These shockingly rich and gooey chocolate chip chickpea blondies are one of the most popular recipes I’ve ever posted!
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Even readers who don’t normally like healthy desserts LOVE these blondies!
Have you tried them yet???
In the years since first coming up with the recipe, I’ve served it probably over a hundred times to both strangers and friends, always with rave reviews.
No one can ever believe the ingredients or resist the charms of the moist and fudgy secretly healthy blondies.
Also try these Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
No dairy
No butter
No eggs!
White Bean Blondies
The recipe works with either chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or white beans like cannellini (white kidney beans) or great northern beans.
I like both versions equally, but many readers say they prefer using white beans because the resulting batter is smoother.
*Sugar note: You can use regular sugar, coconut sugar or date sugar, brown sugar, evaporated cane juice, or xylitol or granulated erythritol for sugar free blondies.
I once made a batch using stevia, which I thought were delicious. But my friends informed me they tasted like bars of soap. So make that substitution at your own risk!
For refined-sugar-free blondies, try these Sweet Potato Blondies
Above, watch the chickpea blondie recipe video
How to make chickpea blondies
Start by gathering all of the required ingredients.
If using canned beans instead of cooked, be sure to rinse and drain them very well.
(The drained liquid can actually be used to make Vegan Marshmallow Fluff!)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Blend everything together except the chocolate chips until it resembles cookie dough.
I use and recommend a food processor for smoothest blending and best texture, but some readers say they’ve used a blender (making sure to stop the machine and stir the contents occasionally) with good results.
Stir the chocolate chips into the batter, and smooth into a greased or parchment-lined 8-inch pan. Add a few chocolate chips to the top if desired.
Bake 30 minutes on the oven’s center rack, then remove while they’re still a bit gooey, because they will firm up as they cool.
Chickpea Blondies
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas or white beans, or 1 1/2 cups cooked
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp each: salt and baking soda
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar of choice (Substitutions are listed above)
- 1/3 cup flour (white, oat, spelt, sorghum, or 1/2 cup almond flour)
- 1/4 cup applesauce, mashed banana, or yogurt
- 3 tbsp oil or 1/4 cup nut butter
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips, or more if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain and rinse beans very well. Blend all ingredients (except chips) until very smooth in a good food processor (see not above about using a blender). Mix in chips, and scoop into a greased or parchment-lined 8×8 pan. Optional: you can stick some chocolate chips on top of the batter as well. Bake for 30 minutes. They'll look a little undercooked when you take them out, but they firm up as they cool.View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
More Healthy Chickpea Desserts
Flourless Banana Blender Muffins
I hate when girls dumb themselves down for guys. In the long run, it really does you no good. I totally agree that people like Jessica Simpson only put on an act with their so-called “dumbness”. Pretty brilliant ploy seeing how much she made off of it.
Those blondies look absolutely fantastic!!! Could they be made without the flax?? I have everything on hand except for that.
Maybe you could use flour in place of the flax? I’m not sure… but hey, if it doesn’t firm up you’ll still be left with a yummy gooey mess to devour! Let me know how it goes, if you do try it!
I guess you ended up trying it yourself, Katie? The current version of the recipe has flour and no flax. Curious why you changed the recipe and what else you changed from the original recipe…
I’m. Making. These. They look and sound awesome, so I bet they are. Thanks AGAIN for another new recipe!
I’m a blonde myself – one of the studious ones, though I’ve never been labelled as “nerdy”, I’ve probably scared off a few guys with my previous, unfortunate dedication to school. 😛
I did know a couple of “dumb blonde”-type girls in middle school that were quite sought after. I guess guys like to feel a certain superiority over their girlfriends/wives/significant other? I think there’ve been studies into that sort of thing, actually, haha! I’ve heard it can put a bit of strain on a relationship if the two involved aren’t on equal footing (in terms of education, income, whatever), though…
For me, Paris Hilton is a bona fide dumb blonde, though I’ve wondered about Jessica Simpson myself…
I AM a natural blonde… Scandinavian (Norwegian & Swedish) from Minnesota, like Daisy on the Bachelor with Joey 😉 So when I worked in marketing traveling the country with a bunch of guys my favorite ‘Blonde joke’ comeback joke (said w/ a straight face) is –
Q: “Why did the the blonde wake up with a bruise on her belly-button?”
A: “Because her boyfriend was blonde”.
