Black Bean Brownies Recipe (Gluten-Free) - Dr. Axe

Black Bean Brownies Recipe

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Black bean brownies - Dr. Axe

Rich, chocolatey, decadent brownies definitely are a dessert option that makes many mouths water. The only problem is most brownies are loaded with sugar and carbs but devoid of valuable nutrients — but not my black bean brownies recipe.

This brownie recipe lets you have the dessert without the guilt. These healthy black bean brownies are absolutely delicious and also packed with fiber, protein, iron and magnesium. Plus, they’re completely gluten-free.

Is a Black Bean Brownie Recipe the Healthiest Brownie Option?

Black bean brownies with flour (as in all-purpose, wheat-derived flour) contain gluten and are typically high in both sugar and carbs … not to mention they are lower in protein and fiber compared to these black bean brownies.

This recipe for gluten-free black bean brownies uses Paleo flour, which you can make yourself or buy in the store. These are also sugar-free black bean brownies as in they contain zero refined sugar like typical brownie recipes.

Some people like black bean brownies with dates included as a natural sweetener, which isn’t a bad idea at all. For this recipe, I decided to use maple syrup and stevia.

As you’ll see from the nutrition information below, this easy black bean brownie recipe is impressively high in fiber, which can help ward off digestive complaints like constipation.

One of the drawbacks of these brownies is the fact that some people have a hard time digesting legumes like black beans. Soaking and sprouting beans can help make them easier on the gut.

These may not be vegan black bean brownies, but to make black bean brownies vegan, you can substitute ¼ to ½ of a ripe avocado mashed for each egg in this recipe. Black bean avocado brownies are also delicious and healthy.

As another vegan option, the regular eggs can be substituted for flax eggs. The standard conversion for a regular egg to a flax egg is one tablespoon of flaxseed meal and three tablespoons of water to replace one egg.

You may be thinking, “This all sounds very healthy, but how do they taste?” Try serving these to your friends and family … with no bean taste, I bet they’ll mistake them for regular brownies — delicious, gooey, chocolatey brownies.

Black bean brownies recipe - Dr. Axe

How to Make Black Bean Brownies

Forget making black bean brownies with mix because even though this recipe is made from scratch, it’s still an incredibly easy recipe to create even when you don’t have a ton of time.

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, put all of your ingredients into the blender.

Once everything is mixed up well, pour the batter into the greased pan.

These simple black bean brownies will be ready for tasting in less than an hour! Let’s go into detail …

Add all of the ingredients to the blender.

Black bean brownies step 2 - Dr. Axe

Blend all of the ingredients together.

When it’s all done, there shouldn’t be any clumps.

Black bean brownies step 4 - Dr. Axe

Pour the black bean brownie mix into a greased 8×8 pan or baking dish. Coconut oil works great for greasing the pan/dish.

Black bean brownies step 5 - Dr. Axe

Bake for 40 minutes.

Let the pan cool for at least 10 minutes.

Time to serve! Depending on how you cut them, this recipe will make anywhere from nine to 12 brownies.

Last but not least, enjoy a delicious black bean brownie!

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Black bean brownies - Dr. Axe

Black Bean Brownies Recipe


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  • Author: Dr. Josh Axe
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

This black bean brownies recipe lets you have the dessert without the guilt! It’s packed full of fiber, protein, iron and magnesium.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 15-ounces cooked black beans, drained
  • ½ cup cacao powder
  • 4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • ¾ cup maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons stevia
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup Paleo flour
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ cup water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Blend all ingredients together.
  3. Pour ingredients into a greased 8×8 pan and bake for 40 minutes.
  4. Allow to cool for 10–15 minutes.

Notes

  • To make these brownies vegan, swap out the egg for avocado or flax eggs.
  • You can use raw honey instead of maple syrup, as shown in the video, but be aware that honey loses many of its beneficial compounds when heated.
  • Prep Time: 15min
  • Cook Time: 40min
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 brownie (86g)
  • Calories: 181
  • Sugar: 12.1g
  • Sodium: 68mg
  • Fat: 6.3g
  • Saturated Fat: 4.6g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 1.7g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 29.5g
  • Fiber: 4.3g
  • Protein: 5.2g
  • Cholesterol: 41mg

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88 Comments

  1. Sue on

    Speaking of using almond flour. Are you concerned about the amount of omega 6 in almond flour? Isn’t there is a ratio of omega 3’s to 6’s that should be adhered to?
    Thanks for your yummy recipes.

    Reply
  2. Teresa on

    Thank you for the recipe and for sharing your wisdom. And for your patience. You must have a passion for helping others. God bless you.

    Reply
  3. kathrine on

    Dr. Axe—-Thank you for all your recipes!!! you are helping bring my family to a new attitude in eating healthy. My grandchildren love the brownies. My 12 yr old has learned to make them and carries them in his school lunch. He likes to use applesauce for one egg. he says it makes them more moist. Thanks again for all your support to your followers. Keep posting!!!

    Reply
  4. Mary on

    I am always trying these recipes and learning new ways of eating and changing or alternating the ingredients. What is the ratio of the flax seed for the egg. Thanks so much.

