Flourless Black Bean Chocolate Cake (gluten-free!)

This black bean chocolate cake is fudgy, decadent, and completely gluten-free! I promise that no one will guess it’s flourless and made with a whole can of black beans. It’s incredibly easy to make entirely in a blender with simple pantry ingredients like eggs, sugar, oil and cocoa powder.

While a black bean chocolate cake probably sounds like the worst version of healthy desserts, I’m here to change your mind. When I lived with my old roommate who used to try all of my desserts, she told me that this was one of the best desserts I’ve ever made. And she had no idea that it was made from black beans! (I even made it as her birthday cake one year.)

This cake is not only gluten-free and dairy-free, but you get a decent amount of protein and fiber from a whole can of black beans and lots of eggs. While I’ve made some failed black bean brownies, there’s something more forgiving about black beans in a cake texture. Somehow, the oil, cocoa powder and sugar manage to transform the beans into a light yet fudgy texture that will fool pretty much any chocolate cake lover.

Ingredients

• Black beans: These are the main ingredient that provide the structure usually lent from flour in a cake. You can use canned black beans or beans that you’ve cooked from dry (you’ll need a total of 1 and 3/4 cups of cooked beans). If using canned black beans, make sure they’re unseasoned. Most canned beans have a decent level of sodium, so I don’t call for any added salt. If using no-sodium beans or black beans from scratch cooked without salt, increase this to 1/4 tsp. If you don’t have black beans, you can also swap in chickpeas, butter beans, cannellini beans, red beans or pinto beans. Virtually any similar type of bean will work–the flavor should be masked by the rest of the ingredients.
• Granulated sugar: You may swap the white sugar for light brown sugar if that’s all you have.
• Large eggs: The eggs are crucial for adding structure, moisture and richness to this cake. I’ve tested flaxseed and aquafaba as egg replacers in this cake and neither worked well (the tests sunk and tasted bean-y). However, one reader reported that using a chickpea flour slurry worked well as an egg replacement for this cake. I haven’t yet tried, but will report back if I do!
• Olive oil, neutral oil, melted butter, or refined coconut oil: While I slightly prefer using butter, you can use any fat that you prefer! Make sure to use a mild olive oil or refined coconut oil to avoid overpowering the chocolate flavor.
• Vanilla extract: I’ve used both pure vanilla extract and imitation vanilla and both will work well.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: I strongly recommend using Dutch-process cocoa for its richer color and the best flavor. A few favorite brands include Hershey’s Special Dark, Valrhona and Droste. However in a pinch, regular cocoa (like Hershey’s) will also work.

Butter vs. oil

I recently re-tested this cake with olive oil (below left) vs. creamed butter (below right).

As you can see, the crumb is slightly tighter, more even and a little more crumbly with the creamed butter, but the the overall texture is so similar that I don’t think creaming is worth the extra effort. I thought the flavor of the butter cake was SLIGHTLY preferable to the oil-based cake, but they’re honestly fairly interchangeable.

I’ve updated the recipe to remove the creamed butter option. Feel free to use melted butter or any type of oil you like and use the blender method!

How to make this black bean chocolate cake recipe

Step 1: Preheat the oven and prep the pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease 2 6-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper for extra security to ensure the cake comes out smoothly.

Step 2: Blend the batter. In a high speed blender or food processor, place beans, sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla and blend until completely smooth. Add the dry ingredients and blend until smooth.

Step 3: Bake! Pour bean batter into each prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top springs back. Let rest in the pan for 5 minutes before flipping the cake onto a wire rack to cool. Make the frosting as you let the cake cool completely.

What does flourless black bean chocolate cake taste like?

Coming from someone who has tried a lot of chocolate cakes, this tastes exactly like regular chocolate cake. The crumb is tender, moist, a little fudgy and not too sweet. I promise you won’t taste the black beans at all!

Frosting recommendations

I highly recommend pairing this cake with a regular chocolate buttercream!

• Chocolate Greek yogurt frosting: I love this frosting because you can mix it by hand in one bowl (almost as easy as the cake). It has a softer, creamy texture and gets its body and an extra boost of protein from the addition of Greek yogurt! Rich, chocolate-y and just a tiny bit tangy.
• Sally’s chocolate buttercream: My go-to for a conventional buttercream! Half of the linked recipe is just enough to frost this 6″ double layer cake. I’d use the full recipe if you want a more generous amount of frosting. A peanut butter filling would also work really well with this cake!
• A very simple glaze: One reader noted that she made a simple glaze with melted chocolate chips and almond milk that worked well with this cake made in an 8×8 pan. I’d estimate 2/3 cup of chocolate chips with 2-3 tbsp of milk (depending on how thick you want the glaze) would work well.

How to store black bean cake?

I would recommend storing leftover slices of cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can also wrap individual frosted slices in plastic wrap, slip into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month.

If you loved this cake, you may also like:

• The peanut butter sibling to this cake: my peanut butter chickpea cake!
• For another chocolate-y treat with no refined sugar, these vegan mini chocolate muffins are another classic recipe that uses date paste as a wholesome sweetener.
• This cottage cheese cheesecake is made with just cottage cheese and Greek yogurt for a higher-protein version of a delicious classic cheesecake!
• A decadent flourless chocolate cake with an aquafaba meringue
• This lemon meringue pie has a tofu-based filling with an aquafaba meringue

Vegan frosting option

Back in the day, I used to frost this cake with a vegan pudding frosting adapted from Angelica’s Kitchen. I now prefer this with the chocolate Greek yogurt frosting listed above. For posterity, I’m still listing the vegan pudding frosting below, though I haven’t made this in many years.

The original vegan frosting uses a few unusual ingredients:

• Maple syrup: for sweetness.
• Cornstarch: for thickening properties.
• Agar flakes: a sea vegetable superfood that serves as a gelatin substitute. When boiled with water, the flakes create a jelly-like texture.
• Cocoa powder: for chocolate-y flavor.
• Milk: I used almond milk, but you can use any milk you like. Coconut milk could be a great option for a slightly richer flavor.
• Vanilla: for enhanced flavor

All of these ingredients combine to form a frosting with the texture of chocolate pudding. You can tell it’s fat-free thanks to a lack of richness, but the good thing about it? It’s a nice light frosting that will be safe for vegans and gluten-free folk alike.

Vegan chocolate frosting

• 6 tbsp agar flakes
• 1.5 cups water
• 3/4 cups cocoa powder (Dutch-process preferred)
• 3/4-1 cup pure maple syrup
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 6 tbsp milk, your choice (I used almond)

Instructions

• Combine the agar flakes and water over medium heat for 3 minutes, whisking occasionally. Then whisk in the cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla and salt.
• Combine the cornstarch and almond milk in a small bowl and add the cornstarch slurry to the agar mixture. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken. Let cook for 1 full minute to activate the cornstarch, then remove from heat.
• Pour into a glass pan or measuring cup and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, or until the cake is ready to be frosted. Whisk the frosting by hand or with an electric beater to fluff up before frosting the cake.