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Home » Recipes » Desserts » Fudgy Beet Gluten Free Brownies (vegan)

Fudgy Beet Gluten Free Brownies (vegan)

By Taesha Butler January 23, 2020 (Updated January 28, 2022) 68 Comments

Servings16 small brownies
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time35 mins
Jump to Recipe
4.95 from 37 votes

These fudgy gluten free brownies and not only chocolatey, easy, and delicious, but are loaded with a secret healthy ingredient: beets! Healthy, simple to make, and perfect healthy treat to feed your sweet tooth. And they are vegan too boot!

Sliced fudgy beet gluten free brownies, stacked on top of one another. The top brownie has a bite taken out of it.

My daughter and I were playing a game the other day. It was called “I’m the Queen and call all the shots”. I’m sure any of you who have spent 5 minutes with an elementary school kid can guess who was the queen and who was the loyal servant. Needless to say, we were having fun and she was on a bit of a power trip.

“Servant Mommy!” my daughter bellowed in her best queen voice (that has a bit of a British twist and mixed with a bit of southern) and getting comfy on her couch thrown, “I command you to get me one of those brownies!”

These beet brownies are a serious healthy treat! Delicious, fudgy, naturally sweetened, and made with blended oats, cooked beets, flax, and applesauce. They are naturally gluten free, vegan and done baking in 35 minutes!

I had just made a batch of these in preparing for shooting them and had let her try a bite…you know, for quality control.

“Sorry sweetie. Those brownies are off limits until I get the pictures I need,” I responded, breaking character.

The queen was not impressed….with my answer or me stepping out of my role. She shot me her best queen glare and then said “if you don’t let me have another brownie, it is to the dungeon with you!”

So, while I was dazzled that my daughter was loving on these beet-loaded brownies (8 year-olds are the toughest food critics in my experience), I was even more dazzled that she was telling me I was going to be locked in my room. Alone. For not giving her one.

Alone. Yes, I love being a mom. But I also love quiet time alone in my room…with a book. I’ll take that punishment, kid.

Why these beet gluten free brownies are so good

This is one recipe that I tested. And tested. And tested again. I’ve eaten so many beet brownies in the past week that I don’t want to even talk about it. But it was one recipe that I was determined to get just right and that got my family’s ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ approval.

These gluten free brownies are tricker than most because beets have a very earthy taste that many people balance out with a considerable amount of sugar. Most of the beet brownie recipes I stumbled upon added 1 cup of sugar along with oodles of chocolate chips to mask the earthiness (aka dirt taste) of beets.

But, I found a way to not only make these brownies fudgy (I’m so team fudgy when it comes to gluten free brownies), but egg-free, gluten free and with as little added sugar as I could while still balancing out the beet taste.

Why beets are good for you

Don’t get me wrong. These beet gluten free brownies are 100% a treat in my book. But a healthy treat that has a lot less sugar than traditional brownie recipes, but has the added bonus of beets in the mix.

Beets are plant rockstars that add so much to your food. By adding beetroot has, you also add: (source)

  • protein
  • fiber
  • Folate (vitamin B9) (this is helpful for cell and tissue growth)
  • Manganese. (an essential trace element)
  • Potassium. (good for heart health)
  • Iron. (an essential mineral that is necessary for the transport of oxygen in red blood cells)
  • Vitamin C. (something all us parents need oodles of in our diets)
Tray of fudgy beet gluten free brownies before baking.

Different methods for cooking your beet

Yep, you need to cook your beet. Please don’t skip this step, as it really could impact the yum factor of these brownies and nobody wants that. Cooking your beet brings out the natural sugars in it and cuts the earthy flavor that makes so many people run far and fast from this root veggies.

But if you already have a raw beet in hand, there are lots of different ways to cook a beet. Some methods I have used are…

  • Roast (Suggested. I find roasted beets provide for a stronger color)
  • Boiling
  • Instant Pot
  • Steaming

Tips:

  • Cook and peel your beet first. I mentioned it above but I am going to say it again. Don’t try to shortcut this part. Cooking beets helps to bring out their natural sweetness, which is kinds of important in a dessert.
  • Let those suckers cool completely. I almost pitched this batch of brownies because I thought they hadn’t firmed up. But once I let them cool completely, they were perfection. So, don’t rush them. Be patient. Let them cool. You will be rewarded with yumminess.
  • Make sure your oat flour is certified gluten free. If you have a gluten allergy or are making these for someone with an allergy, this is important. Not all oats are gluten free! The legit ones with boast a label on the outside of their packaging for all to see.
  • Don’t over bake. Cooking for too long can make the beautiful beet color in these go away. If they still seem soft when you take them out of the oven, remember they are still cooking while they sit on your counter. They will firm up as they cool.

