It was my friend Shashi of Runnin Srilankin who inspired these brownies. She posted Chocolate Beet Cookies and I couldn’t stop thinking about them. I’d eaten (and loved) chocolate beet cake, but cookies? Then I wondered, what about brownies?
Beets and brownies are buddies.
If it seems strange to put beets into a dessert, consider carrot cake. Imagine the prejudice it must have endured before that first bite, “hey, wait a minute…” Beets in chocolate desserts have the same magic. It’s about the moisture and depth they add not the beet flavor.
Did you see this post from The Kitchn – Brownie Philosophy: Chewy, Cakey or Fudgy? I like my brownies either fudgy or chewy, I’ll skip them if they’re cakey. Which is kind of weird because I love cake. hmm. I digress.
These brownies are fully in the fudgy class, especially the next day when they’re even better than when they’re warm. I had to try them both ways, R&D you understand.
- ½ pound fresh beets, scrubbed
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for buttering parchment paper
- 8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped or chips
- 1¼ cups (150 grams) white whole wheat flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup packed golden brown sugar
- Place beets in a saucepan and add water to cover by ½ inch. Set over medium heat and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 25-35 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to ice bath until cool. Transfer cool beets to food processor and pulse until minced.
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Line a 9-inch by 9-inch brownie pan with parchment paper; lightly coat with butter.
- Cut sticks of butter into tablespoon size chunks and place in a heavy saucepan. Add chopped chocolate and cook over very low heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate begins to melt. Remove the pan from heat and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, gently mix the eggs for about 30 seconds. Add vanilla and brown sugar; mix on medium-high until light and airy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed and add minced beets then slowly add chocolate mixture and mix just until combined. Slowly add flour mixture and again, mix just until combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top with a rubber spatula.
- Bake 30-35 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow brownies to cool for 5-10 minutes then transfer with parchment to cooling rack.
- Cut and serve warm, at room temperature, or straight from the refrigerator (my favorite).
Welcome! I'm Marissa, and I write this blog. I write about the recipes that propel me (and hopefully you) into the kitchen. 
My hubby is currently in the dog house for eating blueberries I was saving for a recipe. He refuses to eat beets…you KNOW what I am going to do, don’t you??? (Gee it’s not like they are Ex-Lax )
I’ve had this blog for 5 years and that is the funniest comment I’ve ever had. Thanks for making my day…
Just made these using unsweetened baking chocolate and 1/2 lb of pureed beets. These are pretty tasty and more on the cakey side when warm from the oven – they’ll go in the fridge today and hopefully turn fudgey.
Can you make this recipe using canned beets? How do you think I should measure that? Thanks!
Hi Ana – I haven’t tried it myself, but I don’t see why not. Just be sure you don’t use the pickled variety… 🙂
I can’t eat regular brownies anymore after I ate this on. I could have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I could feel some pieces of beets, and I loved it. My toddler says “I don’t like beets”, and she loved it! LOL So moist and chocolaty because of the dark chocolate.
That’s so great! Thanks for letting me know…
These look incredible and I plan to make them this weekend, any chance you have made with with regular all-purpose flour? I’m a girl on a budget and already have it in the house!
Hi Kristin! All purpose flour will work just fine. 🙂
Hey Marissa, recipe looks awesome! Have you tried this recipe without the use of a food processor or standing mixer? Do you have any recommendations for making this recipe more accessible to those without kitchen machinery?
Hi Victoria – great questions! I haven’t made them myself without machinery, but I imagine that a potato masher or just a good sharp knife would work to mince the beets. And you could certainly use a handheld mixer or a wooden spoon and some elbow grease to mix the batter. 🙂 It will be a bit of an arm workout, but it’s doable!!
You can also mash them through a wire basket if you want them finer.
Good idea, Deb. Thanks!
It’s hard to resist a recipe that’s kind of healthy – whole wheat flour aaand beets, AND has chocolate. I’ve made a cake with beets and I love the earthy flavor it adds. I bet they taste sinful in this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
It’s true – they taste sinful, but really aren’t. At least not toooo sinful. 😉
Wow! ! These brownies look incredible! Never tried brownies with beet root.. Definitely need to try this..
Thnk you, Arpita. If you try them, I’d love to hear what you think. 🙂
Thanks Alice!
These brownies look fabulous!!! I’ve tried avocado + brownies but not beets. . love these! and I’m so intrigued!
*Mind blown*. I had *no* idea you could make brownies with beets. But, I have no idea why I didn’t think of it! I love beets and brownies, so what could possibly go wrong? Pinned!
Thanks, Kristi!
What an intriguing recipe! I’ve never used beets like this before.
Thanks Jennifer. It’s bizarre how the beets just add depth, but don’t make you feel like you’re eating a veggie brownie. 😉
I admit that I don’t like beets, but your brownies looks delicious! Maybe this time I can make an exception and try them 😀
I pinky promise that you won’t notice the beets! 🙂
Who knew beets could be a brownie secret ingredient?! Love that there are veggies in every bite of these.
I know! How great is that!?
Yum yum. I like veggies in cakes. I love zucchini cake too!
Me too, Sherry!
These look so decadent! We always eat beets in our house and I’m always pureeing some for my baby. I’ll have to put some aside next to time so I can make these!
We eat a lot of them too – so versatile!
I remember her beet cookies! They looked so amazingly tempting! Love your version too Marissa! 😀
Thanks, Lorraine!
Marissa – these are my kind of brownies!!! I love that you amped up the fiber with that whole wheat floor too! And I am so honored to have inspired you – these look phenomenal – so fudgey – my salivary glands are on overdrive!
Thanks for the inspiration, Shashi! I still need to try your cookie recipe. 🙂
I remember her cookies and now these brownies. I love beets all on their own but wrap a brownie around them and I think I’ll ask for the next dance.
Aww, thanks Maureen!