‘Tis the season. The Holiday Baking with Beans Season, that is! If you’ve landed on this page, there is a good chance the concept of black bean brownies is already familiar to you. But have you tried Fudgy Peppermint Black Bean Brownies yet? They are perfect for holiday baking and sharing healthier – and still delicious – treats with family and friends. Plus, it’s always fun and earns you LOTS of cool points to say you bake with beans, trust me. 😉
Fudgy Peppermint Black Bean Brownies
Course: DessertsDifficulty: Easy6-8
servings5
minutes15
minutesBlack bean brownies are always a fantastic idea. But if you’re looking to ring in the season, these Fudgy Peppermint Black Bean Brownies are the way to go!
Ingredients
1.5 cups cooked black beans (=1 15-oz. can)
60 g (~1/2 cup) oats (dry)
120 g (1/2 cup) maple syrup
2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbs milk of choice
A pinch of salt, to taste (if using salted beans, you will likely need less salt)
1/2 cup chocolate chips or chunks, or to taste – OR use chocolate mints in the batter
Chocolate mints (like Andes chocolate mints, not a hard chocolate peppermint candy), to top
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (~175 degrees C).
- Drain and rinse beans very well.
- Blend oats in a food processor or high-speed blender to the consistency of flour. Or be lazy like I often am and skip this step (assuming you have a high-powered blender that works smashingly) and just dump the oats in with the rest of the ingredients in the next step. However, blending the oats first can help.
- Add all other ingredients (beans, maple syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, baking powder, milk, and salt) except the chocolate and process until smooth. Scrape down the sides as necessary. If it is not blending well, add a tablespoon or two of milk of your choice to help it along. There are no raw eggs or flour, so you may want to taste the batter and decide how much salt to add.
- When the batter is smooth, scoop it out of the blender and place in a bowl. The batter will be very thick – that’s okay! Add the regular chocolate and stir in (do not puree with other ingredients). As indicated in the ingredient list above, you could use chocolate mints in the batter, if you prefer.
- Spray a muffin tin, mini loaf pan, or 8×8 baking dish. Transfer batter to the baking vessel. If using a muffin tin, this will make 6 to 8 brownies, depending on how large you want them.
- Baking time will vary based on your vessel and oven. Bake until the center has set and the edges are firm (about 22 minutes for an 8×8 baking dish or 15-18 minutes in a muffin tin). Remove from the oven and immediately top with chopped chocolate mints so the carryover heat melts them. Let the brownies sit for several minutes to cool slightly before removing from the pan.
- Enjoy! Store extras in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Warm them slightly in the microwave before eating if desired to enjoy melty chocolate.
Notes
- In addition to topping with chocolate mints, you can also replace some or all of the chocolate in the batter with chocolate mints.
- Instead of oats, you could use 1/3 cup of oat flour.
I have a terrible but true confession to make. I hate the chocolate mint combo. Like, really despise it. Because who in their right mind would combine chocolate and toothpaste? However, I know I am often outnumbered by the opposing opinion that thinks this is a match made in food heaven. So, I created this recipe for all of you. If that doesn’t show commitment and love, then what will?
Black Bean Brownies and Baking with Beans
Baking with beans is the best! Check out my recipes for Chocolate Chunk Black Bean Brownies with Cherries and Toasted Pecans and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Bean Blondies. Or Google other recipes and websites. I won’t hold it against you, I promise – I’ll be too thrilled that you are baking with beans, no matter the recipe source!
Also, fun fact: this is one of the recipes in the 2022 Bean Appetit calendar I created as part of my PhD project with Colorado State University Extension! Baking with beans being part of my PhD project (albeit a small part) = solid proof that I chose the right topic.
Fantastic! I’ll be trying these right away.
Thank you for the positive feedback! I would love to hear what you think. Happy healthy baking with beans!
We LOVE beans!
I’m on that page!!
In the recipe for fudgy.mint brownies.you used oats. Didyou mean oatmeal? If not then what did you mean?
Hello, Linda! Sorry if that was not clear – I mean dry oats or dry oatmeal (I use the words oats and oatmeal interchangeably). You could use dry instant or dry old-fashioned oats/oatmeal.