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    Recipes » Desserts » Cookies and Brownies

    Dark Chocolate Beet Brownies

    Published: Oct 5, 2017 · Modified: Sep 28, 2022 by Marissa Stevens ·

    Vegetarian

    This post may contain affiliate links.

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    dark chocolate beet brownies stacked

    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.

    Dark Chocolate Beet Brownies stacked

    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.

    Dark Chocolate Beet Brownies stacked

    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

    • Chocolate Panna Cotta
    • S'mores Brownies
    • Almond Flour Brownies
    • Homemade Almond Joy
    • Affogato


    Dark Chocolate Beet Brownies Recipe Video

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    Dark-Chocolate-Beet-Brownies stacked featured

    Dark Chocolate Beet Brownies

    Marissa Stevens
    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.
    4.44 from 16 votes
    Save Recipe Saved! Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 45 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 20 brownies
    Calories 234 kcal

    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

    Calories: 234kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 3gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 57mgPotassium: 176mgFiber: 2gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 339IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword snack
    Tried this recipe?I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram at @pinchandswirl or leave me a comment and rating below.

    More Cookies and Brownies

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Brenda says

      September 24, 2021 at 11:49 am

      Can I use coca powder instead of the dark chocolate? If so, a measurement, please.

      • Marissa Stevens says

        September 24, 2021 at 5:37 pm

        Hi there, Brenda! For every 1 ounce of chocolate you can substitute 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon butter and 2 teaspoons of sugar, but I wouldn't substitute more than 2 or 3 ounces of the chocolate or you'll risk greatly affecting the texture of the brownies. Hope that helps!

    2. Ingrid Hudson says

      September 21, 2021 at 6:48 am

      Any chance of including metric measurments (grams, litres, centigrade?) We in Europe also read your recipes! 😉

      • Marissa Stevens says

        September 28, 2021 at 1:11 pm

        Hi there, Ingrid! Yes, absolutely. I've updated this recipe so you can now click on 'Metric' to convert the measurements.

        • Anne says

          January 25, 2022 at 6:38 pm

          Hi there Ingrid
          Could you also convert the size of the pan and oven temperatures to metric measurements please?

          • Marissa Stevens says

            January 27, 2022 at 8:32 am

            Hi Anne! Here are the conversions: 180° C in a 23 x 23 x 5 cm pan - I've added these to the recipe card as well.

    3. Simone says

      September 09, 2021 at 12:55 pm

      dark chocolate beet brownies - I want to try this recipe but need to know exactly how much butter to use. You have 2 sticks on the recipe, but I have seen sticks that are 1/4 cup and some that are 1/2 cup. So do I need 1/2 cup or 1 cup of butter???

      • Marissa Stevens says

        September 09, 2021 at 2:24 pm

        Hi there, Simone! You'll need 1 cup of butter.

        • Mackenzie Barker says

          September 22, 2021 at 2:37 pm

          5 stars
          Love this will try soon

          But can you share recipes using the metric measurements as well? Only Canada and the US use imperial yet people all over the work want to try out recipes

          • Marissa Stevens says

            September 28, 2021 at 1:11 pm

            Hi, Mackenzie! You're absolutely right - I've updated this recipe so you can now click on 'Metric' to convert the measurements.

    4. Pandemic Pantry says

      August 06, 2021 at 7:01 pm

      4 stars
      These are pretty fluffy like cake- amazing delicious cake - but they don't have the density I was looking for in a brownie. I may replace my favorite 'drop-the-beet' cake recipe with this one and cover it in a cardamom clove glaze.

      • Marissa Stevens says

        August 09, 2021 at 8:53 am

        Glad you enjoyed these even though they weren't quite what you were looking for.

    5. RM says

      July 31, 2021 at 5:13 pm

      The flavor was great. But omg- they were not brownies nor cake like. I did replace the flour with almond flour (Iv done this before with a lot of my recipes and never had any issues). I had butter dripping out the brownies when I cut into them. I tired my best to save them: pressed them to get rid of as much butter as I could, mixed them together again and added more flour and baked again. I couldn’t salvage these. What is the science behind this? What happened

      • Marissa Stevens says

        August 01, 2021 at 10:56 am

        Hi there, RM. I love almond flour and have used it for some of my favorite baking recipes, but I promise it’s not a given that you can swap it into recipes 1:1 for wheat flour. It’s a high fat flour comparatively (~56g in almond flour vs just over 1g in white whole wheat flour per cup) with fewer carbohydrates, which makes it popular with those following both keto and gluten free diets. For baking recipes, I recommend looking for those that specify almond flour. Here is my favorite Almond Flour Brownie recipe. I hope that helps!

