Remember back in 2012 when putting chickpeas in cookie dough and in blondies were all the rage? Well, the chickpea trend is happening all over again and I can’t say I’m mad about it. They’re actually my favorite legume.
This particular recipe just so happens to be an Ambitious Kitchen reader favorite recipe and one of my most popular. Basically, these little blondies are amazing bites of peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bliss. I swear, it’s true. After all, there are HUNDREDS of comments on this recipe from readers who just can’t get enough.
I remember the very first time I made them too! I was with my mom and we kept eating the dough straight from the bowl because we couldn’t believe how addicting it was. Kid you not, it tasted like peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough.
And well, to be honest… you *could* just skip the whole baking thing and just eat the dough (it’s vegan!). YUMMMMMM. COOKIE DOUGH DIPPIN’ PARTYYYY.
Before you get to the recipe, let’s talk about ingredients!
These healthy chickpea blondies are made with:
chickpeas
peanut butter (or your favorite all-natural nut butter)
pure maple syrup
chocolate chips
baking soda
baking powder
salt
These are so easy to whip up and can be in your belly in less than a half hour! Plus, they’re fudgy, packed with chocolate chips, and so wonderfully chewy. The sea salt really takes it over the top though; they reminded me of my favorite peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.
I mean just LOOK AT THAT FUDGY STACK. I’m drooling, are you?
The best part about these blondies is that there are zero weird ingredients involved. They’re good for you and surprise everyone by how delicious they are. Plus these healthy chickpea blondies are vegan and gluten free, so pretty much anyone can enjoy them! I hope you love them as much as I have throughout the years. xo.
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment below and rate the recipe! You can also snap and picture and post it on Instagram using the hashtag #ambitiouskitchen. And of course be sure to follow Ambitious Kitchen on Instagram. xo!
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
Grain Free Salted Chocolate Chip Pecan Blondies
Flourless Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondies with Sea Salt {vegan, gluten-free & healthy}
Ingredients
- Cooking Spray
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup all natural peanut butter (or almond butter)
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or agave nectar (you can also use honey if you're not vegan)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 cup vegan (or regular) chocolate chips plus 2 tablespoons
- Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray 8x8 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.
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In a food processor, add all ingredients except chocolate chips and process until batter is smooth.
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Fold in 1/3 cup of chocolate chips, I like to use dark chocolate because it has less sugar but it's up to you. Note: Batter will be thick and super delicious, so you could actually just eat it on it's own!
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Spread batter evenly in prepared pan then sprinkle 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips on top. (The batter may stick to your spatula, so I like to spray my spatula with nonstick cooking spray first.)
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Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and edges are a tiny bit brown. The batter may look underdone, but you don't want them to dry out!
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Cool pan for 20 minutes on wire rack. Sprinkle with sea salt then cut into squares. Makes 16 blondies. Store covered in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
Recipe Notes
Adding an egg to the batter will make it more cake-like, but not vegan.
You can use your favorite nut butter, just make sure it’s all natural.
Feel free to add in other things according to your dietary needs like nuts, dried fruit, or other types of chocolate.
863 comments
Should these be consumed right away or will they hold for a day?
They’ll definitely hold for a day.
If kept in the fridge will these keep for 2-3 days? 🙂
I just made them. They will definitely not last 2-3 days because they are seriously too delicious! I was a doubter, but I am convinced! You willl not be disappointed!!
Would it be okay to freeze the left over bars?
Would like to know if these can be frozen… making for a college student
They will hold for a day for sure!
These were amazingly delicious and easy!
Outstanding! I have made these at least 6x since discovering this recipe. Delicious & healthy treat!
Oh yay!! So glad you’re loving them, Nancy!
Interesting! I’ve put some weird stuff in baked goods before, but I’ve never tried chickpeas. I bet the PB flavor covers them up completely. I’ll have to try these! They’ll be one of those recipes I bring to work without telling everyone what’s in them 🙂
Make sure to tell them it has pb cause some ppl are allergic
I’m excited to try this, however we do have a nut (nut/peanut/coconut/sesame) allergy in the house. Is it just as good without the peanut butter?
That’s a good question and I was thinking about that myself. There’s a black bean brownie recipe that uses instant coffee. I wonder if that would work. Mocha blondies, heh.
I wondered about substituting bananas for the nut butter. I want to make these for my son’s school lunch/snack but can’t do it if there are any type of nut/seed/coconut.
Use Sunbutter (sunflower). It will work well.
Christina, could you try to use Wow Butter?
Wow Butter works awesome in these. Once in awhile, I top with butter brickle along with the chocolate chips for an almond rocha effect. Really good
I’ve made it with wow butter and it’s great. My kids won’t leave them alone!
Is sunflower seed butter safe in your household? It’s delicious on its own, and would probably work well in this.
The peanut allergy, especially if it is airborne, can cause severe reactions. I completely understand! Sometimes, people are allergic to peanuts but not other nuts. Almonds are nuts however I happened to make this recipe with and without skipping the peanut butter and using almond meal and oil (to make almond butter by using the food processor.) If one keeps grinding almonds, it will become a butter. Now, there are stores which sell “nut free” powders we can add water to and have instant peanutbutter or any flavor without worrying over the allergies. I use powdered butters a lot, not just for an allergy but because I like them and they’re made from soy. The idea behind the peanut butter in this is to add a creamier consistency while masking the taste of the chickpeas. I don’t see why this couldn’t be achieved using a tofu butter style base and spices. Hope this helps 🙂
Use a sun butter?
Oh I bet that’d be delicious!!
There are nut-free alternatives to ‘peanut butter’.
I made them last night and everyone at work just tried them. They LOVED them – so shocked when i said they had chickpeas in them.
Amazing! I’m so glad everyone loved them. Such a great, sneaky healthy treat!
Hi! So I just made these tonight. I love how easy it was to make and I really wanted to love them but I felt that the chickpea taste was kind of overpowering. I eat a lot of chickpeas and I definitely could taste them. How could I adjust the recipe so that I don’t notice the chickpea flavor as much? Thanks!!
Hi Alana! I’ve only made the recipe this way, so I wouldn’t recommend changing the ratios in here. You could add an egg to make them more cake-like, or adding extra chocolate chips, dried fruit, etc. for some different flavors!
Did you rinse the chickpeas well under water prior? I also notice that using almond butter instead of peanut butter masks the taste better. I have also done this recipe using 1/2 oat flour (rolled oats in food processor until fine) and a little bit of melted coconut oil.
I swapped white northern beans for the chickpeas. Also almond butter for the peanut butter and they were amazingly delicious!
So happy that worked well!
I’m always looking for gluten free recipes. These sound wonderful and so easy to make! I love the idea of the chickpeas. I can’t wait to give them a try!
Tahini? It's not as thick as most nut butters….
Hey, I just need to know : is 15 oz the total weight of the can, or the weight of the chickpeas after you’ve drained them? Cause I think I’ve made a mistake with that when I made your black bean chocolate brownies… Great recipe, will try soon !
The total weight, listed on the outside of the can. So it’s about 1.75 cups. 🙂
Cool thanks 🙂
Have you tried making it wirh chickpea flour?
I haven’t, but the consistency of chickpea flour is different than chickpeas!
Ahh this makes me nervous but if you say it’s good then I might have to try it!
These look so fudgily good! And no butter or flour? They’re a dream!
Is there any substitute for a food processor? being a college student I don't have much access to one 🙁 but I do have a blender!
i just used a cheap handheld mixer like this: http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumblarge_555/12895548054cS6oj.jpg which was super cheap. it came out a little lumpy, but hopefully they'll taste fine!
So creative and so dense and rich looking! And Ive never met a blondie + PB + chocolate combo I didn’t love!
Wow, these look amazing, Monique!
Love that chickpeas are hidden in these bars!
Um, you are SO right about Martha Stewart’s recipes. Her editing staff is the worst. I still haven’t tried baking with chickpeas or beans, but these look amazing!
Here it is, after 9pm and I am baking these right now:))) the only change I made was the addition of coconut:) I’ll let you know how they turn out!
Awesome!
I’m going to use peanut butter, instead of almond butter next time and larger chucks of dark chocolate. The texture is, actually, really good:) coconut was a ine addition! Thanks for the inspiration!
What, what? Chickpeas? Now that is ingenious. And you’re right, sometimes even Martha gets it wrong and Taylor can’t seem to make a good choice if it’s in front of her perky little nose.
Awww these seem quite ambitious and amazing! I love the addition of the chickpeas and how its vegan AND gluten free!
Is there any substitute for a food processor? being a college student I don’t have much access to one 🙁 but I do have a blender!
Unfortunately you really do need a food processor for this recipe because you want the chickpeas to blend until creamy and smooth! A blender makes it really difficult. I think you can pick up a food processor at Target for like $30 though. 🙂
I did use a blender and although it didn’t come out smooth it came close enough. The keys are patience and persistence. You do have to coax the blender along to get anywhere close to smooth. I used the puree button and turned off and stirred the mixture numerous times. You want to get the chickpeas from under the blade, use the spatula. These Blondies are worth the effort. and this recipe has me considering buying a processors or a more powerful blender (such as a ninja.) Great eating!
Bought one today at Walmart for $20. Could have gotten one for $10 but I wanted a bigger ‘cup’ size. 🙂 Making these tomorrow! 🙂 Can’t wait.
I used a simple blender and then mashed the dough with my hands. They turned out woderfully!!! 🙂
i’m always looking for low carb recipes and this is a great, high-protein sweet!
So.. I made these and GIRL, they are good…chickpeas? who would of thought..Will definitely make again, perhaps next with Nutella. .:)
I’m happy you enjoyed them! I don’t know about the Nutella though, it sounds dangerous… 🙂
Wow these look amazing. I love the idea of using chickpeas. Sounds like a balanced and healthy treat that I’d love to make!
When you ask for 2 tsp vanilla, is that extract or something else? Sorry if it’s obvious to everyone else, perhaps I’m being a bit ignorant 😛 Thanks!
Yes, vanilla extract. 🙂
My hubby is avoiding gluten and sugar this year (I am not), so I think he’s a little disappointed whenever I make something he can’t eat. I bet these will make everything better 🙂
i know the feeling! i hate when i make something/do something and work hard and end up not liking it.
i’m glad these were successful, though. they look fabulous!
Can you substitute sugar for the agave/maple syrup?
I am not sure since I haven’t tried it, but if you do, let me know. I would recommend using brown sugar though.
I was wondering if I could substitute honey for the maple syrup?
I have made this recipe with honey plenty of times and prefer it to the maple syrup version! Both are insanely good, though.
Perfect!
Dear Monique: Thanks so so very much! I spend my evenings singing operetta, and these were a perfect high-energy pick-me-up for a cast that’s getting draggy during dress rehearsals. I wanted something a little more cakey but still vegan, so I added some baked kabocha pumpkin… yumsers!
Oh my goodness….I REALLY love the sound of these bars. So many people would flinch at the addition of chickpeas to this, but I think that it’s brilliant and sounds delicious!
These recipes look fabulous!
Yum! Wish I could come over for tea!