Suggested Adaptations for fudgey beet gluten free brownies

  • Make them with eggs. If egg-free isn’t important, replace the flax meal and water in this recipe with 2 eggs. Heads up though, that the eggs make these brownies more cakey than fudgy. But if that is your thing, egg away!
  • Make them with whole wheat flour. If you are gluten free due to an allergy or intolerance, don’t do this. But if gluten isn’t an issue for you, feel free to switch out the flours.
  • Skip the beet and sub with 1/2 cup extra applesauce, butternut squash puree, sweet potato puree or mashed banana.
  • Make them as muffins. Bake at the same temperature for 20 minutes and let cool before enjoying.

Other beet recipe that is going to make your love this veggie…

  • The BEST Beet Hummus
  • Pink Beet Pancakes
  • Vegan Beet Waffles
  • Homemade Strawberry Beet Fruit Leather
  • Super Vitamin C Smoothie
  • Strawberry Beet Instant Pot Applesauce
  • How To Roast Beets
  • 10+ Delicious Beet Recipes

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Sliced fudgy beet gluten free brownies stacked on parchment paper
Print Recipe
4.95 from 37 votes

Fudgy Beet Gluten Free Brownies

These fudgy gluten free brownies and not only chocolatey, easy, and delicious, but are loaded with a secret healthy ingredient: beets! Healthy, simple to make, and perfect healthy treat to feed your sweet tooth. And they are vegan too boot!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time35 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beet brownies, beetroot brownies, gluten free brownies, vegan brownies
Servings: 16 small brownies
Calories: 132kcal
Author: Taesha Butler

Equipment

  • Food processor or blender

Ingredients 

  • 2 tbsp flax meal
  • 5 tbsp water
  • 4 ounces beets (about 1/2 cup pureed) cooked and peeled. I suggest roasted beet, as it holds color best in my experience. If the color is not important to you, than use whatever cooking method you like
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce or you can sup mashed ripe banana
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
  • 1/4 cup almond or coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar or granulated sweetener of choice
  • 1/4 cup coconut or avocado oil
  • 1 1/2 cup gluten free oat flour See below for how to make your own, if needed
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder not Dutch processed or cacao
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips or chocolate chunks plus extra for sprinkling on top. Optional. Also, make sure they are dairy-free if that is important

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 ℉ and line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper. Or grease it well with additional oil. Set aside.
  • Mix the flax meal and water together in a small bowl. Set aside for at least 5 minutes to "gel"
  • In a food processor or high-speed blend, combine cooked beets, vanilla, maple syrup, milk, applesauce and oil. Blend until the beets are completely pureed and the mixture has an even and smooth consistency.
  • Add flax/water mixture and remaining ingredients (except the chocolate chips) into the blender/food processor and blend until mixture is smooth. Scrape down side of bowl and reblend if needed.
  • Stir in chocolate chips.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top if desired.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top of brownies is set and dry to the touch.
  • Let cool completely before slicing. I like to let mine chill in the fridge for a bit.
  • Slice and enjoy. Store leftovers in fridge for 4 days.

Notes

To make your own oat flour:
  • start by pouring rolled oats in a blender. If you have a smaller blender, do less and work in batches.
  • Pulse until a coarse flour texture forms. This will happen pretty quickly, though you may need to take a spoon a stir the flour up between blending to make sure the oat flour has a consistent texture.
  • Use in a recipe right away or store in an air-tight container for future recipes!
If you prefer to buy pre-made oat flour, you can easily find it at many grocery stores, natural food markets or online.

Nutrition

Serving: 1brownie | Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 161mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

The nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on the product type, servings and other factors. If you are following a diet, please consult with a professional nutritionist or your doctor. Stay healthy!

