Black bean brownies are a special kind of flourless gluten free brownie, and this amazing recipe doesn’t taste like beans at all. Tasting is believing.
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What makes these black bean brownies special?
High in protein and fiber, these black bean protein brownies are made entirely with basic pantry ingredients that almost everyone has already. And all the equipment you need is a simple blender (otherwise, you'll have whole black beans in your brownies!), a bowl and spoon, and a pan to bake it all in.
I think can agree that baking with beans mostly means tasting beans. But it doesn’t have to be that way! I’m about to show you that sometimes you can bake with beans and not taste them. Instead, you’ll just taste … brownies.
The only equipment you need is any blender (both my high-speed blender and my mini, nonfancy blender that I got for free ages ago work perfectly) or food processor. Just remember that the food processor won’t puree the beans quite as smoothly.
The only ingredients are canned black beans, eggs, oil, cocoa powder, brown sugar, vanilla, a touch of baking soda, salt and some brewed coffee (even decaf). Unlike classic gluten free brownies, there is no rice flour at all in these. They’re tender as could be, plus rich and not-too-sweet.
Flourless black bean brownies ingredients
The full recipe is below, but here are a few words about the key ingredients in these brownies that I think are helpful to keep in mind:
- Black beans – The backbone of this recipe, use good quality canned black beans, and be sure to drain and rinse them until the water runs clear, then let the water drip out entirely.
- Eggs – Without flour, eggs are the main binder here. Make sure yours are at room temperature so they don't make the oil form clumps.
- Oil – A neutral oil is great for baking with cocoa powder, since together they create a chocolate flavor with the proper smooth texture.
- Pure vanilla extract – This helps enhance the chocolate flavors, so don't skip it!
- Brewed coffee – The depth of flavor in brewed coffee is preferable to hydrated instant coffee granules; decaf is fine, since the coffee is only used to bring out the flavor of the chocolate (you don't taste the coffee itself)
- Cocoa powder – For the deepest flavor, use Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but since there's baking soda in the batter, it will neutralize the acid of natural cocoa powder so that's fine, too.
- Baking soda – To neutralize the acid in natural cocoa powder, and in the brown sugar, and provide a bit of lift.
- Salt – Salt always enhances the other flavors in any dish, in cooking or baking. I bake with kosher salt, since it has larger granules that are much harder to overmeasure than fine table salt.
- Brown sugar – Light brown sugar adds depth of flavor and moisture along with sweetness, of course.
- Chocolate chips – These are entirely optional, but they add extra chocolate flavor and some nice texture to an otherwise very moist, melt-in-your-mouth brownie.
How to make black bean brownies
First, rinse and drain a can of black beans. Be sure you rinse them as well as you can without losing any of the beans. They may break, but we’re going to blend them, so it doesn’t matter.
Then, you can use a food processor or a blender to turn those beans into a puree. I usually use a blender, but generally it’s easier to get every last drop of puree out of the food processor.
A blender will mean a smoother puree. But even if your puree isn’t 100% smooth, you still won’t taste beans in the brownies.
An unfortunate history of bean flour
When I first started baking gluten free, way, way back in 2004 (not a typo), my first “all purpose gluten free flour” was Bette Hagman's bean flour blend. I blended it myself. It mostly worked, and I made sure that everything I baked had a nice, strong flavor to compete with the garbanzo bean flour.
But my gosh the smell! And the taste, I'm afraid, too. Just … no.
Seriously it scarred me enough that I'm still building up to even trying aquafaba, even though I find it terribly intriguing. Vegan marshmallow fluff has to happen!
These naturally gluten free black bean brownies are truly flourless. But instead of melted chocolate, the base here is the humble can of black beans, which provides structure and tons of fiber without adding any bean flavor.
The same goes for my newest addition, flourless black bean cookies. Just like these brownies, they taste absolutely nothing like black beans. All you taste is rich, fudgy chocolatey goodness.
Now, I love black beans—in my burritos. And, say, on Taco Tuesday. But in my brownies? I was seriously skeptical. But also intrigued!
Do black bean brownies actually taste … like brownies?