These would be great or Bobby (celiac)I will give them a try
Sounds wonderful Marta! I've decided to try a gluten-free (read wheat-free) diet for six months.
Never had chickpeas in my dessert, but I love chickpeas! 🙂 Sounds very interesting, so I pinning this!
I’ve never eaten a dessert with chickpeas in it, but these bars sound WAY too amazing to pass up so I’m pretty excited about trying it out! Thanks for the awesome, healthy dessert!
By the way I featured this recipe on my Top 15 Healthiest Tasty Treats list. If you want a badge for your site or just to check it out feel free to look at it out here: http://nickieslittlebubble.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-top-15-healthies-tasty-treats.html Have a good day!
I
I have always been sooo hesitant to use chickpeas in desserts, but this has me practically convinced that I need to try!
Just made these! SOOO GOOD. I used 1/4 cup almond butter instead of 1/2 – saving 400 calories for the whole batch. I added an egg, and baked for 18 minutes. Turned out perfect! Thank you!
PERFECT! 🙂
By vanilla, are you referring to vanilla extract per chance? Thanks! These look delicious and I must try them.
Yes, vanilla extract!
Aha!!! A solution for what to do with those 3 cans of chickpeas that have been sitting in my pantry for the last couple of years! (but, please, don’t ask me why they are there!!) Can’t wait to try these out, and not tell my family just what is in them!! We will just keep that little secret to ourselves, shall we? 😉
Will these freeze well?
I made my second batch this week! I like them best when stored in the freezer. The only problem I had with this recipe is when I came home, most of them were gone! My fiance ate them all up and LOVED them : ).
What is in them, cardboard?
I want to make these!! How sweet were they? Most baking recipes are too sweet for my taste, so I cut the sugar by 1/3 to 1/2. What do you think in this case?
instead of any sweetner, i used 2 very ripe bananas. it worked deliciously – and having some of the banana chocolate taste is amazing
Becky, stick with the recipe. They have just the right amount of sweetness.
Skipper McWithey did you notice how i wrote this before my awakening of belly bloat ; ) goodness!!!! these blondies teach me moderation!
Lol!!
Thanks for another great recipe. I made these for my 8 year old and he loved them. I did use only half the maple syrup- the chocolate chips made up for it, I’m sure. 🙂
These came out perfect! I love using chickpeas in desserts, and this may be my favorite chickpea recipe yet 🙂
Mine too!
These are amazing, as all your recipes are!
What do you use to get the nutritional information for each recipe? I love that its included!
I use caloriecount.com! 🙂
Hi Monique,
What a fun recipe idea- cant wait to try it! But did want to let you know that the nutrition information has an error- impossible for total carbohydrate to be 6 g when sugar is 13.5 grams since sugars are included in total carbohydrate. Would be happy to calculate a correct nutrition facts label for your recipe if you’d like.
Sandi Hemming, RDN Foodycoach@yahoo.com
Hi Sandi — It appears you read the nutrition information wrong below the recipe. The carbs are 13.5g and the sugar is 6.9g. Hope this helps!
I’ve wanted to use chickpeas to make vegan blondies and brownies for a while! Beautiful blondies 🙂
These blondies were a win for us. I’m neither vegan nor on a gluten-free diet, but was just looking for a way to have a sweet nibble with a bit more protein in it. They were pretty moist after 25 mins of baking and really hit the texture I was looking for about 2 days later. I’ll bake ’em a little longer next time. Thanks!
I just made these and they were delicious! 🙂 Love them.
Excellent !! And the raw dough is irresistible too. Even our little Léandre (16 months) loved it ! Thanks for your recipes, we’ve made the crunchy thaï quinoa salad 3 times since last week… so delicious
I baked these to share with friends at the end of HELLth week at GPPfitNWA. A wild week of crazy workouts deserves a celebration and I believe these are just the treat we need. Thanks for sharing.
Oh and I agree with Marion qui pique, the raw dough is yummy.
This is totally my kinda dessert, love that it is so healthy. Great job. Bookmarking this.
I am soo happy with these. I was unsure whilst baking them but they turned out delicious! I used honey ans added an egg (although I’d make it without next time) so it isnt vegan and used lindt hazelnut milk chocolate. Thank you! I’ll be making these often!
I keep meaning to try the chickpea blondie thing. Must get on this. They look great!
just a heads up: if you accidentally set the oven to 475 degrees and cook them for 30 minutes they don't turn out.
hahaha that is a hilarious comment thanks for my laugh of the day
Made these today. Pretty good. Taste a tad bit beany but as a relatively healthy, high protein and fibre snack that feels indulgent it fits the bill
Have you got any left – could just scoff one of those now!?!
Kate Hipkin, yes I do. Come get one!
As a diabetic I substituted two bananas for the honey. Less carbs, good, but def. taste the bananas!
damn it i should have done that
my husband's allergic to peanuts/nuts. what do you recommend I substitute for the pb?
Soy butter
Be careful with soy and your man. It gives them unwanted man boobs
So delicious! Even for the non-vegan, non-gluten free people in my life! Loved them!
These are so yummy. I did use half the amount of agave, and added an egg to help with the consistency, since I managed to make them in a blender (no food processor ; ) Thank you for posting a healthy recipe! :o)
Wondering if I could substitute white beans instead of chickpeas? I am out of chickpeas and want to make this tonight!! 🙂
Thx!
I made them with Sun-butter and while they were very yummy they came out of the oven slightly green and turned dark green over the course of the afternoon.
I’ve made them with sun butter and never had them turn green but my daughter made them w/ 1/2 peanut butter & 1/2 sun butter and turned green. go figure????
That happens when you use sunflower butter because of how the seeds break down after baked and also the exposure to baking soda or baking powder. They will still be good though!
I made a batch with Almond Butter the other day and put them in tupperware and they were fine – I made an additional batch to have and share and I made them with sun butter and almond butter.. just yesterday – put them in the tupperware – went to open it tonight and they were green! I could believe it would be mold since the others were fine – that is so so interesting about the Sun butter – so everyone is sure it’s fine to eat still? Ready for St. Patrick’s day I guess!! 🙂
Alicia and Monique – thanks for the feedback… and we’re sure you can eat the if they are green?
Sunflower seeds will react with the baking soda — and turn green. You can google it, as it is a common phenomenon. This is why I would add cocoa powder to it and make it more like a Brownie to mask the color. It’s just the natural green/chlorophyll pigment coming through from the sunflower seeds, as they photosynthesize as plants, totally safe to eat!
I have made these SO many times !! They’re my favorite healthy treat!! I use maple syrup as the sweetener! Love this recipe!!!!
Just made these for the 1st time – they are great! I used white beans (cannellini beans) instead of chickpeas and they were so good – you can’t taste the beans at at all. I also added 1 tbsp. of flaxseed meal for an extra nutrition boost and you couldn’t taste it at all. Will make this recipe again soon 🙂
I was a bit hesitant about these….but I was looking for something to make that I didn’t have to go to the store for….and these fit the bill. That was Friday night. This is Sunday morning and there is only a half-pan left. I’m home alone. Enough said. Even though these are healthy(er) than most treats….I still feel kind of guilty. Guess I better go for a run! Thanks for a great recipe!
I never write reviews but I just made these and they are SO yummy. I’ve been meaning to try out a recipe using chickpeas for awhile but I just never got around to it… so lucky I found this one. I used a little bit less honey & added in some stevia packets to make them sweet enough (I have a major sweet tooth). Will definitely be making these more often 🙂 Thank you!
Used pinto beans since I already had them in my cabinet, turned out great!
I made these a couple days ago and loved them! I just made them for the second time and thought I’d add an egg…not as great. Stick to the recipe!
So delicious I am going to have to give them a go this weekend. I made some super healthy gluten free brownies and they turned out really tasty. Here is the link to the recipe http://bit.ly/12Zks7Y 🙂
I have to follow a low glycemic index diet. Any suggestions to replace the honey?
You can use pure maple syrup!
Can you replace the sugar/syrup/honey with applesauce?
I’m not sure, I haven’t tried it! Let me know if you do.
sun flower butter
Can you use the normal peanut butter from sun-pat or do i have to hunt for all natural peanut butter
Thanks for the great recipe! I just tried it replacing some of the honey with applesauce and adding an egg since I didn’t need it to be vegan and the came out really well. Check out my version on my blog: eathardworkhard.blogspot.com
I made these last night and I would have posted a picture, but my husband seriously devoured them before I had the chance! I added Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder and Peanut Butter Chips too because my husband is a chocolate lover! Every recipe I have made from here has been wonderful (and I have made a lot)! I will be making these again in the near future!
Nice! I have a chickpea cookie recipe (or really chocolate chip cookie dough balls recipe ;)) that’s really similar to this one and I also bake them up as brownies sometimes. Only mine never come out looking so fudgy! These look sooo good.Yum! 🙂
I really wanted to like these. However, I feel I didn't add enough chocolate chips and I over baked! I like chickpeas but didn't like the grainy texture. What ingredient could I use to help with a smooth texture? I own a vitamix so I know its not a blade problem.
I just made these for my entire family who hate anything healthy they LOVED IT!!! Just waiting a few days until I tell them they ate chickpeas. Love the recipes plan to try them all I have a full house of 5 plus children and their friends this should be interesting
I want to try these!! They look so good! And I love that they are secretly healthy!!
I NEVER review or comment on recipes but I want to thank you for this awesome recipe! There are few recipes my whole family devours and this is now one of them. My husband was skeptical the kids would like them but they devoured them, and he, who is not so into desserts, liked them. I even let the kids have them for breakfast (it seems healthier than cereal!). Thank you Monique! I will try to make it diabetic friendly for my mom next time.
So happy you loved, Kathy!
Mmmm, just made these! Used two very ripe bananas instead of sweetener and subbed sunbutter for peanut butter! First time using beans in baking and I am sold, they are delicious! Thank you!
What is meant by natural peanut butter? Some peanut butter has oil on top. I bought “no stir” Peanut butter, with no oil on top.
This looks a lot like a recipe I’ve used before (http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/05/18/chocolate-chip-blondies-and-theyre-good-for-you/) but I may try it with these proportions too…
@ Vicky: Natural PB would be ‘with only 1 ingredient’! maybe 2, if it has added salt! If there’s no oil then there’s something going on…
@ Diane, I’m sure ChocCoveredKatie did not originate the chickpea blondie recipe as it’s been around for years prior to her 2011 post. I love seeing adaptions as I often want to find them when I think a recipe may need a different ingredient (& I don’t want to be the tester…!)
I only have JIF peanut butter… I know that is against the rules, but do you think it would work if I cut down on the syrup/honey/agave since unnatural peanut butter is sweeter than all natural? or are there too many other differences that will mess up the consistency?
Hey I just wanted to alert you that when I was at the Blogher conference they used your post in a presentation, as an example of what not to do in copying or lightly adapting a blogger’s recipe without crediting the original. I don’t know if that’s true because I’m not very familiar with Chocolate Katie’s blog, but I just thought you should know!
