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On the rare occasion when I make a sweet treat, I really like brownies. But lately we have been having bad reactions to almond flour, and I often find that I can’t spare the extra eggs to make a treat from coconut flour.
So I thought I’d try one of the many brownie recipes made with beans out there on the Interwebs, and adapt it to be gluten free, dairy free, grain-free, GAPS legal (advanced level), and just plain yummy!
A little cake-like, but also a little fudge-y, you’d never guess the main ingredient in these brownies is beans. But by using whole, minimally processed ingredients like organic black beans, raw honey, raw cacao powder, coconut oil, and pasture-raised eggs, these gluten free, chocolatey treats actually have decent nutritional value as well. (And if you’re Paleo, they’re a pretty reasonable cheat.)
Since they are so incredibly easy to make, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this grain free brownie recipe again and again. You can easily add it to your weekly meal plan with the Real Plans customizable meal planner and shopping list app!
Other Gluten Free Chocolate Treats
- Vegan Avocado Chocolate Mousse (and Cake Frosting)
- Gluten Free Chocolate Truffle Cake
- Gluten Free Chocolate Hazelnut Muffins
- Chocolate Covered… Bacon?

EQUIPMENT
Ingredients
- 1 can organic canned black beans, or 2 cups cooked soaked dry beans
- ¾ cup raw cane sugar, coconut sugar OR 1/3 cup raw honey
- 2 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil, plus extra for greasing the pan
- 1/3 cup raw cacao powder, or cocoa powder
- 3 pasture-raised eggs
- 1-½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 pinch sea salt
- walnuts, previously soaked and dried, or other brownie toppings (Optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Rinse beans very thoroughly and drain them completely. Now do it again. You really don’t want any “beany” tasting liquid in your brownies!
- In your Vitamix or blender, add rinsed and drained beans, eggs, vanilla, coconut oil, sugar or honey, and cacao powder. Blend until smooth, then add the salt and pulse until well mixed. Batter will be thin.
- Grease an a 8″x8″ baking dish liberally with coconut oil, and pour batter into dish. (These come out only about an inch thick, so if you like them thicker, double the recipe, change to a 9″x13″ pan, and add a little more baking time.)
- Top with optional walnuts or other toppings.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the top and sides are set, and the insides are just a little bit soft.
- Cool before serving and enjoy!