Yes! When I set to work, I knew we weren't going to make black bean brownies that were actually fudgy. The fudgy texture of our classic flourless brownies comes from all the chopped and melted chocolate in that recipe, and there isn't any melted chocolate in this brownie batter.
I assumed I'd do some recipe testing, and ultimately declare the entire concept of making brownies with black beans to be a disaster. I love it when I'm wrong like this.
These brownies aren't fudgy, but they're not cake-like in the traditional sense. The look cakey, but they're actually really smooth in texture. They quite literally melt in your mouth, and become almost pudding-like in consistency.
How about the brownie taste?
You do not taste the beans in these brownies; all you'll detect is that chocolate flavor. The vanilla extract, cocoa powder, and a bit of brewed coffee take care of that (no, you don't taste the coffee either—just the chocolate!).
And these brownies still deliver a lot of fiber without any downside. This also means you can make moist and rich gluten free brownies—without any specialized flours or other ingredients.
Tips for making the best black bean brownies
Use a blender for the smoothest texture
You can blend the drained and rinsed can of beans in a food processor if that's all you have, but a blender will make the smoothest black bean puree. That means the smoothest brownie texture.
Choosing a pan for these healthy black bean brownies
Since these brownies are so tender and have no real flour replacement, they're a bit more fragile—so I like to make them in an 8-inch square pan for that extra thickness. You can also use a 9-inch square pan, too, and just bake for less time. Be sure you're using a light-colored metal pan or your brownies may burn before they bake all the way through!
Don't overbake for fudgy black bean brownies (but be sure to bake fully)
For a firmer, more cake-like brownie, you can bake your brownies for a few minutes less. They'll be really fudgy, though, so stick the cooled tin of brownies in the freezer or refrigerator for a few minutes for clean slicing.
Let the bean brownies cool completely for clean slicing
No matter how long you bake your black bean brownies, they'll need to be cool, or your knife will drag through and pick up pieces of brownie along the way. For the cleanest slice, place the cooled pan of brownies in the freezer for 10 minutes before slicing—and clean your knife after each cut.
Serving black bean gluten free brownies
Since the taste is rich chocolate, just like you'd expect, you really can serve them any way you would a classic gf brownie. Here are a few serving suggestions, but of course they're perfect on their own:
- Top with a scoop of marshmallow ice cream for the ultimate smooth and creamy addition
- A dollop of whipped cream and a few fresh berries make a beautiful presentation
- Drizzle some warm peanut butter on top for a peanut butter-chocolate treat
How to store gluten free black bean brownies
The texture and taste of these brownies do really well in the freezer. Place them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet, and be careful with them as you load them into the freezer, though, since it's hard to avoid breaking off some moist crumbs.
They never actually freeze solid, so you don't even really need to defrost them unless you prefer them at room temperature.
Black bean brownies: Substitutions
Dairy free black bean brownies
These brownies are already dairy-free when the recipe is made exactly as written. Just be sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips and you'll be all set.
Egg free black bean brownies
If you can't have eggs, you can try using a boiled flax gel “egg” in place of each of the two eggs. These need more structure than “chia” eggs can provide.
Can you make black bean brownies sugar free?
I am fairly certain that these brownies would work with coconut palm sugar in place of brown sugar, although I haven't tried it. For a sugar-free replacement, try Swerve brown sugar replacement or Lankato brand brown sugar replacement.
Alternative sugars tend to leave baked goods a bit dryer than normal. I recommend adding an extra tablespoon or two of brewed coffee to get the batter to the proper consistency.
Choosing an oil for flourless black bean brownies
A neutral-tasting oil is all that you need here, so you have lots of options. I usually use grapeseed or canola oil, since I always have those in my pantry. You can also try peanut oil, but nothing with more than a very subtle flavor, like avocado oil. Avoid olive oil, since we don't want a competing flavor.
Black bean brownies FAQs
Some are! Some black bean brownie recipes are made using black beans in place of some ingredients, but include flour and most other classic brownie ingredients. This recipe is truly flourless, so it's safely and naturally gluten free.
Yes! I've included (estimated) nutritional information in the recipe card below, so you can see how much fiber and protein you'll find in these brownies—and how little fat compared to a classic brownie recipe. They still have sugar, though, and oil, so they're not truly health food.