Me and the guys all traveled together back in the ’70’s & would usually end up at the hotel bar at the end of the day & that’s how I would stop them in their tracks from endless blonde jokes with their mouths gaping open! Haha!
Oh my gosh, I cannot wait to try these!
Making these today! I HEART all your recipes, CCK!
Fudgy HEALTHY blondies? Count me in. Saved. Bumped to the top of the To Make list. Will be made asap. Will likely try a stevia and a sugar version. Or maybe half and half?! I’m a little excited right now 🙂
I do think that some girls play up the “dumb blonde” thing and are much more clever than they come across. As a way to get attention, or maybe as a way to be more approachable in a sense, since smarts can definitely be intimidating and unfortunately a turn off to some? Some guys just don’t seem to want to tackle the intelligence challenge! But in those cases, they defintiely aren’t worth the time anyway. It’s sad that some girls feel the need to dumb themselves down to get attention. I’d like to think that that’s going a bit more by the wayside though, intelligence in women is receiving a much greater spotlight these days. Finally!
Just beware if you do a stevia version that not everyone will be a fan LOL. My friends spit them out! I was like, “Well, no more for you!” 😉
Hey Katie!
these look amazing! How much stevia did you use in place of the brown sugar?
LOL I’m not giving out that recipe, because I was the ONLY one who liked it! Everyone else thought it was horrible!
I think Stevia is one of those things like cilantro … there are some of us who find the taste of cilantro (and stevia) to be like soap. I read an article that there is a particular gene (?) that does make something in the cilantro (and I’m guessing stevia) taste very detergent-like!
Gotta make these tonight! I’ve been making the black bean brownies for awhile and why couldn’t I think of doing a white version? I’m blonde, but that can’t be it, ………..I guess I only think of any white bean as dip? Which reminds me, I’m almost out of hummus…and Fudge Babies….my, my, cooking in the kitchen tonight…..barefoot. 🙂
Thanks Katie!
these look awesome!
do you think i could use chickpea flour (mixed with water?) instead of garbanzo beans?
Maybe… I have no idea… but if you do try it let me know how it works! I really want to try subbing flour for the chickpeas in a future experiment.
i’m on it 😀
pretty late reply…but any luck with the chickpea flour? i’m about to try the same thing!
ahhh I totally knew girls in high school who would play to the dumb blonde thing. But I think they’ve grown out of it. Thank goodness! It drives me crazy! We ladies need to be proud of our intelligence! 🙂
These blondies look AWESOME! I can’t wait to try this!
I am a “smart blonde” but lack common sense. Like I do some of the dumbest things/say some of the dumbest things ever but somehow I’ve made it 3 years into my premed degree haha. I do think some girls play it up.
Bahh those look so yummy!
Oh my goodness, I absolutely LOVE blondies, but absolutely hate how high in fat, calories, in sugar they are! I am already in love with this smart blonde recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
I’m not blonde, but I have my share of dumb blonde moments. Everybody does. For me, it’s usually an overabundance of booksmarts coupled with a lack of street smarts, but everyone has those moments where they don’t put two and two together.
Also, I love that my husband likes brainy girls. His biggest celebrity crushes are Ellen Page, Felicia Day and Emma Watson. He has a definite type I think.
Katie, I am so excited to try these! My friend made some chickpea blondies once and they were so good! The recipe is really similar to yours, except hers had jam in them. I can’t wait to try your blondies. 🙂
what to do if i don’t have flax?
I’ve never made them without flax. But as I told another commenter, I’d love to know the results if you do try something else (like subbing crushed oats or subbing flour).
just a thought, the flax may be partially there as a vegan egg substitute (as is often the case) – so i would try using another egg substitute in its place. or maybe a combo of egg substitute and flour?
Update: quick oats work fine… and a few commenters say wheat germ works, too.
Chick peas as an an ingredient.. what an awesome idea!!
I like being blonde and proving any of those stereotypes wrong!
Any suggestions for using garbanzo bean flour instead of chickpeas?
As I told another commenter, I’ve never tried these with flour in place of the beans. But I want to! I want to try spelt flour or maybe even ww pastry. If you do try it with chickpea flour, I’d be VERY interested to know the results! 🙂
I’ve tried them with spelt… delicious!!! YOUR BLOG IS AMAZING. thank you!
I am the only one who will be eating this so is this freezer friendly if the sugar is Erythritol? How long in fridge and how long will it keep in freezer?
I can’t wait to try these having for dinner dessert tonight!