stevia, and a maple syrup.

    • Allison says

      I also came up with higher numbers, using exactly the same ingredients… Except that I subbed natural crunchy peanut butter for the coconut oil. To be exact, I got 236 cal for 9 servings, or 177 do 12 servings

      • Dana says

        That’s the problem with free online calculators like calorie count or spark. They can sometimes be off by hundreds of calories! Once spark recipes told me that a bowl of oatmeal with 1/2 cup oats and nothing else was 500 calories!

        I calculated these by hand (just cuz I always do for recipes even when the numbers are given) and got 120 cals for 12 brownies, so close to Katie’s numbers. Hope that helps!

        • Anonymous says

          I agree that the calculations must be off. I similarly calculated my results by hand using sugar free maple syrup, splenda and the lowest amount of chocolate chips, I came up with 125 per 12.

          • Liz says

            You have to use the gram measurements to get the amount it lists. Then its correct, or at least close to correct. I got 125 each for 12 brownies using gram measurements and real maple syrup.

          • Julia Smith says

            I know! I was totally thinking the same thing! And how do you even get gram measurements? :S Hmm! I’m going to try to do it by hand, like you said too!

  33. Emikat says

    So tried this recipe for first time ever brownies other than out of box. First glad to have found your site, second I was preparing to make chili while I was making the brownies I dumped the wrong beans in! Dark red Kidney bean brownies it is and boy are they good!! I was so worried I would have to dump the whole thing but 2 tasters thus far have approved 🙂

  34. Amanda :) says

    These look great, but I have a mission for you, if you are willing to accept…
    here it goes! Can…
    you…
    pretty pretty please with sprinkles (…no, chocolate :D) on top…
    make a vegan version of pop tarts?

  35. Ann says

    I knew I had to make these as soon as I saw the post. I’ve been wanting to try a black bean brownie recipe for quite some time – plus I happened to have all these ingredients on hand! I think they are quite tasty. I used canola oil, and next time I would definitely use coconut oil instead – I think it would give them a richer flavor. Also, I was running low on chocolate chips so I broke up a few pieces of dark chocolate instead and it was a little too dark (72%). Thanks for another great recipe, I’ll definitely be making this again!

  36. Olivia@ OmNom Love says

    I was just waiting for you to post a black bean brownie recipe, Katie! If anyone could make a really good one it would be you. 😉 I can’t say I’ve ever tried black bean brownies, but since I tried you’re cookie pie I’ve been very intrigued about bean desserts.

  37. Kelsey says

    I’m trying these as soon as possible! I’m drooling just thinking about it. I’m sure this won’t disappoint – just like the rest of your recipes, it will be amazing!

  38. Amanda says

    OH MY GOODNESS! I just made these with my four year old and they are so so so yummy! I actually used 1/4 cup raw cashew butter in place of the 1/4 cup oil and I thought they turned out great. So far they are a favorite, thank you!!!

  39. New Chocolate Covered Katie fan!!! says

    Couldn’t resist making these tonight. They are quick and so delicious and fudgey!! Thank you 🙂

  40. Dawn Laughlin says

    Awesome!!! More like fudge, hubby and I ate almost the whole batch!
    Thanks for another great recipe that I can endulge in w/o feeling guilty!

  41. Josefine says

    These look so good 🙂 I’ve never tried black bean brownies before, but I’ve always wanted to. How great they are without white sugar 🙂

    Is the nutrition facts for 9 or 12 brownies? 🙂

  42. Sarah says

    Oh wow, I can’t wait to try these!! I have all the ingredients at home already, so I think I’ll make
    thee tonight to share w/ my roommate. She might be mad because sweets are her weakness, but that’s why it’s so great that these are healthy 🙂 Awesome recipe Katie!

  43. Megan says

    Ohmigosh I am soooo excited to try these!!! I’ve never heard of black bean brownies before, but I LOVE brownies so if I can eat them and know they’re actually HEALTHY for me?! I’m in!!! 😀

  44. Kira says

    Hi katie! I just wanted to say I love your recipes and I can’t wait to try these brownies, they are baking right now and I can’t wait to try the finnished product, I tatsed the batter pre-chocolate chips and it tasted pretty good!

  45. Jennie says

    Made these today and got approval from all 3 kids. Thanks for the recipe! BTW, I used toasted oats (not the quick cooking kind) and it turned out fine. I think I had a little extra liquid in my batter (from not properly draining the black beans) so I added a little more oats. Next time I will drain and rinse properly. Thanks again!

  46. Diana says

    Holy cow, these are SO GOOD! I tried another black bean brownie recipe once before and I swore I’d never do it again, but your recipes have never let me down before so I figured I’d try it and not expect much but oh my these are SO yummy!!! And my parents both liked them too, and they’re not usually into healthy stuff. Now the final test is on the little brother when he gets home!

    Thanks for yet another amazing recipe. So excited for the cookbook!

  47. Erin says

    I tried these tonight and they’re amazing! You really can’t taste a difference between these and the real thing! I can’t wait to try them out on my family 🙂 thanks for sharing.

  48. Samantha says

    Katie!! I saw this recipe this morning and was so inspired. I’ve made your brownie batter and cake batter recipes before and was in loooovvvee. I am a bean, health, and chocolate freak all at the same time so these recipes are amazing to me! I was particularly excited about this one though, because while I love all beans, black beans are my favorite, even more than chickpeas. So I couldn’t wait to try a recipe that had chocolate and my favorite bean in them! I loved how easy, simple, unique, and fast this recipe was…..and not to mention DELICIOUS!! There is zero bean taste in these. Seriously. Just ooey, gooey, chocolate heaven. I used Trader Joe’s semisweet chocolate chips (my favorite go-to vegan chocolate chip) and it added such a nice touch. You are so incredibly talented and I must thank you for all you do. You deserve every bit of recognition you get! Sorry for the insanely long comment. But you just needed to know how amazing these (and you!) are.

  49. Julie says

    You’re so beautiful on this picture Katie !!
    I already tried cooked beans to make a cake and the result is just amazing !

  50. Lori J. Delgado says

    OMG!!!!!! Just made these and tried them 10 minutes after cooling while still warm with melty chocolate and they are TO DIE FOR GOOD!!! I used crunchy natural peanut butter instead of oil and these are HEAVENLY!!! THANK YOU KATIE 🙂 HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIRL!!!

  51. faye says

    i made these tonight, and they tasted good, but mine didnt hold together the same way as those in the photo. have any idea what you think the problem was?

  52. Richa says

    i am insanele addicted to chocolate this year!:) i think i should get a digital photo alarm clock that blinks chocolate pictures along with the beeps! the brownies look awesome!

  53. Robyn says

    Would red kidney beans be just as good? I have made a very good flourless chocolate cake with them that was a crowd please.

  54. Sarah M says

    I have tried black bean brownies before and the recipe that I tried were NOT good! I am willing to give them another chance, because these ones sound like they actually have some hope! I look forward to having some time to whip these up! I’ll let you know how our family likes them. (The only one who liked the other ones I made was my 9 month old…because he didn’t know any better! he’d never had a real brownie before!)

  55. Louise Steyn says

    Hi there! You recipes look stunning! Only, for low carbers, we have to have the nutritional value per portion. Is that possible?

    • H says

      yeah, I’m only like 2 years late. But anyway, I’m Australian too, so even though I love CCK’s recipes, half of them I’ve never heard of the copy-cat recipes, and most of the brands of the ingredients! You pretty much can’t buy canned black beans in AUS (I tried), but you CAN buy them dried and cook and soak them yourself. I just substituted a can of kidney beans, and they went fine.

  56. Lauren Carrol says

    THESE ROCKED! Not for a healthy dessert, not for a low cal dessert, just for a dessert in general.

    I used maple syrup and a can of regular black beans that had been sitting in my pantry for forever and needed to be used up.

    I’d have no problem serving them at a party for people who had never had a bean dessert and didn’t like healthy food. I really don’t think anyone would be able to tell. These are that good!

  57. Leigh says

    I made these last night and they were delicious!! I substituted the quick oats for gluten free regular oats (I have a really hard time finding gluten-free quick oats) and they were still great!

  58. Angela Lewis says

    Saw this on Pinterest and had to make them (didn’t matter that it was 6:30 am!) Delish! Cannot wait to make again and I will be passing this recipe along!!!
    Thanks. 🙂

  59. Choco-holic ;) says

    Hi Katie! I would never try black bean brownies before because they always got such mixed reviews, but I knew right away I could trust yours! I did it exactly as you said ad they were AMAZING! I gave some to my dad (without telling him thy were healthy… Or made with beans lol) and he loved them!!! I let him think they were just the normal kind and told him I was going to take them to a picinic we are going to on Saturday. He was Like ” yea that is a good idea!”. Then I told him they were bean brownies! He was shocked! He said he would never guess they were healthy bean brownies in a million years! He just kept saying ” that is crazy!” lol. He said “where did you get the recipe?” I said my girl chocolate covered Katie! Lol thanks so much Katie! Can’t WAIT for your book!!!! Lots of love xoxo

  60. Amy says

    I made these last night, and they are awesome!! My parents, who love sweets and aren’t vegan or health obsessed, loved them. My dad said they were “the best.” They were so quick and easy to make too! I love how your recipes can usually be done in one dish/food processor, so I don’t make a mess of the kitchen. Thank you, Katie, for another incredible recipe! I will be making these very often 🙂

  61. Sharon says

    I made these last night and didn’t tell my husband that they were Black Bean Brownies. He hates black beans. He gobbled a couple right down. Then I told him they were healthy and he wouldn’t believe what was in him. When I told him black beans he just had that look of awe on his face but he took a couple to work with him today in his lunch! You passed the test! These really are awesome brownies!

  62. Jeanne says

    Have you tried date sugar in place of the sweetener? The magazine Eating Well has an article about sugars, and it looks promising.

  63. Dandi says

    Hi Katie!

    I absolutely love all of your recipes and I really want to try making these brownies this weekend! I don’t have a food processor, I only have a VitaMix. Will the Vitamix still work the same for all of your recipes where you say to use a food processor?? Thank you!

  64. Sarah says

    I made these last night!!! But I did do a few things differently. I have celiac and didn’t have GF oats handy so I added almond meal in place of the oats and instead of agave/maple syrup I added regular sugar. Also, instead of the oil I added a combination of peanut butter and applesauce. These were AMAZING! I think it’s the best recipe on the blog! I am not kidding when I say that they are better than regular brownies! So moist and fudgey… exactly how I like my brownies!

    I think they would be better with just PB and not applesauce, but they were still good. I will try just peanut butter next time. Thanks so much for the recipe!!

    • snenny says

      Update from another coeliac 🙂

      I had gf quick oats on hand, but no neutral tasting oil (I figured garlic oil, whilst yummy when cooking savoury food… not a great choice for brownies). Instead of oil, I subbed the last of my cashew butter and some apple sauce. I also had no maple syrup to hand, so just used sugar for the sweetener. The batter was incredibly thick (probably because the oil and syrup had been replaced!) but the brownies were DELISH. Seriously, amazingly fudgy and generally wonderful. New fave recipe!

    • Sara says

      Do you happen to remember how much almond meal you used? I am thinking of substituting the oats for almond meal but I wasn’t sure if it should be the same weight or how that would work.

      Thanks!

  65. Doree says

    I’ve tried black bean brownies in the past, and they were yucky and disappointing. Nothing could get me to try them again, except that it’s one of your recipes. Everything I’ve ever made of yours has been so delicious that many of your recipes should be illegal! I’ll give these a try… I’m counting on you!

  66. Jill says

    I am thinking about upgrading from my blender to a food processor – and it seems like you recommend a food processor for a lot of your recipes. What type do you use? I saw something about the Vitamix but when I saw the price I about fell over!! Thanks!

    • Dana says

      I’ve asked this before! She has a Cuisinart, which is now what I have too. Works great for this and also the oatmeal raisin fudge baby recipe too :).

  67. Ange says

    Thanks Katie, I made these yesterday, they are great! I found that I needed to triple the cocoa powder to cover the bean flavor (at least for me, I have super good taste buds) and added a bit of extra oil and some water to thin it out. They turned out amazing. 🙂 We love dark chocolate at our house, so they were perfect!

  68. Jamie says

    These were AMAZING. I made them for my boyfriend, one of the most unhealthy people I’ve ever met (sadly), and didn’t tell him what was in them. He couldn’t believe it when I told him!

  69. jeanne says

    Since I am completely addicted to your blondies ( AND your no-bake cookies, AND your coffee cake and etc etc etc…LOL!!), I will try your black bean brownies…I am sure they will be just as fabulous!!!

  70. emily says

    I just made 2 batches of these. First batch I subbed applesauce for the oil and used conventional pancake syrup. They turned out mediocure at best. I put shredded cocoanut on top and extra chocolate and that made it better! The cocoanut got all brown and crispy! The next batch I used veg oil and plain white sugar. The batch is SOOO much better. The oil gives the ful l richness and denseness of what a brownie should taste like.

    Im a college student and I love this blog because Katie makes healthy eating fun, attainable, affordable and enjoyable. Keep up the great work. You rock the blog world! 🙂

    • Amy says

      Thanks for sharing your experience w/ regular sugar! I’m a grad student, so maple syrup for baking is CRAZY expensive. But I love CCK 🙂

  71. Arin says

    I immediately tried these with maple syrup, coconut oil, and one pack of stevia and they are amazing. Thanks for another keeper!

