These decadent Fudgy Black Bean Zucchini Cookies make the best healthy treat! Vegan and gluten-free.
Believe me when I say that I totally had to google the word "fudgy" for spelling prior to the difficult task that was naming this recipe.
Absolutely nothing about black beans and zucchini stuffed in a cookie (that may or not be fudgy) sounds appetizing. I know this.
But these cookies are like chocolatey pillows of glory. They're like a perfectly wrapped present for your face. These are the kind of healthy treat that no one would ever know was actually good for you. Would I lie to you?
Whether you're flirting with the idea of making an omellete, a salad, or a cookie, black beans will make you proud every damn time.
Let's talk a bit more about the nutrition powerhouse that this humble frijole is for a moment. Black beans are loaded not only with iron, but also filling fiber and plant-powered protein that helps reduce cholesterol and prevent cardiovascular disease. As easy as they are on your waistline, they're even easier on your wallet. Heyo!
You can get a whole bag of dried beans for like a dollar. Yes. Black beans are pretty much free.
So I threw them in the ol' food processor with less refined coconut sugar and cacao and chocolate chippies and zucchini (because hi, summer) and HOLY HELL they're foodgasm city.
Since the name of the recipe does anything but tempt you to make them, you're just gonna have to trust me when I say you need them in your life like three days ago.
So how badly do you want to eat three pounds of black beans right now? You have my permission.
Starting with bean brownies.
Print
Fudgy Black Bean Zucchini Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These decadent Fudgy Black Bean Zucchini Cookies make the best healthy treat! Vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1 small zucchini, grated + water squeezed out
- 1-15oz can black beans, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
- 2 tbsp almond butter (or nut butter of choice)
- 4 Medjool dates, pitted
- ¼ cup cacao powder
- ¼ cup old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips + more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silipat.
- Chop ends off and grate zucchini. Place in a sieve or strainer to drain. Use paper towels to squeeze as much water as you can out of zucchini.
- Add black beans, almond butter, dates, cacao, oats, coconut sugar, vanilla, baking powder, and salt to a food processor. Process until well-combined.
- Add zucchini and process again for another 30 seconds, or until well-combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Drop spoonfuls of batter onto the baking sheet. The batter will be wet and sticky and that's okay! Wetting your hands may help. You should have about 14-16 cookies. Bake for 15-18 minutes.
- Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. (I love popping them in the microwave for 10 seconds before eating!)
Rachel B says
Used a cookie scoop and portioned into 24 mini muffins to make brownie bites out of these and they were a hit with my family! Baked an extra 5 minutes based on some reviews and they were perfect with a slightly fudge center.
Thanks for this recipe to add nutrition to dessert and in using a sun butter sub made to be home lunch friendly 🙂
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Yayyy love this so much!
Sheila Munro says
Sounds great but chocolat = migraine (as in throw up and die!). So what else can I add instead??
Alexis Joseph says
Since these are chocolate cookies I'd stick to a cookie recipe without chocolate! I haven't tested that recipe without chocolate, sorry Shiela!
Bonnie Simone Hamilton says
As one other comment stated, please give the measurement or weight of the amount of shredded zucchini. Saying 1 medium zucchini is too variable. Otherwise, it’s a good recipe.
Alexis says
Thanks, Bonnie! This is an older recipe that needs updating. 7oz for one medium zucchini should work. Cheers!
K says
These look great! Do you have the nutritional value for these? If so, can you please share 🙂
Melissa says
Fantastic! Feel like I have found a guilt-free cookie!
Alexis Joseph says
Wahoo!!
Johanne Beaulieu says
How many grams of black beans in a 15oz can?
Alexis Joseph says
Just googled this and got 425 grams. That's including all the liquid though.
Kay says
These cookies earn the stamp of approval from my 3 year old who literally only eats 10 foods! I'm so relieved to have found a way to get some beans and zucchini into her, and hope it helps her little belly going forward. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Alexis Joseph says
Best news ever! Thanks for letting me know, Kay!
Betty Pickens says
I'd appreciate it if you would measure the correct amount of shredded zucchini and list it in the ingredients...as mine are always huge...and I'd like to Make the recipe so it turns out o k . Recipe sounds delicious.
