Blender kidney bean chocolate cake (gluten and nut-free recipe)

Kidney Bean Chocolate Cake is a rich, fudgey gluten-free chocolate cake recipe made with kidney beans. It's nut-free too so perfect for lunch boxes.

Looking for something a little fancier then you might enjoy our Gluten-free Chocolate Fondants or Thermomix Chocolate Fudge Mousse.

I'll admit, when I first heard of making a recipe with kidney beans I was pretty disgusted.

Thankfully I discovered this kidney bean chocolate cake recipe first by tasting it and being completely oblivious to it being made of kidney beans.

It was so delicious I asked for the recipe and was shocked.

Why make this recipe

1. It's delicious - all my kids are obsessed with this recipe and none of them have a clue it's made of kidney beans.
2. Gluten-free - it's often hard to find a gluten-free chocolate cake recipe without nuts (or some awful gluten-free flour mix). This one tastes just like a rich, fudgey chocolate cake.
3. Nutritious - I'm pretty happy if my super fussy kid has one of these for breakfast. It's certainly better than most of the cereals out there.
4. Easy - you pretty much just throw everything in the blender, Thermomix or food processor.

Recipe Ingredients

• Red kidney beans - the star of the recipe. I promise you can't taste them in the cake.
• Vanilla extract - best to use the real stuff not vanilla essence or make your own vanilla extract.
• Cacao or good quality cocoa powder - gives it the chocolate flavour so use a good-quality one. I use cacao.
• Coconut oil or butter - we prefer butter for flavour.
• Sugar - we use rapadura. Raw or caster sugar could be used too.

How to make kidney bean chocolate cupcakes

Step 1 - Rinse and drain the kidney beans and place them in the bowl of a blender, Thermomix or food processor with 2 eggs, the water, oil or butter and vanilla.

Step 2 - Blend for 5 minutes or until smooth.

Step 3 - Add the rest of the ingredients and blend another 2 minutes.

Step 4 - Bake as 12 cupcakes or a 20cm round cake.

Step 5 - Leave them to cool in the tin for 5 mins then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They're best eaten when completely cooled not warm from the oven.

They're not the prettiest gluten free chocolate cupcake but they are so incredibly tasty.

If you're looking for a recipe with almond meal instead of kidney beans then you might like our almond meal gluten free chocolate cake.

Recipe FAQs

Storage

Store in an airtight container on the bench for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 7 days.

You can freeze kidney bean chocolate cakes. Just pop them in an air-tight container. Leave at room temperature to thaw.