This black bean chocolate cake recipe is unbelievably delicious and so easy to make! The flourless cake batter is mixed in the blender and requires only 9 ingredients that you probably have at home in your pantry. The main ingredient is beans, but you’d never know! Try this healthy chocolate cake out and be ready to be surprised by the fantastic chocolate flavor!
Gluten Free Black Bean Chocolate Cake Recipe – Healthy!
If you think hiding a tin of black beans in delicious chocolate cake isn’t possible, your mind is about to be changed!
When you try a bite of this cake, “healthy” or “beany” are the last things you’ll think of.
It is decadent and super chocolatey. The texture is great and something you’ll want to keep coming back to.
This cake also happens to be gluten free! The beans act as a flour for the cake and give it structure, along with the eggs and cocoa powder.
Will kids like this black bean cake?
When I began experimenting with this recipe, I made it multiple times over a week to get it just right. We loved it more and more as the week went on.
That cake testing week led up to my son’s birthday party and this cake recipe is actually what I made and served to a bunch of 10-12 year old boys.
They loved it and had no clue this birthday cake was made with beans. That’s probably a good thing, since it may have scared them away!
One of my kids is extra not excited about beans, but always loves eating them when I add them into a recipe like this cake, chocolate chip chickpea muffins, brownies, or bean based cookie dough.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Easy to make – Many cake recipes call for multiple bowls or creaming of butter and sugar. Not this recipe! The batter blends quickly in the blender or food processor making this an easy recipe that anyone can master.
Healthy and fiber filled – An easy and delicious way to add more fiber and beans into your life! Beans in treats is the main way my kids enjoy beans, and I am okay with that!
Decadent and chocolaty – Chocolate lovers will be all about this cake! The combination of cocoa powder with chocolate chips works really well, and pairs perfectly with the blended black beans.
Gluten free & flour free recipe– This is a great recipe to make and enjoy with anyone following a gluten free or grain free diet. Many gluten free cake recipe calls for lots of flours and ingredients you may need to find at health food stores – not this easy recipe. It is made with accessible ingredients you could find at your regular grocery store!
Kid approved – Yes, kids really like this recipe! No one would guess that beans were a part of making this sweet treat, but they are and it’s a great way to get them in. Invite kids to guess the secret ingredient and be ready to be surprised by the shock on their face when they learn how delicious black beans can be!
What you need for this flourless cake
Scroll down to view the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions.
- black beans
- eggs
- pure maple syrup
- coconut oil
- pure vanilla extract
- cocoa powder
- baking powder
- sea salt
- dark chocolate chips
How to make healthy black bean chocolate cake
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil two round 6″ cake pans, and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
Step 2: To a high speed blender, place beans, eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, baking powder, and sea salt. Blend fully until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the blender if any cocoa powder is stuck. Add the chocolate chips and pulse a couple of times.
Step 3: Pour bean batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
Step 4: Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cake batter is set and no longer jiggles. You can test doneness with a toothpick by inserting it into the center of the cake. It should come out dry or with a dry crumb.
Step 5: Cool on a wire rack, then frost with healthy 3 ingredient chocolate frosting. Add chopped almonds, strawberries or fresh fruit if you’d like! It goes great with ice cream!
Watch me make my secret ingredient chocolate cake
The full how to video can be watched below, or on my YouTube channel!
Can you bake using different size cake pans?
Yes, you definitely can use different sizes of pans than the original recipe calls for! Using a single 9-inch cake pan will work, along with making cupcakes out of this chocolate cake batter!
If you’re baking a larger single layer cake, increase the baking time to 40-45 minutes and check doneness with a toothpick.
If you are making this recipe into cupcakes, it should make around 10-12 standard size cupcakes. They should take 18-22 minutes to bake.
Cake you bake the cake in advance?
Yes! Once you bake the cake and cool it to room temperature, unfrosted cake can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge or freezer until you need it.
It will stay fresh in the fridge wrapped for 5 days, or frozen for a long time (6 months)!
