Healthy Black Bean Muffins (one bowl)
These black bean muffins require only one bowl (actually, a food processor), and they are perfect to have on the go, enjoy at home with a cup of tea, or even freeze them and use them when you feel like it! I even like to eat them as breakfast muffins!
I find it handy to have these black bean muffins in the fridge and enjoy them when craving something sweet and healthy throughout my busy days.
On top of that, they are perfect for the kids. Sneaking some beans in the muffins is a smart way to nourish their growing bodies. Not to mention that these are refined sugar-free, and contain other nourishing ingredients (such as tahini and oats).
What kind of beans to use?
Honestly, any type of beans would work for this recipe. I have made these muffins with black beans, red kidney beans, and white kidney beans (aka cannellini beans) and they all work well.
This time, I used black beans because I had them on hand at home. But feel free to substitute these with other types of beans, whatever you have in your pantry!
One thing I would add is to avoid any canned beans that have seasonings in them. It might be silly to mention but it could save you some time and frustration later. When you’re making a sweet recipe, the last thing you want is for unexpected flavors like garlic, onion, or savory spices to interfere with the sweetness you’re aiming for. And no, rinsing the beans won’t get rid of all the seasoning they have.
Having added salt is not a problem though, because you can easily rinse it with cold water. Actually, it is recommended to wash canned beans anyway, to avoid extra gas and bloating.
Why you’ll love these black bean muffins
Perfect for your kids
As mentioned above, these black bean muffins are what your child will love. Not only that, but they are perfectly healthy for them, making it easy for you to just leave them on the counter and let your kids pick as many as they want. At least, that is how we do it in our house.
They are especially good because the ingredients in the muffins are “hidden”. They won’t even know you are offering them black beans or oats. But you do – in a muffin form.
On the other hand, you can make these muffins together. Let your child put the beans into the food processor, as well as the other ingredients. This will make them more likely to try the muffins since it is well-known that cooking together with your kids makes them more likely to try new foods.
Do these muffins taste like beans?
No. You can’t feel any beans in these muffins. That’s the best part – you enjoy all the benefits that black beans have to offer without tasting them.
They are on the healthy side because they don’t contain any gluten, oil, or refined sugar, which makes them taste “healthy”. However, I love it! This makes them ideal for breakfast especially because you don’t want to start your day with sugars or such.
Black bean muffin ingredients notes & substitutes
- black beans – substitute with cannellini beans or red kidney beans.
- ripe bananas – make sure your bananas are ripe, otherwise you won’t get their natural sweetness and smooth texture.
- tahini – substitute for peanut butter or other nut/seed butter.
- dates – if your dates seem very hard and dehydrated, boil them for 5 minutes first before adding them to the food processor; you are welcome to add more dates if you want to have sweeter muffins.
- vanilla extract – you can omit this ingredient if you don’t have it.
- oats – it is best to use rolled oats; use gluten-free if necessary.
- baking powder
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- walnuts/chocolate chips – or you can add almonds, pumpkins, or keep it plain.
Video recipe – watch how to make the black bean muffins
How to store them
At room temperature. Store at room temperature for up to 2 days. Make sure to cover them with a tea towel to avoid dryness.
In the fridge. Place them in an airtight container and leave them in the fridge for around 3-4 days. I love eating them cold as they are but you have the option to reheat them in the oven for a couple of minutes.
In the freezer. Pop them in a zip bag and place them in the freezer. They will store well for about a month. I love this option because when I am craving a filling snack, I will unfreeze one or two muffins and it will keep me away from eating something unhealthy (I love having muffins, cookies & pancakes in the freezer for a quick breakfast or snack all the time!)
My tips & mistakes to avoid
- Wash your beans. Canned beans are full of sodium, meaning that you will end up quite bloated after consuming the muffins if you don’t wash them. Therefore, wash them well with cold water. I like placing them in a big sieve and washing them under cold water for a few minutes. Read more about rinsing beans here.
- Remove the muffins from the muffins form. Make sure to remove your muffins from the muffins form right after they are out of the oven. This will avoid condensation in the muffins and will ensure that the muffins won’t turn mushy.
- Let them cool. Cool down your muffins before consuming to ensure that the flavors fully develop and the texture sets properly. Eating them while they’re too warm (as I did!) might cause them to seem undercooked, as they continue to firm up as they cool.
More muffin recipes:
Blueberry Buckwheat Muffins
Cacao & Orange Muffins
Black Bean Muffins
Equipment
- Food processor
- Muffin tin
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans 230 g/rinsed
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 10 juicy dates or more/make sure your dates are soft and juicy
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup oats use gluten-free if necessary
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- walnuts/chocolate chips optional, for decoration
Instructions
- Add the rinsed beans to a food processor. Next, add the bananas, tahini, dates, and the vanilla extract. Blend until everything is well combined.
- Then, add the rest of the ingredients: the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Blend again.
- Spread the batter into muffin tins until almost full. Add some walnuts on top for some crunch and decor.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 180 C / 250 F. Remove them from the muffin tin and let cool before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Wash your beans. Canned beans are full of sodium, meaning that you will end up quite bloated after consuming the muffins if you don’t wash them. Therefore, wash them well with cold water. I like placing them in a big sieve and washing them under cold water for a few minutes.
- Remove the muffins from the muffins form. Make sure to remove your muffins from the muffins form right after they are out of the oven. This will avoid condensation in the muffins and will ensure that the muffins won’t turn mushy.
- Let them cool. Cool down your muffins before consuming to ensure that the flavors fully develop and the texture sets properly. Eating them while they’re too warm (as I did!) might cause them to seem undercooked, as they continue to firm up as they cool.