Thanks so much for letting me know. I’ve emailed BlogHer to see what’s up. When was the conference and do you know who was presenting?
@Jenny, Blogher conference should not have used examples as true originators are tough to find. “chickpea blondie” variation recipes have been around much longer than the blogher you mentioned (Chocolate Covered’s blog) on the 2011 post. I personally like variations on recipes so I don’t need to test out a different ingredient on my own…
I wonder if everyone still credits the original person who developed the chocolate cookie on their Blogs?!
LOVE your recipes…they are helping me eat smarter! Do have a question, though. Ran these bars through CalorieCount.com, and the nutritional values differ (146 cals, 19.3 g carbs, 4 g fiber, sugar 8.1 g, protein, 5.3 g). I realize there's some wiggle room, but some differences are noticeable. I will make and eat them anyway…it's better to overestimate than underestimate! 🙂
Hi Amy! I use Calorie Count as well and just double checked. I used maple syrup and nestle chocolate chips as the inputs. Also, there are 16 servings. 🙂 I'm pretty confident that about 120 calories per bar is accurate!
I baked these this afternoon and they were good! I added an egg per your note at the end and they did come out more cake like. I can’t wait to try it with out the egg and with some add ins:)
So delicious! Must try!
Thank you…I just entered "1/3 c. dark chocolate," so it was probably stabbing around in the dark for a value…I cannot WAIT to try these! I love your site & recipes! Appreciate your quick response. Keep up the good work!
wow – they're awesome! can't believe there are chickpeas in it? doesn't taste like this at all.
I don’t see that anyone has written about having a gastro problem from so many chickpeas. When I have anything with beans, my stomach gets very gassy. Is there anything to add that can cut the gassiness.
How do you figure that an entire pan is 1920 calories? I put all the ingredients including an egg into dailyplate.com and it came to right around 1000.
You have to have a vitamixer, then it won't be grainy.
whoops I just finished reading your post– and you have a vitamix!? Mine works great- as smooth as can be!
smart blonde 😉
Maybe today and they were really good thank you!
These are brilliant. I’ve made black bean brownies but never chickpea blondes. Bookmarking this as we speak!
I used honey and followed the recipe exactly…we INHALED these. I made them last night, and there is only one left! And we are a family of two! Love it. It tastes exactly like a thick peanut butter cookie with chocolate chips. chomp chomp.
WOW WOW WOW. I made these this morning and they're one of the best things I've ever baked! I baked them at 375 F for 15 minutes and I wanted them thick so I just filled half of an 8 inch pan and they didn't spread out or anything. I also added butterscotch chips and walnuts, but I'd LOVE to add chopped peanuts next time!
making my mouth water
super delicious and they look just like in the picture
the tough part was peeling all the chickpeas to cut the stomach problems
you don’t say if the 15 oz. can is 15 oz net weight after being drained – in the can I had I was left with about 1/2 that amount after draining and rinsing
I added an egg and they were still super delicious and most are gone
how long can they keep in the fridge, I guess they shouldn’t be left out, being so moist
can they be frozen
I really want to make these for my health freak mother (she’d love the taste!) but she has IBS, which means no chickpeas, even though she used to cook with them a lot. Is there another healthy substitute? Really don’t want to use flour.
Looking forward to trying! Thanks! Would definitely not use "cooking spray" though! Coconut oil… Cooking spray often has poor oil, trans fats and propellants right? Eeeeek otherwise look great!!
Take a chill pill, Maggie.
all i want to know is if it tastes like chocolate? chocolate plus bananas are good too.
These are delicious! I used sugar free syrup and added some butter extract (a teaspoon). Thank you!
has anyone used chick pea flour and if so how much ????
I will try the freezer. I made them..they are pretty good but something about texture not right with me.
How much cocoa powder??
This looks amazing! Can you recommend anything instead of peanut butter due to nut allergy?
It wouldn't be vegan but I would imagine any butter. Or margerine to keep it vegan
I made these for a gathering and they were gone within 15 minutes. ABSOLUTELY incredible, and SO easy! Thank you for sharing!!!
These were delicious and easy to make. I would have never have thought of using garbanzo beans for a dessert recipe. Yum!
…this recipe is way too similar to the one on Chocolate Covered Katie’s blog but Katie’s original recipe is about 2 years old, she posted this recipe on May 18, 2011.
http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/05/18/chocolate-chip-blondies-and-theyre-good-for-you/
That’s interesting. As with all recipes, I’m sure you can find anything similar on the internet.
Please, as if CCK invented chickpea blondies.
http://havecakewilltravel.com/2009/02/26/chickpea-blondies/ (February 2009)
http://www.foodista.com/recipe/3ZHRC46J/chocolate-chickpea-blondies-vegan-gluten-free (March 2011)
OMG! My husband made these with the egg and used almond butter. They were abso. lutely. dee. licious. They weren't "tasty for gluten free"…they were completely delicious!
these were absoluttttely amazing!!!
So I wanted to make these so badly, but had lent out my food processor to a friend and wasn’t about to take public transit into town to buy a new one, so I came up with the idea of putting the chickpeas through a garlic press instead and even though this took a lot longer it worked perfectly! So for those of you who were wondering if you need a food processor, you don’t if you have a garlic press handy and if you put in the time to mix all the ingredients until they are creamy in consistency. I’ve made three batches of these using the garlic press method, and the third time I mixed in about 1/4 of a cup of pumpkin puree and 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice and made some absolutely delicious pumpkin chickpea chocolate chip squares!
When you added the pumpkin puree, did you reduce the amount of almond/peanut butter? I am so anxious to try these with pumpkin in them!!
Thanks!
I made these a few days ago for my husband. I used dark wildflower honey and butterscotch chips. They were so delicious, although your batch looks a lot better!
Um, I JUST made these and they are, without a doubt, flipping fantastic! Super chewy, gooey and sweet enough to pass the 6 yr old boy test! My son LOVES them! And they are insanely EASY, too. I'm at high altitude so baked them about 10 minutes longer, but other than that made the recipe exactly as recommended. These are going into our regular rotation!
Delicious. I was intrigued when I saw the recipe. Made it for dessert tonight and it was gone in 10 minutes. My husband and two teen aged sons (and I) loved it.
We wouldn’t normally use chickpeas as we don’t eat lentils but we’re not 100% paleo, we’re ‘real foodies’ so we can totally make this!!!
I made these and they were terrific. I also added a teaspoon of caramel extract (from Walmart, Watson's brand) to give them a punch of "brown sugar" flavor. It worked great!!
I made these this am….I do not know what I done wrong but they did not turn out as expected. They fall apart so we eat them all crumpled up with a spoon. But the taste…yummy. I added walnuts and I did butter my dish with some organic butter a bit, so don't know if that is what I done wrong but the batter was not sticky at all like mentioned. Anywho, my hubby and kids (11 and 18) LOVED the taste of these and could not believe the ingredients…lol
This is a must make!! I can eat the whole pan!
Hiya! Just tried to make these, followed the recipe to a T but they’re not coming out chewy and fudgy, more cakey and crumbly…any idea why!? So delicious either way – I love eating the batter 🙂 x
made these today with almond butter and they were amazing! going to try them again with peanut butter tomorrow =D
Help please! I made these tonight with a couple substitutions for my aunts allergies – macadamia nut butter instead of… any other kind because she can’t have ANY of them, and she can’t have honey or maple syrup (and we were out of agave) so I did a bit of coconut oil and some stevia. Sweetness was fine but its quite salty and it never stopped being doughy with only a thin top and bottom layer seeming to get any thicker or more baked at all. I suspect it’s the honey substitute attempt – but has anyone else had these issues?
I suspect the macadamia nut butter is too high in fat and oils and won’t allow it to bake fully.
Depends upon what you buy. My cooking spray is just canola oil, aerated.
Try trader joe's coconut oil cooking spray too! the best for cooking with high temps and super healthy oil to begin with!
These are really good! I used honey for the sweetener, and added just a few sprinkles of cinnamon to the batter. Yummy!
the first time ive EVER made a dessert using chickpeas that was actually good!!! thank you!!!
Oh my gosh Monique! My sister had me over for dinner and when she told me she made chickpea blondies for dessert, it rang a bell. So I peeked at the recipe she printed out and was like OHHHHH I know her!! I knew they were going to be good! And of course they were… they’re like eating good-for-you cookie dough [but a gazillion times better]… we loved them!!
I love these! I didn't find them to be chewy though as some have mentioned. The slight nutty taste and texture of the garbanzos make them awesome!
I made these for a GF friend. She liked them and I did too. I need to make them again for us! Val
I made them tonight, I didn’t have chickpeas, so I used white beans. I also used maltitol and liquid stevia, they were delicious.
These are yummy. I make a similar version for drop cookies. I didn't have any chic. chips so I used some of my kids Nesquick ( I know, don't judge!) for a light drizzle over top, and they turned out very good!
I just made these. So yummy. While I could cut them' the are very soft. Anyone else? I baked them for 25 min. Maybe a smidge longer?
I feel exactly the same about Taylor whatshername…..really boring songs…but these sound yummy and I have to cook for a gluten free daughter and a great-grandson who is totally allergic to milk. Thank you.
Could you use stevia instead of honey or agave?
I just made these and they burned to a blackened pan of charcoal and still had 9 minutes left on the oven timer.
Sorry to hear that! Did you follow the directions exactly? I’ve never heard of that happening to anyone before. What kind of pan did you use?
Any ideas for someone allergic to nuts?
I made them and they turned out amazing! http://twogirls1kitchen.blogspot.com/2014/02/heres-what-we-hope-is-first-of-many-of.html
Wow way to steal Chocolate Covered Katie’s recipe! It’s quite obvious where you got the inspiration and it’s sad you didn’t give credit where credit is due. I’ve gone ahead and left a comment on Katie’s blog as well to let her know. Bloggers should want to help each other, not take credit for others’ ideas. Really disappointing. http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/05/18/chocolate-chip-blondies-and-theyre-good-for-you/
Hi Lisa! No disrespect but variations of that recipe have been floating around the internet since 2009. However I did indeed create this recipe myself. I’m aware of Katie’s version and again, as with all recipes on the internet you can always find something similar.
http://havecakewilltravel.com/2009/02/26/chickpea-blondies/ (February 2009)
http://www.foodista.com/recipe/3ZHRC46J/chocolate-chickpea-blondies-vegan-gluten-free (March 2011)
Are you ok hon? Other than the chickpeas and the recipe name, are COMPLETELY different. Get a grip.
These recipes are completely different, save for the chickpeas and vanilla.
Awesome! Took some to work, and no one could believe the ingredients.
wonder about sunbutter(sunflower seeds) or coconut butter……i may have to be the guinea pig.
Does anyone know what the nutrition facts would be without chocolate chips? We don't have any in the house, and I thought I could save myself some weight watchers points by making them without. I think they would probably still be delicious! Has anyone else tried it?
I had to write you. Just made them and they were soooo good! I used less sugar. Thank you!!
Do you know of anyone trying PB2 inplace of a peanut or almond butter? Just curious as to how that would turn out or how it would change the texture/bake time/etc.
