Name: Vegan Black Bean Brownies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 58 min
Ingredients: 10 Medjool dates (pitted); 1 cup old-fashioned oats; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder; ½ teaspoons instant coffee powder/crystals; Soaked Medjool Dates (see above); 15 ounce canned black beans (do not drain); ¼ cup coconut butter; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 cup real maple syrup; 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips; more chocolate chips for topping (optional)

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These easy vegan brownies are made with black beans, oats, Medjool dates, coconut butter, and maple syrup and are oh so fudgy good! Because these vegan black bean brownies are made with high fiber, protein-rich, wholesome ingredients, they are considered whole-food plant-based and are nutritious as well as delicious!

To Make Black Bean Brownies You Will Need:

canned black beans (unseasoned and undrained)
Medjool dates
maple syrup
coconut butter
old-fashioned oats
cocoa powder
instant coffee granules
vanilla
baking powder
salt

ingredients for black bean brownies including instant coffee, medjool dates, oats, coconut butter, black beans, vanilla, cocoa powder, vegan chocolate chips, baking powder, maple syrup — Here are all the ingredients you’ll need to make the best vegan black bean brownies.

Looking for More Vegan Treats?

black bean brownie cut on parchment with text overlay — Pin now to save for later

Tips and Tricks for Making Vegan Black Bean Brownies:

Please read through the tips and tricks section because I want to make sure your brownies turn out as fudgy delicious as mine did! There is a handy printable recipe card at the end of this post with the ingredients and directions. The following section gives some pro tips as well as answers to some of your burning questions.

Can I make brownies without eggs?

We can absolutely make brownies without eggs. Some brownies will use ground flax as a substitute and others use a fruit puree. In this recipe, we use the entire can of black beans without draining. The “bean juice” or aquafaba substitutes as the egg.

Are chocolate chips vegan?

No, chocolate chips usually list dairy as an ingredient. BUT – you can easily find vegan chocolate chips if you look for them though. Just read the back of the package and check the ingredient list.

This is a great brand of vegan chocolate chips.

If you are unable to find dairy-free chocolate chips at the grocery store, these are some of my favorite brands I order from Amazon (affiliate links):

How to Make Black Bean Brownies:

Medjool dates, the healthier option:

This recipe uses Medjool dates and real maple syrup as sweeteners. These are both considered whole-food plant-based and are a healthier option than processed sugar. For more information on Medjool dates as well as some great recipes that use Medjool dates as a sweetener, read this article on 13 Surprising Facts About Medjool Dates and How to Cook with Them.

Start out by soaking the pitted Medjool dates in hot water for about 30 minutes. While they are soaking, you can prep the pan, heat the oven, and prepare the dry ingredients.

pitten medjool dates soaking in water in white bowl with pits to the side. — Soak the pitted Medjool dates in hot water for about 30 minutes or until very soft.

Once the dates have soaked and are softened, drain the water and throw it out. You won’t be using the soaking water in this recipe. You will process the soaked dates in a high-speed blender along with the other wet ingredients.

Preparing the pan:

parchment paper in brownie pan — The edges of the parchment paper should hang over the pan. Spray the bottom of the pan so it sticks.

A 9×9 pan is the best size for these brownies (affiliate link).
I line the brownie pan with parchment paper but make sure I leave a little hanging over two opposing sides. That way I can use the paper that is hanging over as a handy tool to lift the brownies out of the pan in one piece.
Measure out how much parchment paper you will need. I measure out about 18 inches – nine for the pan, four for the sides and about four to hang over the two sides.
Roll it up loosely, and then hold up to the pan and cut across so that it will fit.
I spray the pan with cooking spray so that the parchment will stick.
Measure the parchment paper to your pan and cut it to fit.

The dry ingredients:

It is important to mix the dry ingredients together in a dry blender. Make sure to mix them up and process the oats into oat flour before you use the blender for the wet ingredients.

Are black bean brownies gluten-free?

This recipe uses oats rather than flour. It could be technically gluten-free as long as you correctly source your oats. There is a real concern with cross-contamination and not all oats are certified gluten-free. Bob’s Red Mill has certified gluten-free oats (affiliate link).

Why do we use instant coffee powder?

The instant coffee crystals were honestly the game-changer with this recipe. I had made black bean brownies before and was never really a fan. The coffee adds a real richness of flavor. If you do not want to add in coffee, consider adding in a Tablespoon of tahini to add a depth of flavor.

starbucks instant coffee in single serve packet — A single-serve packet provides the correct amount of instant coffee.

The wet ingredients:

After you have processed the dry ingredients, dump them into a medium-large mixing bowl and set aside. Then add the soaked dates, black beans, maple syrup and vanilla to the blender.
Do not drain the black beans. Just add in the whole can, juices and all! This will help to make the brownies moist and acts as an egg replacer.
You will need to use the tamper that came with your blender to push down the ingredients. It will be quite thick when finished.
Using a rubber spatula, scrape out the blended black bean mixture into the dry ingredients.

spoonful of batter for black bean brownies — As you can see, the processed wet ingredients are very thick.

Then, along with the chocolate chips, mix everything up by hand until mixed well.

Baking the black bean brownies:

Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Pro tip: sprinkle a handful of chocolate chips on top for a finished look.

chips sprinkled on top of uncooked brownies in pan — For a pro finished look, sprinkle some vegan chips on top of your brownies before baking.

Bake for 15-18 minutes. You will know when the brownies are done because they will be somewhat dry and solid to the touch.
Take out of the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.

Using the parchment paper hanging over the side, gently lift the brownies in one piece and allow to finish cooling on a rack.

black bean brownies cooling on rack out of pan — After about 10 minutes of cooling in the pan, carefully lift the brownies out of the pan and continue cooling on the rack.

Cut the brownies into 12 even pieces. These will continue to get more solid as they cool. I
f you are short on time, you can always stick the pan in the refrigerator for quicker cooling.

three black bean brownies on white plate with glass of oat milk behind — These black bean brownies are very rich and go well with a glass of your favorite plant-milk.

The Recipe for Vegan Black Bean Brownies:

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