Made with a nutritious, yet simple ingredient list, these yummy Chickpea Blondies are a favorite dessert to share. The chickpeas blend right in, adding a nutritious base to the recipe!
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 took it!
These healthy blondies are delicious eaten right out of the fridge with a glass of cold milk, so they are a regular dessert and snack in our house.
They rank right up there with my Banana Brownies and Black Bean Brownie Bites as a favorite treat.
Why This Recipe Works
These blondies come together easily in the food processor, are very satisfying (since they have a lot of beneficial fats and protein), and are just sweet enough without much added sugar.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at what you’ll need to make this recipe so you know what to have on hand.
- Chickpeas: Also called “garbanzo beans”, they provide the base of the blondie recipe. You’ll want to drain them and rinse them to avoid any salt and to remove the liquid that was in the can.
- Very ripe banana: A very ripe banana (one with brown spots) adds sweetness to this recipe and helps the batter hold together.
- Unsweetened creamy peanut butter: I typically use store brand natural peanut butter in this recipe. The flavor isn’t all that noticeable in the mix. Use sunflower seed butter if you need to make these nut-free.
- Maple syrup: You can use maple syrup or honey (for kids over age 1) to add a light touch of sweetness to this dessert recipe.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla adds an undertone of flavor to the blondies that works well in the mix of ingredients.
- Baking soda: A small amount of fresh baking soda ensures that the blondies cook through with a soft, yet firm-enough-to-slice texture.
- All-purpose flour: A small amount of flour gives the blondies structure and ensures that they hold together when they’re sliced.
- Chocolate chips: We like to add mini chocolate chips to these for extra flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a peak at how to make this Chickpea Blondies recipe so you know what to expect from the process. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full information including the timing and amounts.
Step 1. Rinse and drain the chickpeas if starting with canned ones.
Step 2. Grind in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients except the chocolate chips.
Step 3. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spread the batter into a greased baking pan.
Step 4. Bake the blondies until golden around the edges and just firm.
TIP: I like to chop the chocolate chips or use mini ones so they are more evenly distributed throughout the batter, but you don’t need to do that if you don’t want to bother!
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Frequently Asked Questions
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.
You can use sunflower seed butter instead of the peanut butter if you prefer.
You can, though plan to stop and start to blend the batter and stop when it’s mostly combined but not a puree.
How to Store
Store leftover Chickpea Blondies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I prefer them chilled, but they are fine at any temperature.
Best Tips for Success
- Be sure to use a very ripe banana for the best flavor.
- These are not super sweet, so add up to ¼ cup sugar to the batter if desired.
- Use honey instead of maple syrup if needed.
- Use almond butter or sunflower seed butter instead of the peanut butter.
- Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend instead of all purpose if desired.
- Make these blondies nut-free with sunflower seed butter.
Related Recipes
Desserts
Healthy Brownies (with Banana)
Desserts
Easy Black Bean Brownie Bites
Desserts
Easy Vanilla Cake (Vegan)
Desserts
Easy 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")
- ½ cup sliced very ripe banana
- ¼ cup unsweetened creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (chopped or mini chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8×8-inch pan with nonstick spray.
- 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 until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- 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, so add up to ¼ cup sugar to the batter if desired.
- 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 needed.
Nutrition
This post was first published January 2021.
Hi Amy,
Thanks for all the great recipes, I don’t know what I’d do without you!
Do you think it would work if I used raisins instead of choc chips?
Thank you 🙂
Hi- Sure, you can do that. The flavor and sweetness level will be different, but should work just fine!
These were great! My husband who has a big sweet tooth liked them, as did our 20 month old. I used whole wheat flour, no added sugar – will definitely be making again!
Made these for the first time today. So good! Even my picky one loved them.
Can I use blueberries instead of chocolate chips?
Sure!
Can you freeze these?
Sure, just put into a freezer bag, remove as much air as you can, and seal. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
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.