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These vegan black bean brownies are a delicious and indulgent treat. They contain no added flour or processed sugar! This is the best protein brownies recipe that the whole family will enjoy.
It doesn’t matter if I’m looking for a sweet treat at the end of the day or just coming out of the gym trying to find a snack that will feel like a reward…these vegan black bean brownies do the trick every time!
These incredible Vegan Protein Brownies are meant to be a brownie bite, a sweet and indulgent treat, nothing that should be replacing a meal or anything like that! Keep that in mind when you are dividing them for your portions.
You are probably wondering who would be crazy enough to put beans in a brownie recipe…there’s a method to the madness, I swear! Beans are a slow-digesting carb, which provides energy during your post-workout slump.
The beans in our protein brownies recipe is full of plant-based protein to help you repair and build muscles. Beans are high in fiber to help with feeling full longer and maintaining a healthy weight.
Beans, especially black beans, are a great way to give any recipes a nutrition boost…even a dessert recipe like our protein brownies.
Finally, I include black beans in this protein brownie recipe because they can easily take the place of the non-vegan ingredients that we’d need to finish the recipe.
If you are looking for a gluten free or vegan way to enjoy our high protein brownies: you’ve found it! Our Vegan Protein Brownie Recipe will be one of your new favorite healthy recipes!
Bonus! Each serving of our delicious protein brownies include four grams of protein per serving.
Where’s the Recipe?
Here at My Crazy Good Life we strive to write detailed and helpful recipes for all of our readers. We include clear instructions, recipe tips and tricks, healthy eating plan points, as well as nutritional information.
If you are ready to start cooking with a more simplified version of the recipe, simply scroll down to the bottom of the page where you’ll find our easy to print Vegan Protein Brownie Recipe.
Ingredients in Vegan Protein Brownie Recipe
- Black Beans: No need for protein powder with this recipe, the beans naturally give it an extra protein boost, and make these our favorite healthy protein brownies. Best part about it, no one will know there are black beans in the recipe unless you tell them!
- Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder is a staple of all brownie recipes. It delivers the delicious chocolate flavor without all of the extra added refined sugar.
- Gluten Free Oats: By blending the oats in the food processor, this recipe essentially uses oat flour which helps hold the brownies together. That’s right, there is no whole wheat flour in these protein brownies, making it one of my favorite gluten free recipes.
- Salt
- Honey: (bee free honey)
- Stevia: We use pure stevia in our recipes as a sugar substitute. We are careful when choosing which brands of stevia we use.
- Coconut Oil: We love using refined coconut oil in our baking. Coconut oil has many health benefits. We like to buy our coconut oil in bulk at Costco.
- Vanilla Extract
- Almond Extract
- Baking Powder
- Vegan Dark Chocolate Chips: Using dairy-free chocolate chips allows this recipe to be both dairy-free and gluten-free. Feel free to use regular sized chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips. We stick to the dark chocolate for the added health benefits.
How to make Vegan Protein Brownie Recipe
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Rinse and drain the black beans.
- Blend beans in a food processor until VERY smooth. Add in the rest of your ingredients except for the chocolate chips.
- Blend until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Spray 8×8 oven-safe pan with olive oil, then pour brownie batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake brownie batter at 350º for 25 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (not counting melted chocolate).
- Cool completely to room temperature then refrigerate, and cut in 2×2 pieces. Store brownies in the refrigerator and serve chilled.
Recipe Tips
- If you are not worried about keeping the recipe gluten free or vegan, you can use whatever kind of oats you like and also use whatever type of chips you like. You can also use regular honey in that case! I usually stick to gluten free options for this recipe because then it is delicious and more people can enjoy the results.
- If you are trying to keep these black bean brownies vegan I’ve linked a bee free honey substitute for you! If you are looking for other options you could use maple syrup though I’m not sure how that would impact the texture!
- My vegan brownie recipe comes to about 16 brownies. I cut them into 2 inch squares to get that many, you can cut them up however you like, just know the nutrition and dietary info provided is for 16 servings from these ingredients.
- We prepare the brownie pan with a little olive oil spray, you could also line the pan with parchment paper if you don’t have any olive oil on hand. You could also prepare the dish by coating a small layer of coconut oil on the bottom and sides of the pan.
- You can use parchment paper and wrap them up to freeze. We like to store them in an airtight container before sticking them in the fridge. They’ll thaw out nicely and then you’ll have a nice little treat for when you are craving chocolate.
- You could add more protein to this recipe by adding protein powder, however do note that we haven’t tested this version. All healthy eating plan points will need to be recalculated if you add protein powder to this recipe.
- We have a lot of other incredible vegan recipes and gluten-free recipes on our blog.
- If you want to add even more protein without using whey protein powder, these protein brownies can be topped with a dollop of nut butter like peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter. Just be sure to adjust your nutrition calories or container counts and points.
Healthy Eating Plan Points
Weight Watchers
The great thing about Weight Watchers is that you can have just about anything as long as you are tracking it. 10 2023 Plan Points | 9 Blue Plan Points
If you are looking for ways to reduce the points in these brownies you can cut back on the oil, honey, or the chocolate chips since they are the biggest source of your points in this recipe. I’d recommend applesauce as a partial replacement for the oil and even half the amount of chips is going to give you a nice chocolatey treat to enjoy!
21 Day Fix Vegan Protein Brownie Recipe
Each brownie is considered a yellow container treat swap on the container programs.
Looking for more delicious and healthy dessert recipes?
- Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Our Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies use simple ingredients like oats, bananas and vanilla extract.
- Healthy Apple Crumble This Healthy Apple Crumble recipe is an easy Instant Pot dessert that has less sugar than a traditional apple crisp recipe but doesn’t sacrifice taste.
- Pumpkin Wonder Whip Recipe Wonder Whips get their protein from Greek yogurt. They’re a high protein snack or dessert that you will love!
- Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal This Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal is a healthy and delicious way to start your day. Top with Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, chopped nuts, maple syrup, or a little peanut butter.
- Oatmeal Peanut Butter Protein Balls These healthy chocolate chip energy balls are made with vanilla protein powder (can also use chocolate whey protein powder), gluten free oats, peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract and other nutritious ingredients.
Vegan Protein Brownie Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 15 oz Black Beans rinsed and drained well
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ cup oats gluten-free
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup honey bee free honey
- 1 teaspoon Stevia
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 10 oz dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Rinse and drain the black beans. 15 oz Black Beans
- Blend beans in a food processor until VERY smooth. Add in the rest of your ingredients except for the chocolate chips. 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, ½ cup oats, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ cup honey, 1 teaspoon Stevia, ¼ cup coconut oil, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon almond extract, ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Blend until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. 10 oz dark chocolate chips
- Pour batter into an 8×8 pan that has been sprayed with olive oil.
- Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (not counting melted chocolate).
- Cool then refrigerate, and cut in 2×2 pieces. These brownies are best served chilled.
Notes
Nutrition
Make This Recipe?
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These look awesome! You would never know they had beans in them!
These were so good. No one even knew there were beans in them! Will definitely be making these again.
What is the container count for these? I have always wanted to make a black bean brownie and this could be good for a mid-afternoon snack for me.
Each brownie is a yellow container treat swap on the Fix!