These Fudgy Vegan Gluten-Free Low-Fat Brownies are made with white beans in the food processor with no bowl required! These are the most decadent, rich and fudgy brownies without the guilt! You will truly be amazed that these are so low-fat!
FUDGY VEGAN LOW-FAT BROWNIES
I get excited about many, many recipes I share on this blog…obviously, or I wouldn’t share them. But today’s recipe has me OMG so excited. While I’m ok with some fat, I know many of my readers simply try to avoid a large amount due to health problems and nut allergies as well. And who in the world wouldn’t want to eat more brownies if they could because they are super low-fat?? *All hands raised* Well, friends, these are LOW-FAT brownies that don’t TASTE low-fat.
These Fudgy Vegan Low-Fat Brownies are only 2.6 g of fat per brownie!! But don’t let that fool you, these are rich, decadent and do not taste low-fat at all.
WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED TO MAKE VEGAN FUDGY BROWNIES?
First, you will need a food processor and to gather these ingredients:
- White Beans
- Cocoa powder
- Oat Flour
- Maple Syrup
- Almond milk
- Applesauce
- Vanilla
- Baking Powder
- Chocolate Chips
WHY I LOVE THESE LOW-FAT VEGAN BEAN BROWNIES
Now, I typically am not a fan of low-fat desserts because they tend to taste like crap, sorry. To me, there is no point in eating a dessert if it’s healthy, yet it’s boring, bland and not enjoyable. In fact, why bother? I want to enjoy my dessert! But when my reader Diana wrote me awhile back begging me to recreate a healthier low-fat, oil and nut-free version of my Double Chocolate Sunflower Brownies, I could not let her down. She and her hubby have fallen in love with those brownies and made them regularly. That is until her hubby’s doctor said he needed to avoid nuts and even seeds, and to greatly reduce his fat intake for health reasons.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST VEGAN BEAN BROWNIES
- The secret? Cannellini White Beans!
- Don’t add an alarming amount of beans! Too many beans will obviously be impossible to cover up the detection of beans. I want the beans for fudginess but I don’t want to just be eating beans…
- Add enough cocoa powder! We want our brownies to taste like chocolate, right
I literally had this idea one night while laying in bed and wondered if it would truly work. Now, I know bean desserts are not a new thing, they’ve been around for years. Black beans and chickpeas are a big thing in brownies and bars. The only problem I’ve found with them? I always taste them. Sooo that is why I wondered if the white beans would work. I also don’t like seeing black bean skins in my desserts…I’m such a visual eater, that it doesn’t work for me. Cannellini beans totally worked because they hardly have any taste to them!
Sooooo, if you haven’t had success with bean desserts before, I urge you to try these.
Now, I know that adding ice cream on top defeats the low-fat factor, but that is for those who aren’t concerned with the fat. These brownies are so low-fat that a nice scoop of my Vegan Vanilla Cheesecake Ice Cream with a sprinkle of espresso powder sent me straight to brownie heaven.
Looking for more vegan brownie recipes?
- Zucchini Brownies
- Double Chocolate Sunflower Brownies
- Fudgy Coconut Butter Brownies
- Chocolate Pumpkin Cake Brownies
- Raw “Nutella” Brownies
- No Bake Brownies with Raspberry Glaze
*This post contains affiliate links. See my full disclosure policy here.
Fudgy Vegan Low-Fat Brownies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (150g) of canned white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed well and patted dry
- 3/4 cup (240g) pure maple syrup (seems like a lot, but there's a high amount of cocoa, so it's necessary for them not to be bitter)
- 2 tablespoons (30g) creamy almond milk or other plant-based milk
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (90g) unsweetened applesauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (72g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup (128g) superfine oat flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
- Optional: 1 teaspoon dried espresso powder for a richer taste
- 1/2 cup (120g) dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips (DO NOT OMIT or the brownies will be too bitter!)
- I use this scale.
NOTE
- Always use a scale for accuracy when baking, following MY gram weights listed. You never need cups, just the scale and bowl.
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350°F (177°C) and lightly spray a 7x7 or an 8x8 square pan with nonstick spray. A 7 inch pan will bake normal thick brownies and an 8 inch will make them thinner but still delicious.
- Add the beans, syrup, almond milk, applesauce, baking powder, vanilla and salt to a food processor and blend for a minute. Scrape the top and sides and then add the cocoa powder and oat flour. Process for a minute or so. Scrape down the sides very well and process again for another 1-2 minutes. Walk away and let it run until completely smooth. It should be smooth and thick, like the consistency of a nut butter. Don't judge the result by the taste of the batter (if you try it) because it tastes slightly beany, but not at all once baked!