No, this recipe doesn't have the structure to turn out chewy, no matter what you do. We have a separate recipe for chewy gluten free brownies that might be what you're looking for.
Sure! The brewed coffee is only added to enhance the chocolate flavor from the cocoa powder, and you don't taste it. You can use decaf coffee, or just replace the liquid with any sort of milk, or even water. The chocolate taste will be a little bit more subtle.
You can use dried black beans that you've cooked fully at home, but only if you cooked them in plain water alone. If they're made with stock, stick with the plain black beans from a can.
The cake tester/toothpick test isn't reliable in this recipe, since it will come out nearly wet even when the brownies are done baking. Continue to bake your brownies until the top is set and it springs back when pressed gently in the center with your forefinger. And when you shake the pan gently from side to side, it doesn't jiggle at all.
If you're not sure that your brownies are done baking, lower the oven temperature to 300°F and continue to bake for another 3 to 5 minutes.
Flourless Black Bean Brownies Recipe | Naturally Gluten Free
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 standard can (15 ounces) black beans drained and rinsed well
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature
- ¼ cup (56 g) neutral oil (like grapeseed, canola or vegetable)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons strong brewed coffee (decaf is fine)
- ¾ cup (60 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-processed, your choice)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup (164 g) packed light brown sugar
- 3 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Grease the paper with cooking oil spray, and set the pan aside.
- In a blender or food processor, place the drained and rinsed beans, eggs, oil, vanilla and coffee, and blend or process until smooth.
- In a large bowl, place the cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and brown sugar, and whisk to combine well, breaking up any lumps in the brown sugar.
- Create a well in the center of the cocoa powder mixture and add the pureed bean mixture. Mix until well-combined.
- Add about half of the (optional) chocolate chips to the batter and mix to combine. The mixture will be thickly pourable.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining (optional) chocolate chips even on top of the batter, and press down gently to help the chips adhere.
- Place the baking pan in the center of the preheated oven. Bake until the top springs back when pressed gently with a finger (about 25 minutes).
- Continue to bake your brownies until the top is set, and it springs back when pressed gently in the center with your forefinger. And when you shake the pan gently from side to side, it doesn't jiggle at all.
- For cakier brownies, lower the oven temperature to 300°F and continue to bake for another 3 to 5 minutes or until the center is really stable.
- Remove the pan from the oven, place it on a wire rack (still in the pan) and allow to cool until no longer hot to the touch.
- Remove from the pan and slice into squares with a sharp knife. For cleaner slicing, place the bars still in the cooled pan in the freezer for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
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Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Donna says
I’ve made from a different recipe, but similar to your black bean brownies, adding chopped walnuts and baked in a muffin tin. They were delicious, but very dense and filling. One was enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. I often feel that way about GF substitutes that contain GF flour as well. It doesn’t take as much to satisfy me (or on the other hand, sometimes they aren’t as good as gluten-y so I just don’t want more, but that happens less and less). Anyhow, anyone doubting that these will taste like real brownies, and not like beans, I pretty much can promise you won’t taste beans, and if you didn’t know they were in there, you wouldn’t question the ingredients. I brought some to work and did indeed tell people they were made with black beans…they all said “thumbs up.”
Char says
Would love to give these a try since i love incorporating healthy stuff in my everyday baking. Quick question…would i get away with using honey somehow? maybe omitting the coffee ?
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Char, you can try using coconut palm sugar in place of the brown sugar. You can’t use a liquid sweetener in place of a granulated one without further altering the recipe.
About the coffee, as I mentioned in other comments to this post, any liquid will work, but the strong flavor of the brewed coffee helps to mask any residual bean flour and enhances the chocolate flavor. You don’t taste the coffee. You may not be very sensitive to any bean taste—but those you serve it to may indeed! So I recommend making it with coffee. Maybe try decaf coffee. The caffeine isn’t at all necessary.
