Do you sometimes struggle with feeding your family on a budget? And trying to actually get them to eat what you make?
I love, LOVE black beans. They’re so cheap; you can buy a can for about 59 cents at Aldi, or buy a 2-pound bag of dry beans for about $2.49. And if you buy the dry beans, you can easily cook them in your slow cooker! Black beans are a great source of fiber and vegetarian protein, and can really help bulk up meals.
Can you use black beans for recipes besides Mexican food? YES! Even desserts, as you’ll see below. Here are 4 delicious uses for black beans to help stir up your creativity.
Soups
Soups are very versatile; you can add just about anything to them and they’d still taste great. Here are two soup recipes that include black beans, and remember you can switch out ingredients if needed depending on what you have:
Mixed with ground beef for tacos
If you have a hungry family but want to stay within your budget, cook a can of black beans in with your ground beef/turkey for tacos. You could probably even mash up the beans a bit to give it more of a refried bean texture and mix better with the meat. 59 cents for a can of beans versus about $2.39 for a pound of ground beef… that’s a good cost-effective way to bulk up your meal!
Alternatively, you could simply go meatless one night and only use black beans. Slice up a few bell peppers to sautee and add more bulk!
Desserts
Yes, I said desserts! If you make them right, you won’t be able to taste the beans. These are also a good way to get extra veggies in your kids; if Allison finds a speck of something weird in her food, she won’t eat it, so that’s why I love the fact that I can use the food processor to hide all the good stuff. Here are three easy desserts you can make:
- Chocolate Zucchini Beanie Brownies: This is the only one I’ve made, and Allison and I both scarfed them down!
- Fudgey Flourless Pumpkin Black Bean Brownies
- Chocolate Black Bean Blender Muffins
Hummus
Hummus is one of those foods I know some people don’t like, but black bean hummus is really good! It’s basically a Mexican bean dip, which might sound a little more yummy. Here’s a recipe that doesn’t have tahini, a hummus ingredient, as I know it’s not an ingredient we may keep around the house.
I always keep bags of frozen black beans in my freezer for emergency meals, and I know I’ll always have something to work with when it comes to dinner time! Do you have any favorite recipes that use black beans? Share in the comments; I’m always looking for new ideas!

Jaime is a Nutrition Coach through the ISSA and professional writer. She has 4 years experience coaching and 9 years experience in writing. She enjoys cooking easy meals, running, and learning more about food.
Jaime specializes in helping women with ADHD learn to meal plan and cook healthier meals without getting overwhelmed.