- Add the chocolate chips but don't blend them! Just stir them into the batter.
- Spread the batter into the pan, making sure to scrape out ALL of the batter from the processor, including underneath the blade. I used a skinny rubber spatula to get it all out and spread the top of the batter flat and out to the corners of the pan. Dampen the spatula with water to help if necessary, as it will be thick and sticky. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips all over the top and make sure to gently press them into the batter, so they remain in tact while baking.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes when they are slightly puffed up and the top is firm to the touch. The 7 inch pan will take 30 minutes. The 8 inch batch took 27 minutes for me. Fudgy, moist and firm. They will seem a bit undercooked at removal but will continue cooking and firm up as they cool, trust me. Let them cool at least 20 minutes before slicing them. If not avoiding fat intake, then serve with my Vanilla Cheesecake Ice Cream!
- Once they are completely cooled, cover the pan tightly with foil and keep stored at room temperature or transfer to a sealed container. This will keep them moist for a couple of days.
Ok, how cute are you with your video?! I love it! I know, I know, it’s time for my butt to get into the video thing. I was using you as an excuse, well Brandi doesn’t so I’m good. And now you ruined it 😉 Ha! But your brownies look so darn yummy. Fudge extreme for sure!! Believe it or not, I have some cookies I’ve been working on that yes, I am actually using beans in. SHOCKER. You know how much I am not a bean and dessert person. But I recreated a recipe I had and just like you say in these, you seriously cannot taste them! I’ve been going between the white and chickpeas in mine though and haven’t made a final call yet. Will have to give these puppies a try! By the way, link to all those awesome other brownie recipes so people can click and get right to them!! And a big fat yes on the ice cream. DUH.
Awesome looking brownies. Is there anyone out there that doesn’t like brownies? I think I could live on them!
I love cannellini beans in desserts and often use them in baking and smoothies. They give great results and are milder in flavour than black beans so great for recipes like this.
Thank you Mel! This is my first time ever trying them in baked goods, or anything sweet for that matter. Yup, that’s basically why I said I used them in my post because of their milder taste, haven’t liked the black beans or chickpeas!
Love the video Brandi! I checked it out on FB earlier when I saw your post! These brownies look awesome and love that they are nut-free!
Mine weren’t as pretty as yours and didn’t rise much. I think I should’ve taken them out a few minutes earlier, but got distracted. Nevertheless, they were really good and I would definitely make these again, unlike other bean desserts that I have tried which failed miserably. I could not taste the beans at all and I plan to make these for a vegan cooking class that a friend is hosting!:-)
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed them and these succeeded after your other bean fails…that has been my experience with other bean desserts too, they were awful. But yes, can’t taste these at all! Did you use an 8×8 pan and really spread out the top beforehand? Because since the batter is so thick, you really need to spreay the top as it will cook up the way it’s spread. These only rise a little bit because they are so thick and dense, that is why. If they were more watery, then they would rise more, but I didn’t want them cakey. So glad you are making them for a cooking class, so cool! Also, if you want them bigger, just use a round 8 inch cake pan instead and they will be thicker 🙂
i had been wanting to brownies for a while now..im loving this healthier yet fudgy version 🙂
These are perfect! I cannot wait to try them.
Thank you so much Shannon!
Gonna try these with carob instead of cocoa…thanks for the recipe!
I have never tried that, will definitely change the taste, let me know how they turn out!
April, please will you let us know how your carob version turns out? I can’t have cocoa as the caffeine makes me ill and I wasn’t sure how these would work with carob.. I was thinking the maple syrup could be reduced slightly as the Carob powder is sweeter than cocoa powder..
These are tempting, but….you list 5 other Brownie recipes and I just wondered, which are your actual top pick?? I want to make Brownies but only do it once in a while so if I am doing it I want to choose the best!! I appreciate you made it low fat for a particular reader, but high sugars can be a problem too, so IF you said to hell with any health issue, which would it be?!
Hi Jane! Haha, yes, any thing in excess is bad but since these are brownies, a dessert, I don’t worry about the sugar. Plus it makes a large batch. Fat is more of a serious issue from everything I have learned from plant-based doctors and especially those who want a treat, it is better to avoid the high fat versus sugar. Since this reader has a condition regarding heart disease, their doctor specifically said low fat and no nuts or seeds, etc. All brownies will contain sugar, but these are definitely the healthiest brownies I’ve made, while them still tasting like brownies, lol!
