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    Home » Recipes » Desserts & Sweet Treats

    Fudgy Mocha Black Bean Brownie Hearts

    Published: Feb 8, 2015 · Modified: Aug 28, 2020 by Jenn Sebestyen

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    These Mocha Black Bean Brownie Hearts are fudgy and moist, packed with healthy plant protein and fiber, and super easy to make. They’re naturally gluten-free and no one will suspect they are made with beans!

    Stack of three Fudgy Mocha Black Bean Brownie Hearts sprinkled with powdered sugar.

    Fudgy. Mocha. Brownies. Need I say more?

    What Valentine’s Day would be complete without a little chocolate? And how about a little chocolate you can actually feel good about eating?

    These super rich fudgy Mocha Black Bean Brownie Hearts are full of protein and fiber and are 100% FREE of dairy, gluten and refined sugar.

    They are also kid approved.

    I PROMISE you will NOT know there are black beans in here!

    Fudgy Mocha Black Bean Brownies cut into various heart shapes on a wooden board. One white and one red heart cookie cutter on the board as well.

    If you thought there was no such thing as a healthy brownie, now you know differently!

    Black beans are high in folate, fiber, copper, manganese, vitamin B1, phosphorus, magnesium, protein and iron.

    A dessert that’s good for you! And with the addition of espresso, they are practically a breakfast food. (That’s what I’m telling myself anyway.)

    Side view of a batch Fudgy Mocha Black Bean Brownie Hearts

    Even with all that nutrition from the black beans, let me assure you that you will not know they are in here.

    These brownies are everything you would want them to be – chocolatey, fudgy, soft, rich, delicious! Perfect for your sweetie (or yourself) on Valentine’s Day.

    Action shot of powdered sugar being dusted onto a stack of Fudgy Mocha Black Bean Brownie Hearts. Pink and red heart cookie cutters in the background.

    Of course, if you don’t have heart cookie cutters or just don’t want to take the time to cut them out, these would be divine in bar form as well. And a little sprinkling of organic powdered sugar never hurt anyone, right?

    Overhead view of a batch of Fudgy Mocha Black Bean Brownie Hearts next to heart shaped cookie cutters and a small mesh tea ball infuser used to sprinkle powdered sugar.

    Here’s a great tip for you: I LOVE using a Mesh Tea Ball Infuser for sprinkling powdered sugar. The sugar comes out slowly if you gently tap the side. Perfection.

    One Fudgy Mocha Black Bean Brownie Heart on a board.

    I almost forgot to tell you the best part…the batter comes together completely in the bowl of a food processor. Super easy and super fast.

    And don’t forget to taste the batter….because it’s egg free and you can…just like my Edible Brownie Batter Bites!

    Fudgy Mocha Black Bean Brownie Hearts dusted in powdered sugar

    More vegan dessert bars

    • Cinnamon Blondies
    • Pumpkin Fudge Bars
    • Vegan Toffee Bars
    • Apple Pie Bars
    • Cranberry Oat Crumble Bars

    I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment below with your feedback.

    Be sure to sign up for my FREE Newsletter to be the first to get my NEW recipes! You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.


    For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!

    three heart shaped brownies in a stack

    Fudgy Mocha Black Bean Brownie Hearts

    These fudgy Mocha Black Bean Brownie Hearts are easy to make, gluten-free, and packed with healthy plant protein and fiber. Trust me – no one will suspect they are made with beans!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Rate
    Course: Desserts & Sweet Treats
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 166kcal
    Author: Jenn Sebestyen

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups cooked black beans
    • 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • ½ cup pure maple syrup
    • ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
    • 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
    • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 2 tablespoons flax meal
    • 2 teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ cup dairy free chocolate chips
    • organic powdered sugar optional

