Dark Chocolate Beet Brownies are incredibly moist and chocolatey! You would never know that they’re loaded up with 1/2 pound of beets! These beet brownies are easy to make and will be a hit for any brownie lover.
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It was my friend Shashi 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.
It’s fun to come up with recipes with unusual ingredients that taste unexpectedly delicious – I’m looking at you Cauliflower Fried Rice (surprise, there’s no rice!). But if you’re still skeptical about adding beets to 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.
I like my brownies to be fudgy, but I also like them to rise and have a delicate texture, so somewhere between fudgy and cakey. These brownies are toward the fudgy class, but have a lightness too. They’re entirely moist and, for me, are even more delicious from the fridge the next day than when they’re warm. I had to try them both ways, R&D you understand. 😉
How to Make Beet Brownies Fudgy
There is a key to ensuring that these brownies keep their moist texture: don’t overcook them. You want some moist crumbs to come out when testing with a knife; they’ll look done around the edges but still slightly wet in the middle. If they cook longer, they’ll still be moist and delicious, but will lean more toward a cakey texture.
More Must-Try Desserts
- Chocolate Panna Cotta
- Almond Flour Brownies
- Homemade Almond Joy
- Affogato
- Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
Dark Chocolate Beet Brownies
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces boiled and peeled beets about 2 medium beets
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, plus more for buttering parchment paper
- 8 ounces dark chocolate chopped or chips
- 1¼ cups white whole wheat flour (150 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup golden brown sugar packed
Instructions
- Quarter beets and transfer to food processor; process until pureed, scraping the sides down twice. (You should end up with a scant one cup of beet puree.)
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180° C).
- Line a 9 x 9 x 2-inch (23 x 23 x 5 cm) brownie pan with parchment paper or grease pan generously.
- Cut sticks of butter into tablespoon size chunks and place in a heavy saucepan. Add chopped chocolate and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture melts and is smooth. Remove the pan from heat and 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 paddle 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 beet puree and then slowly add chocolate mixture; mix just until combined. Add flour mixture and again, mix just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top with a rubber spatula.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Allow brownies to cool for 5 minutes then transfer with parchment to cooling rack.
- Cut and serve warm, at room temperature, or straight from the refrigerator (my favorite).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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!