  72. Aimee says

    Just ate 2 of these brownies after waiting 10 LONG minutes for them to cool! They are fantastic. I did not have black beans so I used kidney beans. Thanks for coming up with this fast, easy delicious recipe! I might have to go eat another brownie 🙂

  73. Ange says

    Second attempt turned out completely bean free in flavor- seems that the best trick to get rid of the bean flavor is to use your own dried beans that you soak and cook without any salt- then allow to sit in water for an hour or two before using. This leaves them completely flavorless. Perfect!

  74. stace says

    Okay, I’ve tried many black bean brownie recipes. Some were rich and decadent others too beany. These give the most bang for your buck – easy recipe, ingredients you have in the house, quick clean up for GREAT results. Thanks Katie!

  75. Michelle says

    Is today your birthday? HAPPY BIRTHDAY

    I’ve made is it Rocco Dispirto black bean brownies ..they are ok…

    I will try these tho since your a genius

  76. Simone says

    I have yet to try black bean brownies… I love all of your chickpea creations so i’m thinking this weekend is the weekend to suck it up and try… i’ll let you know how it goes 🙂

  77. Courtney Ln says

    I am making these right now (woohoo Friday Night!!!) and my mom thinks I’m crazy! I hope I prove her wrong when I pull these out of the oven!!! Thanks for posting this great recipe!!

    • Courtney Ln says

      Follow up…these are LEGIT! Go make them!!! Even my hard to impress mother LOVED them!! They totally are just as good as “real” brownies”

  78. Dana says

    These were so good! I tried one other brownie recipe with black beans (not from your site) and it was awful, so I was hesitant to give them another try and my husband was like WHAT? You’re trying another crap brownie recipe? But you proved us both wrong, thankfully. These are like melt in your mouth fudgy good!

  79. Jen says

    I am so excited to try these! My 15 month old son made his first trip to the allergist and we found out he’s allergic to eggs AND wheat. He is an extremely picky eater as is, I can’t wait to test these out on him and love knowing he’ll be eating protein filled beans and not just “some-other-type-of-wheat-free flour-that-he-hates”. :0) *wish me luck*

  80. Michele says

    fwiw .. “healthy” may be the last word I would use by putting black beans in brownies (and have tried this before – ugh). Digesting beans is no longer viable in my “vegetarian, gluten-free, sugar-free, soy-free, corn-free, mostly legume-free” world. Most beans, no matter how smothered in chocolate they are, lead to much unhappiness in my gut. If anyone here has general digestive issues, the most digestible beans are supposedly mung and aduki, so using those might be a “healthier” option?

  81. Ashlee says

    I cant decide what is more beautiful you or those brownies both are to die for!! New to your lovely blog and I am totally obsessed! Thank you for sharing! I will be checking in again real soon :). It was very nice to meet you!
    Have a fantastic weekend.
    xox
    Ash@ABpetite
    http://abpetite.blogspot.com

  82. stephanie says

    Oh my word…seriously amazing!! I have been wanting to try black bean brownies for a while but could never find a recipe that wasn’t smothered with sugar and eggs. I used half pb2 and half applesauce (plus 1 extra t applesauce) for the oil, and stevia instead of the agave/maple syrup, and they turned out absolutely incredible! Thank you Katie for this recipe, can’t wait to try your chickpea brownies!

  83. Anonymous says

    I just made these and they are INCREDIBLE! Thank you so much Katie!! I followed the recipe pretty closely, but used 1/3 cup sugar free maple syrup and 3 splenda packets. I also used 115 g (the lower end) of chocolate chips. I weighed all of my ingredients, so I could be sure and get the same great product. If you are reading this comment wondering whether or not you should make these brownies, stop reading now and go make them; they are incredible.

    That said, I CANNOT figure out how the nutritional value could be 115 calories per brownie. I have calculated it several times, and even when using my sugar free syrup, splenda packets and the lowest amount of chocolate chips, I still come in at 125 calories. Of course this difference is minuscule, but I am curious at the numbers. Usually when I calculate Katie’s recipes they are SPOT ON with my calculations. Weird.

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Use regular maple syrup, not the sugar-free stuff. But you have to calculate it by grams. That really does make a difference. For example, a tbsp of oil is said to be 15g, but if you actually weigh a tbsp of oil, it’s more like 10-12! Sorry for the confusion!

  84. Melissa Hayes says

    I saw the recipe and immediately had to make it – FANTASTIC!!! These are the best healthy or otherwise – YOU are amazing!! Thank you

    Melissa

  85. Emily says

    I’ve seen these bean brownies so much I gave it a shot but unfortunately I could not find unsalted beans anywhere so I reconstituted the kidney beans in my cabinet and I can’t make a red black bean brownie or a blondie. So I figured I’d make a “red velvet” brownie xD

    red chocolate :3 I look forward to the outcome

    **Ingredients(are just based off you’re recipe because I’m no good at baking out of my head):

    # 1 1/2 cup(s) kidney beans (250g)
    # 3/4 tsp baking powder
    # 1/8 tsp baking soda
    # level 1/4 tsp salt
    # 1/4 cup mashed Banana
    # 2 tsp vanilla extract
    # 1/2 cup quick oats (20g)
    # 1/4 cup peanut butter (or other fat source)

    I haven’t tried it…. it probably won’t work. But the idea is really nice.. Especially if you don’t have white or black beans. Just make a “red velvet” Blondie or brownie

  86. Guilla says

    Guys you can buy a bag of beans and sunk them in plenty of water for 24 hours and then just boil them for a couple hours and you will have unsalted black beans.
    I am going to try and make this recipe but I will use avocado oil instead of the coconut oil, I will let you know.

  87. saida says

    I tried some before and they were really moist and lacked the fudgy texture of brownies that I love. They had to be eaten from the fridge or they tasted funny. This version looks like a regular brownie! I’m going to have to try these and give black bean brownies a second chance 🙂

  88. Jen N says

    I have really really really been wanting a brownie recipe that was flour and processed sugar free. I tried two different black bean recipes and one was horrible and one was barely tolerable. After that I gave up on black bean brownies (I thought I would just have to resign myself to eating your brownie batter dip). I saw this recipe in my inbox and was skeptical. But because it is a cck recipe and you haven’t steered me wrong so far, I will have to give black beans one more chance.

  89. Cierra says

    I just tried this! Well… A version of this. I used mashed banana & pumpkin, earth balance butter, coconut flour(!), and cannellini beans because that’s what I had in the fridge! I only made a partial batch, like 6 brownies. And I added protein powder, too, so they’ll be balanced enough for breakfast! They’re soooo fudgy I can’t believe it.. Thanks Katie and happy birthday 🙂

  90. Natali says

    well now i’m curious. Soaking the beans as we speak.
    All in all I was not a fan of the blondies… don’t get me wrong – they are good. In their own way. Just not something I liked. But I’m itching to try this recipe 🙂 Chocolate… only thing it lacks is mint to make it triple irresistible lol…

  91. Elise says

    I think you have outdone yourself this time Katie. I’ve made a few of your recipes but I think this is without doubt the best. They taste amazeballs and actually just like the real thing. You can’t taste the black beans whatsoever, and previously trying the blondes I found they had a slight chickpea taste. So happy! And I’ve just made my step-kids very happy too!

  92. jenica says

    I made these last night and they were okay. The texture was great but there was not nearly enough cocoa powder–they still tasted like beans! So I think in the future I’ll add a lot more cocoa powder.

      • jenica says

        I substituted half of the sugar for dates, which I soaked and pureed with the sugar and oil (no date pieces left over). Other than that I followed the recipe to a T. But the problem wasn’t that they weren’t sweet enough…they just didn’t taste chocolatey! I mean I guess there could be some sort of chemistry with the sugar and bean flavor but it seems unlikely.

  93. Nadiya says

    i love keeping the ingredients secret until the end 😛 I’ve tried brown bean brownies before and wasn’t too impressed because they tasted like… beans. So definitely looking forward to making your version

  94. Karen says

    First time commenter! I made these last night with not so high hopes, more out of curiosity than anything else. But incredibly they exeeded my wildest expectations, and even my teenage brother and his friend said they were really good. When I told them the brownies were healthy and had beans, they thought I was kidding!

    To anyone reading this who is disbelieving like I was, rest assured that these brownies are the real deal and could convert any chocoholic. I love especially how easy they were to make!

    Thanks for a great blog, Katie. I read every day.

  95. bob says

    Wow, this recipe looks wonderful CCK! I’ll have to make it for some gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free friends of mine! (I can’t eat them because of the beans. I’ll enjoy making them though = ])

    Also THANK YOU for including the measurements in grams for each of the ingredients! That makes it SO much easier when I have to substitute something in. = ] = ] = ]

  96. Emily says

    I made these last night, and they turned out really good! The chocolate chips made them a bit gooey since I used the full amount, but in a delicious way. I absolutely couldn’t tell there were black beans in the finished product, and that was with canned beans well rinsed in a colander. I loved that I had all the ingredients in my kitchen already and could just throw it all in the food processor for mixing. Delicious AND easy! Thanks, I’m sure I’ll be returning for other recipes.

  97. Olivia says

    I just made these and they’re soooo good! I didn’t tell my parents that they have beans in them (and I don’t plan on doing it so I can make them again(; ) But I just wanted to let people know some of the substitutions I made! I did regular rolled oats instead of quick oats, and I did mostly coconut oil but to make it to 1/4 cup of oil I threw in a little more than a tablespoon of peanut butter, so the whole thing has a peanut buttery taste! And then after it was in the pan I drizzled peanut butter on the top (: They were awesome! Definitely making them again soon!

  98. Alli says

    These look DELICIOUS! Are there any substitutions for the honey/agave/syrup? I’m going low carb/low sugar, so I was just wondering if that could be possible 🙂

  99. Teresa says

    I made these last night, and they were very good. Like you, I’ve tried 3 or 4 different recipes, but there was always something a bit off about them. These were definitely better than those…..and I even used lentils instead of black beans! 🙂

  100. Laura says

    For science: I made these with applesauce instead of oil. Worked out just fine. If you are a banana fan, I think using mashed banana would be excellent as well and I like the PB suggestion that you gave.

  101. Sarah says

    Definitely worth making. I don’t own a big processor so I started in the blender and then mixed in my small processor. Definitely need a big food processor because the blender texture doesn’t get it smooth enough. I would also recommend using coconut oil…it gives it great flavor. Thanks for a great alternative.

  102. Beth Pearce says

    These look absolutely delicious. I am totally trying them and promoting them. I’m going to add Choffy to them, tho, both as an elixir and some dehydrated grounds with the cacao. Thank you.

  103. Kathryn says

    I made these last night and they’re hands down the BEST black bean brownies i’ve ever had! I used raw honey and really didn’t get a strong honey taste to them at all, and my brother said they tasted far better than package brownies BEFORE i told him there were black beans in them.

    I also discovered that if you cook them in a pie plate (i have no baking dishes right now :p) and stick the leftovers in the fridge they turn into a giant, chewy chocolate cookie!

  104. Food For Thought says

    I am a HUGE black-bean brownie fan! They taste a million times better than any “normal” brownie! Since I discovered a black-bean brownie recipe I have never looked back!
    P.S. I am in love with your blog, who doesn’t love chocolate? 😉

    Check out my Nutrition blog at blogfoodforthought.com !

  105. Anonymous says

    Can someone tell me what we are using, Dark chocolate chips or Semi-sweet chips? Im sure it makes a difference. Thanks!!

  106. Karen in SE Texas says

    I must try this recipe. I loved your blondies. I have made black bean brownies in the past from another recipe and they were not good. But this looks much, much better.

  107. Laura says

    Katie these brownies are amazing! They are so fudgey and moist, my dad didn’t even guess they were healthy! Let alone that they had black beans in them! I’ve tried some of your recipes before, and I don’t always like them, but Pumpkin Bread in a Bowl, Healthy Milkshakes, and these brownies have utterly blown me away!
    Keep up the great work!

  108. Jamie says

    I’m making these for my daughter (ahem, and me), but I have to know the carb count for her. Is your nutritional info based on 9 or 12 brownies? I need to not be lazy and go calc it out myself 😛 My 7 year old is a type 1 diabetic, so I have to count carbs for her. Oh, the joys 🙂 BTW, she LOVES your “frosting” recipe usiong coconut milk. I’m excited about it, because if I use that on cupcakes for birthdays or whatever, she can have the entire cupcake, frosting and all, without such a harsh sugar spike! thanks so much for blogging 🙂

  109. Wendy says

    I made these brownies this morning and they are great! I substituted the oatmeal for almond meal and cut down a little on the oil because the almond are oily.

  110. Becky says

    Wow, wow, and wow. Not to mention YUM. I made a double batch of these, with 1/2 agave and 1/2 honey. I was a sceptic, but every recipe I’ve made from your blog has been AHHH-MAAA-ZING, so I was hoping for the best. I was not disappointed! I was also able to bring these to my nephew’s birthday party, and my sister-in-law who needs gf and sugar free ate these up! She was so excited to have some yummy brownies! Even my 19 month old enjoyed them- BONUS! Thanks so much!!!!

  111. Joan says

    I just made this and tried it a couple of minutes ago. It is twin-approved, hubby won’t even believe it is made of black beans. I love it. Time to stock up on black beans. Tomorrow, I am trying the blondies.

