Made with a nutritious, yet straight-forward ingredient list, these super yummy Chickpea Blondies are a favorite dessert to share. Plus, you’d never know there are chickpeas inside!
Chickpea Blondies
I love a good kitchen challenge and using up pantry staples that have been lingering. So when I had the chance to figure out a dessert using a can of chickpeas, I was excited to take it on! These blondies come together in the food processor, have healthy fats and protein, and are just sweet enough.
TIP: These are so good eaten right out of the fridge with a glass of cold milk!
Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at what you’ll need to make this recipe.
- chickpeas (also called “garbanzo” beans)
- very ripe banana
- unsweetened creamy peanut butter
- maple syrup
- vanilla extract
- salt
- baking soda
- all-purpose flour
- chocolate chips
TIP: Be sure to use a very ripe banana with brown spots for the best natural sweetness.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a peak at how to make this recipe. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full information.
- Rinse and drain the chickpeas.
- Add to the food processor with the rest of the ingredients except the flour and chocolate chips. Grind well.
- Chop the chocolate.
- Add the chocolate and flour to the food processor.
- Spread into a pan.
- Bake!
TIP: I like to chop the chocolate chips so they are more evenly distributed throughout the batter, but you don’t have to do that if you don’t want to bother!
Can you taste the chickpeas in this recipe?
No, but I will say that they are best when you make sure to grind up the batter as smooth as possible for the best final texture.
Can I make these nut-free?
You can use sunflower seed butter instead of the peanut butter if you prefer.
Tips for Making the Best Chickpea Blondies
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I prefer them chilled, but they are fine at any temperature.
- Be sure to use a very ripe banana for the best flavor.
- These are not super sweet. If you think that might be an issue, add 2 tablespoons sugar to the batter.
- Use honey instead of maple syrup if needed.
- Use almond butter or sunflower seed butter instead of the peanut butter.
- Use a gluten-free cup for cup flour blend instead of all purpose if desired.
- You. may also like my Sweet Potato Brownies, Black Bean Brownie Bites, and Zucchini Cookies.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this recipe if you try it, so please rate and leave a comment below!
So Good Chickpea Blondies
Ingredients
- 14.5- ounce can chickpeas (also called "garbanzo" beans)
- 1/2 cup sliced very ripe banana
- 1/4 cup unsweetened creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (chopped or mini chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8x8-inch pan with nonstick spray. (I use Pam classic.)
- Add the chickpeas to a colander to drain. Rinse with water. Drain.
- Add to a food processor with the banana, peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Grind on high to make a uniformly smooth batter. (It might take 15-30 seconds.)
- Pulse in the flour and chocolate until just combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 24-26 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the top is firm to the touch.
- Let cool fully in the pan and slice to serve.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I prefer them chilled, but they are fine at any temperature.
- Be sure to use a very ripe banana for the best flavor.
- These are not super sweet. If you think that might be an issue, add 2 tablespoons sugar to the batter.
- Use honey instead of maple syrup if needed.
- Use almond butter or sunflower seed butter instead of the peanut butter.
- Use a gluten-free cup for cup flour blend instead of all purpose if desired.
Yummy! I feel like the batter for these is close to an edible chocolate chip cookie dough. Would love that recipe too!
These are delicious! I only had one semi-ripe banana that equated to 1/3 cup, so I sliced and microwaved it for 30 seconds to soften it some and added applesauce to make up the difference to 1/2 cup. I also added 1/4 cup of ground flax seed and subbed whole wheat flour for the all purpose. I used my mini food processor (I hate dragging my big one out oddly) for the beans and the liquid ingredients, transferred to a mixing bowl, and just stirred the flour (+ flax) and chocolate chips in by hand as my mini processor would not have accommodated that. They needed about 28 minutes. I’ve made different chickpea cookie and bar recipes in the past, but I think this was by far the best for consistency and hiding the chickpea flavor. So glad to have a new, healthier addition to my recipe box.
My toddler and I both love these muffins! I tried to add additional nutrients and lower the glycemic index of these muffins by making the following changes: I subbed chopped dates for for the chocolate chips, I used whole wheat all-purpose flour, I subbed blackstrap molasses for maple syrup. They needed to cook for 26 minutes and came out to perfection. Thanks for all of the great ideas on this website!
The flavor is great, BUT I have cooked these for at least 30 minutes and then let them cool. They are still pretty mushy through-out. What do you think I could have done wrong? How can I now, get them cooked a bit more? Thanks.
Maybe pop them into the fridge to see if they firm up more?