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.
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Fudgy Black Bean Zucchini Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: Dessert
Description
These decadent Fudgy Black Bean Zucchini Cookies make the best healthy treat! Vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1 medium 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.
- 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 minutes.
- Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. (I love popping them in the microwave for 10 seconds before eating!)
[Tweet "Beans and zucchini in a fudgy, flourless #vegan cookie? YES. @TheHummusapien"]
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.
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.
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
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!
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?
★★★★★
Carly Sears says
Is there a way to leave out the coconut sugar?
★★★★★