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Home » Recipes » Healthy Vegan Dessert Recipes

Modified: Feb 23, 2021 · Published: Jun 30, 2020 by Jim Mee Sha · This post may contain affiliate links · 29 Comments

Fudgy Vegan Black Bean Brownies with Dates

Jump to Recipe

These super fudgy & decadent vegan black bean brownies are naturally sweetened with dates, healthy & gluten-free ! A really great healthy dessert to have.

A close up shot of 2 black bean date brownies stacked on top of one other, with another one leaning onto them.

This might sound unexpected, but black beans are actually a really great base for brownies ! Thanks to their mushy texture, these brownies are super rich and decadent tasting, yet is healthy, high protein and sugar-free as they are date sweetened.

So, are you ready to bake yet ? Read on !

Jump to:
  • 🥜What you will need
  • 📓Notes / Substitutions
  • 🔪How to make
  • 🍦How to serve
  • ❔Commonly asked questions
  • 🍽 More healthy vegan desserts
  • 📖 Recipe

🥜What you will need

Ingredients needed to make vegan black bean brownies.

📓Notes / Substitutions

  • Both canned black beans or black beans made from scratch can be used.
  • Any kinds of plant based milk works well in this recipe. You can even substitute it with water instead.
  • Make this gluten-free by using certified gluten-free rolled oats.
  • Peanut butter can be substituted with almond butter, hazelnut butter or cashew butter.
  • To make this nut-free, use tahini, pumpkin seed butter or sunflower seed butter in place of peanut butter.

🔪How to make

If your dates are dry, start by soaking them in boiling hot water for 20 minutes to soften them up. Skip this if your dates are fresher and moist.

Preheat oven to 180 c / 300 F. Lightly grease or line a 8x8 square baking pan.

In a food processor, place in rolled oats and blend until a flour like consistency forms, about 30 seconds.

Oat flour in a food processor.

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Place the rest of the ingredients and blend until a smooth batter forms. Feel free to stir in some vegan chocolate chips.

Blending all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Transfer the batter to the baking pan. Using the back of a spoon or spatula, smooth out the batter. Optionally, top it with more chocolate chips.

Bake it in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out fairly clean. A few crumbs left is generally ok.

Brownies before and after baking.

Let the vegan black bean brownies cool to room temperature in the pan before slicing into it and enjoy !

🍦How to serve

These black bean brownies with dates taste pretty amazing on their own, but here are a few more ideas on how to serve them !

  • Drizzle on a generous amount of of nut butter, like this coconut almond butter.
  • Pair it with a scoop of your favorite vegan ice-cream.
  • Serve them alongside some fresh fruits like sliced bananas and berries.
  • Oh, and did I mentioned that these vegan black bean brownies can be served for breakfast too ?! To make them more filling, you can serve them with a side of yogurt and granola.

❔Commonly asked questions

Are they gluten-free ?

Yes, these black bean brownies are naturally gluten-free. But if you have a gluten sensitivity, use certified gluten-free oats as cross contamination might occur in oats during harvesting or processing.

Are all chocolate chips vegan ?

No, as some chocolate chips contain milk or other dairy products. Do read the ingredient label and look out for ingredients such as milk or milk powder, whey or milk fat.

There are some really great vegan chocolate chips in the market, though. I especially like this enjoy life semi sweet chocolate chips.

Should you let brownies cool before slicing ?

Yes, this is a must if you want to cleanly cut your brownies. Give it ample time to set, for at least 30 minutes, before slicing and removing it from the pan. Plus, it will taste so much better as the flavors will develop further will cooling !

Are these brownies freezable ?

You can definitely freeze these vegan black bean brownies for up to 3 months. To do so, store brownie slices in a sealed container, and do line each layer with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together.

To reheat, let them thaw at room temperature for a few hours. You can then enjoy them cold, or warm them up in the microwave / oven if you prefer the brownies to be warm.

An overhead shot of black bean brownies slices.