  112. Kim says

    Oh. My. Goodness. Katie, you are a genius! I have found and tried to make black bean “brownie” recipes in the past and they were epic failures. I put the word “brownie” in quotes because for the recipes that I have tried, they resembled brownies only in color and shape. Don’t get me wrong, these other recipes didn’t taste bad… but if I was expecting a brownie and got this other treat, then I would be furious! (I am a bit of a chocoholic and have a horrible sweet tooth and I take my treats VERY seriously!) But let me say that you have hit it out of the park with this recipe! I made a batch yesterday and they turned out fantastic. They were so rich and chocolaty, I could not taste any bit of the beans. I made a second batch today to take to a barbeque. I look forward to trying another batch with the peanut butter substitution to see how it turns out. Thank you for this awesome recipe, I absolutely love it! This one is getting printed out for sure because I don’t want to risk not having access to my internet bookmarks and being without it. It also makes me wonder why I ever made brownies with flour in the first place. I will never use flour in brownies again!

  113. Alissa says

    I just made these and they were soo good! My husband and I almost ate the whole pan in one sitting! Have you ever considered making a zucchini version of these?

  114. Josh says

    Just made these. How can I put into words how amazing these brownies were? They’re probably the best brownies I’ve ever eaten (healthy or not healthy). So gooey, fudgy…

    Thank you, THANK YOU so much for this recipe. I will probably be making this weekly!

    Josh

  115. Tanisha says

    Made these tonight, minus chocolate chips (sorry!). I did, however add a scoop of chocolate protein powder, chia seeds, and walnuts. They are EXCELLENT!! Thank you so much for the great recipe!

  116. Nicky says

    YES!!!!!! I love black bean brownies!!!! I have typically used Robyn Openshaw (GreenSmoothieGirl)’s recipe with a couple of modifications. My dad is a died in the wool unhealthy brownie fan and even he loved them. It’s been months since I had them though. We live with my in-laws and their oven is broken and they haven’t fixed it.

  117. Ysabelle says

    Perfect timing for this recipe, I was just thinking of making some the other day! I was so excited I went straight to the supermarket, bought, soaked and cooked some beans and made these brownies. Safe to say these are the best healthy fudgy vegan brownies I have ever made.

    Some modifications I made were to use kidney beans instead of black beans, carob instead of cocoa, coconut sugar instead of maple syrup, and your Better than Nutella (which is, by the way, amazing) instead of oil. Plus, I … omitted chocolate chips as the shop that sells the dairy free variety is a bit of a drive. Nonetheless it tastes delicious and even my 6 year old sister, who eats mostly processed sugary junk food and refuses to eat anything unfamiliar, gave it two thumbs up. I bet the rest of my family wouldn’t even dare think it had no flour and was instead made of beans!

    Thanks for the recipe, next up: Snickerdoodle Blondies!

  118. PK says

    Cannot get black beans here in Western Australia at all – the closest thing we can get is black bean sauce (for asian stir fries) – and I am certain the salty sauce is not interchangeable with canned black beans. I also know we cannot import foodstuff like that from overseas – we tried to bring some canned pumpkin puree back last time we visited the US, and had it confiscated at the quarntine station hen we arrived back in Australia 🙁

  119. Erin says

    Have you had the Dr. Oz black bean brownies? I didn’t really like those that much. I am willing to give yours a chance though!

  120. Faye says

    I made a batch few days ago with some substitutions. I don’t have a good food processor so I put the beans in the blender with the coconut oil melted, along with a 1/4 cup of maple syrup and blended really well. For the rest of the sweetener I used 1/4 cup honey. I subbed in quinoa flour for the oats and I definitely added 2/3 cup chocolate chips! At first they seemed undercooked, I’d say wait until totally cool before cutting. My daughters will eat anything brown that remotely resembles chocolate, so they liked these. My husband is pickier, he claimed he tasted the beans (I told him after he finished the brownie!) as an aftertaste. I’m doubtful, but I’ll take his word for it! All in all, I like the recipe and I’ll make these again and use them as a snack for school.Thanks Katie!

  121. Kyla says

    Okay – I substituted peanut butter (organic, crunchy, because that’s all I had although if I had had a choice I would have used smooth) instead of oil. EVEN BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL. Makes it fudgy and delicious. Also negates any beany taste that might have been there (the first time I made these I did really like them – but the occasional bite would give away that black bean flavour) .. .definitely suggest this substitution!

    • Kyla says

      okay, well, if I am going to be strictly honest, here is exactly what I did:
      First, I doubled the recipe. Second, I ran out of vanilla so only 1/2 tsp in there instead of the 4 a doubled recipe would require. Third, I used organic rolled oats rather than quick oats (I never have quick oats on hand!). Fourth, I substituted the peanut butter for oil as I said above. Fifth, I used equal parts honey and agave rather than one or the other. Sixth, I made these at, oh, about nine in the morning and we’ve really enjoyed them now for breakfast! 🙂 Love this recipe – thank you for it!

  122. Katie says

    I have to say I’m not so in love with these. Definitely not close to real brownies in the box, and although you cannot taste the beans at all my family all thought they were weird when I served them! 🙁

      • Katie says

        I followed the recipe exactly with maple syrup and sugar, no substitutions. I used unrefined coconut oil because I like the flavor. I used a food processor and blended until I didn’t think I could blend anymore. The texture was just strange and they were very thin. I think maybe double the recipe would have made them more like the size of regular brownies, but I don’t know what can be done about the texture since it is most like due to the beans.

        • Karen w says

          I know this comment is really late, but I would suggest that for a better texure you try freezing them. I have made these multiple times and whenever we have leftovers we freeze them and they develop this really great fudgy texure that is even better than fresh out of the oven though unlike you, I love them that way too!

  123. Grace says

    I’ve never found a black-bean brownie I liked… until now! I made these to take to a work dinner. I didn’t tell anyone about the black beans and everyone loved them – I saw a few going for seconds. I didn’t use vanilla (didn’t have any on hand) and used about 1/2 agave and 1/2 maple syrup (only because I ran out of agave). I also added an extra tbsp cocoa powder to ramp up the chocolate taste. They turned out amazing! I topped them with a little glaze (melted chocolate chips and a touch of coconut oil).

    Next time I might try subbing out 1tbsp of oil for a tbsp of espresso, only because I love the way coffee enhances the flavour of chocolate.

  124. Becky says

    Just made these for the family to enjoy after a healthy meal of chili. They loved them! So did I. I admiited that they were healthy, but that’s all. No one had a clue! Thanks for posting this fabulous recipe.

  125. Noel says

    I made them and loved them! So did my family, mine didn’t set up as good as yours and were a little more fudgie. So harder to hold in your hand and eat but still great!!!!

  126. michelle says

    Hi, we are trying these tonight. I am sure they will be delicious. But, just for clarification, I am pretty sure oats have gluten?? So, I am not sure they should be called gluten free. Maybe I am wrong…..?

  127. Sherri says

    I made these for my family tonight, and let them eat them before telling them what was in them. They were talking about how good they are, gave them a 10 on a scale of 1-10! When I told them they were made with black beans they were absolutely stunned! Most certainly a keeper.

  128. Earline says

    I love the taste of these brownies—–made them to send to my grandson at college—-however mine are a little soggy—-maybe i didn’t drain the beans enough ??
    Thanks for all the delicious recipes, Katie —

  129. Sherry says

    I made these today, they do sort of smell like beans or something healthy, not sugary brownies. But they taste like a whole grain brownie, again, not the sugary fat brownies, but they taste really food. As someone who loves a sugary, chocolatey, gooey brownie but trying to find healthy alternatives I don’t feel guilty about, this is a good one! I’ll share them tomorrow at work, see what everyone else thinks.

  130. Tamara says

    I attempted black bean brownies a couple years back with terrible results. However, I trust any recipe you throw out there, so I decided to give bbb’s another chance. They smelt amazing cooking, and after my first bite, I knew I had no reason to doubt you. Thank you so much! Oh and I also added dried cherries to mine – it was a good decision 🙂

  131. Rosemary says

    I made these and they are delicious!! I wanted to comment on facebook, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise to my carnivorous friends/family. I used flour instead of oats and a little water, because I don’t have a food processor. It was so delicious!! I was a little worried, but couldn’t stop licking the blender glass.

  132. alloyjane says

    First off, Happy Belated Birthday Katie! Second, can’t wait to try these. I don’t have a food processor but if the blender doesn’t do the job, I’ll just have to do it the old fashioned way: with a fork and some elbow grease. Got my beans wasting time in a crock pot (am gonna stick to the old fashioned method from now on) and as soon as I get some vegan chocolate chips, we’re gonna go to town. Cheers!

  133. Sam says

    Hey Katie,

    After a bit of a disaster with your blondies, subbing applesauce for all of the peanut butter (my mistake entirely!), I used half pb and half canola oil for this and they were amazing!!!! They may be healthy but its probably not healthy to eat the whole pan, they’re so addictive.
    Can anyone here tell me whether the pumpkin brownies are better than these? If so, they are next on my list!

    Hope you had a happy birthday, keep up the good work 🙂 xx

  134. Jess says

    I made these over the weekend and substituted peanut butter for oil. Unlike other comments I have read, mine did not turn out super awesome 🙁 The peanut butter changed the texture of the brownies in an odd way, and the peanut butter taste was vague which also made the overall brownie flavor a bit off. They were still good, but I want to play around more with other oil substitution options, such as applesauce. Other people said that their peanut butter substitutions worked out great, so maybe it depends on the peanut butter. I buy Wegman’s Organic Creamy peanut butter….it is not oily at all. Perhaps the “right” peanut butter to use would be one where the oil tends to separate. Just food for thought. Can’t wait to try to make them again, though!

    • Anonymous says

      Hey Jess, when I used a nut butter, I subbed Justin’s hazelnut chocolate spread (2 indiv serv packets) and it tasted wonderful. And it wasn’t just my vegan taste buds – I took them to work and they were literally gone in under 10 minutes.

  135. Katie says

    I made these last night and brought one to work this morning for a snack and oh my gosh are they ever delicious (I’m annoyed that i didn’t bring two…..or the whole pan!). Thank you so much for this recipe! I have recently had to remove gluten, eggs and dairy from my diet and have been struggling to find reliable recipes for when I want to make myself a treat. Not only is this healthy but meets all of my dietary restrictions too. Once again you never disappoint with your creations!!!

  136. Jenessa says

    I just made these last night and they were EXCELLENT! You would never guess they had black beans in them! Instead of coconut oil I used peanut butter; I couldn’t be happier with the results. They tasted great! I plan on making them at my next bookclub meeting. Thanks Katie!

    • Barbara says

      Hmmmm….I never thought about subbing out the coconut oil – I’m not a fan of coconut ANYTHING, soI might try using almond butter since it’s slightly ‘better’ for you than peanut butter…..

  137. Abigail says

    I tried these! I skimped a little on the chocolate and would probably change it to your proportions next time, but they were still enjoyable! My husband was highly amused but enjoyed a few.

    We were wondering, what are the black beans replacing? Is it eggs? I am just wondering how you got the idea to put them in and why they’re needed. 🙂 Thanks!

    • cck says

      It actually replaces the flour–and also adds moisture so you don’t need as much fat. Like flour, beans are starchy.

      Definitely wasn’t my original idea to make black bean brownies, though. There are many other recipes out there. No idea who thought of the idea first, but it’s a great idea!

  138. cucicucicoo says

    i can’t wait to try these! but i’ll be doing them with cooked dried beans, not the canned type. and thank you so much for the metric conversions of the ingredients… it makes my life so much easier! 🙂 lisa

    • Marci says

      Hi Lisa,
      I generally cook my own beans as well but found, in Katie’s white bean recipes at least, that the results were not moist. The canned beans (Eden Organics) work beautifully. Please post your results with the cooked black beans.
      Thanks!

      • Marci says

        Not to worry. They are so good that I’m sure they’ll be fine w the cooked beans – especially with the 1/2 cup of maple syrup…

        • Danielle says

          I just tried them tonight with dried beans and honey. I found the initial “batter” to be pretty thick, but the addition of some black coffee thinned it down to the right consistency while enhancing the chocolate flavor. Even my always-skeptic husband liked them (ok, he ate half the pan – in one sitting). They were a HUGE hit for my 2 and 4 year olds, too. A new recipe box member. Thanks, Katie.

  139. Kimberly says

    I will definitely be trying this soon. I have three girls under 5 (so I won’t be using any artificial sweeteners), but I’m really excited to try these with them, especially since my oldest is constantly asking me to make her brownies.

    • Kimberly says

      I made these almost right after I posted (exactly as posted with the maple syrup option) and I have to say that I don’t really care for them, although my girls do. If they actually eat what I made I will try them again with dark chocolate chips, the simply dark cocoa and something other than maple syrup and see if I find them more palatable. They smell cloyingly sweet and I’m hoping that maybe the smell is affecting my taste and that those changes might help. Regardless of whether that makes them more appealing to me, I’m grateful for a healthy brownie for my girls.

  140. nancy says

    OMG! these haven’t even made it to the oven yet. I’m licking the spoon just as I would if they were regular brownies!!! Which, if taste as good once baked, I may never go back to again!!
    You are a genius!

  141. Marci says

    These are incredible! Subbed Simple Treasures Quinoa and Buckwheat flake cereal for the oats and raw cacao nibs for the chocolate chips. Used the 1/2 cup of maple syrup. Perfection!
    Thank you SO much!

  142. Sarah says

    I was out of oats the second time i made these and all I have is dark chocolate cocoa powder, I also added pecans to the mix they have a more brownie like texture if you arent one for the fudge my family adores them but wanted to strangle me when i told them what they were made of 🙂

  143. Allie says

    So I made these and they were fantastic. So delicious! My dad thought I was crazy, but he ended up loving them too. I was reluctant to share these things. Thanks for the recipe, it was a hit.

