This black bean chocolate cake is deliciously rich and moist! Using healthy and simple ingredients like unsweetened cocoa powder and maple syrup, this cake yields a rich dark chocolate flavor, and I promise you can’t taste the black beans!
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We’ve never been big cake eaters at our house. I know, weird right? Not because I don’t like it, but mostly because of the sugar headache we would get after eating it. But a few years ago, I started trying some healthy cake recipes that I could make for my kids birthday cakes. I came across an idea to make a flourless black bean chocolate cake. Who knew?! I instantly started experimenting and finally nailed down this perfectly healthy treat with the best flavor! All you need is a few simple ingredients, a food processor or a high speed blender, and a 9-inch cake pan.
Why black beans?
Black beans are starchy so they are an easy substitute for flour in this recipe. But unlike all-purpose white flour, they pack a nutritional punch. They are a great source of protein, fiber and antioxidants, but they also contain potassium, calcium and magnesium! So you can enjoy the health benefits AND the delicious flavor of this decadent chocolate cake. For this recipe, you can either use one 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed or you can cook your own. I make mine in the instant pot and they come out perfect every time. Place one pound of dry black beans and 5 cups of water in the instant pot, and cook on high pressure for 50 minutes, and allow a 10 minute natural release. After 10 minutes, release the pressure and drain the water. 1 1/2 cups of cooked beans is the equivalent of one can.
Black Bean Chocolate Cake Ingredients –
- Black beans: Use one 15-oz can, or 1 1/2 cups of cooked black beans. If you opt for canned beans, make sure they’re unseasoned black beans.
- Large eggs: This recipe works best if the eggs are room temperature
- Coconut oil: Organic, extra virgin
- Maple syrup: This should be room temperature as well
- Vanilla: Make sure to use pure vanilla extract and not imitation
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Baking powder: Buy aluminum-free baking powder here, or try making your own! Find instructions for making your own baking powder here.
- Baking soda
- Sea salt or Pink Himalayan salt
How to make Black Bean Chocolate Cake –
Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees F.
Next, start making the batter by draining and rinsing the black beans. Place beans in a food processor or high-speed blender and blend until they are pulverized. Next, add eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla and blend again until completely smooth. You will probably have to scrape the inside of the food processor or blender and blend again to get all of the beans out of the bottom. They’re pretty sticky.
In a small bowl, mix the dry ingredients. When the dry ingredients are totally combined, add them to the wet ingredients in the food processor or blender, and blend until they are just mixed in. Do not overmix!
By this time, your oven should be preheated, and it’s time to prep your cake pans! First, take your 9-inch cake pan and place it right-side-up onto a sheet of parchment paper. Trace around the bottom of the pan, and cut out the round of parchment paper. Place the parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, lightly spray the pan with avocado or olive oil cooking spray, and dust cocoa around the entire inside of the pan. When the pan is ready, pour bean batter into the prepared pan, and scrape batter from the inside of the food processor or blender to make sure you don’t miss any of the chocolatey deliciousness!
Pop the pan into the oven and bake 40-45 minutes. The cake is done with the top is slightly rounded and toothpick comes out clean. Sometimes, the top of the cake starts to crackle a bit in the middle which is totally fine.
When the cake is done, remove from the oven and let it sit for a long time on a wire rack or cooling rack (in the pan). When the cake is completely cooled, turn it over onto a plate or cake stand. This cake is delicious as is, otherwise see my notes below for some tips to make it even better!
FAQ –
Can you taste the black beans?
It’s crazy, but no! Chocolate is the predominant flavor in this cake.
Can you substitute another kind of beans for the black beans?
I would not recommend it. Black beans definitely yield the best results in this cake recipe.
Will another kind of sweetener work?
You could substitute honey for maple syrup in equal amounts. I prefer to use maple syrup in my baking because my parents make their own, so we don’t have to pay for our maple syrup. Which is an amazingly generous blessing! But honey would work just fine as well!
How long can you store this cake?
Using black beans instead of flour means that this cake stays rich and moist instead of drying out like regular cake. So the texture stays perfect, but I would eat it up within a few days. However, this cake does freeze well if you have leftovers that you don’t want to go to waste!
Tips for serving Black Bean Chocolate Cake –
Our favorite way to eat this black bean chocolate cake is with some homemade whipped cream and fresh berries. YUM!
Other toppings that would be totally delicious would be to top with a little peanut butter or almond butter, powdered sugar, vanilla ice cream, melted chocolate or chocolate chips!
And if it’s a birthday cake, a great addition would be some sprinkles of course. 🙂
If you want to make a layer cake, make a double batch of the recipe and pour into an even layer between two 9-inch cake pans. We love to frost it with a no-sugar chocolate buttercream and pipe it “nice and fancy” like my 4-year-old would say.
Black Bean Chocolate Cake
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
This black bean chocolate cake is deliciously rich and moist! Using healthy and simple ingredients like unsweetened cocoa powder and maple syrup, this cake yields a rich dark chocolate flavor, and I promise you can't taste the black beans!
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz can black beans, or 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans
- 5 eggs
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Drain and rinse the black beans. Place beans in a food processor or high-speed blender and blend until they are pulverized. Next, add eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla and blend again until completely smooth. You will probably have to scrape the inside of the food processor or blender and blend again to get all of the beans out of the bottom. They're pretty sticky.
3. In a small bowl, mix the dry ingredients. When the dry ingredients are totally combined, add them to the wet ingredients in the food processor or blender, and blend until they are just mixed in. Do not overmix!
4. Take your 9-inch cake pan and place it right-side-up onto a sheet of parchment paper. Trace around the bottom of the pan, and cut out the round of parchment paper. Place the parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, lightly spray the pan with avocado or olive oil cooking spray, and dust cocoa around the entire inside of the pan. When the pan is ready, pour bean batter into the prepared pan, and scrape batter from the inside of the food processor or blender to make sure you don't miss any of the chocolatey deliciousness!
5. Pop the pan into the oven and bake 40-45 minutes. The cake is done with the top is slightly rounded and toothpick comes out clean.
6. When the cake is done, remove from the oven and let it sit for a long time on a wire rack or cooling rack (in the pan). When the cake is completely cooled, turn it over onto a plate or cake stand.
Notes
***PLEASE NOTE!! This recipe is for ONE layer of Black Bean Chocolate Cake. If you want a double layer cake, double the recipe and divide evenly into 2 cake pans to bake.
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I hope you truly love this black bean flourless cake as much as we do! I would love it if you comment, rate, and share this recipe!
xoxo,
Sarah