Before frosting the cake, bring it to room temperature.
If you want to make the cake fully in advance, frosted and decorated, I suggest no more than 3 days in advance.
Once frosted, be sure to cover the cake as best as you can and store it in the fridge.
How to store leftover cake
Leftover frosted black bean cake can be stored in the fridge. For best results, cover the cake with plastic wrap or add to an airtight container.
You can freezer frosted cake as well. Add slices to a freezer bag, label, and date and keep frozen for up to 6 months.
Defrost at room temperature, and enjoy!
Substitutions
Below you’ll find a list of substitutions that will work well in this flourless black bean chocolate cake recipe.
If you try something different out, please leave a comment below letting us all know how it turned out!
Black beans – Want to swap and use a different bean? Go for it! Garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas), navy beans, cannellini beans, and red kidney beans are all good options to try. Using a lighter color beans will result in a less dark cake. If you want a more dark chocolate color, be sure to use a dark cocoa powder.
Eggs – Eggs are an important part of this recipe since there is no flour involved in making this cake. If you need to omit the egg, I suggest using a vegan egg replacement, or flax eggs. You will also want to add a little all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or gluten free flour for structure to the cake if you remove the eggs.
Maple syrup – Honey, agave nectar or date syrup are all good alternatives for maples syrup. You can also use a powdered sweetener like coconut sugar, brown sugar, or natural cane sugar, but if you do, add about ¼ cup non-dairy milk in to add the liquid that has been taken away.
Vanilla extract – Both almond extract and peppermint extract would be delicious substitutes for vanilla extract. Use half the amount of those alternatives if you choose to swap one of them in.
Cocoa powder – Cacao powder is a perfect alternative to cocoa powder.
Dark chocolate chips – You can chop your favorite dark chocolate bar into pieces, use semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate, or chocolate chunks. Anything that adds a little more chocolate goodness will work here!
More favorite dessert bean recipes you’ll love
- Vegan black bean brownies
- Chocolate chip peanut butter chickpea cookies
- Funfetti chickpea cookie dough
- Protein chickpea cookie dough
Chocolate Black Bean Cake
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp coconut oil melted and cooled
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil two round 6″ cake pans, and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- To a high speed blender, place beans, eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, baking powder, and sea salt. Blend fully until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the blender if any cocoa powder is stuck. Add the chocolate chips and pulse a couple of times.
- Pour bean batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cake batter is set and no longer jiggles. You can test doneness with a toothpick by inserting it into the center of the cake. It should come out dry or with a dry crumb.
- Cool on a wire rack, then frost with healthy 3 ingredient chocolate frosting. Add chopped almonds, strawberries or fresh fruit if you’d like! It goes great with ice cream!
Nutrition
If you try this high protein cake recipe, I’d love it if you left a star rating and comment below letting me know how it turned out!
XO
Heather
8 comments
Dang, this looks so flavorful and moist! Do you think I could put some raspberry jam in between the cake layers? Maybe even raspberry jam and whipped cream? Love rich chocolate flavor along with some fruit!
You could definitely add some jam or whipped cream! They’d be delicious additions 🙂 Can’t wait to hear what you think of the cake!
Holy moly, this cake is GOOD! I can’t believe how tender and chocolatey it is, especially with a whole can of beans in there!! I was already a legume fanatic, but this recipe just proves how versatile and awesome they are. Thank you!!
Woohoo, I’m so glad you loved it, Ashley! Thank you so much for coming here and sharing. Cheers to more beans!
I’m planning to make this for my son’s 5th birthday. I’ve read the recipe a few times, but don’t see when to add in the dark chocolate chips?
Hi Samantha! Thanks for your note and for catching that. I’ve updated it – they’re added in after blending the batter 🙂
I am going to make this in a couple hours. I hope 2 7 1/2 inch pans are ok to use.
Definitely! The bake time will shorten a bit with the batter being more thin in larger pans. Please let me know how it goes!