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gluten free black bean brownies
Isla Marie

Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownies

Insanely fudgy brownies made with a secret ingredient: black beans! Zero flour, no one ever tastes the beans, and they come out rich, chocolatey, and perfectly crackly on top. Your new favorite healthy-ish dessert.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 16 brownies
Cuisine: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free
Calories: 165
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Wet
  • 1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed & drained very well
  • 3 large eggs or 3 flax eggs for vegan
  • ½ cup melted coconut oil or butter
  • ⅓ cup pure maple syrup or honey
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
Dry
  • ¾ cup natural cocoa powder not Dutch-process
  • ⅔ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¾ cup dark chocolate chips or chunks divided

Equipment

  • Food processor or high-speed blender
  • 8×8-inch baking pan
  • Parchment paper
  • Mixing bowl & spatula

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 8×8 pan with parchment (leave overhang for easy removal).
  2. In food processor, blend black beans, eggs, oil, maple, and vanilla until completely smooth (30–60 seconds). No bean chunks allowed!
  3. Add cocoa, sugar, baking powder, and salt → pulse until just combined.
  4. Fold in ½ cup chocolate chips by hand. Batter will be thick.
  5. Spread evenly into pan. Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup chips on top.
  6. Bake 22–25 minutes. Center should look slightly underdone — it sets as it cools.
  7. Cool completely in pan (at least 2 hours, or overnight in fridge for fudgiest texture). Lift out and cut into 16 squares.

Notes

Rinse beans VERY well → no bean taste
Don’t overbake → fudgy magic happens when slightly underdone
Chill before cutting → clean edges
Vegan: use flax eggs + dairy-free chips
Refined-sugar-free: use sugar-free chips + ½ cup date paste instead of sugar
Add-ins: walnuts, espresso powder, peanut butter swirl