Alexis says
It should yield about a cup of shredded zucchini.
Kim says
I think the cookies are ok. I am looking for and testing a lot of legume desserts. I could appreciate a more starchy, bean quality after baking which I am not sure I like well enough to make these again as written. HOWEVER, I noticed that in trying the batter, after it had been whipped around in the FP, it had the consistency of mousse, and it is good. So, what I might try next time is hold the oats and baking powder, add a bit more cocoa powder (which I subbed for cacao powder) and instead of adding the chips, top with them and maybe a strawberry. All in all, this makes a versatile recipe. Thanks!
Karen says
I thought these were okay as well. A little too gooey. I left them in an extra 10 minutes and they still were gooey. Maybe I didn’t squeeze enough water out of the courgette? I thought I did but they are still pretty gooey. I like the idea of them.
Kim says
These are pretty good. I like the use of zucchini and beans. I am trying to find an interesting legume recipe for a dessert. After baking these, I found the starchy beans to be more prominent than in the "dough", HOWEVER, what I noticed about the dough, is that after whipping it around in the food processor, it had the consistency of mousse. SO, I'm thinking that (with maybe a little more cocoa powder which I used instead of cacao powder), hold the oats and baking powder, this might make a GREAT mousse without baking at all. I might not add the chips in the mix, but put them on top. Maybe cookies in the winter...mousse in the warmer months? What a versatile recipe. Thanks!
Carly Sears says
Is there a way to leave out the coconut sugar?
Abi says
This sounds like a brilliant recipe!
I wondered if I could make some adjustments - do you think I could replace courgette with spinach and black beans with lentils? I tend to have them in more often thats all.
Thanks so much,
Abi
Ruth Smith says
I just made my third (possibly my 4th, but whose counting) batch of these cookies today. They are so easy to make with stuff I have on hand all the time and are the perfect post-REFIT workout snack. I mean, who does not love a chocolate cookie - especially one that is a good source or protein, iron, and fiber! I freely admit that I love them with a good strong cup of black coffee for a little boost in the afternoon too. Thanks for my new favorite recipe. ?
Bianca says
They look amazing! Will def make them.
You shouldn't use microwaves though, they destroy all the goodness from foods.
Sarah says
Could you maybe weigh your zucchini next time you make these and (update the recipe)? I live in the Midwest and usually grow zucchini in my garden, or get it from friends in the summer and they are HUGE and I never know what to do with them! I like to shred and save for later...and I don't know the weight of a small or medium zucchini 🙂
Lori says
My 4 yo daughter helped me shred the zucchini and pat down the black beans, and was surprised when I told her these went into the chocolate chip cookies we were making. But she was game and absolutely loved them. Even my 6 yo son, who REFUSES to eat black beans, asked for seconds and had me put one as a special treat in his lunch today! Seriously LOVE this recipe - thanks for helping me put some good stuff into dessert 🙂
Marlene says
I made these last night. Couldn’t taste the zucchini nor the black beans. A definite plus for my kids! Maybe my zucchini was too large, because I baked them for a LONG time, and they didn’t cook in the middle. I ended up squishing them flat, in the hopes they would firm up. Right before burning, I took them out and they were still raw in the middle...but I put them in the fridge overnight, and the texture was great in the morning. Any helpful hints?
Adrienne says
I just made these and had the same problem as Marlene. The cookies just didn't want to set. They are quite gooey and uncooked on the inside. They are tasty, but I think the recipe needs to be tweaked a bit.
allison says
this happened to me too... the middle wouldn't cook.
Alexis says
Fabulous! Be sure to use a small or medium zucchini and squeeze all the moisture out. You could also try drying the black beans after you rinse them to reduce any moisture. Hope that helps!
Leah Watson says
Ahhhhh so yummy must make!!!
Melissa says
These look amazing, and I love the ingredient list. Definitely going to make these soon.
Do you recommend storing these in the fridge, or do you think they'd be alright just stored in a container on the counter/at room temp?
Thanks!
Alexis says
Hi Melissa! Def store them in the fridge 🙂 I throw them in the microwave for about 10 seconds before I eat them!