Thanks!
I would love to try that – I haven’t yet, but I think it may work!
Making these immediately! Just the treat I was looking for to satisfy my sweet cravings.
I baked for 22 minutes then cooled them and ended up baking another 20! They are in no way over baked and are still quite "doughy". I think the recipe needs some tweaking…
Ok wow! Thankyou thankyou thankyou most amazing recipe I’ve tried yet!! Thankyou x
I've made these a few times and I love them! So does everyone else I let try them. I follow the recipe exactly and its perfect!! You would never know that chickpeas are the base of these!! The flavor and texture is wonderful!
Made them today….love them!
Oh yeah??!! Awesome! Glad you like them
Just made them yesterday and they turned out AMAZING! Nearly completely gone. I was a bit concerned that they would massivley taste like peanut butter – but they actually don’t! Great, great recipe! 🙂
These bars are so GOOD! I doubled the recipe and it’s been exactly two days and they are all gone. Huge hit with the family! Great recipe! Thank you!
This recipe was utter b*llocks for me. Had to chuck the whole thing in the bin. Waste of money buying the ingredients 🙁
I'm addicted! I've been eating a whole batch to myself in two days everytime I make them! Dangerously addicting!
I'm pretty new to the healthy lifestyle, and was so wary about trying this out. I was pleasantly surprised! It took every ounce of self-will to not eat all of these in one sitting. Absolutely wonderful recipe. I'm excited that I can eat healthily and feel like I'm indulging all at the same time!
Sabrina Loray Harrison
Easiest recipe ever. My kids came back to the kitchen to "sneak" more. Even after I told them what was in them! Someone from work gave me the recipe and I have to make a batch for them. I'm sure they will be as happy as we were. I haven't found too many gluten free desserts that the kids like (this might be the second one, lol). Thanks!
I just made these! Omgosh Yummy! Even the batter is yummy to eat off the spoon and bowl! I did the Almond Butter and Maple Syrup in mine. Added the dark chocolate chips. Such an easy and tasty recipe
I hate to be the lone voice of dissent, but these were HORRIBLE. They tasted like a bowl of mashed garbanzo beans with a few chocolate chips thrown in. Sorry for the bad review, but I wish someone else who’d actually made them had given me a heads up before I wasted so much food. Straight into the disposal. AWFUL.
Hi Anna! Sorry you didn’t like it. If you’re not used to grain-free or flourless desserts, they can be different. However judging by how many wonderful comments there are, I think that others have a very different opinion. Thanks for sharing yours.
I made these tonight and 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. They do taste like yummy peanut butter cookies with choc chips. Thank you so much for this special recipe. I’ll be making it a lot! And you’re right, the batter is super good too.
really really good, i did use an egg and did bake them for 35 min!!!!
These were atrociously terrible. You are all liars.
I apologized to my taste buds. If anyone thinks these are good, you should try a real blonde. It will blow your f'ing mind.
These are amazing!! Does anyone by chance know how long these are good for? A few days or a week? Do they need to be refrigerated, etc? Thanks in advance!
Easy to make, fast, fabulous taste. All who have tried them, even my non GF children, enjoyed them. I increased the amount of chocolate bits on top and I bake for 30-35 minutes. They are still moist but approaching a cookie consistency. TY!
Hi, wondering why mine as they cooled turned green ??? just the top 1st cm, when you cut in it was fine. anyone else have this issues, my kids were really turned off from eating them. they taste fine, but was a little off putting. could it be because I used sunflower seed butter???(so I could send to school-no peanuts/almonds allowed:(
Higher up in the comments she responded to someone else who had this happened. Supposedly the sunflower butter reacts with the baking powder and turns it blue… off-putting but apparently edible
Holy moly. Delicious! I used clover honey, a mix of peanut butter/milk chocolate chips but will try them with dark chocolate next time. It was hard not to just eat the batter.
sunflower seed butter and baking soda combine and there is a reaction that turns it green. It is harmless but yes off putting.
Michelle Hyatt Sneathen – yes! I have baked with it before with no issue- but no baking soda
– live and learn.as the day went on they turned bright green! so much for covering the top with melted chocolate to disguise. The kids refused to eat them.I ate them all- very very good! Also- fyi next year-Great for st,patty's day anyone:)
I’d like to know WHY they turned green??? My daughter’s did the same thing. Seems like there was some chemical reaction or some ingredient that wasn’t any good. I’ve never had it happen to me. Thought it best to throw hers/them out. I love these (when they turn out).
When sunflower seed comes in contact with baking soda/powder it causes them to release a certain chemical and they will turn green.
I just made these and they are delicious! Super simple to make. I used 1/2 regular peanut butter and 1/2 powdered peanut butter to cut down on fat and they still turned out great! These are a great treat for my three year old son!
These were not very good. Not sweet enough and you can definitely taste chickpeas.
We had the same problem using sunflower butter. The last time we had no problem with sunflower butter and I think it is because I cooked them longer.
Kelly Tilden -Interesting.I think I will not use the sunbutter,no second chances sunbutter! but just go almond or peanut, I was trying to make it school friendly, but the green really was scary to the kids and I ended up eating them all:)))
This is one of my favorite recipes to make! YAY!!!! It's a weekly staple in our house. However, one time I made it, something GREEN happened. When I took them out of the oven, parts of the brownies had turned green! Could not be mold b/c I had just made them. My analysis is that my chickpeas had an unusually high copper content which reacted with the baking soda to precipitate out green. I ate it anyway.
Yes, I had the same green happen too with SunButter. I thought it was the high copper content in the chickpeas reacting with the baking soda. I ate them anyway.
These are incredible. They are getting ready to go on my blog this week 🙂 http://boilerbaker.blogspot.com/
I baked them 25 minutes and cooled them for 20 minutes like the recipe says,then cool them in fridge and they still were a bit mushy but tasty
These are so freaking melt in your mouth delicious!
Yes they are! Thanks for the taste treat today!
Quite literally obsessed with this Monique.. make them a few times a month… I have a batch in the oven right now 🙂
Just put in oven. Can't wait!!!!
These are amazing!
My friend is allergic to nuts is there a way to avoid this?
dont add nuts Heather Mudge… haha
Just made these tonight and they are pretty darn great! You *can* taste a subtle garbanzo bean flavor but the peanut butter masks it, I’d be willing to bet that someone who didn’t know it was made with chickpeas wouldn’t be able to identify the flavor. We’ve been grain-free for over a year now and this is definitely one of the better “pretending to be made from grain” desserts out there. Kids approved and believe me, they’ve said “yuck!” to plenty of cookies, bars, brownies, muffins all sorts of grain-free baking recipes we’ve tried that have been total flops. The texture alone is really fantastic on these bars.
use wow butter. Its soy butter, looks taste the same as pb
Whoa, these sound AMAZING. I love that the batter can be eaten raw… I kinda have a thing for doing that 😛 I am going to make these tonight and see how they turn out! I’m sure they’ll be grand! 🙂
Just baked them tonight. Already ate one (at 11:45pm)!!! Can't wait to have another one with my coffee in the morning. Made them exactly as your revipe states & they worked out perfect. I'm so pleased I saw this recipe posted & am now familiar with your site. I'm looking forward to trying done of your other healthy recipes 🙂
These were absolutely delicious!! I’m not sure if it negates the fact that they are healthy if I legitimately ate 3/4 of the pan in one evening… but hey 😉 Thanks for the recipe!
I have made these a couple times and they are great, soft blondies! I was thinking for fall I’m going to try replacing the peanut/almond butter with pumpkin and throw in some pumpkin pie spices. Has anyone tried something similar?
These are amazing! I definitely couldn’t stop at just one. I love that they stay so chewy. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so happy that you have a really nice grain free recipe section for me! Yippee!!! These stood out to me the most. I WANT!!
Just made these for my book club and they were a bit. Used dried chickpeas. The only bad thing was my cheapo food processor gave out on me in the process. The batter is super thick.
Any ideas for nut free version? we are also soy free and sunflower butter allergy? Maybe shortening or apple sauce? Thanks, these look awesome!
These are amazing! I used honey and instead of chocolate chips just chopped a couple of squares of 90% chocolate. Really hit the spot when I was craving something sweet that wouldn’t ruin my diet.
Sorry, I was soooo disappointed with these. Was expecting delicious after reading the glowing reviews. I even specially went out to buy a measure for cups to be able to make these. Was so pleased to find they stocked the nectar at my local Tesco. I made with the nectar and and egg. Was expecting a nice chewy texture, but all I got was pastey texture and a very strong chickpea flavour despite using a good Madagascan vanilla. Really unpleasant. Will be sticking to flour and butter in future, so I won’t be turning vegan any time soon :/
Sorry you didn’t like them; I’m assuming you made the recipe exactly as written. Most people really enjoy them!
Yes, exactly as, but the taste was truly unpleasant. Not good. And the texture was like a thick, grainy paste, yuk
Love you’re website. Do you prefer the honey or maple syrup. I have both, homeade at my diposible and not a vegan. Also, sorry but Taylor S is amazing. ☺️
I like maple syrup, but it’s up to you!
These were fantastic! I would have never come up with using the chickpeas.
Has anyone tried to freeze these bars??
I have! They are wonderful and hold up very well.
I made these, but they tasted very chickpea-ish, are they supposed to? I was hoping the chickpea flavor would be more neutralized/covered up by the PB and, honey, chocolate, etc.
Sorry to hear that. They usually don’t have a strong chickpea taste, but I would also say that some people consider them better the next day after baking. They’re also wonderful to eat when cold!
I made these, but they tasted very chickpea-ish, are they supposed to? I was hoping the chickpea flavor would be more neutralized/covered up by the PB, honey, chocolate, etc.
Did you rinse the chickpeas well under water and drain prior to putting into the food processor?
Hi I unfortunately don’t have a food processor! would this work with nutribullet? they look so good !!
Hi! Unfortunately it is necessary to have a food processor, although I’ve heard nutribullets are pretty powerful. Perhaps you can give it a try and let us know!
Very good recipe! I added an egg and 1/3 cup desiccated coconut. Was a bit more bar/flat cake-like than the photos above. The coconut worked well with the almond butter and added a nice texture. Teens approved….
Wow! these look so good! I wonder how they would be slightly undercooked to remain gooey and doughy?
Thank you so much for this recipe, it worked brilliantly! Brought it to work where everyone enjoyed without realizing they were even vegan or gluten free.
They do taste so much better if you wait patiently until they have cooled down completely.
I was really looking forward to trying this recipe and then read all the hate for TS. A little unnecessary…
I just invested in a new food processor and am thinking this might be the first recipe I try in it! I love the fact that it’s a HEALTHY gluten-free recipe instead of one that just subs the gluten ingredients for unhealthy ones. You are a genius with the chickpea idea!!
I added an egg and baked them for 25 minutes. They came out PERFECTLY! Thank you so much. My dad, who will not touch a bean, HATES peanut butter, and has a major sweet tooth, tried one bite and claimed they had excellent flavour and texture. He loved them! 🙂
I think I will be adding more chocolate chips next time – and maybe some coconut and pecans, too. Thank you for such a healthy and delicious recipe. Can’t wait to try some more variations and different recipes of yours!