But to answer your question, I would choose my top 2 with readers, the Double Chocolate Sunflower or the Fudgy Coconut Butter. They are both excellent and constant hits with readers, and we love them as well. My very favorite is the Sunflower ones (more fudgy) and they are easier to make since you don’t need to make or purchase both coconut or almond butter..however, I think the Fudgy Coconut both look and taste like traditional brownies (not quite as fudgy as the Sunflower). It makes a large batch and has that classic crinkled top. All my non-vegan friends love them. You can’t go wrong with either one, just depends on which you prefer. Hope that helps! I listed all just in case people are freaked out by beans, hahaha.
Thanks so much for detailed reply! I will peruse all the recipes again and make a decision!! Yep, i absolutely know what you mean about a dessert being dessert so of course it is sweet!
Not really related to the Brownie issue – as you say, they are a sweet treat – but just as a matter of interest in relation to your comment about low-fat vs sugar, all the talk lately here in Australia (and Britain too I believe) is that the low-fat thing has been essentially misguided, for weight loss in particular (not talking heart disease here, obvs) and that while we absolutely NEED good fats for good health (cold pressed, non hydrogenated etc), sugar is essentially toxic – and they are including even unrefined sugars in that, and refined carbs too since they metabolise into sugar. It is all very interesting! But won’t stop me making Brownies!! Thanks for your great blog – always look forward to a new one in my inbox!
Oh I agree, ANY sweetener is bad if you are consuming too much of it. There are many many plant-based doctors like Dr. McDougall, Dr. Esselystyn and Dr. Bernard who all teach on how to reverse heart disease, among many other issues or diseases by going plant-based and reducing your fat intake, there are books and documentaries that have been out for years, but specifically why it’s so important to avoid oils, which isn’t exactly the same as nuts, since nuts are whole food, which I use. Forks Over Knives movie is a great one to watch! Oils are not whole foods and the most calorie dense and fattest “food” out there. It is nothing but liquid fat with all the other nutrients removed. So, I do use fats, but in whole food form like nuts, avocados, seeds, olives, etc. that way our body is getting the full nutrition of the food and not just the oil. Dr. Esselstyn teaches on that in his book about how damaging oil is to the lining of our arterior walls and I can tell you how much my health has improved and cholesterol since I stopped cooking with oils. I do NOT avoid fats, I just don’t use the oils solely 🙂 But I don’t obsess or stress over any that may be in food if I happen to eat out, which isn’t very often. I don’t believe in stressing over every detail and not enjoying life. I truly love making desserts and I will enjoy them, but it’s nice to enjoy these knowing they are so low calorie on top of it, haha!
🙂 🙂 😉
Brandi, can you tell me how many grams of sugar are in a single brownie? They look delicious and I’m wondering if my diabetic Mom can have them! Thank you!
Hi Peggy, oops I forgot that one, it is added now!
These look awesome! Just one question- I avoid using sweeteners in such large quantities…could I replace with a granulated form (lakanto or stevia) and maybe more applesauce to make up for the lack of wet? Let me know your thoughts. Thank you!!
Hi Audra, thank you! I understand it seems a lot but when it’s broken down to each brownie, it’s only 14 g sugar (16 brownies) and there is so much cocoa powder that the syrup is needed to balance it out, otherwise these will taste too bitter and not good. And trust me, they are not very sweet even with the syrup, because of the cocoa powder. I can’t speak for how much dry sugar or applesauce you’d need because I’ve only tested it as the above version. Too much applesauce will affect the texture since it doesn’t perform the same way as syrup. The syrup helps to make them fudgy as well and I think a dry sweetener would make them a tad dry since these are so low-fat. You can try messing around with it, but I just can only vouch for the above written recipe.
LOVE these brownies, love the video and love your nails <3
Haha..you are like the 5th person to comment on my nails, I’m laughing so hard! Maybe I shall do purple nails for all my videos 😉 Thanks Aimee!
Oh wow girl these look amazing. And I am so excited about the youtube channel. Yay. I already subscribed. I seriously need these in my belly. Although I don’t have a food processor. 🙁 One of these days I will get one. Maybe I will be lucky enough to get one for my birthday in like 4 months. Hahahaha And wow seriously that picture with the ice cream is beyond words. You could not be more amazing I can’t believe you made a low fat healthy brownie that seems unbelievably decadent. You never fail to amaze me.
Oh Christina, you are the sweetest!! You could try them in a blender, you would just need to get it super smooth before adding to the pan, but if you can do that, go for it! Thank you so much, I’m so glad you like that photo…I decided at the last minute ice cream on top would just make these look even better, hahaha!
