Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Black Bean Cake
Dense, fudgy chocolate cake made with black beans, coconut flour, and almond butter. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup and applesauce, this gluten-free and vegan cake requires no eggs or dairy. The black beans add moisture and protein while remaining undetectable in the final crumb.
Ingredients
- 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup coconut flour
- ½ cup maple syrupagave nectar1:1veganFull guide →
- ½ cup smooth almond butter
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juiceapple cider vinegar1:1veganFull guide →
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F.
- 2
Add black beans, applesauce, almond butter, maple syrup, cocoa powder, vinegar or lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt to a food processor or high powered blender and blend until smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
- 3
Add coconut flour and baking soda and blend to incorporate until batter reaches cookie dough consistency.
- 4
Transfer batter to a 9 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- 5
Press batter evenly into pan using hands.
- 6
Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.
- 7
Cool to room temperature before removing from pan.
Tips
Scrape down processor sides thoroughly for smooth batter and even texture.
Black beans should be completely undetectable when fully processed.
Batter will be very thick and resemble cookie dough before baking.
Good to Know
Keep covered at room temperature up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 5 days.
Prepare batter and transfer to pan, then bake when ready. Or bake cake fully and frost the next day.
Serve plain or top with vegan frosting, coconut whipped cream, or fresh berries.
Common Mistakes
Under-blend batter to avoid grainy, unincorporated bean texture.
Skip scraping processor sides to avoid streaks of unmixed ingredients.
Skip pressing batter evenly to avoid uneven baking and dry spots.