Is the salt added in the processor? Or, sprinkle all of it on top? The directions do not say exclude the salt from the prpcessor. Thanks. I can’t wait to make this!
Both!
I too am obsessed with Zac Efron and I larrrrrve chickpas.. <3
Hi, thank you so much for sharing such an amazing recipe, I have a question though, should I remove Chickpea’s skin or not?
these were disgusting, the batter was quite nice before being in the oven, but after they just taste like dry chickpeas with peanut butter on them.
Really?? Did you follow the recipe properly? Mine were so good I made my boyfriend hide them from me so I wouldn’t eat the whole batch, and then he ended up eating them all in one night. Had NO idea what they were even made out of.
I’ve reread this several times and do not see the peanut butter listed as an ingredient. It’s mentioned in the description, but it wasn’t until I poured the batter in the pan that I realized I was missing something-namely the peanut butter! Had to guess. Could you please update the recipe?
Thanks
Hi Lori. I’m not sure what you mean… The peanut butter is listed in the ingredients and always has been. It does say you can use peanut butter or almond butter.
Delicious! I made these with sunflower seed butter due to peanut/treenut allergies in our household, and happily they didn’t turn green, at least not by day 3. I have had other treats made with sunflower nut butter turn green as described though. My kids have no idea that they are made with chickpeas -leftover from my aquafaba adventures!
I made the recipe in my cuisinart food processor and sunflower seed butter was my only substitution. I used agave as the sweetener, and Enjoy Life’s mega chocolate chips. We find that they taste best warmed so that the chocolate chips are slightly melty-yumm! This is a keeper.
Hi, my son is deathly allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, and we have had to do away with most of our healthy recipes that use a nut butter. 🙁 I have had these blondies before, and they were AMAZING. Could I sub in sunflower seed butter for the nut butter? In some recipes, doing so turns the food blackish when it bakes; even though it still tastes great, the desserts don’t look how they should. Would that happen with this one, do you think? Any suggestions for sunflower seed butter as a sub? Thanks!
These are absolutely amazing. Wow.
You’re not dumping the liquid down the drain, are you? That’s aquafaba, and it’s not only a great egg substitute (3 T per egg), but it can be used in countless other ways. Start with vegan meringue. Google and be amazed!
These are absolutely delicious with no chickpea flavour. I’ll be making these again for sure. 🙂
These look Really good and I just happen to be soaking chickpeas right now. I will definitely try these this afternoon and report back. I’m on a diet and I also try to feed my always constipated (TMI? haha) 17 month old Lots of fiber and I have a feeling he will love them. I only have butterscotch chips but I have a feeling it will taste awesome 😉
These look amazing and could be a great snack option for my weight watchers diet. Do you know how much saturated fat is in a serving size though? That’s the only nutrition item you left out.
I just made these with cashew butter & added a little flax meal. So so good!
Amazing! My boyfriend and I devoured them. I added the egg, unsweetened coconut flakes, chopped walnuts AND dark chocolate chips. These are perfect for mid day boosts, pre and post workouts too. Thank you for bringing these goodies into our lives 🙂
This looks like a nice recipes.
But Please don’t use agave nectar. It’s so not good for you. Highly refined, oftentimes cut with HFCS, and higher in fructose than HFCS. It is not a “healthy” sugar alternative.
Just leave it as either maple syrup or honey.
Feel free to use whatever you like!
Amazing!!! I reduced the maple syrup to 1/4 cup and they were plenty sweet for us. I also used Adams natural crunchy peanut butter. What a delicious (and healthy) treat. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I made these the other night and, last night, my husband asked me if I would make them again tomorrow, even though he knew full well that we still had a couple left. I think he likes them. 😉
I make these all the time and I love them! These are a good breakfast for me and my toddler, I usually add an egg and about 3 tablespoons of whole wheat flour and it makes an awesome Super moist/cakey bars that are easy to grab and go. But they are just as good as they are!
Everyone hates on Taylor Swift but what did she ever do to you? She’s a real live person you know!?
I dont know what sorcery this is,but these actually work and are really yum! I put half peanut and half almond butter and really just added the chickpeas maple syrup and choc chunks because i didnt write the recipe down and it was all i could remeber. I will definitely make them again with all the ingredients just to see but i can already see they will be made often around here,because they are so versatile.
Very good tasting recipe! Thanks for sharing.
QUESTION: my edges were browning but they fall apart when I try remove them from the baking dish. Should I have baked them longer?
These are AMAZIN! I made them last night with the hubby, we used cacao nibs instead of normal chocolate…. but forgot the salt, woops! but still, even without they are incredible! and just one little square is so satisfying!!!
Would this recipe work with black beans? (I have 10 cans) I know the color would be off but would the flavor be nasty? I make black bean brownies a lot and love them, however, there’s only so much chocolate one can eat. Not really but I’ve heard rumors….
OMG, these are so delicious. I am not gluten free or vegan but working my way there and am always looking for recipes that are healthy but tasty!
Just made these this morning and am head over heals for them! I can’t believe how delish they are!
These turned out really badly, sorry. I guess I am not into very ~~healthy~~ food and just selected these because they looked fudgey and tasty. But I used chickpeas from scratch and the batter was still wayyyy too chickpea-tasting strong — it didn’t taste sweet or like a dessert at all. (Btw, I used 1.5c cooked chickpeas because that was what a conversion website told me. It’d be helpful to have that in the recipe). So I kept adding in maple syrup and slowly but surely it was about double what the recipe called for. Baked it and the texture is good and they are very pretty, but still taste like chickpeas and not sweet enough. The chocolate saves it but that is despite the weirdly unsweet rest of the bar. :/ I am vegan and only have sweet things about once a week but I was going to bring these to a party with omnis but now I am not going to because I don’t want them to think vegan food tastes gross.
Verdict: I’d recommend to very health-conscious vegans who like mild foods, but not to those who like a rich and decadent sweet dessert.
Sorry!
I made a batch and they were surprisingly delicious. My expectations were low since I’ve made black bean brownies before that didn’t come out as hoped. But this recipe is so easy and the end result is really delicious. My husband and daughter loved them too. Thank you.
I’m so glad that you liked them, Gina! <3
What could you replace chickpeas with – white beans?
absolutely!
Any chance you know the saturated fat (nutritional info just has total fat)? I am on a diet that requires this info. I used peanut butter and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Haven’t tried yet, but the batter was delicious!
Hi! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! The first time I made this I did exactly as posted except using up the rest of the date paste I had in place of half the maple syrup. They turned out really nicely!
The second time I made these using only date paste in place of the maple syrup and I did add one egg to the mixture. SO much better. I don’t know why, but I liked them 10 times more after doing just these two things. Sweet, salty and FILLING – these are just perfect! Will be making them many times more.
My boyfriend and I are looking for more natural/healthy alternatives so this is perfect. Now to begin scouring more of your recipes! Haha
these were really really crazy good. the only thing is that they definitely do not make 16 unless you’re making quarter-sized bites. i’d say they make 6 which brings the fat and calorie content way up. but at least it’s all clean ingredients! love it and would totally make it again.
Tried it, used peanut butter and local honey. The dish did not hold form and tasted terrible. Maybe next time Ill try Maple Syrup and almond butter.
Just tried this and it was exactly what I needed. Thank you for this article. I am looking forward to similar ones that are informative and helpful on a daily basis.
Made these today exactly as written (peanut butter and maple syrup). AMAZING!!! Wouldn’t have known they were healthy if I wasn’t the one who made them! Will definitely make these again and again.
We don’t have baking soda in UK, what can I supplement it with?
Yes you do, it’s called bicarbonate of soda 🙂
US baking soda is called bicarbonate of soda in most other places – it took me a while to find it as we are originally from the UK but moved to the USA for hubby’s work. I am struggling with cups & oz though and will always have google in the kitchen with me, lol
I so love getting recipes like these from the Ambitiious Kitchen as there seems to be an abundance of processed foods in this country which we hate so everything homemade is the way to go whilst living here.
I have used pure date sugar but also tried this recipe using a handful of fresh pitted dates instead of maple syrup or honey and processed them along with all the other ingredients – these are awesome!
What can I use instead of baking soda in Wales
great
They will not hold for a day. Someone will eat them before the night is over…
UK folks – I think baking soda is called bicarb over there? Bicarb of soda? Sodium bicarbonate? 🙂 If they don’t sell sodium bicarbonate in Europe/Oceania I am N E V E R moving!! hehe
I made these because I have an insatiable sweet tooth, lots of chickpeas, and little operating capital at the moment. I soaked and cooked the dry chickpeas, I don’t think I cooked them long enough because the mixture in the food processor never got quite as smooth as I would’ve liked, but after baking, the texture was phenomenal! They came out soooooooooo soft and silky. Right out of the oven they crumbled completely (was impatient to taste the baked result, because the batter was T O D I E F O R ). Now they’re slightly above room temp and still very soft, but holding together. I’m leaving a few out at room temp and refirgerating the rest, we’ll see how they hold up.
I didn’t have much peanut butter on hand so I used a few TB of that, then made up the rest with coconut oil. I didn’t have agave or maple syrup so I used brown sugar – mmmmmmmmm!!!! Also I didn’t have choc chips so I used raisins. Some people hate raisins in baked goods but I love it. Chocolate keeps me awake at night so I wanted these to be chocolate-free anyway, because without a sweet at night I’ll surely wither and die.
Anyway. Thanks for the FANTASTIC recipe, Ambitious Kitchen! These are the perfect compliment to my very favorite black bean brownies. The cooked chickpeas have such a lovely, neutral, nutty flavor, I can’t wait to try some more chickpea-based desserts 😀 I wonder if I could turn it into a cake……..
These were delicious and everyone in my family, who tried them, loved them. I made them with chickpeas and maple syrup, then I decided to experiment, and used pinto beans and honey. Delicious either way!
I made these blondies for a brunch 2 weeks ago . I just didn’t care for them , I like everything I am not a picky eater and I am always trying new healthy recipes . It doesn’t always workout but it doesn’t mean it’s not a good recipe for others . I had to bake it 20 Minutes longer otherwise it was very soft and I coulnt take it out of the pan . I have a convection oven very efficient usely I have to reduce the amount of time I bake and I never bake at 375 otherwise I burn everything . So I don’t know what happened . Also the texture that is where I couldn’t eat them they were texture wise funny . I froze them because I don’t waste any food and I eat them frozen when I am really hungry .. but thank you
I hereby declare these the best healthy sweet treats there are! I licked the food processor and spatula clean. Almost didn’t even bake them…I just wanted to eat the batter! So, so, so good! Question- do you think these would freeze? I’m a single gal so would love to just pull these out from the freezer anytime I have a sweet craving!
Holy cow! A billion replies! Must be many ppl have a sweet tooth.
I’m making these now..they’re in the oven as I type this.
