Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownies

If you're looking for a healthy treat that will satisfy your sweet tooth, these Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownies are for you!

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Why You'll Love This

Is there anything better than warm brownies straight from the pan? The smell of freshly baked brownies is unbeatable. As a kid, I loved baking brownies from a Betty Crocker box, mainly for the joy of eating them.

While I enjoy brownies, I rarely crave the rich, overly chocolatey versions now. To satisfy my nostalgia without the guilt, I created a healthy brownie recipe.

These Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownies are not only delicious but also packed with protein and fiber from black beans and dates. Don’t worry—they still have all the classic flavors thanks to unsweetened cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips. Plus, they’re easy to make!

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This
• The Dry Ingredients
• Ingredients
• Substituions & Variations
• Equipment
• Instructions
• Serving Suggestions
• Storage
• FAQ
• Related
• Refined Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free
• Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownies

The Dry Ingredients

This easy brownie recipe comes together quickly with just three key dry ingredients:

1. Gluten-Free Baking Flour: I recommend Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour for its fluffy consistency—no need to mix multiple flours.
2. Baking Powder: Just a teaspoon is needed to achieve perfectly fluffy, moist brownies.
3. Salt: Less than a teaspoon balances the sweetness of the dark chocolate.

While there are other dry ingredients like espresso powder and cocoa powder, these three are essential!

Ingredients

Here is everything you will need for this recipe!

• Black beans: Add moisture, fiber, and protein, creating a rich base.
• Eggs: Bind ingredients and provide structure and moisture.
• Dates: Naturally sweeten and add moisture with a caramel flavor.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: Delivers deep chocolate flavor.
• Maple syrup: Sweetens with a warm, subtle flavor.
• Honey: Adds sweetness and a floral note.
• Espresso powder: Intensifies the chocolate flavor.
• Vanilla extract: Enhances sweetness and adds warmth.
• Dark chocolate chips: Provide rich bursts of melted chocolate.
• Coconut oil: Adds moisture and a light coconut flavor.
• Gluten-free baking flour: Offers structure without gluten.
• Baking powder: Helps the brownies rise slightly.
• Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances chocolate flavor.
• Flakey sea salt: Adds a salty contrast to heighten flavor.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements!

Substituions & Variations

These tips below can help you adjust the recipe!

• Bean Substitute: If you would really like to change it up, substitute the beans for sweet potatoes!
• Sweetener Alternative: Swap maple syrup and honey for coconut sugar to lower the glycemic index, adding a rich, caramel sweetness while keeping the texture intact.

Please note that this recipe has not been tested with any other substitutions or variations than the ones listed above.

Equipment

All you will need for this recipe includes; 9"x9" baking tray, a blender and mixing bowls.

Instructions

The Dark Chocolate

No brownie recipe is complete without chocolate! After extensive testing, I found the perfect dark chocolate chips: Lily's Dark Chocolate Chips, which contain 55% cocoa, are sweetened with stevia, and have no added sugar or dairy, making this recipe paleo-friendly.

To incorporate these chips, melt one-third cup of coconut oil in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Gradually add one tablespoon of melted coconut oil to the chocolate chips at a time, stirring in between. This method prevents the mixture from becoming too watery and results in a beautiful syrup-like consistency. Trust me, taking your time will yield much better results!

The Rest of the Ingredients

You might be wondering about the rest of the ingredients. The great news is that they all go into a blender—no mixers required! Here’s what you’ll need:

• Two 15-ounce cans of black beans (drained and rinsed)
• Four room-temperature eggs
• Six pitted dates
• Two-thirds cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• Half a cup of maple syrup
• A fourth cup of honey
• Two teaspoons of espresso powder
• One and a half teaspoons of vanilla extract

Start by blending the rinsed black beans on high for one minute until smooth. After that, simply add the remaining ingredients to the blender—all at once—and let it mix everything together!

The Final Steps

We're almost done! All the ingredients are laid out, now it's just time to bring everything together. So, we have....

1. The blender with the mixed ingredients
2. The bowl of combined dark chocolate chips and coconut oil
3. The dry ingredients

First, transfer the batter from the blender to a large bowl with a spatula. Then, pour in the melted chocolate from the small bowl. Use a whisk to throughly combine the ingredients. Finally, sift in the dry ingredients to the large bowl. Whisk until all of the dry and wet ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Now, it's time to transfer the batter to a baking dish.

Line a 9" x 9" baking dish with parchment paper. This will save you so much time and energy from trying to get the brownies out of the pan! Then, pour the batter over the parchment paper into the pan. The batter should fill the pan a little more than halfway. Place the pan on the middle rack in the center of the oven. Bake the brownies at 375 degrees for 75 minutes.

After the allotted time, turn off the oven and remove the brownies. Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Then, pick up the corners of the parchment paper and remove from the pan. Both the paper and brownies should come off clean. Place the parchment paper with the brownies on top of wire rack or cutting board.

Serving Suggestions

Allow the brownies to cool again for five minutes before slicing with a clean knife. Finally, garnish with flakey sea salt and enjoy!

Storage

Store leftovers in a sealed container in a dry area for up to 6 days. When ready to eat, simply eat at room temperature or heat up in the microwave for a warm touch!

FAQ

Related

Looking for more? Check these out!

Refined Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free

You may have noticed that there's no cane or brown sugar in this recipe. There's also no butter or heavy cream used. That means that this recipe isn't only gluten-free and dairy-free but also refined sugar free. Those three combined make for a paleo recipe!

As mentioned above about the dark chocolate, this recipe can be made paleo if you use the correct chocolate chips. Lily's Dark Chocolate Chips are sweetened with stevia, but have no added sugar or dairy! While you don't have to use those exact chocolate chips, if you are trying to make this recipe paleo just be sure to use the correct chocolate.