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F.
    • In the bowl of a food processor blend black beans, vanilla, maple syrup, and applesauce until smooth. This might take several minutes to get the beans all ground up. Scrape down the sides as necessary.
    • Add the espresso powder, cocoa powder, flax meal, baking powder and salt and process until combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides as necessary.
    • Remove the blade and set aside. Add the chocolate chips to the batter and gently stir to incorporate.
    • Pour batter into an 8×8 baking pan lined with parchment paper. (Overhang the parchment paper on both ends by a few inches. This is very important as the brownies will still be very soft when they come out of the oven and the parchment paper will allow you to take the whole square of brownies out of the pan with ease.)
    • Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The top should be set, but the center will still be soft. A toothpick will not (and should not) come out clean.
    • Let cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully lift them out of the pan by holding onto the parchment paper overhang. They will probably still be soft and "bend" a little. This is ok, just be careful not to pull up on the sides too hard and break them.
    • Let cool on a wire rack for another 20 to 30 minutes. The brownies should be firmer now, but still soft and fudgy. Carefully cut out into heart shapes or into bars.
    • Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 92mg | Potassium: 302mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 18g | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2.7mg

    Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.

    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @Veggie_Inspired or tag #VeggieInspired!

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    Comments

    1. Shari says

      November 05, 2022 at 11:44 am

      These brownies are absolutely delicious and so easy to make. I take them out of the oven at 32 minutes so they don’t get cakey and after they have cooled I put them in the refrigerator. They are so fudgy and yummy. Let’s just say they don’t last too long.5 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn Sebestyen says

        November 05, 2022 at 2:00 pm

        I’m so happy you love them. Thank you!

        Reply
    2. J says

      March 05, 2019 at 6:01 pm

      Can i replace the flax meal with something lese? Eggs maybe? If yes how many please?

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        March 06, 2019 at 7:50 am

        You can try using an egg, but I make no guarantees to the outcome as I haven’t tried it myself. Let me know if you try it.

        Reply
    3. Abby Balkus says

      May 11, 2017 at 5:29 pm

      I love these brownies! Do they need to be refrigerated though? I make big batches to always have some!

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        May 11, 2017 at 8:06 pm

        Thank you, Abby! So glad to hear that! And, yes, I would refrigerate any leftovers. Enjoy!

        Reply
    4. Katarina says

      March 11, 2017 at 3:04 am

      Hi, thank you for delightful recipes! Can i skip dairy free chocolate chips? Or can i use something else?

      Thank you!

      Kind regards Katarina

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        March 11, 2017 at 6:39 am

        Hi, Katarina. You can just skip them if you don’t have them. Let me know how they turn out. Enjoy!

        Reply
    5. Vanessa Powell says

      March 30, 2016 at 6:59 pm

      Hi Jenn,

      Do you think I could leave out the apple sauce?

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        March 30, 2016 at 7:50 pm

        Hi, Vanessa! If you leave out the applesauce, you will need more liquid. I would recommend using the liquid from the can of beans! That is actually my favorite go-to egg replacer now. 3 tbsp might be enough, but maybe 4. Let me know how they turn out!

        Reply
    6. Claire says

      May 28, 2015 at 7:57 am

      Do you think I can skip the coffee? Not sure my kids would like them!

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        May 28, 2015 at 8:48 am

        Hi, Claire. Yes! Absolutley, you can skip the coffee. I’ve actually had quite a few people comment about leaving out the coffee because of the kids and they turned out great and loved them! Please let me know how they turn out for you!

        Reply
    7. Anna of Stuffedveggies says

      February 18, 2015 at 10:36 pm

      Thanks for a wonderfully amazing recipe! I wanted to try these as soon as I saw your post (they look delicious!) but knew that if I made them for myself, I’d probably eat the whole pan. So, I waited & made them for a party last weekend, where I knew several GF friends would be. One particular 3-year-old was VERY delighted when I answered “Yes” to her question, “Are these Gluten Free?” She ate several – and was quite enthusiastic about them – as was I. (I did tweak them a tad – including omitting the coffee – because, well, coffee and preschoolers . . . ; )

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 19, 2015 at 8:00 am

        Anna, thanks so much for sharing this with me. I’m so glad everyone liked them!

        Reply
    8. Jenn S. says

      February 10, 2015 at 11:43 am

      Let me know how you like them. I’m planning on making another batch for Valentine’s Day too, since we already ate all of ours!

      Reply
    9. Jen @ Driftwood Gardens says

      February 08, 2015 at 6:25 am

      You had me at mocha. I can’t wait to try this recipe – thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Jenn S. says

        February 08, 2015 at 7:53 am

        I know, right? Chocolate and coffee? Divine!

        Reply

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