These intensely chocolaty treats use pureed black beans to replace some of the fat and sugar in a typical brownie recipe. No one would ever guess the secret ingredient, as there is no beany flavor — just fudgy richness. A small amount of instant coffee amplifies the chocolate notes, but if you don’t have any on hand, the recipe is still great without it. We suggest lining the pan with parchment paper, but you could also skip that step and coat the pan with cooking spray instead.

Active time: 10 minutes | Total time: 40 minutes

Fudgy Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 (15 oz./425g) can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup (125g) light brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cup (29g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup (150g) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, puree the black beans on high speed until almost smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the butter and vanilla; process until smooth. Add the eggs and pulse 3–4 times to combine. Add the sugar, cocoa powder, instant coffee, baking soda, and salt; pulse 4–5 times to combine. Add the chocolate chips and pulse once, or until just combined.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until set. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Serves: 16 | Serving Size: 1 brownie

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 143; Total Fat: 7g; Saturated Fat: 4g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 33mg; Sodium: 105mg; Carbohydrate: 21g; Dietary Fiber: 2g; Sugar: 14g; Protein: 3g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 189mg; Iron: 6%; Vitamin A: 6%

Originally published date: May 2020; Updated date: June 2026