1-Bowl Crazy-Healthy Black Bean Brownies with Pistachios
1-Bowl Crazy-Healthy Black Bean Brownies with Pistachios is a chocolatey, gluten-free dessert made with aquafaba that’ll take you to your happy place!
Don’t you love it when you know you’ve landed on a unique and tasty combo of thoughtful, healthier, dessert ingredients? In addition to being better-for-you brownies, these can be mixed in one food processor container or bowl, so cleanup is minimal!
Ever so chocolatey, 1-Bowl Crazy-Healthy Black Bean Brownies are made with such wholesome ingredients that you could eat some for breakfast. And bonus, you can mindfully enjoy these gluten-free sweet treats without tipping the scale an ounce.
Better still, due to the nutrition-packed ingredients, you get to know that you’re doing your wellness a favor rather than harm by choosing this thoughtful, aquafaba, treat.
We know what you may be thinking about the idea of including black beans in your brownies. Trust us, when we first heard of this ingredient idea, we were right there too. But then we tasted and the rest, as they say, is history!
Our 1-Bowl Crazy-Healthy Black Bean Brownies travel well, so they’re perfect to pop in a lunchbox. And when you experience firsthand how incredibly moist these brownies manage to remain – well, it’s genuinely inspiring. You may never look at a can of beans the same. No kidding. Just think, you can check off a box on Dr. Greger’s daily dozen by eating a brownie or two. (Say what?)
Why is using black beans as a brownie base such a good idea? Here are just a few of the benefits of including black beans in your diet!
Five Noteworthy Facts & Benefits of Black Beans
- Black beans may help strengthen bones thanks to their generous measure of minerals.
- Because of their fiber content, black beans help to prevent constipation.
- Black beans are naturally low in sodium and contain potassium, calcium, and magnesium. All of these have been found to decrease blood pressure naturally.
- They’re high in nutrients but comparatively low in calories.
- Black beans contain quercetin and saponins which can protect the heart.
To read more visit this article published by Medical News Today.
How AWESOME Do 1-Bowl Crazy-Healthy Black Bean Brownies with Pistachios Taste?
Well, these brownies are creamy, decadently rich, full of flavor, totally chocolaty, perfectly sweet, super easy to make, pretty darn healthy, and genuinely delicious!
Be sure to Pin this recipe for safe keeping and Pin it to share this plant-based vegan goodness with the rest of the world! The fact that these brownies are made with beans and aquafaba is pretty special – your friends on social media will love it – so share away!
And if you haven’t already done so, join in and follow VEEG on Pinterest to keep the plant-based, vegan and gluten-free inspiration coming your way!
Happy eating!
Check Out These Chocolatey Plant-Based, Vegan and Gluten-Free Dessert Favorites!
- Chocolate Crunch Cookie
- Date-Sweetened Chocolate Pistachio Bites
- Pumpkin Power Breakfast Worthy Cookies
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
- Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
1-Bowl Crazy-Healthy Black Bean Brownies with Pistachios
- 10Prep:
- 30Cook Time:
- Yield: 16 Servings
Would you appreciate a kick-booty chocolatey aquafaba recipe that requires 1-bowl for minimal cleanup? We sure do, and we bet you do, too! These 1-Bowl Crazy-Healthy Black Bean Brownies deliver on more than ease; they’re a treat that’s arguably good for you! Plant-based, vegan, oil-free, naturally gluten-free, and dairy-free deliciousness, that’s what these are! We use more than beans in this recipe; we even make use of the bean juice or aquafaba. The aquafaba helps keep these brownies moist.
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, drained, and liquid, aquafaba, reserved (or about 1 1/2 cups of home cooked beans) - We like to purchase this organic brand in bulk to keep our pantry stocked.
- one packed cup of pitted Medjool dates or about 12 Medjool dates - We often purchase organic Medjool dates in large quantities to save money!
- 4 tbsp of the reserved aquafaba
- 2 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup of raw cacao powder - Cocoa powder will also work in this recipe.
- 3/4 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats - Use gluten-free oats if needed.
- 1 tsp of baking powder
- 1/2 tsp of baking soda
- a pinch of pink Himalayan salt or another salt - We used about 1/8 to 1/4 tsp of salt, and we often purchase this band in bulk.
- 1/3 cup of shelled pistachios, chopped
- optional 1/4 cup of cacao nibs or vegan mini semisweet chocolate pieces
Instructions
- Begin by preheating the oven to 350° F and line an eight or 9-inch square baking pan or small rectangular baking dish with parchment paper. Alternatively, you could also opt to use a silicone cake pan like these. The shape of the container doesn't matter. You can even bake your brownies in a circle-shaped cake pan if that floats your boat. Just be sure that the brownies are not too thick, or you'll need to increase the baking time.
- In a food processor combine the beans, dates, reserved aquafaba, and lemon juice or vinegar. Once the date mixture is smooth, add in the raw cacao powder, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Process just until combined. Stop to push ingredients down from the sides as needed.
- Spread the very thick batter into the prepared baking pan using a wet spatula and clean, damp hands to even it out as you go. Sprinkle with pistachios and chocolate pieces, if using. Gently pat the topping down just a bit and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes.
- Allow your brownies to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. And once they're completely cool, slice and serve. As an added level of decadence, sprinkle your baked brownies with a few flecks of pink Himalayan sea salt - oh, my!
Notes
- This recipe creates a thick type of batter. But if your mixture appears to be a little too dense or dry to press into your pan, add a bit more of the reserved aquafaba.
- When making these delicious brownies, the tasty balance of half lemon juice and half vinegar creates a delightful flavor. However, if you don't have fresh lemons on hand, then, by all means, use all vinegar. And if you don't have any apple cider vinegar, or cannot consume vinegar, then use 100% lemon juice. And while you may opt to switch out the type of vinegar, do know that the nutrients and taste may then adjust a bit, too.