      • Trelawney says

        Do you have a suggestion for someone who can’t eat oats? (I also can’t eat soy, cashews, or a few other nuts); also, are the beans supposed to be raw or cooked? I assumed cooked, but I’m seeing discussion about it above… thanks!

        • Annette says

          I substituted quinoa flakes, and the consistency wasn’t as good as with the oat flakes. The brownies were mushy, they never really firmed up. I think the quinoa flakes aren’t as robust as the oat flakes. I’m going to try 1/2 quinoa flakes and 1/2 ground flaxseed, or maybe just quinoa flour, next time.

          • Erogo says

            Quinoa does not absorb as much liquid as oats, would need to reduce the liquid, or perhaps add more cocoa powder. On that thought anyone had any luck subbing with cocoa powder and upping the chia/flax for more of a binding in place of the oats? Go a step further if you want to make SUPER RICH CHOCOLATE Brownies and attempted subbing pure cocoa butter for the nut butter, cocoa for the oats, and perhaps a bit of yogurt? I am great at coming up with ideas, just poor and can’t risk wasting my ingredients.

  144. Anna Mumau says

    Thank you for such a wonderful recipe! I did end up replacing the oil with peanut butter and used 2 tbsp brown rice flour instead of the oatmeal. I cooked mine for 21 minutes because they weren’t done after 15. Turned out delicious ~ THANK YOU!

    • Guilla says

      Anna,
      Did the rice flour help for them to “rise” a bit more? I might try that cause my little girl just would not buy me the “little cake” idea cause they were too cookie flat, you know what I mean?

      • Anna Mumau says

        Hi Guilla! The brownies were very thick and chewy. They were not cake-like at all. So no, my brownies did not rise at all, actually. I put mine in the freezer, and they are so delicious that way! Just thaw it for a few mins and it’s like eating fudge.

  145. Jennifer says

    Just wanted to say I’ve tried other black bean brownie recipes and they were good, but I LOVED the fudgy texture of yours! I subbed unsalted creamy PB for the oil and they were delish. Next time I plan on swapping the PB for almond butter and replacing some of the vanilla extract with almond extract. MMMMMMMM!

  146. Melanie says

    I do think these taste different that brownies with flour but I think that it’s a great thing! They were so delicious!!!! I made them exactly as printed. I had to bake mine about 5-7 minutes longer b/c they were so gooey. Then I would recommend letting them completely cool before cutting. And I have to say that I think they get better with time too! I made them 3 days ago and I just ate the last one tonight and every brownie tasted better than the last. My dad liked them and I’ve tried black bean brownies before and he hated them. Of course, I didn’t tell him this time, even after he ate it. It’s my little secret. 😉

  147. Monica says

    Tried making these in my Magic Bullet mini blender/processor and they didn’t turn out well at all. The food processor is crucial for these! I look forward to trying them again when my new food processor arrives! PS I was hooked on your different “milkshakes” recently, I would come home and have one every night after work, it was the highlight of my day! Yum

    • Lisa says

      I tried my magic bullet as well, I don’t have a food processor. I added a few teaspoons of soy milk and they turned out fine.

  148. Smisteph says

    I wish I could share a pic to show you how amazingly fudge-y these turned out!! They are DE.LISH!! By the way, after making three batches in a week I was out of black beans but was desperate for some more of these (since my whole family scarfed them down!) so I subbed garbanzo beans for the black beans, and they turned out great! Almost more milk chocolate than the dark chocolate flavor the black beans lend, but still so, SO GOOD!! Thanks for the new family favorite dessert!! 🙂

  149. barbara says

    Hi katie,

    I just made these but they came out really flat. do you know (or does anyone else know ) why this happened? maybe i didnt cook longenough or overcooked? thanks!

  150. Keri says

    These are REALLY GOOD! Very moist and rich and dense and fudgy, which is exactly how I like my brownies! Great recipe, thank you for posting!

  151. Guilla says

    Katie I made them today and my 3 year old girl LOVED them! She just went Mhhhhs and yums all the time, although I think I over cooked them a little and dried them a bit :(. Do you think that, if I crack a couple eggs into the mix they might “sponge up” a little more? She would not buy me the “little cake” idea cause they do not rise as a “normal” cake would… Thank you!

  152. Kelsi says

    These were so good. I made mine with maple syrup, sugar and coconut oil, but I think I will use vegetable oil next time. I think they have a slight coconut flavor to them when they are warm. SOooooooo good though. Thank you for the recipe. 😀

  153. Sherlock says

    Now these are much better than your other brownies I have tried. As everything was getting processed, I stopped and taste tested. Had to add about 1tbsp more of cocoa powder but everything else remained the same. Processed until completely smooth, almost like a frosting smooth. Delish! Great brownies CCK!

  154. Georgia says

    I tried this recipe today and it was awesome! I ate the first piece, stared at the rest at the tray and thought ominously, These brownies are in serious danger! I seriously could’ve consumed the the whole tray if it weren’t for the fact that it was dinner time. So I exercised some self-control and only ate 1/4 of the tray. 😀

    The texture was melt-in-my-mouth wonderful, but I was wondering if there were a way to get it more fudgey since I also do love fudgey brownies?

    I also thought to suggest that maybe you could state how long you ran the food processor, for example, 5 or 10 or 15 minutes? Or maybe there is too much of a difference between a good, strong food processor and a weaker one to really be able to approximate the time. I ran it until the black beans were pretty small flecks, and after a while I realized it wasn’t going to get it to a totally smooth, pureed texture, so I stopped it at that point. Not sure if that was enough, but it ended up great anyway. I didn’t time myself, but I think it took about 5-10 minutes for me.

  155. Anonymous says

    This is my first time commenting on any blog, but this recipe is SO good I had to say something. Made these last night and was completely stunned at the amazing results. They are better than just about any other traditional brownie I have ever had. But be warned: we devoured the entire pan in less than 12 hours!!! YUMMY.

  156. Joanne says

    Maybe I was just lucky but I’ve made a chocolate version of your white bean blondies and it worked beautifully. I substituted tinned red kidney beans for the white beans, and chucked in a fair bit of cocoa (the more chocolately the better, right?) and it was delicious. Even more convincing than the blonde – just like a regular brownie and not the slightest bit cardboardy.

    I’ll have to look for some black beans now so I can try this new recipe too. You are turning me into the bean baking queen. 🙂

  157. Mel says

    Hey Katie! I tried this recipe and subbed the coconut oil for Justin’s Hazlenut Chocolate spread (individual packets x 2). They turned out beautifully and everyone at work is absolutely loving them!!

  158. Sherlock says

    Made this anyway with Garbanzo Beans and substituted the Maple Syrup (I ran out) with regular Sugar. Again, added about another tablespoon of cocoa powder. My goodness they were amazing.

  159. Liz says

    This is the first recipe of yours I tried. I don’t have a food processor, but it still turned out really well!
    I blended the black beans and the maple syrup in a blender and then hand-mixed the rest of the ingredients, since my blender is not the best. I also subbed PB for oil and added ~ 1 TBS extra cocoa powder.
    I was worried it would not taste good (I made the mistake of trying the batter), but it was awesome! I like these more than regular brownies because they’re rich and don’t make me feel icky after eating them. Thank you for the recipe, Katie!

  160. Julie Mae Reck says

    Made these last night and they are SO YUMMY! They really are everything you said they are! I’m going to post the recipe on my blog later… with a link back to here, of course!

  161. Michelle says

    OMG, these brownies were sooo good. I offered them to friends and family and didn’t tell them what they were. So said the textures was different but it was unanimous that they were awesome.

  162. Brian says

    Hey Katie. These turned out to be a great consistency, though a little rich for my taste (I might use less cocoa/chocolate chips.) Wonderful recipe, though. Definitely beats the typical boxed brownies with eggs, milk, refined flour. I will make this recipe again, for sure!

  163. Gabrielle says

    Great Recipe! Thanks for figuring it out. I love chocolate so I used 4 Tablespoons of cocoa instead of 2. I also only used 1 teaspoon of vanilla and added 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and an 1/8 of a teaspoon of cayenne. Mexican Brownies!!!!!!!!! So delicious!!!!!!!! Thank you!

  164. Amy says

    I have a recipe for black bean brownies that is to die for. flourless. I love it so much. I think it’s better than regular brownies in a lot of ways because firstly, they dont make you sick if you eat several. secondly, it’s really hard to overbake them. regular brownies tend to get dry at the edges, and especially at the corners.

    I make a peanut butter topping for mine that goes something like this: half a cup of natural peanut butter, two tbsp raw honey, pinch salt and a spoonful of coconut oil. pour that over your brownies….oh…my….

  165. patti says

    These were delicious! I am a messy baker and didn’t realize I was out of vanilla till it was time to add it…lol. I substituted orange and it was still really good! definitely will make again…with some peanut butter maybe. Thanks Katie!

  166. Anonymous says

    Ive made these 2x so far. The first batch I did half peanut butter & coconut oil, & half of agave & honey (1/2cup). 3/4 chocolate chips. These tasted really moist, fudgy, and yummy. The only problem was that after 30mins I felt like I was going to crash and felt sick. I believe it was either the brand of beans or that Im just too sensitive to sugar, or honey in that amount.

    The Second batch…I made the beans fresh which I believe has less preservatives. I added 1/2tsp dried stevia from my plant….and about 1/4honey. 1/2 chips. So ALOT LESS sugar this time & fresh beans. This time I did not get sick. It tasted good….but not as sweet as the first batch. Which if I wasnt senstive Id prefer the 1st batch….but the 2nd is still very good too.

    I enjoy playing around with ingredients anyway…its fun being creative. And soon ill be getting the Stevia that Katie recommends as Ive heard theres less fillers. I only have IN the Raw Brand 🙁
    <3 Thanks

  167. Priscilla says

    Ive made these 2x so far. The first batch I did half peanut butter & coconut oil, & half of agave & honey (1/2cup). 3/4 chocolate chips. These tasted really moist, fudgy, and yummy. The only problem was that after 30mins I felt like I was going to crash and felt sick. I believe it was either the brand of beans or that Im just too sensitive to sugar, or honey in that amount.

    The Second batch…I made the beans fresh which I believe has less preservatives. I added 1/2tsp dried stevia from my plant….and about 1/4honey. 1/2 chips. So ALOT LESS sugar this time & fresh beans. This time I did not get sick. It tasted good….but not as sweet as the first batch. Which if I wasnt senstive Id prefer the 1st batch….but the 2nd is still very good too.

    I enjoy playing around with ingredients anyway…its fun being creative. And soon ill be getting the Stevia that Katie recommends as Ive heard theres less fillers. I only have IN the Raw Brand 🙁
    <3 Thanks

  168. Jillian says

    Wow! Maybe if these weren’t so wonderful I wouldn’t have eaten half the batch in one day!!! I might try less chips next time and see if they don’t last me longer! I used crunchy Skippy (natural). I was wondering if anyone tried adding protein powder?
    THANKS FOR THIS RECIPE!

  169. Elma says

    OMG! I made this recipe last night and they were incredible. My 8 & 5 year old kids even loved them. Thanks for sharing this guilty free recipe!!

  170. Jillian says

    So I tried them with 1/2 cup chocolate whey protein (optimum nutrition) instead of 1/2 cup oats…and still subbed with chucky pb for oil….and used sugar free syrup for agave….a little dryer than with oats and agave, but still yummy and much prettier 🙂

  171. Renee McGrath says

    Tried making these with regular (not instant) rolled oats and they came out fine. Had two for dinner tonight, actually… Which reminds me, is the nutritional information based on a 1/12 or 1/8 batch serving?

  172. Rachel says

    Made these using peanut butter in place of the oil. Yum! Also used a ghiradelli dark chocolate bar in place of the chips. Put it in the food processor too. Thanks for this yummy recipe.

  173. Natasha says

    I just made these and I would never have guessed there’s beans in. I used butter beans and molasses. The molasses taste comes through, but I think it’s a good thing. Amazing recipe 🙂

  174. Sandy says

    The black bean brownies are one of our new favorite dessert recipes! I have made it several times with a few changes and they turned out great. I added in PB2 in place of some of the oil, plus added alittle applesauce instead of the honey/maple syrup. Thanks Katie for a healthy yet another healthy dessert recipe. I have passed on your website to so many people. Keep up the great work!

  175. bobbi says

    I just repinned this on pintrest. I have a list of recipes I must try and I highly recommend to all my friends to visit this blog! I love your recipes!
    probably bake these up tomorrow.

  176. Ella says

    Hi Katie! I re-pinned this recipe from your pinterest and I must say they came out more than wonderful when I made them myself! My pinterest name is EllaSmith95. Have a good day, Katie!

  177. karen says

    Katie, you are amazing. I’ve shared your blog with so many friends. I made these brownies for my neighbours Birthday and they were blown away. They couldn’t believe they were healthy, had beans in them and were so delcious. Thank you for all that you do.

  178. Blyss says

    I sub PB for the oil and these turn out great… just a light peanutty, taste which i like. but chocolate is still the main flavor! I also use rolled oats in mine… and it turns out fine as long as i process it long enough. I’d like to try it with flax sometime too…

  179. Megan says

    I’m sure you realized this but this recipe will make an awesome brownie batter dip. I am leaving out the oats, honey/agave (I use stevia), chocolate chips, and coconut oil and adding almond milk, and eating it raw tomorrow for my post workout. I have decided if I am going to add the protein powder to it or make as shake.

  180. Danielle says

    Someone on a group that I am on recommended your recipes. Just tried this tonight and you have converted this skeptic. They are AMAZING! Who knew black beans could taste so good? Thank you for this great recipe. I’m looking forward to trying your coconut crack bars.