    6. Laura says

      July 17, 2021 at 9:38 pm

      4 stars
      I baked these for 25 minutes and they came out completely cakey rather than fudgy. Not what I was expecting but we called it chocolate snacking cake and everyone was happy. The important thing is that they don’t taste like beets at all. We hate beets so this is a great use of the ones that come in our csa. I have another large beet to use up so I’ll try cooking them less and adding some chocolate chips to give them more of a brownie vibe.

      • Marissa Stevens says

        July 19, 2021 at 8:26 am

        Hi Laura! Glad you're enjoying the recipe and making it your own.

    7. Tara D says

      July 07, 2021 at 12:44 pm

      3 stars
      Sadly, these were much more cakey than fudgy. We're not fans of cakey brownies so will just give these to someone who is. Just want to warn others who prefer fudgy beet brownies to keep looking. I should have paid more attention to the picture, as they look fluffy and cake like. Oh, well. I'll keep searching for a good fudgy beet brownie recipe.

      • Marissa Stevens says

        July 07, 2021 at 12:59 pm

        Sorry these weren't what you were hoping for, Tara. My best guess is that they were in the oven too long, which leads to a more cakey texture.

    8. Gigi says

      June 13, 2021 at 10:41 am

      2 sticks of butter? Wow, surprised no one commented. Can't have butter, any ideas. Love beets!

      • Marissa Stevens says

        June 14, 2021 at 9:31 am

        Hi, Gigi. You can swap in an oil like coconut oil or a neutral vegetable oil like avocado oil. You can also do 1/2 oil and 1/2 applesauce. Hope that helps!

    9. Cady says

      April 11, 2021 at 4:54 pm

      4 stars
      Just found this recipe today and tried it. Wanted to comment since I did a couple alterations that I saw asked about in the comments.

      First - I used a gluten-free 'measure for measure' flour with xanthan gum, made to work as a 1-to-1 substitution for regular flour. It seemed to work pretty nicely! The batter was thick and fluffy.

      Second - I had pre-packed, pre-cooked beets that came out to closer to 12 oz instead of 8. So I did as suggested by the author and used that extra amount plus 1 more teaspoon of baking powder and took out two eggs. It doesn't seem to have compromised the structure of the brownies.

      I used an 8x8 pan instead of a 9x9 (I didn't realize the size was off until after) and the batter was extremely fluffy and thick. After ~30 minutes I had some dark spots on the top and it was slightly jiggly in the center. It was definitely a bit underbaked in the middle and I should have kept it in longer, but the outer half along the edges are wonderful. I can barely taste the beet and even my husband said he would have never guessed they were different, and he has a rather discerning pallet. I have two more pre-measured packs of beets and I think I'll definitely be using this recipe again!

      • Marissa Stevens says

        April 12, 2021 at 8:54 am

        Thank you for your cooking notes, Cady. Glad you're enjoying the recipe!

    10. Jacinta says

      March 26, 2021 at 4:49 pm

      These brownies are super delicious, I use pre cooked beets available at my supermarket they work just fine, is it possible to make it in patty cake pans and how many would this recipe make, the patty pans are 7cm diameter.

      • Marissa Stevens says

        March 29, 2021 at 9:46 am

        So glad you enjoyed these, Jacinta! I haven't tested the batter in smaller pans. I'm sure it will work, but you'll want to reduce the cooking time quite a bit if you want to maintain a moist / fudgy texture in the middle.

    11. Lia says

      March 04, 2021 at 7:38 pm

      1 star
      We really wanted to like this recipe, and we even put chocolate icing on top to make them even fancier and more chocolatey, but they did not taste good. The texture was OK—certainly not what I would call "fudgy" but more of a cake texture. The taste, though? Beets. My husband actually asked me if I put dirt in the brownies, because they have so much earthy flavour from the beets. We're going to have to compost the rest of the pan, because nobody in our household will eat another. So disappointed! Especially since everyone in the comments swore up and down they wouldn't taste too beet-like, and I wasted $10 of fair trade, organic chocolate to make these. And we LIKE beets in this house. We just don't like brownies that taste like dirt. 🙁

      • Marissa Stevens says

        March 05, 2021 at 9:11 am

        Oh no, Lia! I'm sorry this one wasn't a hit for you.