Had everything in my kitchen and went ahead and whipped up a batch. Huge hit with myself and the kids! I always love sneaking beans into their food too haha. They came together quickly and the hard part was waiting for them to cool. Dug in when they were still a bit warm, absolutely delicious!
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear you and your kids loved them Jenn, thank you so much for making them so quickly and leaving feedback!
Whoa!!! These look crazy fudgy and dangerous! I can’t believe there are beans in there! I loooooove cannellini beans and use them all the time in place of nuts for sauces, but never thought to use them in a dessert. I’ve tried black bean brownies before and wasn’t overly thrilled with them, but maybe it was the recipe because everyone raves about them. And YAY for a YouTube video!! I’ll have to go subscribe. These look wonderful, Brandi! <3
Thanks for this! I can’t have gluten, dairy, and my gall bladder is finicky, so too much fat is an issue also. Oh, and did I mention I’m allergic to chickpeas? So all those great “use chickpea instead” recipes. Nope. Can’t do it.
These though, Oh yes. My birthday is in May. These will be a thing. <3
Well, I for one love bean desserts. I have one with black beans and one with chickpeas both on the blog and they are a huge hit. So, of course, I’m drooling over these too! Love the video! And, yes, to the ice cream topper!! 🙂
Oh, I’m sure yours are delicious, I’ve never tried them, but I bet they are yummy. I just have had really bad results from many others I’ve tried. So bad, that I never thought I’d create a bean dessert, but realizing how mild white beans are, I gave it a shot. I’ve heard Chocolate Covered Katie’s black bean brownies are really delicious too, so I’m sure there are some great ones out there, just haven’t tried them. I’ll have to get brave again because my black bean dessert nightmares still linger, lol!
Ice cream on top of brownies is always delicious:) I never tasted vegan brownies! Let me try one!
They just taste like brownies, swear!
I giggled so many times throughout reading this one, especially at the “wet hummus” and the “fudge because of beans and applesauce” parts lol! Hilarious mental thoughts, but yet I totally get what you are saying 😀 I have only tried bean desserts once and it was not a good experience so I haven’t revisited that. Even those bean cereals…nope! But I trust your ultra sensitive palate and all that cocoa to know that these babies are rich and chocolatey with no hint of hummus! You know I love low fat desserts, but the no dates would’ve been hard for me as that is my main trick to making things super moist still. But jeez do these look insanely fudgey! And I’m so excited you made a video, I love it!! There is something about videos that makes everything look super easy and like you should do it asap 🙂
Natalie, I’m SO sorry I never responded to your amazing and sweet comment, this day was crazy and I realized I missed a few. Anyways, thank you so much for your kind words! Yes, these are so the perfect combo of fudgy but not WET fudgy…yuck. They taste like actual cooked brownies, but not dry at all and the perfect fudginess. I cannot stand too wet of brownies and not too dry either. I hope you revisit bean desserts because I learned that with the right recipe, you won’t taste them, lol!
Oh my goodness, lady, these look so luscious! And you know I would definitely be adding that espresso powder in, Mmmm…
So sweet, thank you so much Jackie!
Wow I can’t say how much I love these brownies, Brandi! The addition of cannellini beans are just wonderful! I love cannellini beans so much and could eat these almost every day, but I have to admit I’ve never tried these in a dessert before. I could see myself eating the whole plate! I don’t want to share anything! 🙂 Love this video tutorial at the end so clear and easy to make for everyone.
Thank you so much Florian!! So nice of you!
Those look amazing. Great job on the video!
I will never turn down low fat brownies. 🙂
O so fudgy and decadent! Just how I like my brownies (and a little plant power!) Nothing mighty legumes can’t do!
Looks like my weekend dessert just showed up :-)! Fun video, Brandi!
Thanks so much Annie!
Hi Brandi, These look delicious and I am planning to make them this pm. I only have raw cocoa powder. Is there a way to use it and still have the brownies taste good in our opinion? Thanks,
Sita
Hi! So sorry I’m seeing this just now, my daughter was sick last night so I was not on my computer. Raw cocoa powder should work just fine, it is stronger though by a bit, so I would definitely use the lower gram amount of the cocoa powder so they aren’t too bitter.
Thanks Brandi. I so appreciate your work. One more question. Do you think dates can be substituted for the maple syrup? Thanks much, Sita
Hi Sjta! I wouldn’t recommend dates. These are very fudgy brownies and adding dates would really throw off the liquid ratio and make them way TOO fudgy and probably too underbaked tasting.
This looks like an awesome recipe! I have made quite a few different bean based brownies but all others used black beans. This is on my short list to make SOON for sure
Did you try them and find the Cannellini /Great Northern gave superior taste in the end?
