Creamy Black Beans with Coconut Milk have a really incredible flavor.  This easy black bean recipe is vegan, gluten-free, high in fiber, and it makes a great side dish with any Mexican themed meal you’ve planned or a hearty vegan main.

These Creamy Black Beans with Coconut Milk have an incredible combination of flavors

There is temptation whenever I cook with coconut milk to want to add curry. The combo of coconut and curry is warm and fragrant and perfectly harmonious. But I resist here and instead add some adobo sauce to these chipotle black beans which gives these black beans a really amazing mix of flavors. 

These Creamy Black Beans with Coconut Milk have an incredible combination of flavors

This is an easy black bean recipe to make and it comes together in about 20 minutes.  When the black beans have finished cooking, the coconut flavor is very mild.  Hardly discernible really.  It just adds a really luscious creamy texture to ordinary canned black beans.  When you add in the onion, garlic, peppers, spice and adobo sauce to simmer for a bit, then what you’ve got is something really special!  The texture will remind you a bit of refried beans (everyones favorite, right!?), but don’t ruin this dish by adding cheese.  That would snuff the life right out of the incredible flavor going on with these chipotle black beans.

Easy Black Bean Recipe

  • Coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
  • Onion
  • Red pepper
  • Garlic
  • Ground cumin
  • Dried thyme
  • Adobo sauce (buy a small can of Embasa Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce)
  • Canned black beans
  • Vegetable broth
  • Coconut milk
  • Lime juice
  • Green onions and fresh cilantro for garnish

How to Make these Chipotle Black Beans

  1. Heat the oil in a medium sauce pan (I use my Le Creuset Dutch oven), and sauté the onion over medium low heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
  2. Toss in the peppers and garlic and continue to sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Add the cumin, thyme and adobo sauce.  Stir to combine well.
  4. Pour in the black beans, vegetable broth and coconut milk and stir.
  5. Cover pot and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes.
  6. Stir in the lime juice and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
  7. Serve with scallions and cilantro and extra lime wedges.

These Creamy Black Beans with Coconut Milk have an incredible combination of flavors

This is one of my favorite black bean recipes to make!  If you want to make this dish using dried black beans, just click here to learn How to Cook Black Beans from scratch!   

More Vegan Black Bean Recipes

Originally published September 2015 – Updated November 2019

These Creamy Black Beans with Coconut Milk have an incredible combination of flavors
Yield: 6-8 servings

Creamy Black Beans with Coconut Milk

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

These Creamy Black Beans with Coconut Milk have a really incredible flavor.  This easy black bean recipe is vegan, gluten-free, high in fiber, and it makes a great side dish with any Mexican themed meal you've planned or a hearty vegan main.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small red pepper, finely chopped
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme (dried is fine)
  • 1 teaspoon adobo sauce (buy a small can of Embasa Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce)
  • 2 15-ounce cans low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • green onions and fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a medium sauce pan (I use my Le Creuset Dutch oven), and sauté the onion over medium low heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
  2. Add the peppers and garlic and continue to sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Add the cumin, thyme and adobo sauce.  Stir to combine well.
  4. Add the black beans, vegetable broth and coconut milk and stir.
  5. Cover pot and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes.
  6. Stir in the lime juice and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
  7. Serve with scallions and cilantro and extra lime wedges.