Thick and fudgy Chickpea Blondies with creamy peanut butter, oats, no flour, and no noticeable chickpea taste. A simple dessert that fuels like a snack. You need just 10 simple ingredients and a blender!
These chickpea blondies was my first time making a dessert with chickpeas, and I’m officially in love. I never expected a can of chickpeas to turn into something so rich, soft, and delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fudgy texture: Chickpeas give them a rich, dense, melt-in-your-mouth texture, just like traditional blondies.
- One bowl recipe: Technically the bowl is your blender or food processor.
- Quick: Just 30 minutes to prep and bake.
- Simple: You only need 10 simple ingredients.
- Diet friendly: Blondies with chickpeas are vegetarian, free of refined sugar, packed with protein and fiber, and can easily be made gluten free.
Ingredients for Chickpea Blondies
- Chickpeas: This time I used low canned chickpeas aka garbanzo beans. Just make sure to buy low sodium, drain and rinse well. You can also use cooked dried beans.
- Eggs: Hold everything together and help give the blondies a soft, tender texture.
- Maple syrup or honey: A natural sweetener that keeps them soft and chewy, I used pure maple syrup.
- Peanut butter: Natural unsalted peanut butter blends smoothly and keeps things wholesome. Any natural nut butter like cashew butter or almond butter works too.
- Milk: I used unsweetened almond milk. The milk adds moisture so any milk will work.
- Rolled oats: Blend right into the batter for heartiness, structure, and a chewy texture. You can also use quick oats, and be sure to use certified gluten-free oats, if needed.
- Baking essentials: Pure vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt.
- Mini chocolate chips: My readers know I prefer minis for chocolate in every bite with less quantity, but regular chocolate chips work just as well.
How to Make Chickpea Blondies
The garbanzo bean blondies are super simple to make with just one blender or food processor, no extra bowls needed.
Preheat oven to 375 F, then line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- Blend the batter: Add all ingredients except chocolate chips to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Toss in 1/3 cup of chocolate chips and pulse a few times to mix them in.
- Pour the batter: Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle chocolate chips over it.
- Bake: Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out almost clean. A little wet batter is fine, just make sure the center reaches 160 F.
- Cool and slice: Let blondies rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Use the parchment paper to lift them onto a cooling rack and let them cool completely. Then slice into 16 squares and enjoy!
Tips for Best Results
Here are some tips to get your chickpea blondies just right.
- Don’t overbake: Even if the toothpick isn’t clean, take them out when an
instant read thermometer hits 160 F. Any longer and they’ll dry out. - Cool completely: To let blondies set and make slicing easier.
- Slice carefully: These blondies can be sticky, so run a sharp knife under hot water, wipe it clean between cuts, and slice in one motion.
- For nut free blondies: Swap peanut butter for sunflower seed butter or your favorite nut-free alternative.
- For gluten free version: Make sure to use certified gluten-free oats.
How to Store
Store: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool, dry place for up to 2 days. Not longer because they are very moist and spoil fast. After 2 days I recommend to freeze leftovers as these bars do not keep well in the fridge due to moisture.
Freeze: Stash in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
FAQs
No! The peanut butter completely masks any chickpea flavor. Instead of tasting beans, you get a nutty sweetness that blends with the chocolate chips.
Possibly, but I haven’t tested it myself. If you’re looking to make them vegan, you could try flax eggs. Let me know if you give it a try.
More Dessert Recipes to Try
Chickpea Blondies
Ingredients
- 14 ounces can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1/4 cup peanut butter, unsalted and natural
- 1/2 cup milk, I used unsweetened almond milk
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats, or quick oats
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line 8 x 8 square baking dish with unbleached parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a blender or food processor, add chickpeas, eggs, maple syrup, peanut butter, milk, oats, vanilla extract, baking powder and salt. Blend until smooth. Add 1/3 cup of the chocolate chips and give a few pulses to incorporate.
- Pour batter into prepared baking dish, level with spatula and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of mini chocolate chips.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean, with a bit of wet batter is fine. Also check with thermometer to make sure center is cooked till 160 F. You also don't want to overbake as brownies will be dry.
- Remove from the oven and let brownies cool for 10 minutes. Holding onto parchment paper flaps, transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before slicing. Cut into 16 squares.
Notes
- Store: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool, dry place for up to 2 days. Not longer because they are very moist and spoil fast. After 2 days I recommend to freeze leftovers as these bars do not keep well in the fridge due to moisture.
- Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