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Filed Under: Desserts, Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: beet

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    Comments

  1. KB

    January 23, 2020 at 10:51 pm

    What about canned beets?!

    Reply
    • Taesha

      January 24, 2020 at 1:27 am

      You could probably do it with that! Hmmmm. I’m going to have to try!

      Reply
      • Virag

        April 2, 2022 at 4:50 am

        5 stars
        Hi Taesha
        I’ve just made this with eggs as muffins and they’re so amazing! 😍 do you think they would work with coconut flour instead of Oat (with flax eggs)? I’d love to make them for my partner but he can only handle coconut flour

        Reply
        • Taesha Butler

          April 2, 2022 at 11:48 am

          I am so glad you enjoyed them, Virag! Okay, so let’s talk coconut flour. It is a VERY unique flour that behaves differently than oat, almond, or whole wheat flours in recipes. I don’t recommend using it in recipes that aren’t designed to be made with coconut flour because it requires such a delicate balance to be successful.

          Reply
          • Virag

            April 9, 2022 at 1:34 am

            Oh that’s sad. Do you think almond would work?? 🙂

          • Taesha Butler

            April 10, 2022 at 9:35 pm

            It might! I have much more success swapping out almond meal and oat flour

  2. Brittany

    January 27, 2020 at 7:57 pm

    5 stars
    I’m so impressed that you found a way to make beet brownies that aren’t overloaded with sugar! I’ve had such a sensitive stomach ever since I went vegan, and too much sugar and sweets don’t usually agree with me. Not easy for someone who LOVES deserts! I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  3. Halet

    February 5, 2020 at 7:55 pm

    If I use a gluten-free flour mix instead of oat flour would it be the same amount? Do you think that would work OK? I just have some on hand that I would like to use up.

    Reply
    • Taesha

      February 5, 2020 at 8:58 pm

      It might work. I haven’t tried it with a different flour though so I can’t be sure

      Reply
  4. Hillary Silverman

    February 10, 2020 at 8:18 pm

    What is the reason you can’t use cacao in place of cocoa?

    Reply
    • Taesha

      February 10, 2020 at 9:07 pm

      You can but cacao can change the acidity of the brownies and *might* impact the color. Beets are tricky to bake with when it comes to maintain color. If the color is not super important to you, then cacao powder would work fine

      Reply
  5. carly

    February 11, 2020 at 9:21 pm

    About how many beets are 5 ounces as recipe calls for? Making this for school Vday festivies.

    Reply
    • Taesha

      February 12, 2020 at 3:22 pm

      The recipe calls for a 4 ounce beet. My 4 ounce beet was a smallish beet (not tiny). If you were to puree it up, it would be about 1/2 cup of puree

      Reply
  6. Kelyn

    February 13, 2020 at 1:47 am

    How long do you roast the beets for?

    Reply
    • Taesha

      February 13, 2020 at 2:34 am

      I’ve linked some suggested cooking methods above…including roasting that will walk you through it!

      Reply
  7. sarah

    February 19, 2020 at 6:42 pm

    Maybe I made these wrong, but they were sticky and all I tasted were beets. They were pretty disgusting. I saw rice flour was a gf recommended switch. Don’t do this- unedible.

    Reply
    • Taesha

      February 19, 2020 at 7:19 pm

      Hi Sarah! Sorry to hear they didn’t work out. I haven’t made these with rice flour, so I can’t speak to how they change the texture or flavor. Where did you see that recommendation? I didn’t see it comments or in the Suggested Adaptations part of the post. As for the beet flavor, that surprises me since most people have told me they felt it didn’t taste beety at all compared to most other beet baked goods. However, we all have different taste preferences and I know some people might be more sensitive to beet flavor in a recipe than others. Some people have shared with me that they’ve replaced the beet in this recipe with sweet potato with success!

      Reply
  8. Heather

    February 28, 2020 at 4:08 pm

    5 stars
    My kids and I loved this recipe! The texture is so great and the beets add such a depth of flavor (without tasting a ton like beets). Will definitely be making these again!

    Reply
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    June 23, 2020 at 11:51 am

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    Reply
    • Mina

      March 19, 2021 at 12:52 am

      Hey! Can you freeze these brownies?