    Reply
  5. Beedee on

    What is your take on beans? I have heard they are high in lectins, which in animal studies proved damaging and caused leaky gut. However, I’ve also read that cooking beans almost completely eliminates that problem. Also, (as a Type 2) I avoid beans because of the carb load, but wonder about black soy beans (so much lower in carbs). I generally don’t do soy, but perhaps these are okay?

    Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Dr. Josh Axe on

      Sprouted and soaked beans are much better and easier on the gut. Some people do fine with them while others may not. If you have gut issues, I would stay away from them. Always listen to your body!

      Reply
  6. Jennifer on

    Could I add protein powder for the extra protein? I’ve been making homemade protein bars for awhile and I’m always looking for different ways.

    Reply
  7. mary on

    I used gluten-free all purpose baking mix by Arrowhead Mills. I did not drain the beans, as this was not in the directions. My brownies did not hold together and were eggy. I microwaved for 2 min. to finish baking. If I made this again, I’d use prune juice for the liquid, applesauce or a flax egg for one of the eggs, and part coconut flour for more sweetness/taste/texture. My brownies didn’t look like yours.

    Reply
    • NoraWriter on

      I love using ground flax seed to replace egg! However, being me, I replace only one egg with the flax. I plan to try this next time. And YES! there will be a next time! The last batch went fast.

      Reply
      • NoraWriter on

        Yeah, see. This is what I was talking about, meaning some important details have been left out of the recipe. I just left the brownies out on the counter covered with foil. Given that we ate them so quickly, it wasn’t a problem, but knowing it should be refrigerated would have been good.

        In the future, if you need testers for your recipes, I bet you would have LOTS of people who would be happy to volunteer, myself included : )

  8. NoraWriter on

    I tried this today with a few modifications: cocoa instead of cacao, maple syrup instead of honey, and liquid stevia. I didn’t add enough stevia, but otherwise it was really delicious!

    However, I would like you to address something. I truly enjoy your recipe ingredients, but your cooking instructions could use more details. A novice cook could find themselves very frustrated and annoyed. Thankfully I have a few years of experience, so I was able to muddle through.

    Just show your instructions to someone who cooks very little :)

    Reply
  9. Sandi on

    Could I use Buckwheat instead of the regular flour? I live in Germany and we can only get dried black beans, do I have to cook them (after I soaked) first before I use them in a recipe?

    Cheers,
    Sandi

    Reply
  10. Scott on

    Seems like most of the questions here are insane, do any of you actually cook anything? Guess case in point why I’ve been a better cook than all the woman I’ve dated put together have been… How about using some common sense people… I see nothing wrong with the recipe.

    Reply
    • NoraWriter on

      Easy, my friend. It helps to realize that many of these ingredients are new to people, and it’s important to have detailed instructions in the beginning.

      As people become more comfortable with how the ingredients work, then all they need is a list of the ingredients and their measurements.

      Reply
  11. Jeanette on

    Could you edit the recipe to show correctly. I’d made it before reading the comments. You explained a lot of things but didn’t clarify in the recipe. Eg 15 oz can of beans, drained, melt the coconut oil. I used a 19 oz can, didn’t drain and didn’t melt the oil. Thanks

    Reply
  12. jean gellner on

    These were a hit. My Hubby was skepitical but he liked them and figured if he hadn’t known he would have just said they were not as sweet/chocolately as my other brownir recipe.. I would have liked them a bit more “chocolately” and next time I will mash the beans. I cooked up raw beans for the recipe. Thanks for all the recipes.

    Reply
  13. Trish on

    I have just made this for the first time…. still in the oven but I am sure it will good because i scraped the bowl and the batter tasted so good… in fact it tasted to good to be healthy lolol. Thanks Dr Axe

    Reply
  14. Lori on

    These brownies are a huge hit with my family! So easy to make & easier to eat! I have to say initially I thought they sounded gross … so glad I tried them. I’ve made them several times. The first time I made them I didn’t have the right flour so I used the gluten free pancake mix I had & I wouldn’t change it … they’re wonderful! Thanks Dr. Axe.

    Reply
  15. Kathy on

    Could I use just almond flour instead of the gluten free flour? Also, could I use xylitol in place of the honey? Thanks for sharing your recipes with us!!

    Reply
    • Dr. Josh Axe on

      You could try it but use less than the recipe calls for or add more liquid than the recipe calls for while using the same amount of flour. Coconut flour pulls moisture so you might have to play with the consistency

      Reply
  16. Leslee on

    I just bought your cookbook today on my Kindle and I’m pleased I did. But I have to say I am disappointed you did not include how many each recipe serves. Really frustrating as I am trying to lose weight due to a recent type 2 diabetes diagnosis. So, I am cross referencing recipes on your website with the cookbook. Is there an easier way?

    Love what you have to say and love the clean recipes!

    Reply
    • Dr. Josh Axe on

      Thanks for the encouraging words, I am so glad you are enjoying the recipes! I do apologize for not incorporating the serving size of the recipes. In our future cookbooks, we will definitely make sure that is included! Keep checking the website as new recipes are added each week!

      Reply
    • Dr. Josh Axe on

      I don’t recommend people count calories or macros, instead I tell them to count nutrients! You can read why here: https://draxe.com/nutrition/nutrient-dense-foods//

      If you are still curious, you can enter the ingredients that you would specifically use and get the exact nutrition facts here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator

      Reply

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