• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to header navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to recipes navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Blog
  • Contact

Brooklyn Farm Girl

Cooking And Gardening in NYC

PopularStewed Tomatoes
let's be friends
join my free recipe club!
  • New? Start Here
  • recipes
    • Course
      • Breakfast
      • Desserts
      • Dinner
      • Drinks
      • Side Dishes
      • Snacks
    • Type
      • 30 Minute Meals
      • Breads
      • Brownies & Bars
      • Cakes
      • Casseroles
      • Cheesy
      • Cookies
      • Dips
      • Donuts
      • Holidays
      • Kid Friendly
      • Mac and Cheese
      • Muffins
      • Pasta
      • Pizza
      • Potluck
      • Salads
      • Smoothies
      • Sneaky Vegetables
      • Soups
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
    • Meat
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Turkey
    • Method
      • Baked
      • Canning
      • Drying & Storing
      • Freezing
      • Instant Pot
      • Roasted
      • Slow Cooker
      • Stovetop
    • Season
      • Spring
      • Summer
      • Fall
      • Winter
  • Vegetable Index
  • Urban Gardening
    • Let’s Harvest
    • Tutorials
    • Seed Calendar
    • Compost in Brooklyn
  • About Me
    • About Pamela
    • Our Garden
    • Editorial Guidelines
  • Life & motherhood
    • Journal
    • Motherhood
    • Our Upstate Adventure
    • Cats, Cats, Cats
    • Crafts
  • Videos
  • PopularStewed Tomatoes
Home » Recipe Type » Desserts » Brownies & Bars
4.8 from 41 reviews

Fudgy Kidney Bean Brownies

black beans
By: Pamela Reed
Posted:4/25/14
Updated:4/16/25
Jump to Recipe

These fudgy kidney bean brownies are rich, moist, and loaded with chocolate flavor. Made with red beans and topped with thick chocolate frosting, no one will guess the secret ingredient!

6 brownies with thick chocolate frosting on blue wooden table.

Brownies Made with Kidney Beans

These Fudgy Kidney Bean Brownies are rich, chocolaty, and seriously hard to stop eating. Think of them as the magical cousin to my popular Black Bean Brownies, except this time, we’re sneaking in red kidney beans for that same moist, fudgy texture everyone loves.

It all started when I had a major brownie craving (which, let’s be honest, is most days). I reached for my go-to black beans, but the pantry said nope. Instead of giving up, I spotted a can of dark red kidney beans and thought—why not? A little experimenting later, these kidney bean brownies were born, and I haven’t looked back.

And because I’m a double chocolate kind of baker, these brownies get topped with a thick, creamy chocolate frosting that sets just right. If you love desserts with hidden veggies and rich chocolate flavor, this easy bean brownie recipe is calling your name.

can of red kidney beans opened.

Baking Tip For These Brownies

These brownies are best when they’re slightly underbaked in the center. Start checking around the 16 minute mark; they should look set on top but still soft in the middle. They’ll firm up as they cool!

How to Make Fudgy Kidney Bean Brownies

Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a food processor, blend all ingredients except the chocolate chips until smooth and creamy. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand so they’re evenly mixed in.

Grease an 8×8 baking dish and pour in the brownie batter, using a spatula to smooth the top. Bake, then remove from the oven.

To make the frosting, combine milk, butter, and powdered sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Let it boil, then remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips and vanilla until melted and smooth. Immediately pour the frosting over the warm brownies, then refrigerate to set. Slice and enjoy!

side view of fudgy red bean brownie.

Storing Leftover Brownies

Store leftover kidney bean brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze them for longer storage—just wrap individually and place in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Pin for later:

These fudgy kidney bean brownies are rich, moist, and loaded with chocolate flavor. Made with red beans and topped with thick chocolate frosting, no one will guess the secret ingredient!

  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
Free Recipe Club
4.83 from 41 reviews

Fudgy Kidney Bean Brownies

Print
These fudgy kidney bean brownies are rich, moist, and loaded with chocolate flavor. Made with red beans and topped with thick chocolate frosting, no one will guess the secret ingredient!
By: Pamela Reed
serves 12

Ingredients

For the brownies

  • (1) 15 ounce can dark kidney beans drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup quick oats
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 cup coconut or vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

For the frosting

  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2/3 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the brownies

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips in a food processor. Pulse until smooth and creamy.
  • Stir in chocolate chips and mix with spoon so they are equally distributed.
  • Grease 8×8 pan and pour brownie mixture in it. Take a spatula to smooth out the top.
  • Bake the brownies for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove from the oven.

