Not just any brownies. Brownies like you’ve never experienced before. They are fudge-y. They are chocolate-y. They are straight up delicious. And what else you ask?

Gluten free*. Vegan. And…

…comprised mostly of BLACK BEANS.

Yes. For real.

Make these. Immediately. Serve them to your partner/roommate/unsuspecting friend/parent/stranger. Watch them revel in the cocoa-induced bliss that starts with the first sweet taste on their tongue and continues with the smooth, chewy texture. Then, observe their eyes almost pop out of their sockets when you tell them that these were made with an entire can of black beans! (Disclaimer: they may not actually believe you, so come prepared with some sort of proof.)

I found this recipe after seeing some beautiful photos on Instagram of all sorts of treats, courtesy of Milking Almonds, which is an absolutely gorgeous, plant-based food site. A bit of exploration there took me to the original recipe by someone named Chocolate Covered Katie. So… translated again and passed on to you, here they are, folks:

Top Secret Brownies

• 1 1/2 cups black beans (1 15-oz can, drained and rinsed WELL!)
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder (and/or raw cacao. I did 1/2 raw cacao and 1/2 ghiardelli unsweetened cocoa.)
• 1/2 cup oats (quick oats or rolled oats will be fine. I used regular rolled oats).
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (or agave)
• 1/4 cup coconut or vegetable oil (coconut will taste amazing, though…)
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup chocolate chips
• optional: more chips to scatter along the top before you bake!

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine all ingredients except chips in a food processor and blend until smooth. I processed the beans on their own for a few pulses before I added in all the other ingredients. Once there are no big lumps in the mixture, stir in the chips.

Pour your batter into a pan and sprinkle optional extra chocolate chips on top. The original recipe calls for an 8×8 pan, but I didn’t have one. I used a 9″ pie pan.

Bake brownies for 15-18 minutes, then let cool at least 10 minutes before trying to cut.  (If you used the pie pan like me, you might need to bake a touch longer.) I always put a butter knife into the center and see that it comes out relatively clean, otherwise they’ll fall apart. Makes… 6-12 brownies… depending on your level of self-control.

*Please note these are technically gluten free if you get certified gluten-free oats, baking powder, and pure vanilla extract.