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.
Everyone loved these, including my husband! I cooked the chickpeas in a pressure cooker and added a little cinnamon after blending everything. We’ll definitely make these again.
Just made these and they came out great! Actually made them for my birthday so that my 1.5 year old daughter could celebrate and enjoy a treat with us. So I used two 4” round cake pans. It turned out great! For anyone wondering, I used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose, and the texture was really nice and dense (in a good way). I also left out the chocolate chips and used cinnamon and cardamom instead. So delicious. Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m a big fan of most YTF recipes from Amy, but this one was so fantastic I was moved to leave a comment ?
The whole family loved this one – our almost 2 year old was into it! My lactose intolerant husband was thrilled to have a “dessert” that he could really enjoy. And this busy momma loved a little treat for my afternoon pick me up. Also felt good knowing we are all getting a little protein in our treat with beans and peanut butter.
I found the banana and peanut butter flavors the strongest A combo I like ☺️ I had some warm out of the oven (tasted like banana bread! It was also good cold out of the fridge like suggested in the post. YUM!
These were absolutely amazing! The whole family almost ate the entire pan including my very picky 2 year old. I did add 2 tablespoons of sugar. What a treat! Thank you for this recipe!
Love all of your recipes! These are SO good, and can’t believe my little one is ACTUALLY eating beans right now. We have eaten at least half the batch between the two of us.
Awesome!
Hi Amy,
Do you think cannellini beans would work in place of chickpeas? I’m allergic to the latter.
Thanks!
Hi! I’m not sure and cannellini beans are often moister than chickpeas. If you try it, you may want to add a little extra flour to make sure they aren’t too wet.
Thanks Amy for the quick response! I’ll try that and will report back.
These look great! Wondering if the banada flavour is strong and/or if it would be possible to leave out or substitute something for the banana? Thanks!
You can’t taste it much (but if you’re super sensitive to the flavor you may notice it). I haven’t tried these any other way but mashed roasted sweet potato or applesauce are usually good alternatives to bananas in baked goods.
Wonderful! Thanks for the feedback and suggestions!
Is it ok to skip the chocolate chips?
Yes though it will be a lot less sweet.
Can you make these with regular hummus? How much would you need to replace the chickpeas
I think that might make the flavor totally different since hummus has other ingredients in it
Can you use whole wheat flour and can these be frozen?
Yes, I think so on both accounts!
How do you make it not become green?!!!? I once used chickpeas to make cookie dough and it turned green, and the same thing happened to this!
I haven never had that happen or heard of it, but I’ll dig around to see if I can figure out a potential reason why. Must be some fluke chemical reaction. Will report back!
If you are using sunflower butter that would cause it to turn green….sunflower butter reacts with baking soda and turns green in baked goods. Never heard of it with chick peas though.
Yes, that is true. I also have never heard of it happening with chickpeas and didn’t see anything in a google search.