Recipe for Black Bean Brownies – Gluten Free Black Bean Brownies? Are these even something actually worth eating, much less going to the trouble of making? Yes! YES.
Of course I certainly do realize the idea of mashing black beans into gluten free brownie batter sounds like it could be a recipe for double disaster. I mean, when it comes to baking conventional recipes like brownies it is often hard to push the envelope too far with too many “outside of the box” ideas. But trust me, black bean brownies are to die for.
And since brownies are not really expected to rise the way a cake should, they happen to be particularly well-suited to going gluten free. I’ve actually revamped the recipe for my black bean brownies several times in the past using different types of flour and I have found sorghum flour to be the tastiest. Sorghum is a high-fiber, ancient gluten free grain that has a very mild, sweet taste.
Gluten Free Black Bean Brownies Are Super Low in Sugar
Believe it or not, the only wee bit of refined sugar in my black bean brownies comes from the small amount found in the 1/3 cup dairy free chocolate chips—I like the “Enjoy Life” dairy free chocolate chip brand best, by the way. The brownies are sweetened primarily with whole fruit in the form of bananas, prunes (a super good source of plant-based iron!) and a small amount of coconut palm sugar, which is an unrefined sugar, so it still has some nutrients.
SuperFood Oil Gives Black Bean Brownies a Super Antioxidant Boost
In past I made my black bean brownies with organic extra virgin coconut oil but after discovering the amazing nutrition and culinary benefits of unrefined red palm oil I have started using this superfood substitute more and more frequently in my dessert recipes, including my revamped black bean brownie recipe below. If you have not yet heard of unrefined red palm oil, you will soon. It packs a grander overall nutrient and antioxidant punch than coconut oil and although it can not withstand heat quite as well as coconut oil, it resists oxidation better than the other healthy oils, including olive oil. Unrefined red palm oil is astonishingly high in antioxidants vitamins E and vitamin A and contains a broad spectrum of phytonutrients, including lycopene. It is completely different than the environment-damaging and health-harming refined palm oil used in many processed foods though, so if you decide to use it, be sure you know what you are looking for! Read more about how to buy nutrient-dense and environmentally friendly unrefined red palm oil HERE. (Unrefined red palm oil can be purchased online at Amazon HERE.)
What if you can’t find unrefined red palm oil for the black bean brownie recipe? No worries, organic extra virgin coconut oil works just fine.
Black Bean Brownie Glaze Option
Oh! And if you want a glaze for your brownies check out the glaze recipe I used for my donuts HERE (Note: Look at #6 on the recipe card instructions for the directions on how to make the glaze.)
Kitchen Favorites
To Die For Gluten Free Black Bean Brownies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
Ingredients
- 18 prunes
- 1 banana (cut into pieces)
- 2 organic (pastured eggs)
- 1 cup canned black beans (rinsed and drained (Note: Look for BPA-free canned beans))
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
- ½ cup unrefined red palm oil (or organic extra virgin coconut oil)
- ½ cup raw cacao powder
- 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sorghum flour
- 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8 x 8-inch glass baking dish with oil.
- Place a small sauce pan on the stove top, add the prunes and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and cook prunes for 3 minutes. Turn the heat off and let prunes sit in the water for 5 minutes. Drain water and set prunes aside.
- To a high-speed blender, add the softened prunes, banana, eggs, beans, pure vanilla extract, coconut palm sugar and oil; process on high for 1 full minute, or until ingredients are well blended. Set mixture aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together the cacao powder and sorghum flour. Stir in the wet ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes clean. Remove brownies from oven and set aside to cool before cutting. Note: Brownies taste best when slightly warm.
Last Step! If you loved our recipe, leave us a review below. This helps future recipe makers and ensures continued high-quality recipes for years to come!
Notes
Brownies taste best when slightly warm.
Jennifer
Monday 28th of August 2017
Hi Ivy, I just discovered your blog and really love reading it. Thank you for sharing. Can i replace prunes with dates in this recipe? Thank you! Jen
Ivy Larson
Monday 28th of August 2017
Hi Jen! I am so happy you found us and thrilled to know you like the blog =) And yes, I think prunes would work great. I have made a few recipes with prunes before and I seem to have better luck if I soak them in hot water for about 5 minutes before adding them to a recipe, so you might want to try that? Please be sure to let me know how they turn out!