Vegan, flourless & gluten-free chickpea blondies with chocolate chips are quick & easy to make, packed with protein & super delicious too! Perfect as a healthy and filling snack or lunchbox treat.
Chickpeas are every vegan best friends and must be the most versatile legume out there (in my humble opinion anyway).
However, my mind was completely blown when I discovered I can very successfully use them in baking too.
These super quick and easy vegan chickpea blondies can be made in half an hour from start to finish and must be the healthiest blondies out there!
Why are chickpea blondies so great?
This chickpea dessert or a snack is fantastic for several reasons:
- Chickpea blondies are flourless and both gluten and egg-free.
- They don't contain any added fats (no oil or butter) or refined sugars.
- They are healthy (even with added dark chocolate) and filling so make perfect lunchbox treat.
- For those with nut allergies it's easy enough to make them nut free.
- They are great source of plant protein as well as fibre.
- They're quick and easy to make and require only handful of ingredients you're very likely to have in your kitchen.
- They're super fudgy and just delicious!
Ingredients
Chickpeas - That's right, you're only one tin of chickpeas away from this delicious dessert. Make sure you rinse, drain and dry them well.
I tend to cook my own chickpeas from dried in my Instant Pot as we go through them like they're going out of fashion and it's an efficient way to go for us. If you do the same, simply use approx. 240g/8.5oz of cooked chickpeas (equivalent of what's in a tin after draining).
Nut Butter - Use your favourite nut butter here. I alternate between peanut and almond butters and when making these for my kids lunchboxes I use tahini instead (they go to nut-free school).
I would highly recommend you use natural nut butter without added salt and palm oil as not only is it much better for you and the planet but also its runny consistency is what's required for these blondies.
Maple Syrup - This delicious, amber liquid acts as our natural sweetener here. You could substitute it with agave syrup if you wanted to.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda - Raising agents used to give our vegan blondies a bit of a lift.
If you're gluten-free make sure you're using certified gluten-free baking powder and soda as not all of them are.
Vanilla Extract - Optional extra but worth using in my opinion.
Salt - Just a pinch to enhance the flavour. It goes so well with chocolate. You can of course leave it out.
Dark Chocolate Chips - They make these delicious vegan blondies super indulgent and delicious. They add subtle dark chocolatey sweetness too. I use Callebaut 54.5% cocoa solids chocolate chips as it's really affordable and delicious but feel free to use your favourite vegan chocolate here.
Feel free to adjust the amount of chocolate chips if you want to. The right amount of chocolate is a very personal thing so don't let me tell you how much to use.
I usually mix half into the batter and sprinkle the remaining half on top of my blondies.
Equipment
Food Processor - I've got my old and trusty Magimix Compact which I love and which is still going strong after 12 years in my kitchen and almost everyday use so I can highly recommend it.
Square baking tin 20cm/8inch - This one is really robust and has got loose base which makes removing your bakes so much easier.
How can I make these blondies nut free?
I make these nut-free all the time so that I can pop them as a little treat in my kids' lunchboxes (their school don't allow anything with nuts).
To achieve that, simply substitute the nut butter with tahini (paste from ground sesame seeds), your chickpea blondies will be as delicious.
How can I adapt these blondies?
To make these even more interesting feel free to experiment with adding some extras.
How about handful of chopped nuts, swirl of vegan chocolate spread or raspberry jam throughout the batter?
Try adding couple of tablespoons of cocoa powder to the mix to make chocolate chickpea blondies (I suppose that would make them brownies though, wouldn't it).
You could also drizzle baked blondies with some melted chocolate, nut butter or even both, why not!
Storing & freezing
Chickpea blondies can be stored in the airtight container on the kitchen counter for 3-4 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
They also freeze well but make sure to cut them into portions first and either freeze them in a single layer first and then transfer to freezer safe bag or container or separate them with some baking parchment to prevent sticking.
How to make chickpea blondies - step-by-step instructions
Ingredient quantities & detailed instructions to be found in recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
- Put all your ingredients (except chocolate chips) in the bowl of your food processor and blend until smooth.
- Add half the amount of the chocolate chips and give them a quick blend just to incorporate (you could do this without food processor and simply fold them in with a spatula).
- Transfer your blondie batter into square baking tin that's been lightly oiled and lined with baking paper and sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean (chocolate on the skewer is ok).
- Let the blondies cool slightly in the tin before removing them onto the rack to cool completely.
Have you tried my Vegan Chickpea Blondies?
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Ingredients
- 400 g tin of chickpeas drained, rinsed and dried, see notes for when cooking your own chickpeas
- 135 g peanut butter or your favourite nut butter, see notes
- 120 g maple syrup see notes
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- pinch of salt optional
- 100 g vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
- Prepare your baking tin by oiling it very lightly and lining it with baking paper.
- Put all your ingredients (except chocolate chips) in the bowl of your food processor and blend until smooth.
- Add half of your chocolate chips to the batter and give them a quick blend just to incorporate (you could do this without food processor and simply fold them in with a spatula).
- Transfer your blondie batter into prepared square baking tin and sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the top.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean (chocolate on the skewer is ok).
- Let the blondies cool slightly in the tin before removing them onto the rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Nutritional information is approximate, per serving (based on 16 servings) and should be treated as a rough guideline only.
- If (like myself) you're cooking your own chickpeas, use 240g/8.5oz of cooked chickpeas which is an equivalent of what's in the tin after draining.
- Feel free to use any of your favourite natural nut butter or tahini (for nut-free option).
- Maple syrup can be substituted with agave syrup.
- The blondies will keep in the airtight container on the countertop for 3-4 days or in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freezer friendly.
Please leave a comment & rating if you've made my recipe! Feel free to ask questions too, I reply to all!