Black beans aren't the ingredient I would normally associate with a batch of chocolate cookies, but 1½ cups form the base of these. Once blended with cocoa, coconut sugar, nut butter, and a few other ingredients, the beans disappear into a dark chocolate batter.
There is no flour in the recipe. The black beans provide much of the structure while helping the cookies stay soft and fudgy after 20 minutes in the oven. I finish them with small chocolate candies, but chocolate chips work just as well.
I Blend the Black Beans Until They're Completely Smooth
I start with 1½ cups of cooked black beans, rinsed and drained well. They go into a food processor with 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, 2 tablespoons of almond or peanut butter, and ¼ cup of unsweetened almond milk.
This step matters because I don't want pieces of bean left in the finished cookies. I process everything until the mixture is smooth and uniform before adding any of the dry ingredients.
The result looks much more like the beginning of a chocolate batter than a bowl of beans.
Cocoa and Coconut Sugar Turn the Mixture Into Chocolate Cookie Batter
In a separate bowl, I combine ½ cup of coconut sugar with ¼ cup of unsweetened cacao powder, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and ½ teaspoon of salt.
I add that mixture to the food processor and blend again. The cacao gives the batter its dark chocolate color and flavor, while the coconut sugar supplies the sweetness.
Because there is no flour to add bulk, the finished batter remains softer than conventional cookie dough.
I Spoon the Batter Onto the Pan Instead of Rolling It
I line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then divide the batter into 12 portions. These aren't cookies I roll into balls with my hands. The mixture is soft enough that I spoon it directly onto the pan.
Before baking, I use the back of the spoon to shape each portion into a round cookie and smooth the surface. They won't spread and reshape themselves in quite the same way as a standard flour-based cookie.
Twenty Minutes in the Oven Leaves the Centers Soft
The cookies bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes. They are still quite soft when they first come out, which is exactly what I want.
Rather than continuing to bake them until they feel firm in the oven, I let them set as they cool. That helps preserve the soft, fudgy texture that makes the black bean base work so well here.
I Add the Chocolate Pieces While the Cookies Are Hot
While the cookies are still warm and soft, I press small chocolate candies into the tops. Chocolate chips can replace them, and the cookies don't need either if I want to keep the tops plain.
The warm surface makes it easy to push the chocolate pieces into place without breaking the cookies. I then leave the tray alone for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
The Black Beans Are Hard to Spot Once They're Baked
Looking at the finished cookies, there isn't much to suggest that 1½ cups of black beans went into the food processor at the beginning. Cocoa gives them their dark color, while the blended beans become part of the soft interior rather than remaining identifiable pieces.
The recipe can also take a few additions. Peanut butter can be swirled through the chocolate mixture, while shredded coconut, raisins, or chia seeds can change the texture.
Still, the ingredient that makes these cookies different is already hiding in every one. Instead of flour forming the base, an entire 1½ cups of black beans are tucked inside a dozen soft chocolate cookies.
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