Black Bean Brownies

These Black Bean Brownies are simple low-carb, healthy, vegan brownies sweetened with applesauce and with a delicious fudgy texture.

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I love making simple healthy brownies that taste like the classic recipe, but loaded with surprising wholesome ingredients, like I did with my Flourless Yogurt Mousse Brownies, Fudgy Date Brownies, or Sweet Potato Brownies.

These Black Bean Brownies are a simple dessert or snack where most of the batter is made with black beans to use less flour than classic brownies. As a result, black bean brownies are low in carbs and high in protein and fiber.

Ingredients and Substitutions

It’s very easy to make this black bean brownies recipe. There are only a handful of basic ingredients needed!

• Black Beans – I used canned organic black beans, rinsed and drained. Any brand would be just fine.
• Almond Flour – also known as ground almond, it’s a low-carb flour that brings very few carbs. Prefer ultra-fine almond flour to avoid a gritty texture.
• Unsweetened Applesauce – I used organic apple sauce but it works with homemade applesauce as well. make sure there’s no added sugar. Organic unsweetened applesauce contains about 8 grams of net carbs per 100 grams. Given how little we use in this recipe, it doesn’t bring many carbs!
• Dark Chocolate – I made this recipe with sugar-free stevia chocolate, and I also tested 85% cocoa or 70% cocoa. Everything works perfectly. The darker chocolate you use, the bitter the brownie will be.
• Coconut Oil – prefer unrefined coconut oil.
• Baking Powder – for a slightly fluffier crumb.
• Pecan Nuts – or chopped walnuts if you prefer.

How To Make Black Bean Brownies

1. Start this recipe by rinsing and draining the black beans. You can do that in a sieve or in their can.
2. Then, melt the dark chocolate with the coconut oil in a mixing bowl.
3. To get them to melt you can either place them in the microwave for 30 seconds or put them in a bain-marie for 2 minutes.

4. Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor or blender and add the drained black beans, baking powder, almond flour, and unsweetened applesauce. You can also include some of the chopped pecans or walnuts. Add a pinch of salt.

5. Blend the brownie batter until it’s consistent and sticky.
6. Line a square 8-inch x 8-inch brownie pan with lightly oiled parchment paper.

7. Pour the black bean brownie batter into the baking dish. It is optional, but you can also add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the batter, it brings a delicious flavor. You can also add some dark chocolate chips or a touch of cocoa powder if you like your brownies ultra-chocolatey.

8. Flatten the top with a silicone spatula.
9. Bake the black bean brownies for 25 to 45 minutes in an oven preheated to 300°F (150°C). 

10. Let the brownies cool down for 5 minutes in the pan. It’s essential to get the bottom of the dessert to cook fully.
11. Then, pull the overhanging pieces of parchment paper to transfer the brownies onto a cooling rack to let them cool down.
12. To make the gooey caramelized pecan drizzle, start by melting the coconut oil in a small frying pan over low heat.
13. Add the chopped pecans or walnuts and maple syrup.
14. Cook them for 2 to 3 minutes until the maple syrup has caramelized.
15. Use a spoon to drizzle the caramelized pecan topping on the cooked brownies.
16. For ultimate decadence, add a drizzle of peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or any nut butter to the black bean brownies and serve with a scoop of plant-based ice cream.

Storage Instructions

These black bean brownies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. You can also freeze them in individual containers and thaw them at room temperature. Or pop them in the oven for 5 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Healthy Brownie Recipes

If you like healthy brownies like this black bean brownies recipe, you’ll love these recipes:

Sweet Potato Brownies

Greek Yogurt Brownies

Almond Flour Brownies

Coconut Flour Brownies

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Black Bean Brownies Recipe

These easy Black Bean Brownies are a healthy chocolate dessert, low-calorie, plant-based, low-carb, and gluten-free, with no added sugar, and only 5 grams of net carbs per serving.

Author: Carine Claudepierre

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Total: 35 minutes mins

Yield: 16 brownies

Serving Size: 1 brownie square

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4.78 from 9 votes

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

Black Bean Brownies

• ▢ ¼ cup Coconut Oil + 1 teaspoon to grease the pan
• ▢ 3.5 oz Sugar-Free Dark Chocolate see note for details
• ▢ 1 can Black Beans rinsed, drained (15 oz)
• ▢ 1 cup Almond Flour
• ▢ ¾ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Baking Powder

Caramelized Pecan

• ▢ 1 teaspoon Coconut Oil
• ▢ ¼ cup Pecan Nuts roughly chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Sugar-Free Maple Syrup

Dark Chocolate Drizzle

• ▢ 1 oz Sugar-Free Dark Chocolate melted – see note for options

Instructions

Black Bean Brownies

• Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). 
• Line an 8-inch x 8-inch square brownie pan with parchment paper. Rub a little coconut oil on it to make sure it does not stick. Set aside. 
• In a small mixing bowl, add dark chocolate and coconut oil, microwave in 30-second bursts, stir and repeat until fully melted. If you don't have a microwave use a saucepan and melt under low heat until fully melted. Set aside.
• In a food processor, with the S blade attachment, add all the ingredients: melted oil/chocolate mixture, black beans, baking powder, almond meal, and unsweetened applesauce  
• Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly. 
• Bake for 25-30 minutes max. 
• Cool them down for 5 minutes in the pan, then lift out the parchment paper to unmold the brownie. 
• Place the brownie on a rack, and drizzle extra melted chocolate on top if you like. I melted my chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave. Go with 30-second bursts, stir, repeat until melted, and drizzle over the brownie!

Caramelized Pecan Nuts

• Melt coconut oil in a small frying pan over low heat.
• Add roughly chopped pecan nuts and maple syrup.
• Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, constantly stirring until it caramelizes.
• Spread out on parchment paper to cool.
• Sprinkle over the brownie after drizzling the melted chocolate.
• These brownies are getting super fudgy when stored in the fridge. I recommend storing them in an airtight plastic box in the fridge for up to 3 days or in a cookie jar in the pantry. 

Notes

Chocolate options: You can use any chocolate in this recipe. I tested 70% cocoa dark chocolate, which gives the perfect sweetness, it’s sugar-free, and it gives a perfectly sweet brownie without the extra carbs or sugar (get Sugar Free Lilly’s Bars).  You can also use 85% cocoa chocolate for a bitter/less sweet brownie.

Sugar-free/low carb: don’t use maple syrup to caramelize the nuts. Use the same amount of sugar-free crystal sweetener as Swerve. 

Want My Kitchen Equipment?

8-inch Square Baking Pan

Parchment Paper

Measuring Cups Set

Mixing Bowls

Cooling Rack

Tried this recipe?Mention @sweetashoneyrecipes

NutritionServing Size: 1 brownie square

Yield: 16 brownies

Nutrition

Serving: 1 brownie squareCalories: 115.8 kcal (6%)Carbohydrates: 8.7 g (3%)Fiber: 3.5 g (15%)Net Carbs: 5.2 gProtein: 3 g (6%)Fat: 8.8 g (14%)Saturated Fat: 3.7 g (23%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4 gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.8 gSodium: 30.2 mg (1%)Potassium: 70.4 mg (2%)Sugar: 2 g (2%)Vitamin A: 5.1 IUVitamin C: 0.1 mgCalcium: 35.3 mg (4%)Iron: 0.7 mg (4%)Magnesium: 13.3 mg (3%)Zinc: 0.3 mg (2%)