Nut-Free Black Bean Brownies with Tahini Caramel

I made this brownie recipe many years ago on a day I had originally planned a decadent peanut butter caramel swirl chocolate brownie, but then realised I couldn't use it in my daughter's school lunchbox.

Frick.

So I pivoted. After a little kitchen experimentation, these nut-free black bean brownies with tahini caramel were born. I've been baking them for almost 10 years now, and they even made it into my cookbook.

Why You'll Love These Black Bean Brownies

Reader review. I've made quite a few different versions of black bean brownies but these are simply the best!!! How clever to use sunflower meal. Thank you for the recipe 😍 (Laura) ★★★★★

The Secret to Nut-Free Fudgy Flourless Brownies 

Traditional brownies rely on wheat flour while gluten-free versions often use almond meals. To keep these entirely nut-free while maintaining a rich, dense texture, we are using sunflower seed meal. I use this technique in my chocolate beetroot cakes.

You don't need a specialty grocery store for this. Simply process raw sunflower seeds in your food processor until they achieve a fine, sandy texture resembling almond meal.

Sunflower seed meal provides structure and richness in much the same way almond meal does, while keeping the recipe completely nut-free.

I love that sunflower seeds are so much cheaper than nuts too.

The Tahini Caramel Swirl

If you've had a complicated relationship with tahini's natural bitterness in the past, this recipe will change your mind. Whisking tahini with maple syrup and vanilla extract completely tempers that bite, creating a rich, golden caramel. When you dollop this onto the deep chocolate black bean batter and drag a spoon through it, you get a beautiful, marbled contrast that balances the rich cocoa perfectly.

So pull out that jar of tahini hibernating in the back of the pantry. Besides being nut-free, tahini also adds richness and a subtle savoury/sweet notes that balances the brownie sweetness.

Are Black Bean Brownies Healthy?

I wouldn't be a very honest nutritionist if I said these black bean brownies are healthy - they're still brownies. Let's call them healthy-ish brownies or health adjacent. But, they are certainly more wholesome than fudgy chocolate brownies. These brownies are made with black beans, sunflower seeds and cocoa that contribute to your plant protein, fibre and iron intake.

Thinks of them as treat with health benefits rather than a healthy treat.

Why Use Black Beans in Brownies?

Black beans add more than nutritional value to these brownies. They contribute to their rich, fudgy texture and add moisture and structure to the batter. Black beans help create a dense texture without the need for flour. Their mild flavour disappears behind the cocoa, vanilla and chocolate, so you won't really taste the beans.

As an added bonus, black beans also contribute plant protein and fibre, makes these brownies a little more nourishing - but no less delicious - than traditional brownies.

Tips & Troubleshooting Flourless Black Bean Brownies

How to Make Black Bean Brownies

You'll find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Step 1. Preheat oven and make sunflower meal.

Preheat the oven and line a baking pan. To make sunflower meal, process raw sunflower seeds in your food processor until they achieve a fine, sandy texture resembling almond meal.

Step 2. Combine dry ingredients.

Combine the sunflower meal, cocoa, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Steps 3 & 4 Process wet ingredients

Add the wet ingredients, other than the melted coconut oil or oil, to a blender and blend until smooth. 

Add the oil and blend until combined.

Step 5. Combine the ingredients

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and then fold in the chocolate chips.

Step 6. Press the batter into the pan

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out as best you can. I use an offset spatula for this.

Step 7. Make tahini caramel

Whisk the tahini ingredients together - if the mixture feels too thick, add a little hot water and whisk again.

To create the swirls, spoon dollops of the caramel on top of the brownie mixture a few centimetres apart from each other. I spoon two dollops wide and four dollops long (I also got really distracted here with a sick kid at home, so don't look at my messy handwork).

Step 7a.

Using the end of a teaspoon or better yet, a chopstick, run a line from the first caramel dollop lengthways down to the last dollop on its line. Repeat with the second line. Each line will look like a row of hearts.

You could leave it here to be honest (and today I probably should have :/) but to get the swirls, drag the the spoon/chopstick diagonally from one corner of the brownie pan to the other. You should get some nice swirls but be careful not to overdo it or you will loose the light/dark effect. 

Just have fun with it and know that it will taste great, no matter the appearance.