🍽 More healthy vegan desserts

  • Fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies
  • Vegan Sweet Potato Oatmeal Muffins
  • Peanut Butter Chickpea Blondies
  • Dark Chocolate Dessert Hummus
  • Coconut Matcha Protein Balls

📖 Recipe

A close up shot of 2 brownies stacked on top of one another.

Sugar-free Vegan Black Bean Brownies

Meesha
These super fudgy & decadent vegan black bean brownies are naturally sweetened with dates, healthy & gluten-free ! A really great healthy dessert to have.
4.98 from 39 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 16 brownies
Calories 153 kcal

Equipment

  • 8x8 square baking pan
  • Mixing bowl
  • food processor

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup rolled / quick oats ( use gluten-free oats if necessary )
  • 2 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed ( about 3 cups cooked )
  • 1 ½ cups dates ( about 260 g )
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ cup peanut butter ( or other nut / seed butter )*
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ cup plant based milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
  • chocolate chips to top
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions
 

  • If your dates are dry, start by soaking them in boiling hot water for 20 minutes to soften them up. Skip this if your dates are fresher and moist.
  • Preheat oven to 180C/ 350F. Lightly grease or line a 8x8 square baking pan.
  • In a food processor, place in rolled oats and blend until a flour like consistency forms, about 30 seconds.
  • Place the rest of the ingredients and blend until a smooth batter forms. Feel free to stir in some chocolate chips.
  • Transfer the batter to the baking pan. Using the back of a spoon or spatula, smooth out the batter. Optionally, top it with more chocolate chips.
  • Bake it in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out fairly clean. A few crumbs left is generally ok.
  • Let the vegan black bean brownies cool to room temperature in the pan before slicing into it and enjoy !

Notes

* Peanut butter can be substituted with almond butter, hazelnut butter or cashew butter. To make this nut-free, use tahini, pumpkin seed butter or sunflower seed butter in place of peanut butter.
Store leftover in the fridge for up to 4 days. The brownies can also be frozen for up to 3 months.  To do so, store brownie slices in a sealed container, and do line each layer with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together.

To reheat, let them thaw at room temperature for a few hours. You can then enjoy them cold, or warm them up in the microwave / oven if you prefer the brownies to be warm.
 

Save this recipe!

Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.

Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.

Nutrition

Calories: 153kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 6gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 96mgPotassium: 296mgFiber: 5gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 3IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.

Did you make this recipe ?Tag @myplantifulcooking on Instagram !

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Comments

    4.98 from 39 votes (39 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Wally says

    September 24, 2024 at 1:05 pm

    180c is 350 F not 300 so if people are finding it's not baking in the right time it's probably because they're baking it at 300f when it should be 350f.

    Reply
    • Jim Mee Sha says

      October 04, 2024 at 1:29 pm

      Thanks for spotting that mistake! I will make the changes now.

      Reply
  2. Bpb says

    April 20, 2024 at 7:40 pm

    These look great! How long would you recommend baking them for a 9x13" pan? I would like thinner and larger brownies

    Reply
    • Jim Mee Sha says

      April 23, 2024 at 5:45 pm

      I would check on the brownies 10 minutes earlier, baking longer if needed!

      Reply
  3. Kathia says

    September 20, 2023 at 7:36 pm

    I've made them yesterday and they are just delicious! I'm saving this recipe! It's healthy, very simple to make and absolutely 5 stars for all my family ! (My kids didn't notice the beans, The balance is perfect!) Thank you so much for sharing it !

    Reply
    • Jim Mee Sha says

      September 21, 2023 at 9:10 am

      Am so happy to hear that! Thanks for your kind comment.😁

      Reply
  4. ACC says

    March 20, 2023 at 7:36 am

    Do you think this would work with reconstituted pb2 powder?

    Reply
  5. Janet says

    February 25, 2023 at 1:32 pm

    I baked at 350 for 35 minutes and it hasn’t really baked. The brownie is still very batter like. How much longer can I bake them?

    Reply
    • Meesha says

      February 27, 2023 at 2:09 pm

      Sorry for the late reply. The brownies will usually harden up as it cools, so you don't need to increase the baking time. Let me know if you have any more questions!

