Black Bean Cupcakes

Black Bean Cupcakes have a moist and rich chocolate black bean cake and a silky chocolate glaze topping. They are insanely delicious and you will never even taste the black beans!

This is one of my go-to gluten free dessert recipes. They are so simple, come together quickly in the blender, and always impress!

Have you ever had a Hostess Cupcake? They are moist and fudgy and filled with vanilla creme. They are ridiculously processed and horrible for you in every way, but other than that they are amazing and I could eat them every day. Minus the vanilla creme, these Black Bean Cupcakes taste almost exactly the same. Listen, I can't make them perfectly healthy for you, but these guys aren't processed, they're gluten-free, and they are made with black beans. This is as close as you can get to healthy sweets while still being shockingly good.

Ingredients for Black Bean Cupcakes:

Ingredients for Chocolate Black Bean Cake:

• Black beans. Black beans will provide structure to the cupcakes in place of flour.
• Eggs. It will be easier to incorporate the eggs into the batter if they are at room temperature. 
• Granulated sugar. This will sweeten the cupcakes.
• Unsalted Butter. I always make sure to use unsalted butter when baking because there is no “standard” for the amount of salt they can add to butter. So if you add salt to a recipe and then use salted butter you could end up with a very salty end product.
• Cocoa powder. This gives the black bean cupcakes their chocolatey flavor.
• Instant coffee. Adding coffee will amp up the chocolate flavor. You won't be able to taste the coffee.
• Vanilla extract. Vanilla is a must in baked goods just like salt. Real vanilla adds a better flavor than imitation vanilla.
• Baking soda.  Baking soda will help the cupcakes to rise.
• Salt. Salt is a must in baked goods. It will help to balance out the sweetness and improve the overall flavor.
• Chocolate. I prefer semi-sweet chocolate, but you can use whatever you prefer.

Ingredients for Chocolate Glaze:

• Unsalted Butter. See above note.
• Heavy Cream. This will thicken the glaze and make it extra creamy.
• Cocoa Powder. See above note.
• Powdered Sugar. This will sweeten the glaze and help to bring it together.

How to Make Black Bean Cupcakes:

Chocolate Black Bean Cake

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners. You can also make 24 mini cupcakes.

Step 2: In a blender add all of the ingredients except for the chocolate. Blend until smooth.

Step 3: Add the dark chocolate and blend for about 15 seconds to break up the pieces.

Step 4: Pour the chocolate black bean cake batter into the prepared pan, filling each cup up about ¾ of the way full. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the cupcakes spring back to the touch.

Step 5: Let the black bean cupcakes cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and then remove and allow to cool completely before glazing.

Chocolate Glaze

Step 1: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat add all of the ingredients. Whisk until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth.

Step 2: Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Step 3: Dip the tops of each black bean cupcake into the glaze.

More Gluten-Free Recipes

• Caramelized Apple Tahini Crisp- this delicious apple crisp has a deep and delicious flavor profile.
• Gluten- Free Raspberry Almond Muffins- These moist, gluten-free muffins are full of fresh raspberries and topped with slivered almonds.
• Flourless Chocolate Cake- This decadent flourless chocolate cake is served with a bourbon vanilla whipped cream.
• Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars- Thick and chewy cookie bars packed full of chocolate chips.

More Gluten-Free Recipes from Kitchen 335

• Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins- these moist and fluffy blueberry muffins are topped with a sweet cinnamon crumb topping.
• Maple Walnut Scones- Gluten-free scones packed full of walnuts and topped with a maple glaze.
• Lemon Lavender Bars- A gluten-free lavender shortbread crust topped with a creamy lemon filling.

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Originally posted October, 2020.

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