      Reply
      • Taesha

        March 19, 2021 at 3:32 pm

        They work great for me in the freezer. I cut them into portions, freeze and take one out to thaw when I’m craving one.

        Reply
        • Mina Marsow

          March 22, 2021 at 9:55 pm

          5 stars
          I was skeptical about these Taesha and I made a half recipe but I just finished making them and DAMN! I wish I made a double recipe LOL. I couldn’t stop licking the batter. This is an amazing recipe. Kudos to you!

          Reply
          • Taesha

            March 23, 2021 at 2:47 am

            I am SO GLAD I was able to make a believer out of you!

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    June 25, 2020 at 12:31 am

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    June 26, 2020 at 5:34 am

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    June 27, 2020 at 3:58 am

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    June 27, 2020 at 9:56 am

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    June 29, 2020 at 11:21 am

    5 stars

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  15. Stella

    June 30, 2020 at 4:24 am

    5 stars

    Reply
  16. books

    June 30, 2020 at 11:01 pm

    5 stars

    Reply
  17. Charlene

    July 1, 2020 at 6:01 am

    5 stars
    Yum!

    Reply
  18. Rufus

    July 2, 2020 at 11:39 am

    4 stars

    Reply
  19. Lanlin

    July 4, 2020 at 11:04 pm

    5 stars

    Reply
  20. Kristina

    July 6, 2020 at 5:36 am

    4 stars

    Reply
  21. Beth

    July 12, 2020 at 7:06 pm

    5 stars

    Reply
  22. Tasha

    July 29, 2020 at 6:23 am

    5 stars

    Reply
  23. Jennie

    August 6, 2020 at 12:08 pm

    5 stars
    I am in love with these brownies! The only problem is that my family gobbles them up so quickly that I’m craving them again by the next day 😅. I’m thrilled that my children get excited when I say we are going to bake beetroot brownies.
    Quick side note: we live in Germany and finding the right cocoa powder was tricky. Eventually got “Kakaopulver stark entölt“ in the local organic supermarket. The colour isn‘t as pink as in the photos but they still taste 🙌🏻

    Reply
    • Taesha

      August 6, 2020 at 2:18 pm

      Lol! That is a good problem to have! The “right” cocoa powder is more to help with the color, because getting that pink color with baked beets is so tricky! Any cocoa powder will work, but the color might not be as strong.

      Reply
  24. Kitty

    August 7, 2020 at 8:44 pm

    5 stars

    Reply
  25. Adrea

    August 8, 2020 at 1:09 pm

    5 stars

    Reply
  26. Bobby

    August 13, 2020 at 1:55 pm

    5 stars

    Reply
  27. Sienna

    November 13, 2020 at 7:33 pm

    5 stars

    Reply
  28. Stephanie K

    December 16, 2020 at 6:38 pm

    These look amazing! Could you freeze these?

    Reply
    • Taesha

      December 16, 2020 at 6:39 pm

      Yes!

      Reply
  29. Jilly

    December 19, 2020 at 9:59 pm

    These taste delicious but looked like regular brownies (no red hue) I was disappointed because I followed all instructions 😱 oh well, they’re absolutely delicious!

    Reply
    • Taesha

      December 21, 2020 at 4:18 pm

      Beets are such a tricky thing to bake with! Sometimes these beets add that lovely color and other times they don’t. It can depend a lot of the acidity of a particular ingredient (like baking powder) which can vary from brand to brand. Or on the beet itself, how “juicy” it was and/or how it was cooked.

      Regardless, I am glad they were tasty!!

      Reply
  30. Happy GF baker

    February 15, 2021 at 1:14 am

    This recipe is AMAZING! I can’t believe its gluten-free, it has such great rise and moistness. My favorite is no need for a store-bought GF flour mix. Homemade oat flour is awesome and affordable. Thanks for sharing this with the world! I made it with roasted beets and got great red color, made it again with steamed beets and they lost the red color, but none of the taste – still so YUM! The steamed beets speed up the process though – just shredded one medium beet with a hand grater and steamed for 10 minutes in a steamer pot on stovetop. I had some extra I’ll use for salad mixins.

    Reply
    • Taesha

      February 16, 2021 at 4:59 pm

      So happy you enjoyed these!