I tweaked the recipe a bit. Instead of chickpeas I used. 2 cups of chickpea flour which I’d bought at an Indian grocery. As well, I used 1 cup of peanut butter powder instead of peanut butter. { I try to eat a low fat intake most days(20%) as I’m trying to lose weight.} I don’t like to waste my Chick peas in recipes as I use them in salads or humors or make Indian recipes with them. So the flour is a good substitute..or so I hope!
I’d also added a little nutmilk until the batter was stiff. Otherwise it was too dry and needed a bit of added liquid to make a dough like consistency.
Well, it worked out well enough indeed. I’ll add more sweetener tho…1/3 cup’s not enough really.
These are just delicious! How long do they last in the refrigerator and do they freeze well?
They freeze wonderfully!!
Hi monique,
Thanks for the great recipes!
Can i use tahini instead of peanut butter ?
Anyone ever make these without the sweetening (maple syrup or agave/honey)? A friend doesn’t eat sugar but not sure about the rest.
Hi Monique, I just made these (used normal peanut butter and added an egg to make it more cake-like, as suggested)…thanks so much! I gave one to my husband (who came in as I was pouring chickpeas into the food processor and looked a tad worried as he walked away) and he actually loves it! He says it is the perfect ratio of salty to sweet, and only over a teaspoon of sugar per serve, which is a lot less than most conventional sweets. Texture is amazing. Will make again for sure. Thanks 🙂
Did anyone ever advise if this worked with pb2? Did they make the pb2 or just use the powder? Also, do you think this would work with Walden Farms calorie free maple syrup? Thank you!
I ended up doing this with pb2 and used 2 bananas per other peoples comments in place of maple syrup. The batter tasted like bananas and it didn’t really bake well. Took forever and still wasn’t cooked all the way through. Once it was done it really wasn’t good – inedible . But I don’t think it’s the recipes fault! I did make substitutions. Just wanted to give a heads up to other future bakers.
Hi Alexz! I wouldn’t recommend using pb2 in this recipe – the natural nut butters have the fats needed for baking!
These are fantastic! My son who is a chef and typically anti-vegan gave them two thumbs up. I had no problem getting them smooth and the texture was fine and the added sea salt is delightful. Thanks for sharing. It’s a keeper!
Thanks Monique for this fantastic recipe. I have never used chickpeas when baking before. This was just amazing, my baking skills got complimented a lot…
So great to hear! These are such a fun treat to surprise people with 🙂
I just baked them for the second time this week. They’re soooo good. Thank you for sharing <3 Love from Sweden
Amazing! So glad you’re enjoying these all the way from Sweden <3 <3
Mine didn’t set up. They stayed like batter 😩 even after cooking them double the time! what did I do wrong!
Very strange! I would double check the ingredients and be sure you got them all in there in the correct amounts.
Yum, might add chilli flakes next time🌶
Interesting combo!
I have made these about 10 times in the last 5 months or so. I have shared them at work, at potlucks and eaten too many myself! After cooking, they do look uncooked somewhat, so as an experiment I cooked a batch a bit longer. They taste better softer. You can eat the batter! They are so healthy. We love them and they don’t last long. I have passed your recipe on to many people. Now I will try some of your other recipes. Thank you!
So great to hear, Mary! I hope you enjoy other recipe here, too 🙂
Just made these!
added an egg and subbed PB for almond butter, used coconut oil for the dish instead of using spray
My daughter is strict dairy free and gluten free! I recently tried to make my own vegan ‘dessert’ hummus- so i had extra cans of chickpeas.
They turned out GREAT! <3 thank you for this recipe!
Amazing! That dessert hummus is such a great idea. Glad you both enjoyed!
These were amazing. Plus I tricked my entire office, all of whom said how yummy they were before I revealed later on in the day that I’d made them from a tin of chickpeas!
I used crunchy peanut butter, and rough chopped 80% dark chocolate for the ‘chocolate chips’ inside the batter. On top I sprinkled cacao nibs… at the time because it was all I had left in the cupboard, but was a real winner as gave the bars an extra texture dimension once baked adding a bit of a crunch with each bite.
Overall a complete winner for me, and for my office. I am convinced and now want to try more and more!
So happy to hear that! These are the best “sneaky healthy” treat to surprise people with 🙂 The cacao nibs on top sound delicious, too! Hope you find some more winners here!
These are delicious 😋 but they looked a bit greenish , maybe because I substituted sun butter ??
So glad you enjoyed them! I’m not sure where the greenish color could be coming from – strange!
Can you make these in cookie form!? I do not have an 8×8 pan but I have cookie sheets so if making them into ball form works…thats perfect!
I made this with regular flour and not sure if because the flour but did not rise completely. Recommend to stick to the recipe and use we pastry flour. Also recommend to put on bottom rack
Hi Patricia! Yes – I would recommend sticking with the recipe (especially in this one because it’s flourless). That will help the consistency turn out!
Mine are baking now….. the raw dough was amazing, so I can’t wait for the finished product. I hope I have some left over for my grandson (that’s why I am making them)! 🙂
Amazing! I hope you (and your grandson) enjoyed these 🙂
I just wanted to comment on these since I make them so often – I LOVE this recipe! Not only did I get my boss (who is vegan) totally hooked, but I also got my brother and his fiancee loving them to the point of asking me if I can make these all the time 😉
I love to make up a batch and eat some raw (since it’s egg-free and safe to eat!) as a filling breakfast or eat a few spoonfuls before a tough workout.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve told so many people about them already and I certainly have plans to keep spreading the delicious, magical joy of chickpea desserts 🙂
-Meghan
P.S. I’m planning on making a batch tonight where I’ll add an egg and bake it in a cast iron skillet as a skillet cookie! If it turns out well, I’ll let you know 🙂
Hi Meghan! Thanks so much for your note – I’m SO happy you love these 🙂 They’re one of my absolute favorite healthy treats. I definitely sneak bites of this vegan dough when I make them. Let me know how the skillet cookie goes!
Update: The skillet cookie was a wild success! I added an egg in the food processor with the other ingredients while making the batter and then mixed in normal-sized and mini chocolate chips and a sprinkling of cacao nibs. I poured the batter (it’s less thick with the egg added) into a greased 8″ skillet and cooked it for about 35 minutes – it came out perfectly! My brother is currently eating his second helping 😉 Thanks again!
Amazing!! Thank you for the update – I’m so glad it worked out 🙂 I’m definitely going to give it a try in a skillet next time!
Hi! I was wondering if I could use regular 1/3 cup of white granulated sugar instead of the maple syrup? Please let me know! 🙂
HI Ashley! Yes – that should work just fine. Enjoy!
Just made these! Easiest things I have ever made! Also Soooooo good! And my fam loves them too! Thank you!
I just made these today. They are delicious. You wouldn’t even know they were good for you. I made a layer dessert with them. Blondies on the bottom, chocolate avacado mousse next then a coconut whipped cream on top. Delicious!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! And that layered dessert sounds SO delicious. I’ll have to give it a try next time 🙂
These are delicious!! However, they turned bright green on top, is this a chemical reaction? Anybody else have this outcome!
I think it could be a chemical reaction with baking powder! But nothing to worry about 🙂
Is there a way to make this recipe using chick pea flour instead of actual chick peas? I don’t have any of the beans but I just bought the garbanzo bean flour yesterday, intending to make some delicious baked treat, and I found your recipe in my search. They look so tasty! I wanna make them right now.
I’d recommend sticking with chickpeas to maintain consistency, but try out these cookies that use chickpea flour!
AMAZING!! I need a cattle prod to keep my husband away from these! Thank you! To people who say these aren’t good because they taste too healthy, I say, pay no attention to that man behind the curtain! These aren’t supposed to be the cheesecake factory, they are tasty, decadent substitutions which don’t make some of us hate ourselves after eating them. Take it for what it is!
So glad you both love these!! You’re right – these babies are perfectly decadent with wholesome ingredients 🙂 Such a great go-to treat!
These have been a weekly bake for 3 weeks now! Love them for running! Wondering if you would know the saturated fat for them. Thanks!
Amazing! Perfect treat for running 🙂 I actually didn’t calculate saturated fat for these, but you could probably do so by inputting the ingredients to an online calculator!
Umm, mine turned green? Is that normal? Guessing not, as the photo was waaaay different.
Haha did you use sunflower seed butter? Sometimes this happens!
OK, I’ll admit, this is my 2nd review. I’ve made these at least 10 times now and shared them with many people, including my work and instructors at my gym. I haven’t met a single person who hasn’t loved them and asked for the recipe. I use natural peanut butter because it’s my favorite and we don’t have allergies. Give it a try people, they are easy, fast and delicious!
YES love to hear it! Perfect treat 🙂
I haven’t made a brownie/cookie recipe with beans in FOREVER! This looks amazing; can’t wait to try! 🙂
The best!! Hope you get a chance to try them!
Holy moly, these looks super delicious!!! I love your recipes with hidden good stuff!
SO GOOD! Hope you get a chance to make these Kelli!
I am mailing a box of biscotti from Arizona to Ohio and would like to include some vegan treats for my grandson……how well will these travel and any other suggestions? Thanks in advance!
Hi Nancy! I would suggest wrapping them well in paper towel + plastic wrap, or trying these muffins, these cookies!
I always LOVE anything with peanut butter and chocolate! These chickpea blondies are no exception. They look heavenly!
Agreed! Hope you get a chance to try these!
Made these last night…OMG YUM!!! They did come out a bit thinner than I would have preferred, but I am going to try using a smaller pan next time to thicken them up. SO. DELICIOUS!!!!
So glad you loved these!! Yes a small pan will help keep them nice and thick 🙂
Hi Monique! I LOVE these blondies (I could’ve eaten all of the batter straight from the bowl if my girls weren’t expecting blondies from the oven in about 30 minutes-haha!). I am writing a post for great ways to cook/bake with chickpeas… I’d love to include your recipe if that’s OK with you! I’d give you full credit of course and link to this page as well. Please let me know if that’s OK!
Hi Hilary! I’m so glad you love these! I’d prefer that you link directly to the recipe here rather than including the full recipe in your post. Thanks so much!
Oh my! These were delicious! I used Dark chocolate. Thank you😁
Perfect! Glad you loved these!
Hi! I have a quick question – can these last a week if put in the fridge or freezer?
They should last about a week in the fridge!
Looks delicious!!! Nice one!!
Thanks for sharing it 🙂
They are! Hope you get a chance to make them!
these are dellisshhh! i can’t tell if i like the batter or the finished product better. love love love!
Right?! So good! Glad you loved them 🙂
Will a blender work?? No food processor yet 🙁
A high powered blender should work!
Thanks! I may mash up the chickpeas first to help them in the blender.
Also, since this is put in a 8 x 8 pan and we get 16 bars, are they small/tiny bars?
Great! And they’re small but not too tiny 🙂
Wow! I made this and cannot believe how great it is! My wife, who just adores soft chocolate chip cookies, said she’d gladly eat this and wouldn’t ever need another cookie! My boys loved it. Can’t wait to explore more of your recipes! Thank you!
Amazing!! So happy to hear that 🙂
These look so good! I love how easy they are to make – and, of course, that they are healthy!
YES so delicious!!