    12. IzzyCaker says

      September 23, 2020 at 5:56 am

      I just got delivered some giant beetroot in a veg box so think I'll try these out! Marissa - I have wholewheat flour not white wholewheat, would you recommend I mix the wholewheat with plain/all purpose flour? If so, any thoughts on ratio? Thanks!

      • Marissa Stevens says

        September 23, 2020 at 8:51 am

        Hi there! White whole wheat flour has a milder flavor than standard whole wheat, but you can absolutely use the whole wheat flour you have on hand. If you want to add some all purpose flour, I'd go with a ratio of 25% all purpose to 75% whole wheat. Enjoy your brownies!

        • IzzyCaker says

          October 08, 2020 at 1:26 am

          Made these last weekend and they are very tasty, a bit different and not too sweet which is ideal! Thanks for the tip Marissa.

          • Marissa Stevens says

            October 08, 2020 at 8:40 am

            So glad you enjoyed these!

    13. Sally says

      August 13, 2020 at 5:56 pm

      5 stars
      I forgot the eggs but it still turned out fine. I also used 2/3 spelt flour and 1/3 plain flour. It came out more of a light cake which was still enjoyable to eat.

      • Marissa Stevens says

        August 13, 2020 at 8:28 pm

        So glad these turned out, Sally! Thank you for coming back to let me know. 🙂

    14. Japu says

      July 29, 2020 at 5:58 am

      Hi Marissa!

      I am going to try this recipe with my 4 year old son who loves to help out in the kitchen.
      I was wondering if you can make these in a pan - loaf pan? Will it turn out the same?

      • Marissa Stevens says

        July 29, 2020 at 10:15 am

        Hi Japu! I love that you're going to make these with your son. You'll need to compare the size of your loaf pan to the 9x9 square pan I used for this recipe (81 square inches) and will likely adjust the baking time. You may even want to divide the batter between two loaf pans. Have a look at this article that goes into depth about different pan sizes and how they affect baking times. I hope that helps! Please let me know how it goes.

    15. Vix says

      May 04, 2020 at 9:03 pm

      Hey you say two sticks of butter.. could you pretty please tell me how much that is in grams? Thanks I can’t Wait!!!

      • Marissa Stevens says

        May 05, 2020 at 8:17 am

        Hi there, Vix. 2 sticks = 1 cup = 227 grams Hope you love these! 🙂

    16. Cheryl says

      March 01, 2020 at 11:20 am

      Can u freeze them?

      • Marissa Stevens says

        March 01, 2020 at 4:32 pm

        Hi, Cheryl! Yes, absolutely.

    17. Selena says

      February 27, 2020 at 11:45 am

      Can I make these with Gluten Free flour and Xanthan Gum? Any other changes to the recipe needed to make them Gluten Free?

      • Marissa Stevens says

        February 28, 2020 at 2:58 pm

        Hi there, Selena! I haven't made these brownies with gluten free ingredients. My guess is that it would work just fine, but without testing it, I can't say for sure.

    18. Christine DeSousa says

      August 12, 2019 at 9:58 am

      Hi Marissa,

      How long do you boil the beets for?
      Thanks, Christine

      • Marissa says

        August 12, 2019 at 11:27 am

        Hi, Christine. 🙂 You'll want to boil the beets in their skins until they're very tender. The boiling time depends on the size of your beets - it's best to have beets of similar size. Start them in cold water as you would potatoes and bring to boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until tender, 30 to 60 minutes. Transfer to an ice bath. Once they're cool enough to handle, the skin should slide off easily.

    19. Joyce says

      August 08, 2019 at 9:51 am

      Hi, I started out several years back tossing ground cooked beets in to my zucchini brownies. What zucchini called for, use half and then other half beets. Hot recipe shared many times.

      • Marissa says

        August 09, 2019 at 4:10 pm

        That's great, Joyce. 🙂

    20. Chelsea says

      August 02, 2019 at 4:21 pm

      These look delicious!! I was surprised to see that it calls for 4 eggs in addition to a cup of beet puree-- seems like a lot of eggs for a 9x9" pan. Can I swap some of the eggs for more beets or do you think the beet flavor would be too intense?

      • Marissa says

        August 03, 2019 at 10:49 am

        Hi, Chelsea! I think that swapping out eggs will have some affect on the flavor / texture, but you absolutely can substitute some fruit puree along with a little extra leavening - 1/4 cup of beet puree and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder for each egg that you leave out (I wouldn't leave out more than two). And here's an article for other egg substitution ideas you might find interesting. Hope you love these!

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