Black Bean Brownies

Name: Black Bean Brownies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 100 min
Ingredients: 14 ounces can low sodium black beans (drained & rinsed); 2 large eggs; 1/2 cup applesauce (unsweetened); 10 large Medjool dates (pitted); 2 tablespoons brewed coffee (optional); 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1/2 cup cacao powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (divided); Cooking spray (I use Misto)

By Olena Osipov

4.96 from 139 votes

Mar 01, 2026

KF GF VG LS

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These Black Bean Brownies are flourless, fudgy and delicious healthy dessert. No one will ever guess these brownies are made with black beans and are packed with protein and fiber.

Other gluten-free desserts we love are these healthy zucchini brownies, almond flour brownies and cottage cheese brownies!

Black bean brownies cut into squares topped with chocolate chips.

Reader’s Review

My go to brownie recipe. No one ever believes they are healthy! I use a flax egg or chia egg always turn out great. Thanks for the recipe.
Mindy

252 more comments

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Black bean brownies have all the taste and sweetness you crave in a brownie but contain no refined sugar. Dates provide all the sweetness you need!

Black beans also have the perfect texture and color to replace flour making this black bean brownies recipe truly naturally gluten-free!

No one will be able to tell these brownies are made with black beans. My kids call them “beautiful”, they really do not have black bean flavor! We loved them so much, I now developed no bake brownies recipe with similar ingredients!

Ingredients for Black Bean Brownies

You will need just 10 simple ingredients, most of which are pantry staples and you probably have on hand right now.

Black beans, applesauce, coffee, medjool dates, eggs, cacao powder, chocolate chips, baking soda, salt and vanilla extract.

Black beans: Black beans are the basis of this brownie recipe. No substitutions, not even lentils or chickpeas. You can use canned black beans or dried beans. If you have any cooked black beans like Instant Pot black beans, use about 1 1/2 cups to 1 3/4 cups.
Medjool dates: Most grocery stores carry 2 types of dates, “regular” and Medjool. You have to buy Medjool variety. Their meaty and moist texture adds volume and fudgy texture to brownies. And fresh is best! As dates get older, they dry out and sugars start to crystalize on the outside.
Eggs: I used 2 large eggs. I have not tried to make egg-free black bean brownies. What might work is 1/4 cup coconut oil. But you would have to cool brownies. I think when coconut oil cools off, it will solidify and hold brownies together.
Coffee: Brewed coffee adds more depth to the chocolate flavor but you can skip it. It’s not a crucial ingredient but if you have leftover morning coffee, save it and add to brownies.
Cacao powder: You can use cocoa powder instead of cacao powder. It’s interchangeable in all chocolate recipes, the only difference is that health benefits of cacao powder are greater.
Applesauce: I use unsweetened applesauce.
Baking essentials: Pure vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt.
Chocolate chips: I use dark chocolate chips. You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips.

How to Make Black Bean Brownies

Just blend, bake, and enjoy. Dirty one blender, not even another bowl.

Prep: I cannot stress enough that it is a must to line your 8 x 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Blend ingredients: In the following order, add eggs, applesauce, black beans, cacao powder, coffee, vanilla, baking soda, salt and dates to a high speed blender or food processor.

Either kitchen appliance will work, but I should caution you that it is a struggle to fit all the ingredients into a mini food processor.

Black bean brownie batter doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth and can have small chunks of dried fruit or beans in it.

Brownie batter in parchment lined pan with chocolate chips on top.

Add chocolate chips: Stir until well combined.

Bake: Transfer batter with rubber spatula into the baking pan, level and sprinkle with more chocolate chips. Then bake black bean brownies for 30 minutes.

Uncut black bean brownies cooling on parchment paper.

Cool: Let the brownies cool completely before slicing. These brownies taste great warm or cold and get even fudgier the next day.

Tips for Best Results

Don’t make substitutions: Don’t skip Medjool dates or black beans. Both add volume to the batter and fudgy texture to brownies. If you skip them, your black bean brownie batter consistency will be off.
If your dates are hard: Usually when they are older, they will be hard to blend. Soak them for 10 minutes in hot water, drain and then blend.
Let brownies cool: It’s worth repeating multiple times. I know it’s hard, but please have patience. Again, this is to ensure that bars do not fall apart.
Line baking dish: It makes brownies easy to cut and remove, and ensures they do not fall apart. I love these parchment paper sheets.
Do not use any other sweetener: Any dry sweetener like sugar, stevia or xylitol will not work in this black bean brownie recipe. The same goes for honey or maple syrup.

Variations

“Regular” dates: I tried and didn’t love the results but you can use them. Soak 15 of them in warm water for 15 minutes and drain well. One of the readers used prunes instead and she said the brownies turned out amazing! I haven’t tried, please let me know if you do.
Vegan: Someone in the comments skipped eggs and used flax eggs. Someone else said it didn’t work. You can also try 1/4 cup melted coconut oil instead and cool brownies completely in the fridge.
Dairy-free: As is, this recipe is dairy free, except the chocolate chips. Just use dairy-free chocolate chips and you are all set!
Add-ins: Add chopped nuts like walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts to the batter. Top with fresh raspberries or sliced strawberries before baking. Also freeze-dried fruit will work well as an addition.

Parchment lined pan of black bean brownies with chocolate chips.

How to Store

Store: Keep black bean brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. But I doubt they will last that long!

Freeze: Simply place brownies in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on a counter at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

I freeze cut up brownies right in Pyrex glass container I bake in. It comes with a plastic lid. Just lift a black bean brownie with a butter knife and defrost. Perfect!

FAQs

How do you know when brownies are ready?

For rich fudgy brownies, remove when the center still jiggles somewhat. For a firm brownie, use the toothpick method. Remove when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out almost clean (a few crumbs is okay on the toothpick).