Killer Kidney Bean Brownies

Prepare to have your mind blown – black bean brownies are good, but these red kidney bean brownies are some of the best bean brownies I have ever had! Decadent and delicious, I still have some leftover in the fridge, yet I’m already excited to make them again.

In fact these brownies were so delectable that they inspired me to remake one of my recipes. You can find that recipe for Chocolate Chunk Black Bean Brownies with Cherries and Toasted Pecans here.

Anyway, that’s right, black bean brownie lovers, it turns out that red kidney beans make absolutely killer brownies. And not just fantastic by a healthier dessert standard, but fantastic by a regular dessert standard.

At the most recent Northarvest Bean Day, I was talking with a bean colleague (the best type of colleague, I think we can all agree), and he mentioned these brownies. I’m used to black bean brownies, and I was so intrigued that one of the first things I did after getting home was make these kidney bean brownies.

Bean Brownie Video

Red Kidney Bean Brownie Recipe

This is a recipe from Chippewa Valley Bean, and you can find the recipe for Byron’s Fudgy Kidney Bean Brownies on their website, here. In fact, it was Byron who told me about these, and he said his kids like them more than regular brownies. After making these, I can certainly see why!

My husband and I made this video because we loved the brownies so much. No, it’s not sponsored, just wanted to share some fun mind-blowing bean brownie ideas with fellow bean lovers! I’m also including the recipe here, for your convenience, although I would encourage you to check out the great recipes ideas and other information available on Chippewa Valley Bean, too.

Killer Kidney Bean Brownies

Recipe by Legume LadyCourse: DessertsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

9

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Dear Black Bean Brownies,

It’s time to step aside and share the spotlight with these Red Kidney Bean Brownies!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup instant or old-fashioned oats (dry)

• 1 and 1/2 cups red kidney beans (or 1-15 oz. can)

• 1/4 cup peanut butter

• 2 Tbs cocoa powder (unsweetened)

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/3 cup brown sugar (light or dark)

• 2 Tbs white sugar

• 1/4 cup neutral oil, like vegetable oil

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 cup chocolate chunks or chips (or chop up half-ish of a chocolate bar!)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Blitz oats in a high-powered food processor or blender to achieve a consistency more like oat flour.
• Drain and rinse the beans very well.
• Add all ingredients except the chocolate chips/chunks to the blender and puree until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. This is a very thick batter and that is okay! However, if you are really struggling to get it to blend, add about 1 Tbs of milk to help.
• Stir in the chocolate chips/chunks by hand. If this is too hard to do inside the blender/processor, then first transfer the batter to a different bowl.
• Spray/grease an 8×8 pan, a brownie pan, or a muffin tin. For the brownie or muffin pans, this makes about 9 brownies.
• Smooth the tops with a spatula and bake for approximately 12-15 minutes in a brownie/muffin pan or 16-20 minutes in an 8×8 pan.

Recipe Video

In case you’re wondering if I changed the recipe, I more or less followed the recipe as is, except for two things:

1. I used old-fashioned oats and just blitzed them first because I did not have quick oats on hand.
2. I baked them in a brownie bite pan instead of an 8X8 pan because, well, why not?? When you feel compelled to own multiple arguably frivolous pans, you must use them whenever the chance arises to prove they were smart purchase decisions.

Bean Brownies

When making bean brownies, the batter is often very thick. That is okay! They bake up well. Also, if I’m being honest, the batter is delicious eaten directly off the spoon… no baking required.

If you are looking for a bean brownie recipe that uses maple syrup instead of white and brown sugars and no or very little oil, check out these Fudgy Peppermint Black Bean Brownies, or branch out into bean blondies with these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Bean Blondies. Note that they will have a different texture and are not quite as sweet and decadent as these kidney bean brownies.

Or, whip up a delightful batch of Chocolate Chunk Black Bean Brownies with Cherries and Toasted Pecans.