      Reply
    • Flo says

      August 18, 2023 at 11:02 am

      I had trouble getting them baked at the recipe temperature for the time indicated. I had to put them back in for 5-10 minutes increments about four times. Any help here??

      Reply
      • Jim Mee Sha says

        August 21, 2023 at 10:03 am

        The brownies will be soft once it is out of the oven, but will firm up upon cooling. 😁

  6. Erin says

    March 03, 2022 at 9:41 pm

    Hi if I already have Oat flour, is it still one cup?

    Reply
    • Meesha says

      March 04, 2022 at 7:07 am

      Yes, it will still be a cup, but do not pack the flour in!😁 Or, I recommend weighing it out. 1 cup oat flour = 90g. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  7. Lyly Nguyen says

    August 03, 2021 at 12:36 pm

    for the nutrition portion is it one brownie?

    NUTRITION
    Calories: 153kcal
    Carbohydrates: 24g
    Protein: 6g
    Fat: 5g
    Saturated Fat: 1g
    Sodium: 96mg
    Potassium: 296mg
    Fiber: 5g
    Sugar: 10g
    Vitamin A: 3IU
    Vitamin C: 1mg
    Calcium: 56mg
    Iron: 1mg

    Reply
    • Meesha says

      August 03, 2021 at 1:34 pm

      Yes, it is!

      Reply
    • Donna says

      October 31, 2021 at 8:49 am

      Hi, I love this recipe , but there is one issue. I find the batter very thick. I used my food processor and it burned it out with the batter being so thick. I transferred it to my vitamix , but this is not the best to use either. What type of food processor are you using? I added a little more almond milk, but that didn’t really help. It’s a very thick batter. Thank you

      Reply
      • Meesha says

        November 01, 2021 at 10:29 am

        I am using the brand Magimix for my food processor, and it blend really well. As this is a bean based recipe, it tends to be quite thick.😅

      • Stephanie says

        July 24, 2022 at 2:42 am

        This happened to me, too. 🙁

  8. Sheetal says

    February 28, 2021 at 6:45 am

    We don’t like dates, can I substitute coconut sugar?

    Reply
    • meesha says

      February 28, 2021 at 4:05 pm

      Yes, I think it will work ! You might need to reduce the amount of milk used. 😊

      Reply
      • Elizabeth says

        April 02, 2021 at 4:06 am

        How many servings does it make?

      • meesha says

        April 02, 2021 at 7:41 pm

        About 16 brownies 🙂

  9. Laureen says

    February 27, 2021 at 3:45 am

    5 stars
    Made these last night at the last minute. Common ingredients, super easy to prepare, and so good! Very moist, and would probably trick non-vegans 🙂 Will definitely be making these again!

    Reply
  10. Christine says

    December 04, 2020 at 4:58 am

    Looks yummy! Thanks for sharing! You listed two different bake temperatures. Is it 180 or 150c?

    Reply
    • meesha says

      December 04, 2020 at 3:15 pm

      Sorry about the confusion ! It is supposed to be 180c 🙂

      Reply
      • Jyoti says

        October 31, 2021 at 8:37 pm

        It was very hard to blend , is the recipe correct as it calls for 2 cans of 15 oz beans??

      • Meesha says

        November 01, 2021 at 10:25 am

        Yes, as this is a bean based recipe, the mixture will be quite thick. It is normal and yes, you will need 2 cans of beans. 😁

  11. CT says

    November 16, 2020 at 9:15 pm

    5 stars
    Simple ingredients, easy to follow instructions and they came great! Only thing I would do different is give them another name - for introducing to friends. I loved them and plan to make them again.

    Reply
    • meesha says

      November 16, 2020 at 9:25 pm

      I am really glad you like them ! Haha yes probably just dont mention about the black beans. 🤣

      Reply
A headshot of Mee Sha leaning on a handrail.

Hi, nice to meet you! I am Mee Sha, a final-year dietetic student passionate about nutrition, cooking, and food. This blog was created to share my favorite plant-powered recipe!

More about me →

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