Heather Allen says
Hi Nicole! I love Love love your recipes. I have had a lot of luck with most I have tried. The cut out cookies are a go to now. Just made some for a baby shower tomorrow. I was going to ask you – have you ever tested the GF AP flour from American Test Kitchen? I was reading over your list of GF flours and I didn’t see that one on there. Was going to make your RL cheddar biscuits and have to go to the store anyways so I was going to get some better batter or I was going to make your cheat b/c I have all the ingredients in the kitchen. I just have a huge container I just mixed Of the ATK AP Flour from their cookbooks and wanted to know if that was going to work. And since I probably won’t get a fast response I’m going to get BB flour or mix one of your’s on the list. I hate to not use the 20 cups of flour I have mixed. And btw- I purchased all your cookbooks yesterday on Amazon so I can switch to all your recipes. Thanks in advance and thank you for making GF food delicious. I have tried every flour and every thing that is gluten free it seems like and I just want it all to be what I remember about gluten food that I loved. Like Buscuits. I have tried so many recipes and they all turn out like hockey pucs. (I haven’t tried your’s but you’re so right that you can not sub GF flour into a non gluten recipe. I know I’ve done it many times) . I just want a light fluffy biscuit for once or really good bread. And then my life will be complete again. ? Thanks again!
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Heather,
I have tried America’s Test Kitchen blend, and I’m afraid although it’s o-k, and I can’t promise that it will work in my recipes. They are very pro-Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flours including their rice flour, which I consider to be one of the very worst out there. It is very grainy and of inconsistent quality. If you used their rice flours, I really don’t recommend the blend.
I know that a lot of people like America’s Test Kitchen, but I have been extremely disappointed in their gluten free efforts. I felt like they had the opportunity to really do some good on a very very large platform, and they missed the mark, I’m afraid. I was given a review copy of their first gluten free cookbook, but declined to write about it because I was so disappointed in the recipes.
I know that these may not be very popular opinions, but I stand by them based upon my experiences over the years. Come what may!
Hope this is helpful. :)
Lynne says
Hi Heather! I actually use the ATK mix for all of my gluten free baking. Now, I don’t make anything requiring the Bread Flour, but for everything else, it works great. I know that it may not be what is recommended, but I buy Bob’s Red Mill flours because I need to buy in smaller amounts because I can’t afford more than that. I still weigh everything because I believe THAT is crucial to good GF baking, but I’ve had great success with that ATK blend.
Nicole Hunn says
I’m glad you found something that works for you, Lynne, but for others’ benefit, I do NOT recommend using Bob’s Red Mill rice flours at all. Even if you aren’t particularly sensitive to their gritty texture, others you bake for likely will be. They are of inconsistent quality, at best. At best, that will mean poor mouth feel. At worst, it actually interferes with their ability to combine with other ingredients successfully in baking and a recipe will fail because of it. I can’t stress enough that you should not use them.
Heather Allen says
Thx so much for replying Nicole. I have switched over to the brands you have suggested for the rice flours, whey protein and everything else. I only have a little of the ATK flour left so I gave half to my mother. (Who may or may not use it. She still doesn’t get the GF thing.). And the little I have left I’ll throw away or find a use for coating or something. I thought maybe you might have a cheat to do something with crappy flour instead of throwing it in the bin. But at this point I think I’ll throw it in the bin. That has been my go to for awhile b/c I didn’t have your cookbooks. But now I have all of them and am switching everything to your suggested brands and your recipes. I had some luck with my family cookie recipes (non GF recipes) a couple Christmas ago (using BB and ATK- swopping cup for cup) and they turned out great. But now I think I can make it even better using your flour recipes. I made you cheddar biscuits for my SIL baby shower over the weekend and my cousin, who is also celiac like me, almost cried. She was so excited and said it was the best biscuits that she has had in a decade. And stuffed several not only in her mouth but took 3-4 home. And I know if she likes them, they have to be good. Which I agree with her!! They were amazing!! And your Cut out sugar cookies which has been my go to for a couple years now- were also a HUGE hit. And only a few were left. (Which was good for me cuz I took them home). Thank you so much for all your work. I could cry that I finally am excited again about cooking. And can actually have soft bread, biscuits and other delicious things that I have been searching, baking and striving to achieve once again. I’m kinda a biscuit snob so I want my granny’s buttermilk biscuits again and FINALLY going to be able to make them successfully. I’m a total convert. And am stocking everything you have listed and using this solely going forward. Thank you again for making food delicious again and for doing these books and recipes. No more crappy bread, pizza and everything I missed about food! Oh and the biscuits!! Hallelujah!!
