These super moist vegan and gluten free Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondies will fool any desserts-can’t-be-healthy naysayer.
A few years ago Will and I were going up to his parents’ lake house for a family weekend. We were in charge of bringing dessert. Who in their right mind would put a healthy-living blogger in charge of dessert? Naturally, I took it as a challenge to create a healthy dessert that no one would believe is healthy.
At the time, chickpeas were all the rage, so I decided to try my hand at a chickpea-based dessert. I’d made chocolate chip cookie dough dip before. Could I turn that dip into a baked delight? I gave it a shot and a few minutes later, these vegan and gluten free Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondies were born.
I brought them up to the lake house and come dessert-time, unveiled my goodies.
“What do we have here?” everyone asked.
“Oh, just some chocolate chip blondies,” I replied, conveniently leaving out the “chickpea” part.
I waited for them to say “yum” and come back for seconds before dropping the guess-what’s-in-them bomb.
“Oh you know, there’s just some almond butter, maple syrup, chocolate chips, annnnnnnd chickpeas!”
Bwahaha. Evil healthy-living blogger.
For real though, these gluten free chocolate chip chickpea blondies are perfectly sweet and have just the right touch of rich chocolately goodness. I wouldn’t believe they were flourless and eggless if I hadn’t made them myself!
I recently made them again for the first time in years, and you know what? They’re still good and even easier to make than I remembered. Simply throw all the ingredients (with the exception of the chocolate chips) into a food processor, fold in the chocolate, pour into a dish and bake.
Another good thing about these gluten free chocolate chip chickpea blondies? Because they don’t contain eggs, you can lick up the batter! That is the best part of baking, after all.
And with that… the recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup natural almond butter
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
- Place all ingredients except the chocolate chips in a food processer and process until a smooth batter is formed.
- Fold in the 1/4 cup of the chocolate chunks and pour batter into the baking pan.
- Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chunks on top and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow to cool before cutting and enjoying every healthy bite.
Let’s Chat:
What’s your favorite you wouldn’t-believe-it’s-healthy dessert?
That’s a pretty nice ingredient list! I think I have all of this stuff in the pantry!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt recently posted…5 Ingredient Parmesan Garlic Mashed Cauliflower
That means you are destined to make them 🙂
What they don’t know won’t hurt them, right?
Unless they are allergic 😀
Susie @ SuzLyfe recently posted…Running Coach Next Steps + Wine Pumpkin Hummus (Vegan, Gluten Free)
naturally ;-P
I love the chick peas in there! Creative 🙂
Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner recently posted…The Husband Project-October Update
Thank you!
I bought some chickpean flour a while back but have been a bit afraid of it honestly… wondeing if it causes any ‘digestive issues’ if you get my drift?
but your dessert just may get me to try it!
Elle recently posted…CLIF BAR Adds ICED GINGERBREAD to Their Seasonal Lineup
haha I do catch your drift. If you eat the whole batch in one sitting, you may have digestive issues (probably for more reasons than just the chickpeas), but one shouldn’t do any harm!
These look delicious! My mouth is watering thinking about how great these must taste.
Kathryn @ Dancing to Running recently posted…Peanut Butter Banana Bread Recipe (and Mighty Nut Giveaway!)
Thanks, Kathryn! I hope you make them and that they satisfy you and the baby!
Ha I would have to leave out the part of what is in them for my family to try them. But hey I do bet they would love them!!! Thanks for this!
Tricia@MissSippipiddlin recently posted…How Do You Hemp Heart – Review and Giveaway
Do it! I bet they’ll like them 🙂
YES! I love recipes like this. I can’t wait to give these a try.
Jen @ Pretty Little Grub recently posted…New Zealand Recap – Queenstown
Hooray!! I hope you like them.
NOM NOM NOM. I am coming to NYC in like 2 weeks…make me some?! 🙂
done!
I love letting people taste things before telling them about an ingredient, healthy or not. We’d always have potato candy (potato, peanut butter, and a ton of confectioner’s sugar). My uncle doesn’t like peanut butter but he loves the candy. The look on his face when someone finally told him it was peanut butter he was eating all along LOL
Cassi recently posted…Happy Back to the Future Day
haha too funny!
I am forwarding this recipe to my husband who is always wanting to bake me something that I would eat!!
Woohoo!! I hope he makes them for you 🙂
This sounds tempting! I am kind of afraid of chickpeas in baked goods…lol. I held off on black bean brownies for a long time and really enjoyed them when I finally gave in! Hopefully it’s the same for these 😉
I love chickpeas in baked goods! One of my favorite things to make with them is a healthy cookie dough dip. I make it for my Super Bowl party every year and everyone loves it 🙂
Interesting. I’d probably eat them if someone made them, but I can’t quite wrap my head around chickpeas in my blondies. ;o)
MCM Mama Runs recently posted…Marine Corps Marathon Zen
They’re so good! I’ll make you some so you can see/taste 🙂
Yum! Can you bake some for me and ship asap? I haven’t had a blondie in forever.
jill conyers recently posted…7 Ways To Run Faster
They’re on their way to you ;-P
I’m going to have to give these a try! I love waiting to tell people that something is healthy until after they have tried it. Good work 🙂
Thanks, Rachel! I hope you trick them (bwahaha).
Wow these amazing m family would love them!
Toni recently posted…A Training Update plus the #FiveToTheFinishLine Webisode 5 #TeamASICSNYCM
Thanks, Toni! I hope so!
I keep saying I need to make blondies with chickpeas – heard they’re great and these look like proof of that!
Thanks, Jessica! I hope you’ll give them a try!
omg these look delicious! I have not tried baking with chickpeas…someone once told me “don’t. it taste like chickpeas.” lol…but I’m kinda curious!
Patty @ Reach Your Peak recently posted…What I Learned From My XC Team: Part 2
Haha – they only taste like chickpeas if you don’t cover the chickpea flavor up correctly. The chickpeas add a great texture + protein and fiber, so I love cooking with them!
I’ve made brownies using black beans before but never heard of chickpeas for blondies! Sounds so nutritious. I gotta try it out!
black bean brownies are also delicious! I hope you give the chickpeas a go!
I have made something similar to these and my friends had NO IDEA that there were chickpeas in it!
Sue @ This Mama Runs for Cupcakes recently posted…Flourless Peanut Butter Brownies: Mighty Nut review
yes!! love fooling people ;-P
I can’t help but find that this recipe is almost exactly the same as my chickpea blondies found here: http://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/2013/04/flourless-chocolate-chip-chickpea-blondies-with-sea-salt-vegan-gluten-free-healthy/
As a blogger, you should really be crediting your source.
Monique @ Ambitious Kitchen recently posted…Healthy Pumpkin Pie with Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust (Gluten Free!)
Hi Monique,
I’m sorry if you think I have copied your recipe, but I don’t believe I’ve ever even been to your site until today. There are a lot of food blogs out there and a lot of like-minded people posting similar recipes. If I ever use a recipe as a base that I later tweak, I always give it credit. Please don’t accuse me of stealing as that is not something I would ever do. I hope you have a happy holiday!
Can I use peanut butter instead of almond butter?
honey instead of syrup?
Absolutely! Those are both great substitutions and the recipe should still turn out the same 🙂
What are the WW points? Anyone know
We tried making this today. I feel like I could happily eat the whole pan full! They are so creamy and delicious. I would never know there are chickpeas in them if I didn’t make them on my own. They do taste like yummy peanut butter cookies with choc chips. Thanks for simple but fabulous recipe!
Amazing! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!