      Reply
  31. Sophie Smith

    August 21, 2021 at 6:14 pm

    5 stars
    So good!!

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      August 21, 2021 at 10:25 pm

      So glad you enjoyed the, Sophie!

      Reply
  32. D.O.

    August 29, 2021 at 6:32 pm

    Can you sub beet powder?

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      August 30, 2021 at 11:31 am

      You probably can but I haven’t tried! You’d need to replace the moisture the beets would give the recipes with something (maybe applesauce) and then add the beet powder.

      Reply
    • Mona

      April 1, 2022 at 12:37 am

      Did you end up trying the beet powder? I’d love to know how it went!

      Reply
  33. danielle

    March 8, 2022 at 10:20 pm

    Hi there! Would it work to use honey instead of a granular sweetener? Many thanks.

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      March 8, 2022 at 10:22 pm

      You can but they will be extra gooey! Which I like but might not be everyone’s jam!

      Reply
      • danielle

        March 20, 2022 at 4:35 pm

        TY!!!

        Reply
  34. India

    April 3, 2022 at 7:31 pm

    Hello , could I use granulated sugar instead of sweetener ?

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      April 4, 2022 at 11:39 am

      You could!

      Reply
  35. Mary

    April 21, 2022 at 7:01 pm

    5 stars
    These were great! I added the eggs, and because I didn’t have enough apple sauce I also added some baked sweet potato. The only think I measured was the oat flour so I would also like to say these are pretty foolproof. I also don’t like chocolate chips so I made a ganache and poured that on top. My husband thought I was crazy when he saw all of those ingredients go into the vitamix but has already eaten a third! Thanks for testing this recipe out so many times for us!

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      April 21, 2022 at 8:33 pm

      I LOVE this! I am so glad it was a success and, oh my gosh, I need to try these with ganache now!

      Reply
  36. kate

    July 19, 2022 at 3:29 pm

    Wow! This is the bomb. I have a 1.5 year old and am so particular on what he gets to eat. Avoiding alot of processed or high in sugar foods. I did use 2 eggs instead of flax meal, used spelt flour in replace of oat flour and the sugar I did the recommended 1/4 c pure maple syrup (my family makes maple syrup in WNY) and used only 2 tbsp of granulated maple sugar instead of 1/4 coconut sugar. I used donut pans and it made 18 donuts! and only needed to bake for 12 mins. Amazing results and sooooo yummmy. thank you.

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      July 21, 2022 at 5:52 pm

      Oh I love all those swaps, Kate! And homemade maple syrup in these must have tasted magical!

      Reply
  37. Jenna

    October 4, 2022 at 1:50 pm

    5 stars
    These were quite simple to make and are SO GOOD. Mine didn’t then our pink? I used canned beets perhaps that’s why. I also only had about 1/4 c of cacao powder and it still worked! They look like regular brownies, but are fudgy and delicious!

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      October 4, 2022 at 3:49 pm

      Beets are funny to bake with! They sometimes hold their color and other times don’t. I’m still trying work on understanding the science of that. But! I have found that using roasted beets to be the best way to get a lovely pink color in my beet-loaded recipes. It holds onto the juices a bit better than other cooking methods. Canned beets still make these brownies veggie-loaded….just not as colorful.

      Reply
  38. A

    October 7, 2022 at 1:17 pm

    5 stars
    Loved these! I dislike beets, but they imparted a beautiful color without dominating the finished product. I subbed cacao powder for the cocoa, a GF flour blend for the oat flour, and brown rice syrup for the maple syrup and am pleased with the results.

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      October 7, 2022 at 4:19 pm

      So glad you enjoyed them, A! Great swaps that I’m sure other readers will find helpful. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  39. Tanya

    October 15, 2022 at 1:46 pm

    I usually never write comments on recipe but i have to admit that thoses brownies are the best i ever had.

    This recipe is perfect for all occasion, thanks for the share !

    Reply
    • Taesha Butler

      October 17, 2022 at 8:14 am

      I am so glad you enjoyed them, Tanya! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Taesha! I help busy people fall in love with healthy eating with my simple, family-friendly, veggie-loaded recipes. I believe vegetables can and SHOULD be delicious. Here, let me show you how!

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