- Here are a few more of our favorite healthy-ish, chocolatey, plant-based, oil-free, and gluten-free dessert recipes you will enjoy: Vegan Baked Chocolate Chip Skillet Scones • Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Hazelnuts • Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cookies • Chocolate Elvis Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
Nutrition
% DV
- Total Fat 3.2 g 5 %
- Saturated Fat 0.9 g 5 %
- Cholesterol 0 mg 0 %
- Sodium 111.2 mg 5 %
- Carbohydrates 20.7 g 7 %
- Fiber 3.5 g 14 %
- Sugar 9.4 g ---
- Protein 3.5 g 7 %
- Vitamin A 0 %
- Vitamin C 1 %
- Iron 8 %
- Calcium 4 %
1-Bowl Crazy-Healthy Black Bean Brownies with Pistachios
BY VEEG.CO
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, drained, and liquid, aquafaba, reserved (or about 1 1/2 cups of home cooked beans) - We like to purchase this organic brand in bulk to keep our pantry stocked.
- one packed cup of pitted Medjool dates or about 12 Medjool dates - We often purchase organic Medjool dates in large quantities to save money!
- 4 tbsp of the reserved aquafaba
- 2 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup of raw cacao powder - Cocoa powder will also work in this recipe.
- 3/4 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats - Use gluten-free oats if needed.
- 1 tsp of baking powder
- 1/2 tsp of baking soda
- a pinch of pink Himalayan salt or another salt - We used about 1/8 to 1/4 tsp of salt, and we often purchase this band in bulk.
- 1/3 cup of shelled pistachios, chopped
- optional 1/4 cup of cacao nibs or vegan mini semisweet chocolate pieces
Instructions
- Begin by preheating the oven to 350° F and line an eight or 9-inch square baking pan or small rectangular baking dish with parchment paper. Alternatively, you could also opt to use a silicone cake pan like these. The shape of the container doesn't matter. You can even bake your brownies in a circle-shaped cake pan if that floats your boat. Just be sure that the brownies are not too thick, or you'll need to increase the baking time.
- In a food processor combine the beans, dates, reserved aquafaba, and lemon juice or vinegar. Once the date mixture is smooth, add in the raw cacao powder, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Process just until combined. Stop to push ingredients down from the sides as needed.
- Spread the very thick batter into the prepared baking pan using a wet spatula and clean, damp hands to even it out as you go. Sprinkle with pistachios and chocolate pieces, if using. Gently pat the topping down just a bit and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes.
- Allow your brownies to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. And once they're completely cool, slice and serve. As an added level of decadence, sprinkle your baked brownies with a few flecks of pink Himalayan sea salt - oh, my!
Notes
- This recipe creates a thick type of batter. But if your mixture appears to be a little too dense or dry to press into your pan, add a bit more of the reserved aquafaba.
- When making these delicious brownies, the tasty balance of half lemon juice and half vinegar creates a delightful flavor. However, if you don't have fresh lemons on hand, then, by all means, use all vinegar. And if you don't have any apple cider vinegar, or cannot consume vinegar, then use 100% lemon juice. And while you may opt to switch out the type of vinegar, do know that the nutrients and taste may then adjust a bit, too.
- Here are a few more of our favorite healthy-ish, chocolatey, plant-based, oil-free, and gluten-free dessert recipes you will enjoy: Vegan Baked Chocolate Chip Skillet Scones • Vegan & Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Hazelnuts • Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cookies • Chocolate Elvis Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
Leave a Comment
Comments
This sounds delicious. I can’t wait to make it for girls night tonight! Are the nutritional facts including the optional cocoa nibs/vegan mini semsweets?
Great question, Tricia – so glad you asked! The nutritional info at the bottom of this recipe includes the use of vegan chocolate chips. The cacao nibs are not included in the count because they were not in the batch that we photographed.
When you add the oats and rest of ingredients to the food processor you say to process “just until we’ll combined”. That leaves the oats mostly whole. Is that right? Or should they be mostly ground?
I have no idea as to why this response did not show up when it was posted, so here I’ll give it another go – it could be a matter of preference, Letizia, but we enjoy the bit of chew that occurs by leaving the oats a little bulky and rugged. If we had intended the oats to become fine like a milled flour before incorporating them, we would have instructed to grind them first, separately.
Thank you for asking, and sure hope that helps.
made these and went with oats processed into oat flour, since i wasn’t sure what was required like the other commenter (another recipe i’ve made called for oat flour). also used deglet noor dates.
maybe i shouldve baked them longer, but they were still quite soft after 35 minutes in the oven and time cooling. to be honest, it’s my least favorite wfpb brownie i’ve made, mostly because of texture. can/will still eat them, they’re not too bad but i can resist them…never been able to do that with other recipes.
Thanks for sharing your brownie experience, Gigi. Since the recipe says to add the oats to the food processor and mix until just combined, oat flour is not intended, which makes the texture a bit chunkier, also intentional.
After learning about the digestive benefits of whole oats compared with ground oats, I’ve experimented with leaving them mostly intact. These brownies are low sugar, low fat, and made with oats and beans, which admittedly, is a pretty healthy kind of reach for a brownie.
Hello, what should be the ideal consistency of the final batter? (Wet sand, dry playdough, something else…?)
Great question, Regina and thank you for asking. The batter consistency turns out to be pretty thick since there is very little liquid included in the ingredients.
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[…] Aquafaba from just about any legume will do, though chickpea water generally works best. You probably wouldn’t want to use black bean water in a delicately flavored macaron, for example, but definitely give it a try in Black Bean Brownies. […]