Dark Chocolate Beet Brownies are incredibly moist and chocolatey! You would never know that they're loaded up with ½ pound of beets! These beet brownies are easy to make and will be a hit for any brownie lover.
It was my friend Shashi of Savory Spin 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.
Did you see this post from The Kitchn - Brownie Philosophy: Chewy, Cakey or Fudgy? 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
Dark Chocolate Beet Brownies Recipe Video
Dark Chocolate Beet Brownies
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.
- Line a 9-inch by 9-inch 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).
Wow! I used your recipe for my beetroot brownies(used coco powder instead of Chocolate) and they up really gorgeous. Have tagged your post in my blog. Thanks for the inspiration.
So glad you enjoyed them!
I made these in a 9' x 13' pan and sprinkled choc chips on top. Even a non-beet lover said he loved them! Beets? he said, These have beets in them"? He said, "They don't taste like dirt".
I love that they are not so sweet as most brownies but still satisfying.
Ha! I love it, Ciel!! I'm so glad that you both enjoyed them! Thank you for coming back to let me know!
Hi Marissa, from the other side of the pond, I am wondering if by dark chocolate you mean what we call 'unsweetened' chocolate? If yours is sweetened and I use the unsweetened I would think I'd have to adjust the sugar, no? I'm making these for Valentine's day and plan to cut them into small hearts and use them in a parfait with raspberries and whipped cream layered in pretty glasses.
Hi, Roxy! The dessert you dreamed up sounds SO delicious! On the dark chocolate, I typically use 70% dark. So, as you said, you'll need to add sugar to taste if using unsweetened. Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!
Loved the brownies! how can I make these into cookies?
So glad you loved the brownies! I'm sorry, I haven't tried making these into cookies, but I love the idea!
Hi can I use honey instead of sugar?
Sure! The general rule is for every 1 cup of sugar, substitute 1/2 to 2/3 cup honey.
We made these brownies using previously roasted, peeled and sliced beets (that I had frozen, thawed & then finely pureed for this recipe). OMG these were incredible!! I did bake mine a bit for longer for a 'cakey' texture, and I swear the beets lend a 'velvety' texture to the brownies! We couldn't stop eating them! Plus the fact that the beets lend a sort of red-velvet like hue to the brownies was a big hit in my house full of girls!!! Thank you for this fabulous recipe, will definitely be making again!
You made my day, Momma Palooza! 😉 SO glad you enjoyed them!! I completely agree about that velvety texture - so good!
can you use regular flour?
Absolutely!
These are absolutely delicious! Super moist and chocolatey. I know that beets are so good for you, but I am NOT a fan of that earthy taste, so I just love that you can’t even taste them in this recipe and yet you get all the health benefits! Bravo!!
Totally made my day, Danielle! 🙂
I'm wondering if u can make this with semi-sweet chocolate?
Hi, Tanya, Absolutely! They'll just be a bit sweeter.
Who doesn't love a good brownie recipe, Marissa! Yours is simply mouth-watering. It's great you decided to use beets. It would be my first time using beets in a dessert!
Thanks so much, Agness! I know it's a little bit off beat, but so good! 🙂
Beet brownies are some of the most delicious I've tasted. Thanks for the reminder - these look amazing!
Absolutely! Thank you, Helen.
This recipe was a bit of a labor of love, but it was worth all the effort. I'd somehow never worked with beets before, but it was good to get the experience under my belt and in such a delicious way! I had several of my husband's coworkers over for dinner, and all the guys went crazy for them. My 2-year-old son liked them the most, I swear! Excellent dish, I may make again when I have the time to devote to it.
aww, I love hearing that your son loved them too!! So sweet of you to come back to let me know how it went, Lisa.
We definitely like our brownies the same way! Fudgy but not tooo dense. I LOVE THESE! I've made chocolate beet cupcakes in the past and they have just the best flavour, so I know these would be outstanding. Plus I feel a little better about giving my kiddos a brownie when there's goodness baked inside 😉
Always nice to add a bit of nutrition even in sweets! Thank you, Katherine.
Hi Marissa! I know some people prefer cakey brownies, butI have a real weakness for fudgy brownies! If I make these when Gary is in the house, I'll have to boil more beets, the man loves beets!
I'm cracking up that you'll have to make extra beets for Gary! You two... xo
The texture of these brownies looks downright perfect if you ask me! Also, I totally remember Shashi posting those cookies a while back. I'm not a huge beet fan, but I am intrigued by the idea of using beets in a chocolate dessert. I might just have to break down and try it sometime! Hey, I'll try almost anything once...those Safeco grasshoppers being one of the exceptions. 🙂
David, you honestly wouldn't guess that there are beets in them. It's really amazing - they just add a great texture and a little extra nutrition. LOL on the grasshoppers! I can't decide if I'll try them when we're next at Safeco or not. 🙂
These look SO good, Marissa!! I have a brownie recipe coming up, but there are no beets in mine. I think (I know) I need to try yours. They look so moist and chocolatey. And I'm thinking that because there are beets, then they are totally healthy so I can eat, like, three 😀 ! Cheers to a lovely weekend! XO
Thank you, Dawn! I'm looking forward to your brownies - always love your recipes!
I've been planning to make a beet cake for few years, but it hasn't happened yet. And I even don't need that idea of hiding the veggies - I do love beetroots. These brownies look amazing and perfect, Marissa! Rich, fudgy, and chocolate-y; like any brownies are supposed to be. The others (millions!) recipes which don't comply with these simple characteristics cannot be proudly named Brownies. They are still delicious chocolate cakes, but not the brownies, right?:)
I agree completely, Ben! I hope you'll give these a shot, especially since you love beets anyway!!
I'm all about a fudgy brownie and these look like they'd fit the bill. I've never baked with beets but I think I need to start :). Have a great weekend, Marissa!
Thanks so much, Kelsie! xo
About how much is 1/2 pound beets? like a cup or so? I am planning on doubling the recipe! I have a lot of beets! And this seems like a dumb question... but you peel the beets before boiling them, correct?
Can't wait to try these for Valentine's Day!
Hi Katie...Beets vary so much in size, but a rule of thumb is 5 medium beets is about a pound. Your peeling question isn't dumb at all! You can do it either way - peel them first or after they've boiled and are cool enough to handle. I find it's easier to peel them after they've cooked. Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Ok update! In my pan it took about 5-7 additional minutes... DANG! These were worth EVERY. SINGLE. STEP. Thanks for an awesome recipe! I'm currently 7.5 months pregnant and haven't baked much this pregnancy (I LOVE baking) so I made these in spite of being exhausted and having Braxton hicks the whole time... and I would totally do it again. But not today.
haha, hang in there! Your new little one will be worth every second of discomfort. So glad the brownies turned out well! I know what you mean about the baking time. I don't know if different beets have different water content, but the baking time on these varies for me too. I think I'll update the recipe to say 30 to 35. I've overcooked them before (turned out more cakey) and I think that it's better to under than overcook them.