  181. Angie says

    I made them today added a little espresso powder to them. They are very moist and almost fudge like is that how they are supposed to be? Mine didn’t crack like the picture which is why I’m asking. Husband loved them even after I told him what was in them, will be making them for the family that is coming to visit later this week. Guess we will have to eat the first batch first!

  182. Alia says

    OMG i can’t wait to try these! Katie you’re a genius! I’ve had your tofu chocolate pie almost like a 100 times by now and this seems like the next on my list! much love all the way from India :):) you should come to india sometime, we’re a predominantly vegetarian society – you’ll LOVE it!

    Quick question- No vendors here in India seem to understand what black beans are. the Hindi translation of them is urad on the internet so are these black beans –
    please confirm for me so i can get baking!! thanks a LOT

    Alia

  183. Shannon says

    No lie, I have made these 3 times this week. These are mad crazy awesome! Thanks Katie for helping me convert more people over to the idea of healthy, vegan desserts.

  184. z says

    Hello….i love your blog….i have a quick question…i am making this for diabetics and i would really like to reduce the carb count as much as possible. Do you think i could use unsweetened chocolate chips…and would i have to add erythritol? Thank you so much

  185. Jessica says

    Hi Katie! Just made these brownies, and while they’re deliciouuuusss are you sure it should only take 15 minutes to bake? Mine took about as long as a turkey!
    OK I’m exaggerating ahaha, but the brownies still baked for about 40 minutes…Is it supposed to be extremely, extremely gooey when it comes out of the oven (after 15-20 minutes)?
    Just wondering. Brownies were out of the oven for about 15 minutes before my roommies and I devoured them all =D

  186. Kari says

    Katie, these were absolutely delicious! I didn’t have a baking pan though, so I used a cupcake pan instead…mine came out a little soggy (not complaining though, still delicious). I would probably reduce the maple syrup to be 1/4 cup because mine were plenty sweet and could due with less. Overall though, AMAZING, thank you for creating the recipe!

    • Rosa says

      Kari, you increased the syrup and I over did it with the chocolate chips! they are truly amazing thought aren’t they.

  187. Cat says

    I only had one teaspoon of cocoa powder, but instead, I added a tablespoon and two teaspoons of peanut butter and a little bit of cinnamon. They were great!

  188. Rosa says

    I tried the recipe and made a few changes based on your own recommendations and one based on my own choice.

    I replaced all of the oil with plain non fat yogurt. I used plain instant oat meal because I couldn’t find the quick cook ones in the store today. I increased the agave in place of the sweetener and I used the bigger recommendation for chocolate chips (maybe a tad bit more than that). My only regret is increasing the chocolate chips too much. It was very sweet and too gooey. I really loved the results minus the excess of chocolate chips. I knew as soon as I tasted the batter that it was going to turn out delicious. I am so glad I decided to test this out because I can’t see myself making regular brownies now knowing that these are so delicious and have so many healthy ingredients inside. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!

  189. Lena says

    I finally made these yesterday – and they turned out amazing! Honestly, not even a hint of a bean-y taste. They didn’t turn out too pretty though, haha. The top was almost black and bumpy. But I added some melted peanut butter mixed with maple syrup on top, and they taste sooo good, I really don’t care about how it looks. Now I just have to buy some more coconut oil so I can top the next batch with chocolate magic shell, like I had planned on doing this time 🙂

    • HCT says

      It looks like my first comment didn’t post. Thank you for the fabulous recipe! I made these with my four-year old son. We don’t have a food processor, although I should invest in one. I blended the batter in the blender in thirds and it came out fine. It’s a great way for kids and adults to eat their black beans! It was easy to make, especially since all the ingredients were already in my pantry. I use EDEN ORGANICS black beans, since it’s organic and the can is BPA FREE!

  190. Rebecca says

    I made these but they didn’t set up too well. They were still very gooey when I took them out of the oven, and I cooked them for the full time, plus a bit more. I stored them in the frodge overnight and that firmed the brownies up a bit more. Any suggestions?

  191. AC says

    I love this recipe! Thank you for providing it.
    I tried it with oat bran instead of quick oats and it was much easier to blend (when you don’t have a processor!)
    Can’t wait for the next recipe!

  192. Katie says

    Hi Katie,

    I don’t know if you remember my comment a few months ago but the first recipe of yours I tried was the deep dish cookie pie. It was good but I had put way too many chocolate chips, making it a molten chocolate pie, and I couldn’t really enjoy the bean batter aspect!

    So I saw this recipe and was determined to make it right. I used honey, canola oil, close to 3 tbsp of hershey’s dark cocoa powder, whole grain rolled oats (they worked perfectly, just so you know, because I ran them through the food processor alone first to break them up a little like quick oats) and a dash of coffee. And I still couldn’t resist a hefty amount of chocolate chips… but no more than a cup total 😉

    The end result is fantastic this time. I was so surprised at the texture, so similar to “real” brownies. And you can taste the bean, but just a little. It’s nice, deep dark and fudgey–I love it and I feel like I’m eating something nutritious! Thanks so much! Going to find another recipe of yours to try in the near future 🙂

  193. Jessica says

    I just wanted to thank you for your blog! I recently have had to make a lifestyle change that includes being gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free…and your recipes have made it so much easier to make this change! I LOVE these brownies! They are the best! Thanks!

  194. Kimberli says

    I made these for the first time today using my Vitamix and I really enjoyed them! 😀 I blended the rolled oats by themselves first and then added everything in it after that. Next time I will cook them a bit longer or leave them a bit longer to cool as they were a bit gooey but still delicious! I think next time I might use oat flour in place of the blended oats or a gluten free flour and applesauce instead of the coconut oil. Thanks for posting this recipe!

    -Kimberli

  195. Jen says

    Katie, thanks so much for this recipe! My local organic bean vendor posted it on Facebook, and I was psyched to try them. I didn’t have chocolate chips, so I made them without–and they were very good, but they didn’t have enough chocolateyness (duh, since at that point they had only 2 tbsp of cocoa powder and no other chocolate in them.) So I whipped up a quick chocolate frosting with lots of cocoa powder in it, and I threw that on the brownies. YUM! I love the texture of these, so cakey and not sludgey/overly fudgy like some bean brownies I’ve seen. I’m guessing it’s the quick oats that make the cakey texture. Thanks again!

  196. Katie says

    I’ve never tried black bean brownies, but I’m going to. I’d love an answer to this ASAP, but I know you have MANY things to do in a day, and for the day is probably past 1/2 gone. SOOO, I may try with out an answer. I don’t think it will make a big difference —

    My Question: what about with nuts like pecans (or walnuts, but I prefer pecans) chopped or just halved and thrown in, or on top? That won’t mess up Black Bean Brownies? Will It??
    Thanks and from one Chocolate-♥n-Katie to a Chocolate-Covered Katie, you’re a peach — Or a chocolove bar ☺

  197. Kate says

    Hey Katie!! I made these brownies with my twin sister last night and they were INCREDIBLE thanks for the recipe I look forward to trying many more!!

  198. Colleen says

    I hate black beans… These brownies are amazing!!! Just finished eating the first row… Can’t wait to take the rest into work tomorrow. Thanks for changing my mind about black beans.

  199. Nora says

    I just made half a batch of these because I wasn’t sure if they would even taste good(I mean… I love beans but putting them in brownies just seems a bit too crazy), which I regretted the instant I realized how delicious the batter was. Oh my god, I couldnt stop eating it! The brownies came out really good and fudgey, I am totally making this again! Thanks Katie 🙂

  200. Ariane says

    Thank you for this recipe! I just made these brownies and they are incredible. So chocolatey and delicious mmm. I dislike beans and was hesitant when the smell hit me after opening the can, but I have to say these are some of the best brownies I’ve ever had. Thanks!

  201. Kimberly says

    OMG! I made these tonight as a surprise for my son tomorrow and my whole place smelled like I had died and gone to heaven! I tried “finger-sized” sample, ya know from wiping the blender, and it was wonderful. He’s going to so happy. Blow do I tell him there’s black beans in those brownies???

    • Kimberly says

      He loved them and said I need to make again. Oh, instead of oatmeal I used chocolate protein powder. They turned out incredible and gooey.

  202. Megan says

    I couldn’t read through ALL the comments, but can you use other beans in place of black beans? Dark red kidney or something else, or do they really taste the best if you use black beans? Thanks!

  203. Amanda says

    I just made these last night for a potluck! They were loved and nobody knew the difference!!!! I had never made black bean brownies before and these turned out absolutely fabulous. Thank you for an awesome recipe!!!!

  204. Kathy says

    Just made these this morning. WOW! I used dark coco and dark chocolate chips. Super yummy and no flour = my wheat allergic son can eat them too. Thank you for the great recipe!

  205. Nicole says

    Katie- I made these tonight which are very similar and use almond butter instead of oil (they were very tasty but slightly dry…. I will try yours with the oil!!)

    chocolate black bean happy bars
    1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed (about 1.5 cups)
    ½ cup almond butter
    ¼ cup agave
    ¼ cup mashed banana or apple sauce
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    ¼ teaspoon salt
    1.5 cups of oats
    1/2 cup cocoa + ½ cup brown rice flour (or wheat germ or whole wheat flour)
    ½ cup shredded coconut + ½ cup chocolate chips

  206. JacquelineW says

    Oh my gosh! I was very skeptical of bean brownies before making these, but they were SO fantastic. So dense and fudgey; amazing! Thank you so much 🙂

  207. amanda says

    wow katie…these are amazing!! I substituted (with what i had on hand) and used lentils in place of the black beans (as per another reviews suggestion). FANTASTIC. I will use a bit more sugar next time (probably 1/4 cup for my sweet tooth) but i loved them! these are a new favorite for me….no more heavy white sugar brownies in this house 🙂

  208. Andrea says

    I made up a batch of these exactly as posted as brought them into work and everyone loved them! I had three requests for the recipe and after I handed it out to one person, my boss took the paper and photocopied it for herself (lol!). I am just making up a second batch now, but this time with peanut butter as the fat source and these are all for me ohhoho!

    Just a small point though about the nutritionals… when I plugged everything into the CalorieCount website (wanted to see what the PB did for the protein value) I got higher numbers… so I tried with oil instead and came up with 200/150 calories a brownie for 9 or 12 servings respectively, based on aprox. 125g of chocolate chips. Not that it makes a huge difference or anything cause these brownies hella rock, but I thought you might want to know.

    Cheers!

  209. leah says

    I discovered your website 3 weeks ago and there have not been enough days to make everything I want to try!! I’ve made 4 batches of these brownies and they are AH-MA-ZING!! I don’t tell anyone what’s in them until after they eat them. So far I’ve had everyone ask for the recipe! I’m spreading your website to everyone! They all LOVE them! I’ve been making my kiddos baked oatmeal all the time! I love finding a website that every recipe is something I would make…wait maybe I’m just a choc-o-holic too 🙂

  210. Gretchen says

    I’m looking forward to trying these! I did want to note that when I put your recipe into the WW PointsPlus calculator as written with gram measurements, they come out to 4 PointsPlus apiece. If I tweak it to 1/2 cup chocolate chips (which the calculator thinks is 85 rather than 115 grams, I can accomplish 3 PP. Hope that’s enough! 🙂

  211. Emily says

    I almost never comment on blogs, but I just have to say, I am completely in love with these brownies!!!! I’ve always wanted to try making black bean brownies but I had never found a recipe that sounded edible. When I cam across your recipe and read some of the comments, I gave these a whirl and I couldn’t be more pleased, excited, in love! I found myself licking the bowl and sneaking bites of these little gems whenever I’m in the kitchen. Thank you so much for a fantastic recipe! 😀

  212. Lauren says

    I’ve made these three times and they are always delicious! One thing I love is they are much easier to cut than regular brownies.

  213. Mandy says

    Wow, these are amazing. I made them for my daughter’s birthday (she is very health conscious) and did not tell anyone what they were made of. They loved them so much! They are really the best healthy treat I’ve tried!

  214. Cindy says

    These are fantastic! I used pole green bean beans from the garden, very big beans, I shelled and cooked them. I used coconut oil and maple syrup plus i added walnuts. The green bean beans made the brownies super light feeling in my stomach. I cooked them as cupcakes- so moist. I’ve now tried this black bean recipe and many others over the years. Finally found what i love. Thank you.

  215. Brian says

    I gotta say: these are great. I have made them twice, and they are delicious. I was searching the web to see what other people were putting in their black bean brownies, and your recipe is the best by far. Simple, quick, delicious, easy ingredients. Can’t beat it.

  216. Lisa says

    I tried these and used old-fashioned rolled oats with good results! They were really good! A very fudgy tasting brownie. Texture was almost a little too soft, but I only baked for 15 mins, maybe I should have left in another minute or two. Definitely could not tell they were healthy in any way. Thank you!!

  217. Jami says

    I subbed the coconut oil for natural peanut butter – sooooooo good and fudgy! I almost can’t tell they’re not regular brownies!!

  218. Rebecca R says

    I just made these black bean brownies following the recipe with the substitution of the same amount of ground almond for the oats and half the vanilla. I baked them for 35 minutes and they turned out fantastic! I can see I will be baking these repeatedly. Thanks for a great recipe.

