Bean Brownie Muffins

These bean brownie muffins are one of my favorite muffins because I love to snack on them myself. I can’t resist eating a few with black coffee whenever I bake them. I first created this recipe to make healthier and more filling snacks for my kids, but they truly feel like an indulgent fudgy brownie. The added protein, fiber, and goodness from beans are a bonus.

My kids gobble up these bean brownie muffins, although they wouldn’t touch beans on their own. They are great for school snacks, especially since you can grab them straight out of the fridge. They actually taste better when chilled.

What kind of beans to use

My preferred choice is canned cannellini beans, also called white kidney beans. They blend in smooth and creamy, and the bean flavor is mild. Once you add cocoa powder, maple syrup, and vanilla extract, you won’t notice that beans are there.

I’ve made this recipe using canned black beans a few times when I ran out of cannellini beans, and they worked out fine. My kids couldn’t tell the difference so I may be the only one noticing subtle differences.

Steer clear of any seasoned beans. Even when I rinsed them multiple times, I couldn’t eliminate all the seasoning. I ended up with herbed seasoned brownie muffins once, and they went straight to the trash can.

Thoroughly rinse the canned beans and process them in a food processor with oil. Process until the beans are completely smooth with no chunks left.

Sweeten them up if you’d like

These bean brownie muffins are mildly sweet. My youngest was under two years old when I first made them, so I kept them just sweet enough to be palatable. For my older kiddo, I added semi-sweet chocolate chips on top to make them a bit sweeter. If you’d like to sweeten these brownie muffins, use 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp maple syrup and omit the water.

Also, check out Naturally Pink Beetroot Muffins.

If you tried this recipe, I would love to hear from you!

5 from 1 vote

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Bean Brownie Muffins

These bean brownie muffins are a healthier, more filling snack that truly feels like an indulgent fudgy brownie.

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 17 minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Author whiteblankspace

Ingredients

• 1 (15 oz) can white kidney beans or black beans, no-salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil or avocado oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup raw cacao or cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• optional semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Position rack in the middle and preheat oven to 350F.
2. Thoroughly rinse beans and drain. Add beans and olive oil to a food processor. Process until smooth.
3. Add eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and 2 tbsp of water to the food processor. Process until well combined.
4. In a bowl, mix flour, cacao powder, baking powder, and salt.
5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mix. Mix with a rubber spatula until just combined.
6. Line a muffin pan with paper or silicone muffin cups. Evenly distribute the batter into cups.
7. (optional) Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
8. Bake for about 17 minutes. The middle part will be a little soft when pressed. They will firm up while cooling.
9. Cool muffins on a wire rack, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. These muffins taste best when chilled.

Recipe Notes

These bean brownie muffins are mildly sweet. If you’d like to sweeten these brownie muffins, use 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp maple syrup and omit the water.