Deb says
I resisted black bean brownies for a long time. Once I tried a successful recipe from a source I trusted, I was hooked. I developed and have been tweaking my own recipe ever since and it has developed into something very similar to yours in ingredients and proportions. I have also experimented with substituting other beans for black beans, and pretty much any white or red bean can make a brownie. What I think is special about black beans is, besides the obvious chocolatly color, the softness of the skin. Everyone loves these and no one suspects a thing!
Jody says
I would like to say thank you for your wonderful recipes, my daughter would starve if it wasn’t for you. Can’t wait to give these a try.
Nicole Hunn says
That’s so kind of you to say, Jody, but really she’d have nothing to eat if it weren’t for you! You’re the one taking care of her. ❤️
Faith says
The suspense was absolutely killing me so I had to try them. Even hubby-with very sensitive taste buds-couldn’t guess they were black beans! We liked them so much I am making another batch this week. I followed the recipe almost exactly (but swapped half the brown sugar amount for a brown sugar Truvia baking blend to lower the calories). We both agreed that since they were a moist, cake-like brownie instead of a chewy type, the next batch must have peanut butter frosting on them or peanut butter chips mixed in. Glad you tried these out first Nicole. I’m not sure I would have been brave enough to go there on my own!
Lynette Low Locatelli says
Can you use an egg substitute like flax seed n water?
Nicole Hunn says
You can try a “chia egg” (flax eggs have a distinct, distracting flavor), but I’m honestly not sure how well it would work. Eggs are the only binder in this recipe. But feel free to experiment!
Steph says
I just made these and they are yummy! I substituted milk for the coffee and it worked fine for me.
Karen says
I am also wondering if you can make these without coffee?
Nicole Hunn says
As Sherry mentioned below, any liquid will work, but the strong flavor of the brewed coffee helps to mask any residual bean flour and enhances the chocolate flavor. You don’t taste the coffee. Like Steph above, you may not be very sensitive to any bean taste—but those you serve it to may indeed! So I recommend making it with coffee. Maybe try decaf coffee. The caffeine isn’t at all necessary.
Ray says
Coffee is only there to naturally bring out the aromatics in the chocolate.
Julia (TheRoastedRoot.net) says
Black bean brownies are seriously my favorite! I love that you can whip them up in a blender, bake them off, and go to town guilt-free since they’re basically healthy. I like using coconut sugar or pure maple syrup to sweeten mine and am always so psyched when I give them to my friends and they ask me what they’re made out of. Brilliant, indeed!
Amanda says
Can you make this without using coffee?
Sherry L says
The coffee helps mask the flavor of the beans and enhances the flavor of the chocolate, and you won’t even taste the coffee flavor(unless you use espresso, but even then, it is only 2 TBS). Omitting the coffee will affect the flavor of the brownies, but if you do decide to omit it, don’t forget to replace it with another liquid(water, or maybe your favorite flavor of tea???). Good luck with your experiment!
Vivian says
Yes, I too wanted to know if the recipe would work with coconut oil or butter?
Sherry L says
You are probably better off using a fat that is liquid at room temp. Using melted butter or coconut oil might change both the taste and texture. Have fun experimenting!
Nicole Hunn says
Sherry you’ve been a huge help. Thank you so much for jumping in. And you’re 100% right!
Victoria Donaldson says
WOWZERS! If you say it tastes good, I’ll trust you, cause you’ve never failed before. But must admit my first reaction was the same as yours. Will try!
Nicole Hunn says
I’m honored that you trust me like that, Victoria! I promise, they’re so good and even stay moist for days after. :)
NickiB says
I was wondering if I could use melted butter or coconut oil in place of a “neutral” tasting oil, as butter and coconut oil are what I typically have on hand.
Cannot wait to try these!
Mare Masterson says
You boldly went where you would not go before! Okay, I will try them too!
Jennifer S. says
YOU DID IT!! So proud of you. I will try these out ASAP….
Nicole Hunn says
LOL, Jennifer! I was wondering if you would be willing to give them a try, considering that you have some unfortunate experience with another recipe for black bean brownies. :)