Hi Geoffrey! Yes, I am not a big fan of the black bean desserts, they tend to make things taste more dry and leave the noticeable skins in the dessert. The white beans completely puree into silky smooth results and are completely undetectable in the finished brownies. Many, many readers have made these for non-vegans and nobody had a clue there was beans. I hope you enjoy them!
Hi Geoffrey! Yes, I am not a big fan of the black bean desserts, they tend to make things taste more dry and leave the noticeable skins in the dessert. The white beans completely puree into silky smooth results and are completely undetectable in the finished brownies. Many, many readers have made these for non-vegans and nobody had a clue there was beans. I hope you enjoy them!
Oh and where are you? I live at 6000 feet so will likely have to play w/ baking time and possibly moisture level of batter… knowing your altitude will help me get started on that.
!!!!These are eye rolling good !!!! I did make a couple changes probably worth noting but your recipe is definitely a full home run.
I weight out cocoa pwdr and it looked like a heck of a lot. Checked pkg and CRONoMeter and sure enough both agreed, 60 grams close to 3/4 cup not 90, so I went w/ that and it was plenty. If using measuring cup no problem but I do tend to use gram scale if I have a weight given…
I can’t eat oats, allergic, so used barley flour instead I made by grinding pearled barley. Likely pretty similar but ya never know. Also, just for my own bizarre obsession I prefer dates to maple syrup so used water + dates. Added a bit of extra water for my altitude as things tend to dry out much faster in oven at higher altitude so I used 1 cup water and 8 oz pitted Deglet noor dates. Chopped the dates a bit then put them and water into sauce pan and heated to almost boiling then let sit awhile. I put everything in my Blendtech blender where I had already ground the barley to flour easily enough. Whipped it good and baked away. I went 25 minutes, again due to altitude a bit less on the time. Knife stick came out just a bit damp.
They were beyond perfect. Very moist, chewy, fudgy… Good as it gets for sure.
Many thanks for creating this and posting it. Here’s 5 more stars💥💥💥💥💥
I’m so very happy you loved these so much Geoffrey! Thank you so much for such wonderful feedback! Glad the date syrup worked out for you too! Regarding the weight, it’s always best to go by weight because that is the accurate measurement. We all scoop up our flours differently or measure them differently with measuring cups, so that is why it is best and recommended to go by weight because that is what ensures accuracy. Glad they worked out anyways!
Agree with all the weights being off. I had a cup of cocoa and it wasn’t anywhere near the weight shown of 95 grams. I did add it and it turned out being too much chocolate so next time will go with 3/4 cup or less.
Hi Ronda, not sure what you mean about “all” the weights being off. None of them are off. I list exactly what I measure in my own kitchen, it’s not by a chart or anything. As far as the cocoa, it’s not 95 grams, it’s 90. If you did 95 that adds almost a whole extra tablespoon of cocoa powder. Plus, I packed mine in and DID USE the 90 grams, so it is not “off”. I always write down my measurements as I measure them and that is what gets posted. I did pack this one in when I used it since I wanted a rich chocolatey taste which I even mention above. There are easily over a hundred reviews on here that you can see that have absolutely loved these brownies, so there has only been a couple to mention the cocoa taste, so it’s just preference, so feel free, if you prefer a milder chocolate taste, then go with 72grams (which is 6 grams per tablespoon). hope that helps!
Awesome!!!! Fudgy and awesome!! I had to use semi sweet mini vegan chips and the deep chocolate flavor and fudgy texture- no one will believe these are vegan!! Perfect!! Thank you!!!
Served these to six non vegan adults. They went nuts over them and ate all I had with us- then soon as we got home they searched and found the rest and ate them all. Big hit!! I used mini semi sweet morsels- covered most of top and baked in round eight inch metal pan. Thank you thank you Brandi!!!!! I cooked same time you listed and guests described them as like fudge. They traveled well in a cooler to the beach. No mess to my surprise.
I thought oats had gluten?
It depends on what kind of oats you buy
I use Bob’s Red Mill certified gluten-free oats.
Hi! These look delicious and I’d love to make them for Father’s Day this weekend. Just wondering if the recipe will still work if I use regular flour?
Hi Samantha! I have not tried them with all-purpose flour so I can’t say what the exact result would be. I *think* it should work…I’m hoping the all-purpose flour won’t make them dry, they will definitely be more cakey with white flour versus oat flour. You can easily make oat flour by grinding up oats into a fine flour, get it as fine as you can and then use a scale for all of the ingredients. A vitamix will get it perfectly fine but a food processor works too. Just process as long as you can to get it super fine. That would work best.