Date-Sweetened Black Bean Brownies Recipe

What Is Date-Sweetened Black Bean Brownies?

These are baked brownies built on black beans blended completely smooth instead of wheat flour, and their sweetness comes from Medjool dates soaked in hot water instead of sugar. The crumb is dense and moist, the cocoa flavor is strong, and chopped walnuts finish the top.

What Makes This Recipe Anti-Inflammatory?

Unsweetened cocoa powder carries flavanols, plant compounds that support the function of blood vessel linings. Black beans add fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria, and their dark skins supply anthocyanins, pigments with antioxidant activity.

Walnuts contribute alpha-linolenic acid, the plant-based omega-3 fatty acid, and extra-virgin olive oil brings oleocanthal, a compound with anti-inflammatory activity. These brownies contain no refined wheat flour, no white sugar in the batter, no butter and no refined seed oils. The only added sugar is the small amount the dark chocolate chips contribute.

Ingredients

• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup packed pitted Medjool dates (about 9 dates)
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (70 percent cacao)

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides so you can lift out the whole block later. Place the pitted dates in a small bowl, cover them with the 1/2 cup boiling water and let them soak for 10 minutes, until they soften and mash easily against the side with a spoon.

Step 2

Drain and rinse the black beans under running water until the water runs clear and stops foaming, which removes the canned taste. Pat them dry with a paper towel.

Step 3

Drain the dates and reserve 2 tablespoons of the soaking water. Combine the beans, dates, eggs, olive oil and vanilla in a food processor and blend for about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides, until the batter is completely smooth with no visible bean skins. This step decides the texture: a grainy batter bakes into a gritty brownie.

Step 4

Add the cocoa powder, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Blend in short bursts until no dry streaks of cocoa remain and the batter is thick and glossy, falling from the spatula in a wide ribbon. If it is too stiff to fall, add the reserved soaking water.

Step 5

Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chips by hand with a spatula, reserving a tablespoon of each for the top. Pour the batter into the pan, smooth it into the corners and scatter the reserved pieces over the surface.

Step 6

Bake for 25 minutes, until the edges are set and pull slightly away from the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, not liquid batter. The center still wobbles a little when you shake the pan and finishes setting as it cools.

Step 7

Cool the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before lifting out the block by the parchment and cutting it into 12 squares. While hot, the crumb has not set and the squares fall apart when cut.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

InflammaScore

2 Good! Very low inflammation potential

Q&A

Q1: Can you taste the black beans?
A1: Not if they are rinsed well and blended long enough. Rinse the beans until the water runs clear to remove the canned taste, then blend the batter until it is completely smooth with no bean skins visible. The cocoa and dates then dominate the flavor.

Q2: What if I only have Deglet Noor dates?
A2: They work, with one adjustment. Deglet Noor dates are smaller and drier than Medjool, so use the same packed weight and soak them in the boiling water for longer, until they mash easily with a spoon. Then continue with the recipe as written.

Q3: Can I make these without a food processor?
A3: Yes, if you have a powerful blender. Work in two batches so the blades can reach everything, and blend longer than the recipe states, until no bean skins remain. A potato masher does not break the beans down enough for a smooth batter.

Q4: How do I store the brownies and how long do they keep?
A4: Keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They also freeze well: cut them into squares first and store them in a freezer bag. Thaw a square at room temperature or warm it briefly before serving.

Q5: Who is this recipe good for?
A5: It suits anyone who wants a chocolate dessert without wheat flour or white sugar in the batter. It also keeps well, so you can make a pan ahead and have a square ready for the week.

One 8-inch pan gives you 12 squares, and they keep in the refrigerator for days. Freeze them cut into squares and thaw one whenever you want a piece.