Black Bean Brownies (Banana Version)
Fudgy, chocolatey, no flour, no oil, no nut butter. A ripe banana takes the place of nut butter — it keeps them moist and adds natural sweetness, so you can use less maple syrup too. You'd never guess there's a can of beans in here.
Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and very well rinsed
- 1 large very ripe banana, mashed (the spottier the better)
- 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 Tbsp water (the flax egg)
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup rolled oats (or oat flour)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- Optional: ⅓ cup dairy-free chocolate chips, plus a handful for the top
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment.
- 2
Make the flax egg: stir ground flax and water together in a small bowl and let sit 5 minutes until thickened.
- 3
In a food processor or high-speed blender, blend the rinsed black beans, mashed banana, flax egg, maple syrup, cocoa powder, oats, vanilla, baking powder, and salt until completely smooth — scrape down the sides.
- 4
Fold in chocolate chips if using.
- 5
Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle a handful more chocolate chips on top.
- 6
Bake 22–25 minutes, until the edges look set and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs (not raw batter).
- 7
Cool fully in the pan — this is important. They firm up as they cool.
Notes & tips
- Rinse the beans really well — that's the secret. Any residual canning liquid is what makes a 'bean-y' aftertaste.
- Banana ripeness matters: the riper (and spottier) the banana, the sweeter and more 'invisible' it becomes in the batter.
- Storage: keep covered at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge up to 5 days. They're even fudgier cold.
- Even healthier: skip the chocolate chips and add a handful of chopped walnuts on top.