These amazing vegan kidney bean brownies are gooey yet chewy, perfectly sweetened, packed with dark chocolate flavor and also, they are super healthy and rich in fiber! Makes for a great treat that's nutritious and satisfying, plus no one will know they are made with beans! 100% vegan, oil-free and gluten-free.
These kidney bean brownies are simply unbelievable! Just like these buckwheat brownies, they are ultra moist and tender, chewy and fudgy and perfectly sweetened. Also packed with dark chocolate flavor, you will never notice the beans!
The best part? They are as healthy as they are delicious and made with lots of wholesome ingredients, such as kidney beans, rolled oats and almond butter (no butter, no oil). Just like in these vegan truffles made with chickpeas, the kidney beans add a signature chewy bite to the brownies and keep them moist, but the bean's natural mild flavor is completely masked by the cocoa powder.
They really feel and taste like a treat, especially if you serve them with coconut chocolate ice cream, but you won't be able to tell they are actually good for you!
You can whip a batch in minutes and you keep them in the freezer to have some always ready to go. Makes for such an amazing recipe to help you eat more fiber and enjoy treats in a healthy way.
For another chocolate treat, then check out these amazing no-bake peanut butter chocolate oat bars or this easy vegan chocolate loaf cake!
Let me know if you give them a try! ❤️
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❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- Easy one-bowl recipe
- Secretly healthy and rich in fiber
- Low-fat dessert (no oil, no butter)
- Gluten-free (made without flour)
- Packed with dark chocolate flavor
- Vegan, egg-free and dairy-free!
🗒 Ingredients (+ substitutions)
- Kidney beans: you will need 2 cans of red kidney beans to make them. They make the base of the dessert! I haven't tried it, but I think other beans would also work well, especially black beans.
- Rolled oats: I tested this recipe with old-fashioned oats, which gave the brownies such a perfect chewy texture, but quick oats should work too if that's all you have.
- Cocoa powder: Dutch-process cocoa powder or raw cacao powder (less processed) both work.
- Almond butter: you can also use peanut butter, but I think almond butter works a little better as it does not overpower the flavor as much.
- Brown sugar: or use any granulated sugar such as cane sugar or regular white sugar.
- Chocolate chips: I used the vegan dark chocolate chips from the brand Enjoy Life.
⭐️ The complete list of ingredients with quantities is down below in the recipe card!
📝 Variations
- Lower in sugar: you can omit the chocolate chips for a lower-in-sugar recipe.
- Extra add-on: feel free to add a handful of chopped walnuts or almonds if you like crunchy brownies. White chocolate chips, dried cherries, vanilla extract, peanut butter chips or even fresh berries, such as blueberries or chopped strawberries.
- High-protein: adding nuts, hemp seeds or chia seeds to the brownie batter will make them higher in protein, or try adding some plant-based protein powder!
- Sweet and salty combo: you can sprinkle the brownies with coarse salt before baking if you enjoy sweet and salty treats!
🍽 How to make them
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a square pan (8 x 8) with parchment paper.
Process
Rinse and drain well the kidney beans, then transfer them to a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the chocolate chips (oats, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and almond butter).
Process until smooth and uniform. You will have to take 1-2 breaks to stir the batter and help incorporate all the ingredients together. It should be very thick and super sticky, this is normal!
Once done, stir in the chocolate chips and mix them in using a spoon or spatula.
Bake
Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and use your fingers to press it on an even layer in the dish (if too sticky, wet your fingers). You can finish up by pressing on the batter with the bottom of a glass so the surface is more flat and even, then sprinkle more chocolate chips over if you want.
Bake for 25-27 minutes. Let the brownies completely cool down before unmolding and slicing into 9 equal squares. Enjoy!
⭐️ Full recipe down in the recipe card down below!
❗️Baking tips
- The batter is very thick and will be sticky too, but this is expected and try to resist adding extra liquid to the better. If you are struggling to combine the batter with your food processor, then take many breaks to help mix the ingredients to a uniform consistency.
- Make sure the almond butter you use is pourable and not too dry, such as what you get in the bottom of an old jar.
- For a gooey brownie result, then make sure not to overbake them (they should still feel a little soft once out of the oven). For a more chewy bite, then bake them for a few extra minutes.
- Allow for some extra parchment paper to hang on the sides of the baking dish so the whole thing is easy to grab and take out of the pan all at once.
- The brownies will be easier to slice in nice clean squares if they are cooled down properly first. Also, a warm knife (run it under hot water, then dry it) will help slice the brownies.
💡 Storage tips
Keep the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, then transfer to the fridge for up to 5-6 days.
You can also freeze these brownies for up to 3 months! You can pre-slice them, and pile them in a container with a small piece of parchment paper in between so they don't stick together. That way you can grab one square at a time.
When serving, especially if coming straight from the fridge, then you can warm up the brownies in the microwave for a few seconds to make them softer and gooey. Serve with a scoop of vegan ice cream, vegan chocolate frosting or coconut whipped cream for a nice treat!
❓ FAQs
No! The kidney beans are naturally mostly tasteless and almost completely undetectable in these brownies, thanks to the chocolate flavor that really takes over. They add a perfect amount of moisture to make these brownies ultra-fudgy without using eggs or butter.
The brownie should be soft in the center and a toothpick should come out "almost" clean, unless you poke in a melting chocolate chip. A few moist crumbs are what you are looking for, but if there is still quite some wet batter, then bake them for 1-2 minutes extra.
🍫 Vegan chocolate protein dessert recipes you might like
I hope you enjoyed this vegan kidney bean brownie recipe! If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below. Your feedback is so helpful!
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Kidney Bean Brownies (No Flour, Gluten-Free)
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Scale or measuring cups/spoons
- Baking brownie pan
Ingredients
- 2 x 15 oz dark red kidney beans - rinsed and well drained
- ⅔ cup rolled oats (65g.)
- ⅔ cup cane sugar or brown sugar (110g.)
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder or raw cacao powder (50g.)
- ½ cup almond butter (135g.) - peanut butter works too
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup vegan chocolate chips (135g.) - plus more to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a square pan (8 x 8) with parchment paper.
- Rinse the beans and drain well, then transfer to a food processor. Add the oats, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and almond butter, then process until smooth and uniform. You will have to take a few breaks and mix in the batter with a spoon or spatula, then porocess again. The batter will be very thick and sticky, this is normal!
- Add the chocolate chips to the food processor and mix them in using a spoon or spatula.
- Transfer the batter over the prepared baking dish and use your fingers to press into the pan. You can use the bottom of a glass to create an even surface, then garnish with more chocolate chips. Bake for 25-27 minutes, then let the brownies completely cool down in the pan before unmolding (pull on the hanging parchment paper) and slicing into 9 equal squares. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Storage: keep the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, then transfer to the fridge for up to 5-6 days. You can also freeze these brownies for up to 3 months! You can pre-slice them, and pile them in a container with a small piece of parchment paper in between so they don't stick together. That way you can grab one square at a time.
- The batter is very thick and will be sticky too, but this is expected and try to resist adding liquid to the better. If you are struggling to combine the batter with your food processor, then take many breaks to help mix the ingredients to a uniform consistency.
- For a gooey brownie result, then make sure not to overbake them (they should still feel a little soft once out of the oven). For a more chewy bite, then bake them for a few extra minutes.
- The brownies will be easier to slice in nice clean squares if they are cooled down properly first. Also, a warm knife (run it under hot water, then dry it) will help slice the brownies.
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
We love these brownies!!
Hi! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for your comment! 😊