Yum! My house smelled so good as these were baking and cooling. I think next time I make these I might use a tad less salt. I might need to bake them a bit longer too as I live at high altitude. So delicious!!!!!
Five stars!!!
Amazing! So glad you loved them. And yes you might need to adjust a bit for altitude, but glad they worked out!
Could I substitute rice malt syrup for the maple syrup?
Sure!
Seriously delicious! I am having such a hard time reigning in my eating in the evening, but I whipped these up tonight, and having two squares is relatively guilt free. Thanks for a great recipe.
I’m glad you found these, Kristina! Perfect healthy treat 🙂
Ummm WHAT I’m obsessed. SO. GOOD.
Is it possible to substitute the maple syrup with xylitol? Can’t have much of any type of sugar, unfortunately.
I’ve never baked with xylitol so I’m not 100% sure how they’ll turn out. Let me know if you do!
I made these while my oatmeal cooked! The batter was delicious and so are the cookies. I love chickpeas but have never used them in a “sweet” recipe. Will be making these again!
So happy to hear that Judy! The perfect healthy treat.
Okay so all I had was white beans but I made them anyway. The batter was DELISH. I can’t wait to see how they come out!!
xx Gabriella
pastelsandpastries.com
Hope you loved them!!
How can they be vegan if they have chocolate chips in them? Don’t chocolate chips have milk in them and isn’t that an animal product? I’m confused.
How can they be vegan if they have chocolate chips in them? Don’t chocolate chips have milk in them and isn’t that an animal product? I’m confused.
Sorry, I see now in the printed version that it doesn’t just say chocolate chips but that you can use vegan chocolate chips.
Sorry, I now see in the printed version of the recipe that it doesn’t just say chocolate chips but that you can use vegan chocolate chips.
Hi! How many grams of chickpeas are meant to be used for this recipe? Net weight of chickpeas from 1 can is ~240g. So do you use 240g or 425g (15ounces) of net chickpeas?
The same question also applies for the black bean brownies.
Thank you!
Hi Anette! One can should be around 425g.
These are absolutely amazing!! I brought half to work (I had to keep half for myself after tasting :)) and didn’t tell anyone they were healthy/made out of chickpeas and everyone LOVED them! I will definitely be making these again!
Amazing! I’m so glad!
I don’t have an 8×8 pan, can you put in a loaf type pan or a 9×12? Thanks!
You could bake in two loaf pans OR double the recipe and do a 9×12!
Hi!! If I use chickpeas which aren’t from a can do I have to cook them first? And the quantity is around 425 gr right? Thanks for the recipe!!
Hi Mary! Yes, the chickpeas should be cooked, and I believe it’s around 425g!
Hi,
Mine came out super thin compared to what yours look like.
Hi! Hmmm I’m not sure what the issue could be. I’d double check your liquid to dry ratios!
Made these so many times, so delicious!!
So happy to hear that!!
Thank you! These were absolutely delicious. My 13 yr old daughter loves them too! Did neglect to tell her they have chickpeas in them though :-). Just wanted to know if these would freeze well??
Would love to make double batch since I have to whip out the food processor and worse clean it afterwards 🙂
So happy to hear that! And yes, these will freeze well 🙂
Hi Monique – I just tried making these and a little bit disappointed, they taste good but they don’t hold together at all and just crumble apart soon as I pick them up. I followed the recipe to a T, what could I do next time so that they stick together better? Love your recipes though!
I’m sorry, it sounds like you may have overbaked these. I’ve never had this issue. Next time watch your baking time! 🙂
I just made these with dried chickpeas and I just wanted to recommend using canned ones instead. I’ve come across recipes that recommend not using dried chickpeas in certain recipes as they are too dry and this is one of them. Nice flavour though and would probably be better with canned chickpeas.
Yes I would be sure to use canned chickpeas in here so that they have the right texture!
These are so delicious! Its a nice healthy dessert and my young kids love them!
I’m so happy to hear that!
These are AWESOME! Like another comment suggested, I added an egg and halfed the PB (I go through that stuff so quick anyway!) and they are delicious. Keep them in the fridge for about a week.
Glad that swap worked out! Love this treat straight from the fridge.
I made these and the batter was very good as well as the flavor of the blondies. I’ve found that things made with chickpeas are a bit saltier, so I would add a bit more syrup or lessen the salt. Unfortunately, the batter didn’t make enough to fill my square baking pan (which may have been 9×9), so they were about a half cm thick. I would cook them a little longer as well because they were quite gooey.
These will be a bit softer because they’re flourless, so feel free to leave them in a bit longer! Glad you liked the flavor 🙂
Hey! These sound delish, I want to make them, but I’m wondering if I can make them in the muff tins instead of making them into bars! Would that work??
I don’t have an 8×8 pan, would muffin tins work?
Yep! They definitely will just make sure you line the muffin pan with liners and spray them with nonstick spray.
A friend makes this recipe and subs with sunbutter. They turn green. Another friend said it’s the chemical reaction of sunflower with baking soda. Can I omit that?
It is a chemical reaction with the baking soda! But the baking soda helps these bake up, so I would not recommend omitting it.
I’m an AK superfan and these are by FAR one of my FAVORITE recipes!!!! So simple and uses ingredients I always have. Super fast to make and DELICIOUS! I’m always licking my food processor clean of this batter.
Amazing!! So happy to hear that Lisa. They’re famous here for a reason! 🙂
I made them with chunky natural peanut butter & Walden Farms Pancake Syrup & they are delicious!
Perfect! Such a great treat.
I made this for the first time with sun butter, and they tasted great. When i looked at them the next day in the fridge they’ve turned to almost a blue colour just on the top?? Have you ever seen this happen before?
Sunflower seed products actually react with baking soda, which can turn baked goods greenish-blue! So strange, but they’re completely safe 🙂
These look heavenly! Would you recommend the egg if not vegan, or would you say its better without? 🙂
Depends! if you like cakey: go for the egg. If you like fudgy, make them without. 🙂
This is the first recipe of yours i have ever tried and wow!! On a whim I used chocolate peanut butter instead of normal and it made them super rich and delicious. I was wary about the whole chickpea situation but they were so delicious and even my father (who roles his eyes at “fake food” ) loved them. Thank you so much for the easy, totally delicious winning recipe! I will definitely be back for more.
Chocolate peanut butter sounds delicious in here! Glad they were father-approved, too 🙂 Such a great treat.
These are insanely delicious! I made them as blondies the first time, and didn’t want to turn on the oven today with this heat wave, so I made the batter in my Ninja blender and froze them like fat bombs! SO good. Love all of your recipes!
Amazing!! Great idea for a freezer treat. So happy you’re loving the recipes here!
I made these a couple of years ago and ended up putting them in the freezer – and let me tell you, they were even BETTER when frozen.
My roommate will have her vegan friend over, so I knew I wanted to remake these. I am super excited that I was able to find this recipe again and I am looking forward to making them!
Love that!! I hope your friends love these too 🙂
Followed the recipe exactly as AK mapped out, using our favorite Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips. Third or fourth time making this recipe because it SO easy, especially when I’m craving something sweet and satisfying.
Amazing!! So happy you love them!
I made them!!! Love them! I hate garbanzo beans and I am Puerto Rican. However, these are amazing and quick!
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
Hi, what is the weight of the chickpeas rinsed and drained? I can’t find 15 oz cans of chickpeas in my supermarkets so this would be very helpful. Thank you!
Hi! I think they’re about 250g or 1 1/2 cups.
Do you have any further suggestions on peanut butter? Salted? Unsalted? Crunchy or Smooth? Runny or thick? So many kinds, not sure if if matters here. Thanks!!
I suggest an all-natural “drippy” smooth peanut butter that’s just peanuts + salt! This is a brand I love to use 🙂
Very good. I used Nutella instead of peanut butter. I did add an egg. I used Karo syrup instead of maple!e syrup. Baking time for me was closer to 30 minutes. Also added about a 1\4 tsp cinnamon and 4 shakes black pepper. Texture is very good.
I love chickpea blondies! These sound great, do you think I could add a banana for a little extra?
Sure! As long as it isn’t too ripe, I might suggest reducing the maple syrup by 2 tablespoons.
These were fabulous. I added a little unsweetened coconut as well. Highly recommend these to ease those sweet tooth cravings without all the extra carbs and calories!
Perfect! So glad you liked them!
These just keep getting better in the fridge, best if eaten the day after you make them and they have sat in the fridge overnight. I will say the cook time was off for me…I used 350 but after 25 min’s I had to put them back in for another 15 mins. I used half the peanut butter and used peanut butter powder mixed with water for the rest. Following WW so wanted to get the points down I bit. I used the Krisda sugar free choc chips and I took the time to remove the skins from the beans after they were rinsed. Only took about 10 min but it my opinion it was time well spent. Also I followed the suggestion of adding one egg. Will definitely be making these again. Almost 5 star worthy but I do feel the cook time needs adjusted as mentioned in many other reviews.
Hi Joan! These are meant to be pretty fudgy, and often look a bit underdone when they’re actually good to go. The peanut butter powder may have affected the consistency of them too. Glad you enjoyed – love these straight from the fridge, too!
Made these a few days ago. The family is already requesting them again! After first the kids were hesitant to try them (I told them what was in it) but after one bite they were sold. I honestly can’t believe how yummy they are. I added one egg to make them a little more fluffy.
Love that! The sneaky chickpeas end up being so delicious 🙂 Glad everyone loved them!
Delicious. I made these and some sugar free brownies for a party and these won hands down. Love love love
Love it! So happy to hear that 🙂
I loved these! They reminded me of fudge!
Absolutely! So fudgy and delicious 🙂
These are SO dang good. The batter is so tasty I’m truly shocked they even make it into the oven.
One of my fav desserts! You’ll have to make a double batch next time to snack on the vegan batter 😉
My husband and kids and I love this recipe. It is so simple to put together, it uses things I always have at home and on hand and it is a deliciously decadent treat I can feel good about feeding my family for a snack, desert or even sometimes breakfast!
Absolutely! Love this one as a healthy treat or snack 🙂
Can you use something else besides the baking powder. I am allergic to corn and anything made from corn.
Thank you! Samantha Ridge
Yes just use 1/2 teaspoon baking soda total
These are one of my go to recipes! Always the best and everyone in the family loves them! The batch is always doubled, of course, because they never last. I make sure to freeze some as well. I sprinkle them once they cool with Maldon sea salts which makes them sooooo amazing! Thank you for this yummy recipe!
Amazing! Glad you and the whole family love these!
These look so tasty! Would it be possible to make these with a blender instead of a food processor? Thanks!
A high powered blender should work, too! Enjoy 🙂
I followed the recipe exactly and to be honest I was very sceptical but these taste just like normal brownies! My new favourite brownie recipe!
So happy you loved them!
Just to let you know this exact same recipe is on the “Well + Good” cookbook attributed to a nutritionist called Molly Rieger.
Bummer! I originally published this back in 2013. Thanks for the heads up!