  219. Katherine says

    I just made these and I substituted 1/2 cup dates and a few teaspoons of maple syrup as the sweetener. I also used 5 tbsp of Dutch cocoa powder and omitted the chocolate chips and added a 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. They came out delicious! Even my little brother (who usually makes fun of my healthy banking) thought these were great. He barely believed me when I told him there were beans in them! Sometime I will make these with peanut butter instead of coconut oil to try out Reese’s brownies. Thanks for the great recipes Katie!

  220. Sarah says

    Hi Katie,
    I’ve been on the look out for a healthy brownie and heard about using black beans so gave yours ago this evening (by the way thanks for including the metric!)…
    I had a bit of an issue… the surface was starting to burn after 20min so I took them out, but they hadn’t risen at all so were really flat and after cooling the middle was still on the runny side of gooey… what did I do wrong?
    I changed the maple syrup for 2 table spoons honey, 2 golden syrup and one water, and only used 100g choc chips as its all I had. I used a slightly larger pan – rectangle rather than square. Oven temp was 180 c.
    Even with them nearly running off the plate they still taste great and would love to get them right.
    Thanks,
    Sarah

  221. Jen A says

    Ok, so I am a brownie snob… m.a.j.o.r snob! When my husband and I decided to go non-processed and mostly vegan I said the one thing I would not give up is my brownies. I had tried a few others of your recipes and loved them so I decided to give these a shot. Can I just say they are amazing!?!?! I crave them… I am making up a batch right now. I shared these with my parents who didn’t believe me when I told them what was in them. I had to make a batch directly in front of them 🙂 My husband took some to work and people who know his new diet had to be convinced to try them and were then asking for seconds after they did! These are for real!!!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’m pretty sure your blog is now my favorite for amazing recipes!

  222. tekchik says

    I made these last night. Delicious!!

    I made the following adjustments: Instead of oil I used 1/8 cup applesauce and 1/8 cup almond butter. Might try the full 1/4 cup almond butter next time as it didn’t really seem to affect the consistency of the recipe too much. Also used 1/4 cup of oats and 1/4 cup of ground flax. Again, might do the whole 1/2 cup ground flax next time. And I used 71% dark chocolate chips (with a few 55% thrown in for fun) I don’t have a food processor, just a magic bullet. I ground up the dry ingredients in one cup, then blended the wet ingredients until smooth in another and mixed them together in a bowl afterwards. Turned out great! These were darn good. Thanks for the recipe!

  223. Zack says

    The batter of these is amazing, Unfortunately, I was unable to try the finished product since my pyrex dish blew up halfway through baking. =[ I will definitely give them another try!

  224. Lauren says

    hi! another recipe I’ve tried and really like 🙂 just thought I would share my substitutions and changes (I always read through to collect ideas) :

    *250 g of cooked/drained adzuki beans
    (used in a lot of asian desserts – nutty and sweet)
    *20 g of navita naturals raw cacao powder
    (no chocolate chips)
    *1 trader joes 100 calorie 70% dark chocolate bar
    *1/2c of unsweetened apple sauce and liquid stevia in place of all sweetener
    *1/4 cup of soymilk (on the drier side – so may need more – I liked mine a little firmer)
    *2 T peanut butter
    *1/2c or 40 g of oat flour (could probably cut back on that if wanted less firm/dry)
    I piped these out into a mini muffin pan with liners- broke up the chocolate bar and stuck pieces of broken chocolate in the middle – baked at 350 for 10-15 minutes – these give a lot of room for experimentation
    thanks again!!

  225. Lauren says

    oh! meant to give nutritional data – makes roughly 22-24 (depending on how many spoonfuls of batter you eat as you go along 😉

    For each adzuki brownie bite:
    39 calories
    5g carb
    1g protein
    1g fat
    1g sugar
    0g sat.fat

    • Jennifer says

      Oh wow! this is amazing!

      I will be sure to try out your take on this recipe tomorrow (I have the original creator’s version in my oven as I’m writing)! I’m always looking for ways to sneak in healthy substitutions into my sugar- & chocolate-crazed household!

      Have you also experimented with adding additional protein in the form of powder (i.e., whey, vegan, other)?

  226. Gloria says

    I just made them tonight and the flavor was great but the batter was kind of stiff and didn’t smooth out in the pan. It also didn’t rise a single bit and then turned out really gooey even though I cooked them 17 minutes. What did I do wrong?

  227. Maya says

    These were really good! If people don’t like the texture of oats (my husband immediately thought it tasted healthy when he tasted the oats) you can process the oats into a flour first. That’s what I did. My only other change would be to DOUBLE the recipe for an 8×8 pan. The current recipe makes pretty thin brownies.

  228. michelle says

    I actually used a little less sugar (used brown) and tossed in a spoonful of applesauce…HOLY CRAP!! I’ve LOVED every single recipe of yours I’ve tried thus far…and I fell in love with the cookie cake…but pretty sure these even top that out right now…mmm so good! Thank you katie for giving us delicious, vegan, and relatively healthier dessert options!! <3

  229. Alisamarie says

    Is this better with canned or homemade black beans? I’ve been soaking and cooking my own beans lately so I was curious.
    Also I only have a small food processor would a vitamin blender be okay?

  230. Robin says

    I made these brownies today and love them. Because I like really dark chocolate I used 90% dark chocolate instead of chocolate chips and I substituted natural peanut butter for the oil and date puree for the agave.

  231. LeighAnn says

    I just made these in my dorm apartment as a healthy treat, and they were AMAZING. EVERYONE loved them (the health freaks and non-health freaks alike.) I was nervous at first because the raw batter wasn’t my favorite taste, but once they cooked (with the necessary chocolate chips) they were amazing!

  232. Gary says

    Made the BBB today; waiting to taste. They didn’t seem to set up as much as I had anticipated. Am presently going wheat free. What result would adding a gluton free flour substiture such as garbanzo bean flour? Even though I haven’t yet tried one I know they taste good because I had the occassion to have my fingers in the batter.

    Gary

  233. Melissa says

    I made these brownies exactly as directed…but did use a blender as I don’t own a food processor. I have never been a big brownie fan but I have to say that I am now…these are the most amazing brownies I have ever tried! I LOVE them!! This is also the first time I have ever tried black bean brownies.They are even better knowing they are glutan free and lower calorie! 🙂 Very moist. Completely delicious.

  234. Sarah says

    My daughter has recently been diagnosed with a very long list of food allergies. Finding your website has allowed me to bring back some YUMMY food into my family’s ife! I have been trying to prepare all kinds of new dishes, barely any of which seem to have been enjoyable…. That was until I made the Black Bean Brownies! My husband, my kids and all of the neighborhood kids were in brownie heaven!!! The joy that this dessert brought to them actually made me cry! In other words… Thank you for your fantastic recipes! You have no idea how grateful I am!

  235. VenyMae says

    As someone who has tried many black bean brownies and never been impressed…these were AWESOME! These were super moist fudgy deliciousness that no other black bean brownie has ever even come close to reaching. Thanks. I also loved them because they didn’t have egg so my little man could lick the batter ^_^

  236. Lauren Kilisky says

    I made these tonight and they turned out AMAZING!! I put a holiday spin on them and added peppermint extract and Andes Mint chips instead of chocolate chips. My boyfriend loved them. Thanks for the recipe Katie!

  237. Marianne says

    I recently decided to give up wheat and was looking for recipes for my favorite foods that don’t have wheat in them (I don’t have celiac disease, but want to see what happens without wheat in my diet for a few months). I tried this recipe last night. The only modification I made was to use 3 squares of unsweetened chocolate squares as I didn’t have chocolate chips (2 might have been enough). I melted them in the microwave with the coconut oil. I add a little more maple syrup (total 1/2 cup) to compensate. Also I added some chopped pecans to the top before baking. These were the BEST brownies I ever had. The beauty of it for me was that I was totally satisfied with one brownie. I think the higher quality cocoa made them taste very decadent and satisfying! Love, Love, Love this recipe. It will be my go-to brownie recipe. Not only healthier…but also so much better to taste! THANK YOU!

  238. Amy says

    I’ve made many of your recipes before that include beans and they have always turned out amazing .. except for this one. ): I followed the recipe exactly with just adding an extra half tablespoon of cocoa powder but for some reason my brownies taste like coffee? They have a distinct expresso / coffee flavor to them which is disappointing because I really don’t like coffee. I have no idea why this would happen. Does anyone know why?

  239. Sarah says

    I have made at these at least 10 times, a double batch yesterday for my daughters 6th bday party and all of which were demolished! Maybe it’s the coconut oil? It gives a coconut flavor… What kind of chocolate chips are you using? I use the enjoy life brand. I’m a daily coffee drinker so maybe I just don’t notice the taste 🙂 I hope you find the culprit because these are just too yummy to miss out on!

  240. D. Jeffrey says

    Anyone tried using carob powder instead of cocoa? I’m thinking you could then cut down the sugar since carob is so sweet.

  241. Sachi says

    I found this recipe 3 days ago and just had to make it right away!

    My sister doesn’t like to eat vegetables, but she loved this dessert and didn’t even know it had black beans until she’s finished half the pan (I used an 8×8, so you can imagine just how much she’s eaten in just an hour, she loved it THAT much). 😀

    My Mom loved it too, and since she doesn’t like to eat a lot of meat, this is another way to make sure she still gets lots of protein with the oats and black beans.

    Thank you for the recipe and I’m off to look at the rest of your blog! 🙂

  242. k says

    I use nunaturals stevia but only have it in a shaker/pour spout container. What is the equivalent of two packets? Thanks for the recipe! I’m looking forward to making it, especially for family members fighting cancer who are staying away from sugar and white flour!! : )

  243. Kathleen says

    Hi Katie! I haven’t tried any of your recipes yet, but they look amazing. I just added up most of your recipes on myfitnesspal and your nutritional info seems to be way off…I don’t know, I just want to make sure I have the accurate info, and I was checking with you to see if these were accurate, along with all your other nutritional
    Thanks a bunch
    Love and dark chocolate,
    Kathleen

  244. Julie says

    Yeah, you may be a skeptic at first because it’s made of black beans, but these are to die for! I could need keep my boyfriend out of the brownie pan. I was actually starting to get mad because he wasn’t saving any for me. They were THAT good.

  245. Tim says

    It looks like I’m only the second guy who’s written on your blog. Your black bean brownies are awesome!!!! Not really like brownies so much as like fudge….delicious. I served them with lemon sorbet and they were a major hit. I don’t know where the idea for black beans as a basis for dessert came from, but its’ brilliant. Thank you for a vegan, gluten-free dessert that I can serve to all my dairy-eating, wheat-eating friends and know they’ll love them! I’ll try all your desserts after this!

  246. Myrna Gonzalez Childress says

    Made these tonight as my last baking hurrah for the holidays. They are incredible. My husband and I loved them. I did add 1 tsp of instant coffee and used olive oil instead of vegetable oil. This is the best tasting healthy dessert I’ve made this year. Thank you for sharing this. I am going to share it as well.

  247. Becky says

    I have a pan of these in the oven. The flavor before baking was right on! I made an addition, after I drained and rinsed the bean, I filled the can back up with coffee. I also did not have black beans in the house so I used navy beans. I do not have a food processor so I used a magic bullet and a standing mixer. The batter was super runny, so I am doubling the cooking time. As long as my 4 year old likes them I will repeat almost daily. After trying everything to get him to try new foods and eat meat, I have accepted that he is vegetarian and happy, my job now is to learn how to put good things into foods I know he loves. Thank you CCK of teaching me how!

  248. Jessica says

    Holy brownie heaven!!! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! I just made them with my almost 3 year old daughter and my whole family was freaking out about how good they are and how you can’t detect the beans at ALL! This is the best ‘substitute’ recipe I have ever tried. Thank you again!!!

  249. Pamela says

    Wow! I have been making these brownie almost every week for months! They are delicious! I do not have a food processor, so I ran the black beans through my Omega 8006 juicer and used the blender to make “oatmeal flour”. Being the planner that I am, I cook 6 cups of black beans at a time, puree and freeze them in 1-1/2 Cup portions. I also portion out the dry ingredients and batch-baggie them. Then when I get a “hankering” I thaw a portion of black beans, pull out a baggie of the dry ingredients, add the coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla and chips….and voila! browies in no time! 🙂

    I have made few adjustments to this awesome recipe to suit my taste: I add 2 servings of freeze-dried coffee (Nescafe/Taster’s Choice) to the batter. After pouring batter in the pan, I sprinkle course sea salt and coarsely chopped walnuts on the top. (I tried adding the walnuts to the batter but they got soggy and soft—-this way they stay crunchy) Hope you enjoy these as much as I do! Thank you Katie for the amazing and healthy recipe—–you, my friend, are truly gifted! 🙂

  250. Mel says

    Have you ever tried dates instead of maple sugar/honey? or applesauce instead of oil?
    thanks for the recipe, I’m dying to try them!
    Mel

  251. Kristian says

    Hello,
    Do the left over brownies need refrigeration to keep? How long will they keep. I am not familiar with bean based baking Thank you

  252. Kate says

    I am a firm believer that black beans go with Mexican food, not desserts. However, in the spirit of breaking in my new food processor I thought I’d start with something small and new. I used agave nectar and regular oats (not instant.) The batter tasted a little funny, not bad, just slightly different than brownies from a box. When I cooked them they smelled slightly different too, so my hopes were not high. I pulled these “brownies” out of the oven 20 min ago and just took my first bite. I cannot believe how good they are. They shouldn’t be called a substitute for brownies because they are delicious in their own right. They just taste like they were made with an earthier flour. My only concern is that brownies will start making a more frequent appearance in my home now. Thank you, Katie!