For the frosting

  • Combine milk, butter and powdered sugar together in a saucepan over medium heat, bringing to a boil. Allow to cook at a rolling boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips and vanilla to saucepan and stir until the chips are melted.
  • Pour immediately over warm brownies. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour to allow the frosting to set. This will give it enough time to firm up without making the brownies too cold or hard.
  • Slice into brownie squares and enjoy!

Video:

 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Keyword: kidney bean brownies
Did you make this?I love seeing what you’ve made! Tag me on Instagram at @BrooklynFarmGirl and don’t forget to leave a comment & rating below.

Similar Recipes

  • Fudgy Black Bean Brownies
  • Chocolate Kidney Bean Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting
  • Chocolate Birthday Black Bean Brownies
  • Diet Coke Brownies

Reader Interactions

join the free recipe club

Receive My Favorite Recipes Straight To Your Inbox!

Thank you for subscribing!

4.83 from 41 votes (35 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

I love hearing from you! Submit your question or recipe review here. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Made this? Rate this recipe:





  1. Jon says

    October 22, 2024 at 10:58 am

    amazing recipe, I always end up with a leftover 1/2 tin of kidney beans after making a chilli and never know what to do with them, this recipe turned out great ! I substituted butter for oil but I’m sure oil works just as well

    Reply
    • Pamela Reed says

      April 16, 2025 at 12:43 pm

      So happy to hear you liked them! Such a great use of leftover kidney beans!

      Reply
  2. Nobody says

    October 3, 2024 at 10:15 pm

    Hello,

    What can I substitute the oats with?

    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Pamela Reed says

      April 16, 2025 at 12:43 pm

      Hi! You can substitute 1/2 cup of quick oats with a mix of 1/4 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of almond meal. You could also use 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, but reduce the amount by 2 tablespoons. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  3. Samantha says

    September 5, 2023 at 8:27 pm

    Actually May be the best brownies I’ve ever had. They are literally SO delicious and fudgy!

    Reply
    • Pamela Reed says

      April 16, 2025 at 12:44 pm

      Hahaha, so happy you liked them!!

      Reply
  4. Margaret says

    April 18, 2023 at 10:08 pm

    Thanks for your beautiful website.
    I like that you made the brownies less sweet. I possibly over baked them. Mine weren’t fudgy, but moist.
    My mixture was too dry, so I added eggs.
    I like using kidney beans, high in iron and protein.
    I’m going to try this recipe again. I might try with cannellini beans. They’re softer and blend easily.
    Thanks for sharing this recipe

    Reply
  5. Sarre says

    February 8, 2023 at 5:02 pm

    How many grams of kidney beans? Sorry I have no idea to convert.

    Reply
    • Jane says

      March 22, 2023 at 11:56 am

      425 grams

      Reply
  6. Sarre says

    February 8, 2023 at 5:01 pm

    How many grams of kidney beans. I’ve tried to convert 🤷🏻‍♀️ ( Aussie )

    Reply
  7. Nicolae says

    November 21, 2022 at 1:06 pm

    can you please think of non-US readers and provide metric scale weights as well?

    Reply
  8. jean says

    February 14, 2021 at 4:50 pm

    I had beans laying around so i decided to try it, i didnt want to get a food proccesser out and also it was a mini on so ill use a blender. they looked good, i was hoping to make a smaller batch but i didnt want to save half a can of beans. any idea how long these will last? Would I taste the peanut butter? Ill let you know how these turn out

    Reply
    • jean says

      February 14, 2021 at 7:55 pm

      Theyre cooling! they smell good, i was afraid they wouldnt bake but i raised the temp a bit and they did. I didnt add that much sugar because my family doesnt like things super sweet, but I added a failed/ thing chocolate ganache into the batter. btw, is it ok that the oats made the batter kinda lumpy? i cant wait to try them.

      Reply
  9. Leyla says

    January 28, 2021 at 11:59 am

    So good thank you

    Reply
  10. June says

    January 13, 2021 at 12:16 pm

    Hi! This looks amazing! Wondering if I can sub the brown sugar with honey?

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      January 13, 2021 at 1:01 pm

      You sure can!

      Reply
  11. Barb says

    June 10, 2020 at 6:37 pm

    Just made them. They’re fabulous even without the icing!

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      June 14, 2020 at 1:19 pm

      I’m so happy to hear you liked these brownies Barb! Thanks for commenting!

      Reply
  12. Becky says

    May 29, 2020 at 7:50 pm

    I’ve been craving brownies for the past few months. Definitely going to try this recipe, it sounds healthy and yummy😌😊

    Reply
  13. Jackson says

    February 16, 2020 at 1:33 pm

    I never leave comments normally, but this recipe is simply extraordinary! I cut the frosting.

