Double Chocolate Vegan Black Bean Cookies made with just six simple ingredients. These healthy cookies are gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free and completely flourless. Blend everything in a food processor or high-speed blender for an incredibly rich, fudgy dessert that’s easy to make and naturally satisfying.
If you follow this site, you’ve likely met a bean-based dessert or two. From brownies to cookies and even banana bread, beans can make surprisingly indulgent treats.
After the popularity of the 6-Ingredient Vegan Peanut Butter Chickpea Cookies, creating a black bean version was inevitable. The result: Double Chocolate Vegan Black Bean Cookies.
These cookies are:
- Gluten-free and grain-free
- Dairy-free
- Refined sugar-free
- Egg-free
- Oil-free
- Flourless
- Moist, fudgy and perfectly textured
Picture a cookie and a brownie combined into a dense, chocolate-forward bite — that’s what these black bean cookies deliver. The recipe is versatile: enjoy the mixture as edible cookie dough, shape it into cookies, or bake it in individual ramekins for single-serve brownies.
Ingredients for Black Bean Cookies:
Black beans: The base of the cookie. Use one 15-ounce can (about 1 ¾ cups cooked if using dried beans). Rinse the beans well and pat dry so the dough isn’t too wet. Slight moisture is fine.
Peanut butter: Acts as the binder in place of eggs and adds great flavor. Well-stirred commercial peanut butter works best; natural, oil-separated varieties can be used only if thoroughly mixed.
Pure maple syrup: A liquid sweetener that keeps the cookies refined-sugar-free. Agave or coconut nectar can be substituted; use a liquid sweetener rather than granulated sugar.
Raw cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder: Provides intense chocolate flavor and helps the dough hold together. Raw cacao offers a deeper flavor, but unsweetened cocoa is a fine alternative.
Baking powder & sea salt: Baking powder provides a bit of lift and structure while salt enhances the chocolate. Both are important for balance.
Chocolate chips: Use dairy-free chocolate chips to keep the recipe vegan. They add extra richness — use sugar-free chips if you want lower sugar.
How to Make Double Chocolate Vegan Black Bean Cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Drain and rinse the black beans in a colander, then pat them dry with a paper towel. A little moisture is acceptable, but remove excess water.
Add the black beans, peanut butter, maple syrup, cacao or cocoa powder, baking powder and sea salt to a food processor. Process until a uniform, thick dough forms, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
Fold in the chocolate chips so they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Form large portions of dough (about ½ to ⅔ cup) into balls, then press into discs. These cookies won’t spread much in the oven, so shape them to your desired thickness. Press additional chocolate chips on top if you like.
Place the discs on the prepared baking sheet and bake 8 to 10 minutes, until the tops have small cracks and the cookies are set. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes to firm up; they can be fragile when hot.
These cookies also work as a safe-to-eat raw dough or a single-serve brownie when baked in ramekins.
Eat As Edible Cookie Dough:
Because there are no eggs, the dough is safe to eat raw. Skip the baking step, roll the dough into small balls, and enjoy as cookie dough bites.
Turn This Recipe Into Single-Serve Brownies:
For spoonable brownies, divide the dough among oven-safe ramekins and bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Serve warm with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream for an indulgent dessert.
Recipe adaptations:
- Swap garbanzo beans (chickpeas) for black beans if preferred.
- Replace peanut butter with almond butter only if it is well-stirred and not overly oily; thin nut butter can make the cookies fall apart.
- Add chopped nuts, white chocolate chips or shredded coconut for variation.
Ingredients (makes about 8 large cookies):
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained, rinsed and patted dry
- 1/2 cup peanut butter (well-stirred)
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup raw cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2/3 cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions (summary):
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Rinse and dry beans, then add all ingredients except chocolate chips to a food processor. Process to a thick, even dough.
- Stir in chocolate chips, form dough into discs, and place on the baking sheet.
- Bake 8–10 minutes until set and cracked. Cool at least 20 minutes before serving.
Notes: Use well-stirred peanut butter (regular commercial peanut butter works best). Cookies are fragile when hot; allow them to cool to firm up.
