Fudgey Pumpkin Flourless Black Bean Brownies {Vegan and Gluten Free}
My love for all things sweet and chocolate is no secret. I never say no to dessert and always look forward to the last and *best* course. And that’s probably why most of the recipes of #CearasKitchen are sweet eats. I love dessert and am all for indulging in decadent and rich desserts once in awhile but the fact that I love desserts on the daily means that I need a seriously healthy but equally-as-good-fix. I have some comforting, warming, savory eats planned for the next couple weeks though and can’t wait to share the latest with you! 😀
And if baking brownies with black beans scares you. I get it. I was there. Until I made my White Bean Chocolate Cookie Cups and was sold off to the bean baking world for life. The beans are not detectable in these Flourless Black Bean Brownies whatsoever. I *tested* them on several unsuspecting people just in case my taste buds were somehow tricking me and everybody asked for more. So in the end, baking with beans gives you a protein-packed and healthy dessert you can have seconds of and feel great about. #yesplease
If you’re not convinced I swear this Flourless Black Bean Brownie Dough will convince you. I seriously considered just getting a spoon and not baking these when I tasted this decadent, edible brownie dough. #letsbehonest
Let’s talk about brownies. How do you feel about brownies? Brownies are a sensitive topic in the baking world. Some people swear by cakey brownies and others are all for the fudgey decadent kind. I am not too picky when it comes to brownies (*I never say no to chocolate*) but this week I was particularly craving a fudgey, thick and goooeey brownie. That’s where these Fudgey Pumpkin Flourless Black Bean Brownies come in.
These Fudgey Pumpkin Flourless Black Bean Brownies are:
Fudgey, Thick, Chocolatey, Gooey, Filed with melty chocolate chunks, Sport a wicked crinkly top AND are so healthy they can easily pass as a snack or dessert (or breakfast!). #love
I experimented with pumpkin to make these Fudgey Pumpkin Flourless Black Bean Brownies lower in fat and the results blew my mind. The results are a refined sugar free, butter free, egg free, dairy free, nut free, flour free aka gluten free, vegan and perfectly allergy friendly brownie that you can feel great about nomming down on on the regular. Unless you are allergic to chocolate and in that case I’m truly sorry and there are plenty of dessert recipes free of chocolate on the blog 😀
Happy Bean Baking!
Black Bean Pumpkin Brownies
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 12 1x
Description
These Black Bean Pumpkin Brownies are fudgey, thick, chocolatey, gooey and filled with with melty chocolate chunks and buttery walnuts. Nobody will guess these flour free brownies are made with black beans and are secretly healthy!
Ingredients
- 1 cup small flake, large flake or quick oats
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tbsp instant coffee (optional but recommended)
- 3 cups kidney or black beans (canned or cooked)
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup maple syrup, agave syrup or honey*
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil*
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree*
- 6 tbsp cocoa powder
Mix-Ins
- 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped*
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks or chocolate chips*
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F/180C and grease a 9×9 brownie pan with coconut oil or non-stick spray.
- Blend the oats until they form a “flour” consistency. Blend in the baking soda and sea salt.
- **Rinse the black beans very well and shake off the excess water** This step ensures your brownies do not taste like beans!! 🙂
- Add the instant coffee (optional), rinsed beans, vanilla extract, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, cocoa powder and pumpkin puree to a large mixing bowl or food processor (*see note).
- Blend until all the ingredients are creamy and smooth and the oats are undetectable in the batter.
- Mix in the chocolate chunks and chopped walnuts with a big spoon or spatula.
- Place in pan and spread out with the back of a slightly damp spoon. The batter is thick!
- Bake for 15-25 minutes and leave to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before slicing and serving – Make sure to not over-bake! (*Baking time will depend on your oven and altitude. My brownies are usually ready in about 18 minutes but some readers have commented that their brownies are ready after about 30 minutes. Adjust baking time based on your oven!)
- Reheat later for 30 seconds in the microwave for a warm brownie treat!
Notes
1) This recipe can be made in a bowl with an immersion blender (recommended) or in a regular blender (but the batter is very thick so make sure your blender is strong!).
2) Reheat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds for a warm brownie later in the week.
3) Brownies can be frozen in a sealed container for up to a month or covered and kept in the fridge for up to a week.
4) If you are using home cooked beans make sure that they are well-cooked like canned beans and soft.
*Honey is not for strict vegans
*Replace pumpkin puree with equal parts coconut oil.
*Leave walnuts out for a nut-free recipe
**Update: I ran out of liquid sweetener while baking this the other day and subbed 1/3 cup of the liquid sweetener for 1/2 cup brown cane sugar + 1 tbsp more coconut oil (so 1/3 cup maple syrup + 1/2 cup brown cane sugar + 1 extra tbsp coconut oil)! The results were perfect!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 202
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 308mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
If you do try these Pumpkin Black Bean Brownies any other recipes of mine, I love hearing about it! Insta or Tweet it to me (@cearaskitchen with hashtag #cearaskitchen) or Facebook it to me via the Ceara’s Kitchen Facebook Page! 