  253. Abby says

    Tonight I had my first experience with black bean brownies and… WOW. I am SO happy that I decided to make your recipe instead of another one I was considering. These were amazing, and fudgy, and delicious! The only change I made was using unsweetened applesauce instead of oil, and it worked great. Oh, and I used dark M&M’s in place of chocolate chips, but same thing, right? 🙂

  254. Trina hoffer says

    Just made these for the first time…amaaaazing! I subbed 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder for the oat, used 1/2 maple syrup and 1/2 honey(cuz I didn’t have enough maple) and added 1.5 tsp instant coffee. These really are wonderful-gooey, fudgey, and they really hit the spot for my chocolate craving.
    Thank you Katie, I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!

  255. Rachel says

    Pretty good. Though if you eat it or cut it before it’s completely cooled the consistency will be rather mushy. I’d like to try pre-chopping the choc chips and then mixing it to the pureed mixture to minimize the feeling that I’m eating glorified chocolate chips. Oh, and these are pretty sweet (as brownies often are), so it’s probably ok to scale back on the maple syrup.

  256. Katie says

    These are delicious! I’ve made them numerous times and everyone always loves them. This recipe is the best I’ve found that has the best consistency. They are just moist enough but not to much, and they don’t crumble. I’m making them again tonight because of my major chocolate craving!

  257. Chellee says

    I just made these without oil even, substituting the oil for 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce, following the rest of the recipe as listed. These are amazingly good! My husband really likes them as well! Thanks for the recipe!

  258. Colleen says

    I subbed quinoa flakes for the oats and turned out really well. Took them into work today for someone’s birthday and quite popular. I will have to sub in chocolate nibs for the chocolate chips next time as chocolate chips are just too sugary sweet for me now. Thanks for the great recipe! Gave everyone at work your link.

  259. Sarah (appifanie) says

    I just messed with these like crazy (I did it right the first time) and I didn’t realize I was out of chocolate chips til after I’d blended everything together (oh and I used dates instead of sugar) and so I blended in some dried cherries. Still good!

  260. Theresa Patterson says

    I have made these brownies and they are wonderful. i just made a batch last night with melted chocolate in stead of coca powder, instant coffee and chocolate chips on top. OMG! the best. Your will have to cook these a little longer.

  261. Charlotte says

    Just made these and ate one, verrrry good and fudgy just the way I like them. I added a few extra chocolate chips of course;)

  262. Kamille says

    Oh my goodness! These were absolutely decadent and so fudgy. I definitely would NEVER have guessed the black beans. I also made a batch of your banana peanut butter as a topping- yummy!

    I made your bean blondies last week and loved them as well, but there was something about this recipe that was really rich. I want to experiment more with getting the blondies to be more fudgy. I think maybe the key was that I left these a little under-cooked whereas I slightly burnt the blondies!

    Wonderful stuff, so glad I found your site!

  263. Jenny says

    When I saw this recipe I wanted to try it out immediately but since I always made Ghirardelli’s triple chocolate brownies I highly doubted these would come out right/taste good. But after reading through all of the positive reviews below I decided to make these and omg they came out so amazing! They were soft and fudgy (I would’ve never thought fudgy could be used to describe brownies made from black beans but yes they were) and so chocolatey. I used rolled oats but just put them in the food processor first so they were already fine before I added the beans. I used creamy peanut butter instead of the oil and since i didn’t have enough honey for the full 1/3 cup, I only used a little under 1/4 cup of honey and added in an extra tablespoon of sugar (a total of 3 tablespoons of sugar for my brownies). I used 2/3 cup of chocolate chips and folded most of it into the batter but reserved some of it to sprinkle on top before putting it into the oven. I still can’t believe how delicious these came out, thank you Katie for the amazing recipe! Next time I’ll be trying to use organic peanut butter instead of the fatty Skippy brand haha

  264. Sarah says

    Hey Katie!!
    I may have said this before-but it is totally worth repeating-these are the best brownies I have ever had! I have tweaked your recipe a tad to make them more “mainstream friendly” if you know what I mean!
    So first, I double the recipe so they come out really thick! I use a tin foil “sleeve” to easily remove and slice the brownies as well.
    Second, I use a whole bag of dark chocolate chips (yesterday I used about 1/2 cup melted dark chocolate bar in the batter as well!)
    I also use Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder and I measure out heaping tablespoons of it-not leveled!
    I used 1/4 cup plus 1 tbs coconut oil and a heaping 1/4 cup applesauce for my latest batch and it was divine!!!
    Also, I grind up my rolled oats in a magic bullet prior to mixing all together in the food processor.
    I baked for 15 min yesterday and they came out ooey gooey fudgey and my family gobbled them right up!!! Thanks again Katie!!!!

  265. Cindy says

    I have made these before as written, and they are fantastic! Agave syrup is not readily available where I live, so I made a couple substitutes for my last batch. The only sweetener I used was 1 cup of dates, soaked in half a cup of water. I also added another tablespoon of cocoa, just to counteract the extra liquid. I used peanut butter chips, and added some walnuts, and they were fantastic! The extra liquid required extra cooking time, and I was a little worried, as they were still not really set when I took them out. Once they cooled, though, they were perfect! Thank you Katie!

  266. Mary says

    I see a lot of comments about the sweetener to use. I’d read these articles before deciding on agave:
    http://www.foodrenegade.com/agave-nectar-good-or-bad/
    http://www.glycemic.com/AgaveReport.htm
    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/03/30/beware-of-the-agave-nectar-health-food.aspx
    and this matrix is informative:
    http://janeshealthykitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/300-Sweeteners-8-24-12.pdf
    That being said, I saw some people using dates (which I love in this recipe, which uses up almond milk pulp nicely: http://vegan-magic.blogspot.com/2012/05/chocolate-balls.html ). For maple syrup users, are you using dark, medium, or light? Has anyone found type of maple syrup changes the consistency or sweetness of the recipe?
    Thanks, I’ll let you know how mine come out with substitutions (which I haven’t decided)

  267. Jo Ann says

    Best brownies I’ve had in years! I’m so impressed with your recipes. So delish & healthy! God gave you a wonderful talent and I’m very thankful for your website!

  268. Jb says

    BEST brownies ever! My bean-hating family didn’t even realize there were beans in it 🙂 Thanks so much for posting this great recipe!

  269. Sunni says

    These are some of the best brownies I have ever had! I used 1/2 c honey and 3 T cocoa powder. You could still see small chunks of oats in the batter, but I loved the taste and consistency with them like that – it reminded me of a no bake cookie. I also baked them in a tart pan, so they were really thin. I will definitely be making these again, probably with fewer chocolate chips so they brownie flavor can shine through 🙂

    • Sunni says

      So I tried one of these brownies 2 days after I made them, and they were nowhere near as good! The texture was not as fudgy or brownie-y, and the high point was the chocolate chips. Maybe the solution is to eat them in a shorter amount of time!

  270. Julie says

    Okay I made these and I was skeptical because they didn’t spring back up after the 15 minutes so I thought, “Oh! They’re definitely not done!” So I put them back in for like 7 more minutes. The timer went off and I checked them again. No change. So I took them out and kind of decided that it was an entry worthy of pintrosity. But I cut them after a while and thought, “What the heck?” I tasted them and they were probably the most delicious things I have ever tasted in my whole life.
    This recipe is AMAZING! It’s exactly what I’ve been looking for! Especially since my brother’s girlfriend is allergic to eggs and my sister is allergic to gluten AND we’re all trying to lose weight for a wedding. I will DEFINITELY be making these again in the future. Thank you SO MUCH for the recipe!
    You’re a GENIUS!

  271. Jeanine says

    I have made other Black Bean Brownies before and was very UN-impressed! These were amazing. My 3 girls actually ate them NOT knowing that they have beans in them. I added some chocolate chips on top and when they melted, I spread them over the top for an extra chocolatey layer. I will totally make these again. Thanks for sharing!!!

  272. Caroline says

    So so good! Thank you Katie, for this delicious recipe, and for including the WW points value. They’re not exactly like regular brownies, but still really good and much better nutrition facts.

  273. Mati says

    Thank you so much! You rescued me! My son wanted to make brownies and thought of this recipe I wanted to try. So we made it up, it was so easy and quick. We all loved them the kids want to take some to a party. These will make it to the next church potluck!

  274. Wesley says

    I substituted the oats with coconut flour and I used olive oil instead of vegetable oil and I made them into cookies! I also did not use a food processor, I mashed the beans and mixed everything by hand. They were delicious!

  275. Debbe says

    I have tried the black bean brownies. The ones I tried were very good, but not “brownie-like” enuff to me. My daughter said they reminded her of energy bars and she liked them a lot. Some reason, I haven’t made them again. I will try this recipe, and hope it’s more “brownie-like”. As always, Love, Love, Love your site!! 😀

    PS Now I want to try your blondies, too!

  276. Lori Ann says

    Hi Katie,
    I was just on here yesterday and I am sure I saw another bean recipe that called for white beans and you suggested in brackets that Great Northern could be an option. I can’t remember the name of the recipe. I will be making these brownies but I had also wanted to make the other recipe. Am I imagining things?:). There are just so many of your recipes of your I want to try. (Having just recently found you)

  277. Angela Wagner says

    Wow! I just made these with maple syrup as sweetener and applesauce and peanut butter instead of oil, and they turned out phenomenally! I made my own chocolate chunks by pulverising some raisins and mixing with melted 100% chocolate (i.e. baker’s unsweetened), pouring on wax paper and letting cool then slicing into semi-uniform chunks. Tasted sinfully rich and delicious–without all that guilt and fire and brimstone 😉

  278. Karla says

    I made these for the first time a few months ago and we really liked them. I use dark cocoa, rapadura sugar and dark chocolate chips. The first time I also added dried cranberries, which were a nice addition. I just made the recipe again yesterday, adding some mint extract and leftover holiday chocolate chips (dark chocolate + mint chocolate). They’re SO good! I made extra beans and froze another 1 1/2c portion so I don’t have to cook dried beans every time I make these.

  279. Shawna says

    Just tried making them but with red kidney beans instead (what I had) and just organic sugar instead of maple syrup… Fingers crossed they taste great… The batter seemed rich and chocolatey.

  280. Jennie says

    I started following this website a couple of months ago beginning with the deep dish cookie pie (sugar free). Made the brownies (sugar free again, used agave) this morning and they are another hit! I love this website. Thank you for making TASTY healthy desserts and teaching the public how to feed their sweet tooth without hurting their health. I’m trying to lose weight and cut waaaay back on my old level of sugar intake and this website is a life saver! <3

  281. Angie says

    I just made these tonight – amazing! I only have a vita-mix and made these tonight – turned out amazing!
    Loving the recipes – loving the single serving ones especially – there are days when one needs a sweet / goodie fix and doesn’t need a big pan of something hanging around. Thanks for sharing your recipes! Healthy and goodies are two words that can be used together!

  282. sarah says

    Tried these at my sister n laws and loved them only thing is they were super gooey maybe she didnt cook them long enough

  283. Heidi says

    Tried this recipe today and it turned out fantastic! If anyone without a food processor is hesitant to try this recipe with a blender, don’t be! My cheesy little blender worked fine for it. I’m new to this site but will be lurking often, looking for new recipes to try. Thanks, Katie!

  284. Crystal says

    I made this. Really Really good! I used milk chocolate Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips and one extra tablespoon of cocoa. It was very light and fluffy and I could not taste the beans at all.

  285. saloni says

    Can I use cocoa nibs instead? They aren’t sweetened like chocolate chips though, think I need to add more sugar or maple syrup?

  286. amanda says

    I made these but subbed applesauce for the agave and peanut butter for the oil. DON’T do that! One or the other maybe, but if you do both, the brownies will be way too gooey in the middle. They taste fine but are way too gooey.

  287. Melanie says

    Hi everyone
    I am newish to the blog but have been following it with fascination and delight over the past few weeks! I ahev recently been diagnosed with a gluten allergy and my one and only vice in the whole world is chocoate brownies. i cried when i got the results, and then found this blog – i had to try this recipe. i don’t have a food processor, so used a regular electric hand blender. It turned out amazingly delicious, but the consistency is more like a pudding – you have to eat it with a spoon and it cannot be lifted out of the pan like a brownie. Have I done something wrong, or is this related to the fact that I could not incorporate the ingredients as well as with a food processor?

    I really look forward to your advice. Thanks so much Katie for this unbelievable blog, I am forever grateful to you that I can continue indulging in my single vice, which as it turns out is not a vice any more with this recipe!!!

    Xxx

  288. Jx says

    Another two thumbs up for this fabulous recipe. Processing the beans and wet ingredients until absolutely smooth is critical for success, as noted. I used a coffee grinder to make the oats into flour, then mixed all dry ingredients well before stirring in all the wet. Goya’s canned black beans; Guittard Extra-Dark 63% chocolate chips (vegan); the stevia and agave syrup; and vegetable oil were used. 5 devout omnivore chocolate lovers in my neighborhood have given this their stamp of approval, and that’s without adding the show-off chips on top.

  289. Melanie says

    Hi Katie,it seems my previous attempt at posting did not succeed! Thanks for a wonderful site, and a big relief for me as I have had to go gluten free recently due to allergies. And my one and ONLY vice is a chocolate brownie.

    I had a question on these please – I tried them exactly as per your recipe, no substitutions etc, but mine came out more like a fudge after I froze the pan to firm up the results. They did not come out “cakey” as pictured. I don’t have a food processor so blended with a regular hand blender. The mixture was smooth but not 100% incorporated as a food processor would achieve. D you think that would be the reason for this? But the mixture was pretty smooth.

    Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks again for a fantastic site.
    Melanie

      • Anonymous says

        Thanks, figured as much. I am now making a double batch because they are flipping amazing as fudge. Until I get my food processor, which is on my birthday list, we will consume this delicious recipe in any form it comes out of the pan. Thanks so much for an awesome site, I am a huge fan 🙂

      • Melanie says

        It’s me again!
        So I tried again (you don,t need an excuse to eat up the disaster on this recipe, even the disaster is delicious!)

        I figured out that somehow I added ilk into this recipe when none was called for – I think I had 2 open at the same time and mixed them up. And I used my blender, which is quite powerful, this time. The results? Perfection! Thanks Katie, I love love love this blog.

  290. Christina says

    Just tried these for the first time today! Must say I was a little skeptical but they were amazing! I used applesauce instead of oil because for some reason we were out, (not a bad thing) but they still tasted great. My hubby & I are really trying to change & eat healthier & blast away fat forever. My kids loved them too, I had to put some away for the kids for tomorrow before they all got eaten. My hubby said he wants that for his “b-day cake” for his birthday next week. 🙂 thanks for the great recipe, I look forward to trying many others you have on here.

  291. CC says

    Recipe Review: How mine went, hope this is helpful.

    I’m posting this as I don’t see a lot of details on outcomes, which is what I look 4 when I read the reply posts. 2 Calibrate your taste 2 mine 4 your usefulness—considering my tastes: I am a big giant sweet tooth & generally I like heavy fudgey brownies (and don’t ban me from the blog…) but my favourite flavor is Vanilla! I do crave & like chocolate too though… Ok so tastes calibrated, here’s my findings:

    My brownies came out really very good! I’m so impressed that it’s flourless & packed with protein rich beans! They’ re very light, cakey & on the crumbly side. I did not have instant oats, so I used Old Fashion & they were fine. I could identify the texture of beans, but only because I was thinking about it & looking 4 it. If u don’t think about it, u would not have a clue. I can’t wait 2 make, take & surprise many with these! Great way 2 help open eyes & get people 2 think outside the box in healthy eating!

    I used CCKs recipe 4 homemade chocolate chips 4 my chips (sorry can’t remember what they’re actually called Hot Chocolate something?) and really liked them too. The chips do taste just like store bought, albeit healthier & I imagine cheaper? It was a challenge cutting them up into chips as they’re coconut oil based (melting in my hand) so I will make on a plate, freeze the plate and cut it from there next time (I wrapped in wax paper which melded 2 the chocolate, into the creases).

    Just a few notes I hope some will find helpful-
    On coconut oil: If u get Virgin Coconut Oil (aka Extra Virgin, marketing ploy, same thing) this is unrefined and DOES lend a coconut taste 2 your food. If u do not wish 2 impart that flavor go with the refined stuff which is just labeled as Coconut Oil & what I use 4 SO MUCH (greasing pans, in place of butter on toast & in recipes in amounts 1/4C & less, 4 my deodorant, facial blackheads–yes it works it’s antibacterial/microbial, ok sorry i know this IS a food blog).

    On Beans: Did u know it is SO easy & more healthy (and cheaper) 2 MAKE your own beans from dry in the Crockpot!? That’s all I do now. My bird & I eat our share of beans, let’s just say. TO DO IT: 1st Soak beans 6-8hours, rinse, cover over about 1″ of water in the crock, Cook on HIGH 6-9hours. Drain, cool & store beans for immediate use in fridge up to about 4 days. Future unused beans go in the freezer, ready 2 defrost as needed. No BPA or other harmful chemicals, no salt (add only as needed when cooking/baking). Keep in mind 1C dry beans yields ~ 1 1/2C cooked. With this in mind u may only wish 2 make half a bag a beans at a time…or not.

    In summary, I HIGHLY recommend everyone try these brownies, great tasting & good 4 u alternative. I would suggest also trying 2 top it with an icing (there goes my sweet tooth talking). I can’t tell u which yet as I need 2 try out some frostings 1st! Personally, these will b a go-2 staple 4 me 2 bring 2 parties. Thanks 4 all your hard work, effort & sharing, Katie!

  292. Anonymous says

    These are DELICIOUS! I even accidentally forgot to put the chocolate chips in the recipe, but did put them on top, my SUPER PICKY 4 year old LOVED THEM! Thanks! Keep up the good work!

  293. Julie says

    Katie,
    I just discovered your blog and I am SUCH a huge fan! I was looking for a brownie recipe since our two year old got a can of black beans for her birthday (yes, from a friend with a sense of humor who wanted to introduce her to super foods – she loved them) and I stumbled across your recipe! They are so delicious!!!! Big hit with the family too and they had no clue that they were healthy and made from beans until I told them. I’m so excited to try more of your recipes. You are such an amazing chef and this is such a wonderful thing you are doing sharing your gift with the world! I look forward to buying a cookbook! 🙂 Keep up the great work!!!

  294. S says

    This was about as sweet as a bran muffin. This does not taste like a brownie or a chocolate dessert. More like an energy granola whole food snack that you force your children to eat. My sister wouldn’t force her children to eat it. No one will touch this plate of so call brownies. This recipe needs some major changes.

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      It’s impossible to know what you might’ve done wrong since I wasn’t there to see. Can you tell me more about the specific ingredients/process you used? And any changes made to the recipe? If you give me more information, hopefully we can figure out where yours went wrong!

      The recipe, itself, doesn’t need any major changes. Just read all the hudreds of comments above yours :).

  295. Earnest Efforts says

    Oh MY Goodness!!! Back in the 90’s in Eugene, Oregon, Sundance Natural Foods carried the most amazing black bean brownies. These are better than those! I substituted the oils with Olive Oil! Thank you, thank you!!!

  296. Kelly says

    Okay, I don’t get how the nutritional info adds up. I made this recipe and my calorie tracker put the calories at 184 for a full-sized brownie (I made mini-brownies to have as a lunch dessert during the week, but I was expecting them to be 60-70 calories, not 92 for a 1″ square). Where are you finding lower calorie basic ingredients?

    I love the idea of your recipes, and this one did taste pretty good, but the calorie counts are always higher when I make and calculate them then when I read the nutritional info on the site. What brands are you using for your baking supplies so I can get the same results?

  297. Shannon says

    These are delish!!! I went to the store just to get black beans and chocolate chips. My mom loved them, and she hates black beans. Thanks Katie. I’m going to try the chocolate chip Blondies next time..

  298. ru says

    They taste great. My only question is that they stay really really soft after cooling, did not get the brownie texture. Even a day later, I scoop them with a spoon as the squares don’t hold their shape to be picked up for a bite.

  299. Talia says

    Holy cow. Not that these need another comment, but these are AMAZING! totally addicting. The yummiest fudgiest brownie! I used a magic bullet to puree the wet ingredients and sifted the dry and mixed by hand. The magic bullet gave it almost the texture of brownie made with crushed walnuts, something my nut allergic self misses.

  300. Riko says

    I made it today. It’s soooooo good! Almost better than real one. My boys hate beans, but they are munching it right now and asking more. Love, Love, Love. Thank you for sharing the recipe.

  301. Dee Tracy says

    Katie, you rocked it again! I’ve tried oodles of black bean brownie recipes and none of them were good. That is until I made yours! My husband is diabetic and I’ve been searching for a delicious, healthy brownie that he can enjoy without guilt. We both loved this version and I will look no further!

  302. Kat says

    Okay white women, stop leaving comments about WANTING to try this…. make them first, and THEN comment! It’s so annoying to scroll down looking for actual reviews of the recipe and seeing 300 comments saying “OMG THIS SOUNDS GOOD! I need to try this!!!!” Ugh, no one cares.

    That said, my roommate made these last night. And they are ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. I’m not exaggerating when I say they are probably the best brownies I’ve ever had. With normal brownies, I get sick after a couple bites because they’re so sweet and then I don’t feel like finishing, but these had the perfect amount of sweetness and chocolate. The chocolate chips were gooey and perfect and the overall flavor was just so good. I LOVE these and will make them again and again. Thank you.

  303. Maria E. says

    I found this recipe in my search for healthy brownies and WOW!! This recipe will now be my brownie go-to recipe. I made these tonight and my husband and daughter LOVED them. My daughter said they were the best brownies in the world. She has no idea that they have black beans in them. My husband is so impressed with how delicious they are. Thank you!!

  304. nazrin says

    hi katie,

    thanks for the recipe. i tried to attempt it yesterday, but it turned out not to be a brownie.
    for the mixture in the food processor, does it have to be very smooth like a milk shake?
    I’m sorry because this is my first attempt in baking,(being a male with only limited knowledge in cooking only)

    is it still possible to rectify the damage from the failed brownies? or should i just throw it away and make a new one?

    thank you

  305. Tracy Dorcil says

    Katie, these brownies are spreading like wild fire around here in MA! My friend and I earned a grant to teach 4th graders about health and wellness. This was the first recipe they tried and all 22 of the students (and all the teachers) LOVED them! Now that the club has been established, we have been asked to have a permanent display In Stop&Shop and the first recipe we are featuring is this one (with proper credit given of course)! The students made quotes such as “Stop eating boxed brownies! Try the rich taste of black bean brownies” and “You can’t even taste the black beans!” Thank you for inspiring us and providing such easy and delicious recipes that even children will love!

  306. Heather Thurston says

    Thank you so much for these recipes! You are amazing! I have been sharing this site with everyone I know. I just tried your eatmore bars tonight and they were wonderful. I’m thinking I could feed a batch of the chocolate banana frosting from these bars to my kids as a healthier pudding! I am trying to stick to a gluten free, and mostly sugar free diet, so I am so happy to have found these recipes.

  307. Jeana says

    As a GF/DF family, we appreciate any food that is easy to make and tastes great! This recipe fits our needs easily! I love the added protein that the beans provide. I am hoping there are some left over so I can see how they taste the next day!

  308. Lori says

    Hi Katie, I am wondering what is the purpose of the quick oats in the black bean brownie recipe? I just made a similar recipe, but I used all stevia for sweetening and it turns out to leave a bad after taste. I like the looks of your recipe, but do wonder about those oats… Thank you in advance! – Lori

  309. Theresa Patterson says

    I love these brownies I make them at least once a week for our family or freinds. They are wonderful and no one can tell what they are made of and I don’t tell them.
    Thank you

  310. Lea says

    I just tried making these and they are awesome! Instead of chocolate chips I used a tablespoon of raw organic cacao nibs, a little extra cocoa powder, and a 1/4 cup of carob chips. I used 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/4 cup agave with no stevia. I also threw in a half of a banana. The result was awesome. I little bit more cakey and less rich and gooey.

    • Karen says

      They came out cakey because of your banana addition. I’ve done that before too. Yummy, but completely changes the texture.

  311. Jirei says

    These are absolutely amazing! I’ve made them at least 4 or 5 times right now, and they’re perfect every time! I used dry black beans that were cooked in the pressure cooker. I also made a batch using azuki bean paste, prepared in the same fashion.

  312. Mandy Smith says

    Hello,
    Thanks for this awesome recipe. I am a mother to 7 and we are just begining to eat healthier. Having these brownies has sold my kids on the no sugar lifestyle! Haha
    blessings to you!

  313. Hannah says

    THESE WERE SOOOO GOOD. I used honey rather than syrup and sugar rather than stevia. I had to cook a little longer than recommended, but honestly I loved these brownies. Thank you for the recipe!

  314. Bola says

    Omg, i just tried this and all i can say is OMG!! I havent tried it yet as i am letting it cool but even from the taste of it before placing in oven i know it is going to be delicious!!!! Thank you!

  315. Nicole says

    Katie, these were absolutely amazing. I know you get a ton of comments on all sorts of recipes.. and I realize this is from September, but I just had to tell you how good they were! They were so satisfying that I didn’t really need more than one unlike traditional brownies. I’m not tempted to eat the whole pan, and the beans don’t make me feel so guilty! You are an angel.

  316. Beka says

    These are flipping amazing… I made them with coconut oil & light agave syrup. My husband has a major sweet tooth & some health issues, so I am always looking for a ‘healthy’ dessert. Thanks so much, Katie! 🙂

  317. Carmen says

    I tried it with 1/4 cup peanut butter instead of oil… and it is DELISH!!!
    I even took out the sugar and chocolate chips! It has an amazing peanut butter chocolate brownie taste, almost as good as the real thing with ALL healthy ingredients!
    Love!

  318. Maggie says

    I am so excited I have happened upon your site! I am slowly but surely converting to veganism, and recipes like these give me hope I can do it!

    I just tried my first recipe from you and tried this recipe. My brownies didn’t consistently harden all over (it seems like it was mostly just the edges) Is this something that could possibly be remedied with a longer cook time? Or something different? Thanks =)

    To others trying this: when using coconut oil it gives the brownies a distinctive coconut tone, so if you aren’t crazy about that I would maybe use a different oil.

  319. Valerie says

    Sooooo good! My whole family was shocked when I told them the main ingredient was black beans. I will admit that I added a whole cup of chocolate chips 🙂

  320. Jacey says

    I am SO glad I tried these brownies and so are the many friends that I have shared them with. I love “healthy” stuff so I knew I would love this recipe however I didn’t expect to be obsessed with it 🙂 I made it 3 times the first week I found the recipe. I then decided to make them to share with a friend who also eats more on the healthy/vegan side. She really didn’t believe me when I told her they were made with black beans. I decided to take the true test and share them with my self-proclaimed sugar addict friend. She has asked me to make them again. These are the best and I will never make box brownies again because these a