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      February 16, 2020 at 3:53 pm

      Hey Jackson, I’m so happy to hear you liked these brownies! And many (!) thanks for commenting! 🙂

      Reply
  14. laraib says

    January 23, 2019 at 3:23 am

    what to use inplace of penut butter and oats

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      August 9, 2020 at 1:28 am

      I was just wondering if other beans could be substituted into black bean brownies. I’m also thinking of making a version of blondies with some white beans.

      Reply
      • Pamela says

        August 10, 2020 at 10:07 am

        Hey Lisa, I admit I never made white bean brownies but now I’m very curious and will add it to my list of things to test. I absolutely think it’ll work!

        Reply
  15. Jenny says

    January 21, 2019 at 5:30 pm

    These turned out amazing. My kids loved them and after they were done eating I told them about the beans. Ha thanks for the recipe

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      January 21, 2019 at 6:27 pm

      Hah! I love that you told them after! I’m so happy your family liked the brownies, thanks for commenting!

      Reply
  16. Neesa says

    January 11, 2019 at 8:41 am

    Just made these. They’re cooling off as I’m typing. …I
    wonder how they will taste. I used almond butter as I was out of peanut butter and added chopped walnuts and pecans to the batter. Also added 120gr of 80% melted chocolate. Smelled divine. And instead of the frosting I just did a dark chocolate ganache 🙂

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      January 13, 2019 at 11:19 am

      Yum! Those brownies sound absolutely delicious Neesa – I hope you saved one for me! 😉

      Reply
      • Neesa says

        February 7, 2019 at 7:54 pm

        Yeah sorry…..they were all gone in no time. My family was shocked when I said its made with beans, they didn’t buy it 🙂
        This is officially my to go recipe for brownies. Never making them any other way. Never. Thanks again for sharing ♡ love from Morocco

        Reply
      • Neesa says

        February 7, 2019 at 7:58 pm

        By the way, I always add half tsp of powdered coffee (nescafé) to anything chocolat-y I bake. It doesnt effect the taste but it makes the chocolate come out much yummier.

        Reply
  17. Kat says

    November 21, 2018 at 12:32 am

    Hi Pamela!

    Does the red bean taste any different from the black bean brownies?

    The red bean turned dark brown in the photos after baking, which surprised me!

    <3

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      November 21, 2018 at 8:43 am

      Hey Kat, they taste similar to black bean brownies, but a little bit more like kidney beans – definitely same taste spectrum though. I love the richness of the color of these brownies! Hope you enjoy

      Reply
  18. Harry says

    October 30, 2018 at 3:29 pm

    Are there any bean brownie recipes without peanut butter?

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      October 30, 2018 at 3:47 pm

      Hey Harry, you can easily subsitute the peanut butter for almond butter or sunflower seed butter. Would that work for you?

      Reply
  19. Kari says

    March 23, 2018 at 4:59 pm

    These were super duper fantastic! And so easy to make in the food processor. Thanks for the great recipe, and a good way to use up those beans🙂

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      March 27, 2018 at 9:54 am

      Thanks for commenting Kari, so happy to hear you liked these fudgy brownies!

      Reply
  20. Shar from California says

    March 10, 2018 at 5:46 am

    What can I use instead of a nut butter in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      March 11, 2018 at 12:07 pm

      Sunflower seed butter would be a great alternative!

      Reply
  21. Janice says

    February 10, 2018 at 8:46 pm

    Just made these. Really tasty a cake or muffins I made out of ingredients in cupboard. So stoked healthy high protein muffins and gluten free what a bonus. Thanks for recipe.i used nutribullet .

    Reply
    • Pamela says

      February 12, 2018 at 9:52 am

      Hey Janice, glad to hear you enjoyed these brownies! Thanks for commenting!

      Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

welcome!

Hi! I'm Pamela, an artist Mom who shares family recipes. My farm is a 1,000 sq ft apartment in NYC. Let's make dinner together.

Read More

join the free
recipe club!

Receive My Favorite Recipes Straight to Your Inbox!

Thank you for subscribing!

TOP POSTS

Half Sour Pickles

The Best Stewed Tomatoes Ever

Unstuffed Bell Pepper Casserole with Ground Beef

Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce

Recipe Index
Vegetable Index
Follow On Facebook
Follow On Instagram
Free Recipe Club

fresh this week view all

How to Store and Freeze Fresh Blueberries

Irish Potato Candy (Pennsylvania Dutch)

Classic Stuffed Peppers

Peanut Butter Protein Cookies

As Featured On
free recipe club!
Get weekly recipes, videos, and gardening tips to your inbox!
join the club!
EST. 2013
let's be friends
  • Recipe Index
  • Veggie Index
  • Urban Gardening
  • Web Stories
Back To Top
© 2025 - All Rights Reserved
  • Privacy Policy & Terms
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled

join the recipe club!

Receive My Favorite Recipes Straight to Your Inbox!

Thank you for subscribing!

3.0K shares

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.