5 Black Bean Brownie Recipes To Try Now

The sweet tooth can often be the biggest barrier to eating healthy.

When you’re craving melty ice cream, exquisitely fluffy cake or the crisp edges of a perfectly baked cookie, some carrot sticks just aren’t going to do the trick.

The solution? Healthify dessert. The black bean brownie is a classic example of this quest. Black beans have fewer calories than flour, but add more fiber and a richer flavor to your baking.

Sure, beans in dessert doesn’t sound quite right — but the proof is in the pudding, err, brownies. All of these recipes are gluten-free, some are vegan, and some are even Paleo. Every recipe makes delicious, gooey, fudgey brownies so decadent that you’d never guess their secret ingredient.

Don’t believe us? Just pick a recipe, stock up on ingredients from Thrive Market, and let the brownies do the talking.

1. Vegan black bean brownies

Cutting out sugar? Make these simple black bean brownies from Chocolate Covered Katie – they’re vegan, and she includes a few modifications that will make them sugar-free.

2. Gluten-free black bean brownies using avocado

Ambitious Kitchen puts a new spin on her black bean brownie recipe, and uses avocado instead of oil. The healthy fats from the ripe avocado give these brownies an incredibly creamy flavor (which is pretty delicious in batter form, too!).

3. Paleo fudge brownies

These Paleo fudge brownies from Gluten-Free On A Shoestring get their super smooth consistency from the blender. Coincidentally, this also makes them incredibly easy to whip up.

4. Bite-sized black bean brownies

These bite-sized black bean brownies from Minimalist Baker are just too cute to resist. Bake them in the muffin tin, and you’ll get perfect individual servings to share — if you can bear to give them away.

5. Dark chocolate black bean brownies

When you’re looking to take your baking up a notch, try these dark chocolate black bean brownies with coconut from The Roasted Root. They get a superfood boost from raw cacao powder, and who doesn’t love shredded coconut?

Photo credit: The Roasted Root