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Flourless Chocolate Black Bean Banana Bread

Flourless Chocolate Black Bean Banana Bread made with everyone’s favorite magical fruit! Naturally sweetened, gluten-free, grain-free, moist and fluffy!

loaf of black bean banana bread on a wooden cutting board with a blue striped napkin

If you’ve been following along my site for a number of years, you may be familiar with my classic bean-infused dessert recipes. Just take for instance, my Black Bean Brownies, Vegan Garbanzo Bean Blondies, Dark Chocolate Chickpea Brownies  or my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Chickpea Bars. My mouth is watering just typing the words.

Suffice it to say, we are not strangers to treats made with the magical fruit.

I had it in my head for many moons to develop a Black Bean Banana Bread recipe, and finally got around to actioning it. The end result? Ultra moist, fluffy, AMAZING chocolate-y rich banana bread that you’d never in a zillion years guess is made with black beans.

Because I have a ton of dry black beans in my pantry, I cooked a big batch and used 1 and ¾ cup in this recipe. You can easily use a 15-ounce can of black beans (or garbanzo beans) instead!

close up black bean banana bread with slices and chocolate chips visible

My favorite part about this black bean banana bread, aside from the fact that it’s a melt-in-your-face depiction of wildly delicious dreams, is that the batter comes together in seconds in the blender. It’s just so easy to prepare!

Some Recipe Highlights:

  • Gluten-Free
  • Flourless
  • Refined Sugar-Free
  • Grain-Free
  • Chocolatey, moist, rich, delicious!

How about we cut right to it??

How to Make Chocolate Black Bean Banana Bread:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.

Drain and rinse the black beans of any liquid and pat them dry with a paper towel (they don’t need to be perfectly dry, just not overly saturated). Whether you’re using a can of black beans or beans that you cooked from dry, simply dump them into a colander and rinse with cold water in the sink, then give them a once over with a paper towel. 

Transfer the black beans to a blender along with the rest of the ingredients (except chocolate chips) and blend until smooth. 

Ingredients for Black Bean Banana Bread in a blender

If adding chocolate chips, stir them into the batter.

black bean banana bread batter in a blender with chocolate chips

Transfer the batter to the parchment-lined loaf pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the bread feels firm when gently poked in the center.

Black bean banana bread batter in a loaf pan with chocolate chips sprinkled on top

Allow bread to cool at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Top down photo of chocolate black bean banana bread on parchment paper with slices cut

Recipe Adaptations:

  • Use garbanzo beans instead of black beans.
  • Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract if desired.
  • If you have instant espresso or instant coffee, add 1 tablespoon! It makes the bread richer in flavor.
  • Replace the coconut sugar with granulated cane sugar or brown sugar.
  • Add white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips to change up the flavor.
  • Although I suspect you can replace the chicken eggs with flax “eggs” to make the recipe vegan, I haven’t had a chance to test it yet. If you try it, please leave a comment and let us know how it works out!
  • Sprinkle bread with unsweetened shredded coconut if desired.
  • Add ⅔ cup chopped walnuts or pecans for nutty texture.

 

Can I Use Dry Black Beans Instead of Canned?:

Yes! In fact, that’s what I did. Simply cook a batch of dry black beans and measure out 1 ¾ cups. I make my Instant Pot Black Beans using just black beans and water (omitting the oil, onion, jalapeno, seasonings, etc).

More Delicious Gluten-Free Quick Bread Recipes:

Horizontal photo of black bean banana bread on a cutting board with sprinkles of cocoa powder around

Get your bean bread on!

My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!

If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag me at @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!

Top down photo of chocolate black bean banana bread on parchment paper with slices cut

Flourless Black Bean Banana Bread

Grain-free, gluten-free black bean banana bread with chocolate chips. Moist, fluffy, AMAZING!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
1 loaf

Ingredients

  • 2 large ripe bananas, peeled
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 15-ounce can black beans, 1 3/4 cups
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp vinegar, or lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips, optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
  • Drain and rinse the black beans of any liquid and pat them dry with a paper towel (they don’t need to be perfectly dry, just not overly saturated).
  • Transfer the black beans to a blender along with the rest of the ingredients (except chocolate chips) and blend until smooth. If adding chocolate chips, stir them into the batter.
  • Transfer the batter to the parchment-lined loaf pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the bread feels firm when gently poked in the center.
  • Allow bread to cool at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Nutrition facts calculated without chocolate chips

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 9 - Calories: 202kcal - Carbohydrates: 39g - Protein: 10g - Fat: 2g - Fiber: 7g - Sugar: 13g
Course: Breads
Cuisine: American
Keyword: banana bread, chocolate, dairy free, gluten free, grain free, quick bread
Servings: 1 loaf
Calories: 202kcal
Author: Julia
collage of two photos of black bean banana bread
Recipe Rating




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Alexander

Tuesday 20th of February 2024

I think I did something wrong? I don't have a blender so I mashed the beans and bananas with a fork to the best of my ability. The loaf has a ton of moisture but it's collapsing in on itself and is super mushy. Not sure if it's might fault or the recipe. Any suggestions?

Julia

Wednesday 21st of February 2024

Hi there! My apologies the recipe didn't work out for you. When blended, black beans are great at binding, which is why they can take the place of flour in certain recipes. Without thoroughly blending the beans, I can see why the recipe wouldn't work. I haven't tried using your method of mashing the beans and bananas, so I can't speak to whether or not this was the root cause but my suspicion is that it is. If you have a food processor, a food processor would work too. The goal is to end up with a completely smooth batter. I hope this helps!

Annika

Wednesday 23rd of August 2023

This recipe is delicious. I don't know if I could detect the "beans" unless I was aware. So yummy! Making it for he second time tonight. Very moist cake and the only complaint would be that I ate way too much..in one serving..

Julia

Friday 25th of August 2023

I'm happy to hear you enjoy the banana bread, Annika! I don't taste the beans either - it just tastes nice and sweet to me! Thrilled you like the recipe and thanks so much for sharing your experience!

Jo Lynn Lowanse

Sunday 18th of June 2023

I don't have a blender anymore. Will mashing the beans work then using a mixer? Thanks.

Julia

Friday 23rd of June 2023

Hi Jo!

I think it may take a lot of work to mash the beans, but you're welcome to try it if you're willing to put in the elbow grease! The beans become very creamy and smooth when blended in the blender with the other batter ingredients. I would hate for you to go through the trouble of mashing the beans only to have the bread not turn out, but if you're okay with experimenting, it could work great. Let me know if you try it. xoxo

Melissa

Thursday 20th of April 2023

I used carob powder and no sweetener. It is great!

Julia

Sunday 23rd of April 2023

Wahoo! I'm so thrilled to hear it! Thanks so much for reporting back, Melissa! xo

Jennifer

Sunday 8th of May 2022

Hello! I just made this and it's so good. How do you recommend storing this?

Julia

Monday 9th of May 2022

Hi Jennifer! I cover it with plastic wrap and store it on the counter for up to 3 days. Any amount of time after that, I move it to the refrigerator or the freezer. If you keep it in the refrigerator, put it in an airtight container so that it doesn't dry out, and for the freezer, wrap it in plastic wrap, then store it to a zip lock bag. So happy you enjoy the recipe! xo

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