Chickpea Blondies Vegan

Why will you love these chickpea blondies?

These simple decadent chickpea blondies are vegan, gluten free, soft, moist, rich, gooey, plant protein rich, and fudgy. They are made with chickpeas, almond flour, maple syrup, vegan chocolate chips, some cinnamon and walnuts.

Looking for healthier brownie like recipes? Then, give my Chocolate Banana Bread or my Pan Baked Oatmeal with Apples a try!

Key ingredients and items you need for these vegan chickpea blondies

Ingredients

• Chickpeas
• Walnuts
• Almond Flour
• Pure maple syrup
• Almond butter
• Almond flour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Ground cinnamon
• Chocolate chips, vegan and dark
• Sea salt
• Vanilla extract

Equipment

• 9 x 9 inches or a square baking pan
• Oven safe parchment paper
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Whisk or mixing spoon
• Mixing bowls (if needed)
• Blender or food processor
• Cooling rack

What makes these chickpea blondies "healthy"?

Chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) are also known as garbanzo beans. Chickpeas are a type of legume in the same family as kidney beans and peanuts. Currently, India produces the most chickpeas in the world.

In addition, chickpeas are not just delicious in tangy hummus, but they are also a high source of vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein. The whole nutritious content of chickpeas makes them a great aid in supporting weight management, brain health, blood sugar regulation, and help reduce risk of heart disease and cancer.

One cup or 164 grams of cooked chickpea contains (1):

• Calories: 269
• Protein: 14.5 grams
• Fat: 4 grams
• Carbs: 45 grams
• Fiber: 12.5 grams
• Manganese: 74% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Folate (vitamin B9): 71% of the DV
• Copper: 64% of the DV
• Iron: 26% of the DV
• Zinc: 23% of the DV
• Phosphorus: 22% of the DV
• Magnesium: 19% of the DV
• Thiamine: 16% of the DV
• Vitamin B6: 13% of the DV
• Selenium: 11% of the DV
• Potassium: 10% of the DV

• Plant based protein source: chickpeas are an excellent source of protein, which may aid weight management and boost bone health. This legume is a great choice for people following a plant base lifestyle. Chickpeas provide a full chain of amino acids except methionine (2). Thus, to fill in the gap for methionine, those nourishing with plant base proteins must add other foods that contain methionine such as quinoa (3).
• Weight management: Chickpeas’ fiber and protein content, plus their relatively low calorie density, may help you maintain a healthy weight.
• Sugar management: Have a low GI (glycemic index) and are a great source of fiber and protein — all properties that support healthy blood sugar management.
• Digestion aid: Chickpeas are great for gut health. They are a source of fiber, which improves your digestion by supporting bowel movements and increasing the number of healthy bacteria in your gut.
• Linked to chronic illness prevention: Chickpeas may help prevent some chronic illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
• Supports brain health: Chickpeas are rich in nutrients that promote brain health such as magnesium, zinc, choline, and selenium.
• Good aid in iron deficiency: Chickpeas are a good source of iron and may help safeguard against iron deficiency. Also, they also contain vitamin C which helps with iron absorption.

I am currently thinking about how to combine chickpeas and quinoa into a delicious salad. I would be thrilled to hear your ideas. Please share in the comments.

How to make healthy chickpea blondies step by step

1. Warm up your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 176.6 degrees Celsius.
2. Open the can of chickpeas, rinse, drain, and remove all the moisture from the chickpeas. This can be achieved by rubbing them with a clean kitchen towel. It is important to remove all moisture from the chickpeas to prevent them to be too soft and thus breaking easily.
3. Place the chickpeas in a food processor and add peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, ground cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Blend on high speed for about 1 minute or until the batter looks smooth and there are no visible big lumps.
4. Add the almond flour or oat flour and process again on high speed for 15 to 30 seconds until all is incorporated.
5. Set aside about 3 tablespoons of chocolate chips and add the rest to the batter and mix gently. Add the walnuts and any other toppings you have selected and mix.
6. Spread the chickpea blondie batter evenly onto the prepared baking dish and sprinkle on top the 3 tbsp of chocolate chips that you set aside to decorate your blondies.
7. Bake for about 18-30 minutes or until golden and crusty on the top. Check starting at 18 minutes baking time to make sure your brownies do not get over toasted. Insert a pick in the center of the blondie. If it comes out clean with little crumbs, it is ready.
8. Cool down for about 10 to 20 minutes in the pan to allow the blondies to get firmer. Do not skip this cooling time or your brownies will break. After the 10 to 20 minutes have passed, gently loosen the sides with a knife and lift the pieces of parchment paper to easily release the blondie from the pan and transfer into a cooling rack if you have one. If you don't have a cooling rack, use another square flat plater.
9. Cool for at least 1 hour at room temperature in your cooling rack if you have one. Then cool down 1 more hour in your refrigerator. You can slice into 12 blondie bars, and they will be fudgy after the 2 hours cooling time have passed.

Useful tips and tricks for the perfect chickpea blondies

• Substitutions
  • Almond flour: oat flour which you can make your own using my oat flour recipe. If you are shopping for an oat flour, I recommend Bob’s Red Mill because it is gluten free. Do not use coconut flour for this recipe since the ratio of coconut flour to other fours is not the same.
  • Maple syrup: use any other liquid sweeteners such as agave syrup or date syrup. If you would like, you can use dates as sweetener too. Use about 10 dates and soak them in hot water for about 10 minutes. I would not recommend agave syrup as it spikes your sugar levels.
  • Egg: there is no use of vegan eggs or animal eggs in this recipe. But you can add an egg if it is in your nutrition regime. This will make the batter more like a cake consistency and less fudgy and it will not be vegan.
  • Almond butter: You can use your favorite nut butter. originally, I wanted to use peanut butter, but I ran out. I used almond butter and the blondies came out super delicious. I recommend using any nut butter but make sure it is all natural and it does not have palm or canola oils and additives. The ingredients must be nuts and sometimes perhaps salt.

• Additional add ins: cranberries, raisins, walnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, coconut flakes. You can also add nuts such as walnuts, pecans, and any dried fruits you like.

More recipes you may like

• Chocolate Banana Bread Vegan and Gluten Free
• Healthy Granola Homemade
• How to Make Oat Flour
• Pan Baked Oatmeal with Apples