Skinny Black Bean Brownies
Recipes for black bean brownies have been floating around for years, but I never got around to making them until yesterday. I guess, deep down I had a hard time believing that a dessert made from black beans could taste good.
But, yesterday, I was looking for a quick and easy low fat dessert to satisfy a chocolate craving, thought of the brownie mix sitting in the pantry, and decided to give them a whirl.
After some searching I decided to go with Gina from SkinnyTaste’s recipe for Black Bean Brownies, that she posted way back in 2008, and that I tweaked only slightly. (Many of the recipes I looked at call for using the black beans with their liquid; I liked that Gina used rinsed black beans and a little water instead.)
A Low Fat Brownie Made with Black Beans
Boy, was I pleasantly surprised. The brownies turned out rich and fudgy with no hint of black bean flavor or texture. And they are low fat and high in fiber and protein. I think one key is to puree the heck out of the brownies in a food processor or blender until they become a silky smooth puree. (This is when my Vitamix 
I calculated the nutrition and points information with a 20 ounce package of Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix and 15 ounce can of Sprouts black beans and came up with 139 calories and 4 WW PointsPlus Value for each small brownie.
There are lots of different recipes for black bean brownies – both from scratch and using a mix – out there. I’ve included a collection of those I think look best at the end of this post.
| Skinny Black Bean Brownies Recipe |
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans
- 1 box (around 20 ounces) chocolate brownie mix
- 1 heaping teaspoon instant coffee powder (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- Position an oven rack in the center and preheat your oven according to the instructions on the box of brownie mix. Spray your baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Open the can of beans, drain and rinse well.
- Put beans back in the can and fill the can with water.
- Put beans, water, coffee and cinnamon (if using) in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- In a large bowl, mix together the pureed beans and dry brownie mix.
- Spread the brownie mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake the pan of brownies according to package directions.
- Cool and cut into 20 brownies.
Nutritional Estimates Per Serving (1 brownie): 139 calories, 3 g fat, 26 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein
I baked these in a 9-inch square pan at 325 for 45 minutes and they turned out perfectly.
These brownies need to be completely cool before eating. They improve after sitting overnight.
Ghiardelli Brownie Mix & Black Beans
More Black Bean Brownie Recipes
Amazing Black Bean Brownies – These look delicious and may be great for those eating Gluten free since they contain no flour, but with 1 cup of butter and 4 eggs in the recipe, these are far from Fat Free. Found at 101 Cookbooks.
Low Fat Vegan Black Bean Brownies – a super healthy variation I plan to try real soon made with black beans, bananas, cocoa powder and oats. Each brownie has just 85 calories and 2 WW Points+ from the Happy Herbivore.
Weight Watchers Black Bean Brownies – a from scratch variation with 4 WW Points+ found at Weight Watchers.
Easy Black Bean Brownies – Two variations that look that easy and delicious found at Best Ever Cookie Collection
Here’s a video demonstrating how to make black bean brownies with a brownie mix:
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