Love this recipe! The first time I made it, I underbanked them and realized I enjoyed the batter better! Lol
So I make this regularly without the baking soda and powder. It makes an amazing peanut butter hummus! Made with or without chocolate chips. And perfect for dipping celery or carrot sticks, pretzels, graham crackers or even by the spoonful. The last I made it, it tasted like peanut butter frosting. It would taste amazing on top of chocolate cake.
This one is a staple in my house!!
Love so many of your recipes, my go-to blogger forsure!
Love the idea of a dessert hummus – yum! So happy you’re finding recipes here that you love, too 🙂
Oh my goodness, these chickpea blondies are NO JOKE. They are addictive AS and actually feel good to eat. I’ve made them several times and it’s always a struggle not to eat the whole batch at once. One of my absolute favourites!!
One of my favs, too! So glad you love them!
I was so excited to make these, and they are even better than I thought they would be. I did add an egg for extra cakiness, and the batter seemed a tad runny with that, so I just added about 1/4 cup flour. I’m gonna take these to work and see if they can guess the secret ingredient 🙂
Perfect! I hope everyone loves them!
Followed the recipe exactly, and the taste is awesome. But mine came out after 30 minutes, still wet. I put them back in at a lower temperature for an additional 10 minutes.
Glad you liked the taste here! Everyone’s ovens and baking time can be a bit different – these are “done” if a toothpick comes out clean (they just won’t look the same amount of “done” as bars with gluten!)
Delicious and easy to make. I had all of the ingredients in my kitchen. Followed the recipe exactly except that I used sugar free syrup to make it less calories (I do Weight Watchers).. I had to bake it about 35 minutes because I lined the pan with parchment paper. Will be great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! Great recipe!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed (and so delicious with ice cream!)
This was my first time making vegan blondies or any vegan dessert. This is a great and simple recipe. I used organic agave which I had on hand and I added about a fourth cup of water for added moisture. I noticed that if you want to keep it vegan you can add a little bit of almond or chickpea flour to get your desired consistency. Thumbs up!
I’m glad those swaps worked out well! Such a great treat.
These are AMAZING! Followed the recipe as written, using Jif natural peanut butter, pure maple syrup, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Mine were done to chewy perfection in 24 minutes. I wouldn’t change a thing! Move over black bean brownies… I have a new healthy favorite! Thank you so much for this recipe! 🙂
P.S. Don’t skip the sea salt!
Perfect! So glad you enjoyed!
Hi there – these look absolutely amazing! !
Is there anything you can recommend in replace of the chickpeas? Normally I would SPEED to the store to get ingredients but with everything going on with self isolating etc that’s not exactly an option. I have all ingredients except the chickpeas could I omit them?
A few reviewers said they used white beans successfully.
Someone else used pinto beans and said they’re great. I’m going to make them now for the first time as muffins.
This recipe is also a great one for muffins! https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/flourless-peanut-butter-chickpea-muffins/
These are amazing! Between my son and I we almost didn’t have any batter left to make the blondies. Mmm…even the batter is so good…obviously!
So delicious! Glad you both loved it!
This was surprisingly delicious!! I added butterscotch chips as well. I will be making this more! So so good.
Love that idea! Such a great treat.
Came together soo easily. Really good. Will make again.
So happy you loved them!
I had been eyeing these for a little while but was a little skeptical. Finally took the plunge and I’m obsessed! The batter is irresistible and the final product is so good! My batch only lasted three days and that was only by sheer force of will not to eat them in one sitting.
Amazing! So glad you gave them a try 🙂
Made them exactly as written and they came out PERFECT. Ooey gooey wonderfulness. I suggest warm with vanilla ice cream.
The best! Love these with ice cream 🙂
Followed the recipe exactly and it’s fabulous. 1/3 cup = 5T of maple syrup. Next time I’ll lower it by 1 teaspoon, so 4T and 2t. Food processor is perfect. Canned beans are completely unnecessary. I soaked 1 pound of chickpeas for almost two days, changing the water a few times, and cooked them in IP in fresh water just covering the very expanded dried beans by 1 inch, high pressure for 50 minutes and they’re the best. 1 pound dried = 6C cooked. 1 can 15z beans = 1 2/3C drained beans. The liquid gold that comes from cooking fully soaked and clean beans is called aquafaba, and I will use some of that next time to loosen the batter which is thick. A few teaspoons of aquafaba would make it easier to work with or maybe plant milk. I don’t have an 8×8 pan yet, so I did muffins, which was a huge PITA due to how thick is the batter. Next time I’ll just plop cookie size portions on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. I got 8 smallish muffins from this batch. I gave 5 to friends in my building (all three of them loved it), and as you can guess, I consumed the rest today, so they’re gone in 24 hours and I need to bake again today! But what else am I doing during this coronavirus craziness!?!
Perfect! I’m glad that worked out well 🙂 you’ll have to try out my chickpea muffins next: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/flourless-peanut-butter-chickpea-muffins/
Used 1/4cup honey and 2 tbsp coconut sugar in place of maple syrup. Came out better than I could have asked for! So gooey but not so much that they fall apart at all! Just amazing!
Didn’t know what I was expecting- but do not expect this to taste like a real blondie. It tasted pretty healthy, so I would recommend making this if you’re super into fitness. But not if you’re like me, and want to just bathe in sugar and butter during this quarantine.
These should be perfectly sweet, but you might like my Almond Butter Blondies better: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/almond-butter-blondies/ 🙂
These just weren’t for me. In general, I’m a pretty picky eater, especially when it comes to texture – and these had about the same texture as dense hummus. The texture difference before and after they went in the oven wasn’t much different. It was just like eating plain, mashed chickpeas. However, the flavor was decent. Nothing special; I could still taste the chickpea flavor. I actually substituted raisins for the chocolate chips, but now I would say the chocolate chips are definitely necessary for a better flavor. Otherwise they’re pretty “blah” in my opinion.
Sorry to hear that! These do have a different texture than traditional bars & blondies you’re probably used to. You might like my almond butter blondies instead: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/almond-butter-blondies/
I think there is a mistake. 15oz. Is +/- 425g, in a can there is 400g with water and 240g drained chickpeas so basically when you buy chickpeas for that recipe you need two cans.
Hi! You’ll notice that a standard can of chickpeas is 15oz here: https://amzn.to/2W1XKeO
OH MY GOSH! These are absolutely the most incredible things I have ever made – would highly recommend and can’t stop eating them! xx
So glad you loved them!
Love this recipe, and love making them with my granddaughters, who exclaimed, “Grandma, they’re delicious!” Instead of chocolate chips, I, make a chocolate frosting out of pure cacao power, maple syrup and a little water, and spread the frosting over the blondies when they come out of the oven.
Amazing! So glad your granddaughters love them 🙂
So delicious! Never tried chickpea blondies before, and I love how simple this recipe is. I used crunchy natural peanut butter, and think I may add sunflower seeds or nuts next time. I didn’t have any chocolate chips but used a dark chocolate bar broken into pieces and it did alright. 🙂
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
Perfect recipe! I’ve used one egg in the butter and milk chocolate chips because we’re not vegan and it turned out delicious!
I’m glad that worked out well! Such a great dessert 🙂
Delicious!! made them twice already
Glad you love them!
These were perfect for when I was feeling like a hot healthy simple dessert. Only used 1/4 C of maple syrup. I used an 8 inch cake tin but next time I think I will use a smaller tin to make them slightly thicker. Last well in the fridge for a couple of days-either eaten cold or warmed up in microwave.
Perfect! I love these cold or warmed up, too 🙂
How did you get 16 servings out of an 8×8 pan? I just made these and cut about 9? I ask because I”m watching calories and trying to figure out what a serving is? Also, even after baking, they never seemed to solidify in the middle. I put them in the fridge and hope I can cut them tomorrow. They were mostly cool, and the square I lifted fell apart. Otherwise, they’re delicious.
You’ll just cut 4×4 instead of 3×3 🙂 check out the video for what that looks like! And these will be more fudgy than traditional baked goods but if a toothpick tester comes out clean and the edges are starting to brown a bit then they should be done.
Good Morning, I would like permission to post a hyperlink to your flourless chocolate chip chickpea cookie recipe and photo on the Divabetic blog on our website: divabetic.org. I would also post a partial list of ingredients on the blog post which would include the benefits of using chickpea flour. Specifically, I’d mention that chickpea flour aids in the slow absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, causing the blood sugar levels to rise slowly.
My blog is intended for women at risk for, affected by and living with diabetes and their families. Everyone is interested in healthier dessert recipes like yours.
Thank you advance for your response.
Best,
Max
Hi! Feel free to post a hyperlink to the recipe, but we’d ask that you don’t post the full recipe or ingredients. This recipe actually uses chickpeas, not chickpea flour, too 🙂 Thank you!
These are really good! Only modification I made was to use 1/4 cup maple syrup. Still turned out great! Yum!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
We’ve been making these for years, but I’m just now getting around to rating them 🙂 They are SO good!!! One question I have, I need to double the recipe for an event this weekend, how long would you recommend baking in a 9×13? Thanks!
So glad you love them! Probably close to the same amount of time honestly!
These are my absolute first choice for a go-to healthy dessert. I am a sucker for chocolate chip cookies, and these satisfy all of my cravings without making me feel bloated or guilty! They are filling so I don’t eat too much and they are satisfying too. Sometimes I halve the recipe and make a mini “pizzookie” for myself, and sometimes I”ll make them into little cookies so that I can freeze them. This recipe is flexible and easy and I will never stop making these! I’ve made about a batch every other week since I found this recipe.
Love that! Such a great dessert 🙂
Just made these- soooo yum! And easy!!! And simple. Great use of pantry staples, healthy without using weird ingredients. Perfect- thank you!
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
These came out pretty good, except it barely made enough to fill a 5 x 5 pan to make a very thin blondie… next time i would double or even triple it for one batch
That’s so strange! I’ve never had that happen before.
Love these! I added monkfruit sweetner and used cashew butter instead of peanut and it turned out perfectly. I can’t even taste the chickpeas! This one’s a keeper.
I’m glad that worked out well! Perfect treat.
OMG!
If this is as yummy as it looks then you’re pretty amazing.
I really have to try this one out, because to be honest I’ve never tried chick peas in other recipes besides falafell and hummus.
Keep up the good work!
They’re delicious! Let me know if you give them a try 🙂
I added an egg, and it was delicious!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
Oh my goodness! This looks so delicious! I love baking with chickpeas. They are great flour substitute.
Agreed! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Recipes look omgosh delish!
So good!!
Absolutely amazing. I cut the maple sugar in half and used Lily sugar free chocolate chips, which are sweetened with stevia.
I’m glad that worked out well! Such a great treat 🙂
Can we avoid the baking soda and baking powder?
I wouldn’t recommend it!
These are absolutely delicious !! I need to have desserts that are both Gluten Free and Sugar Free and this ticks both boxes! I cannot believe how incredibly similar they taste (at least to me) to real blonde brownies ! I followed the recipe to a tee and it could not have been better. Cooking time 21 mins (We like them soft)! Perfection! Thank you !
Amazing! So glad you loved them!
These were delicious!!! I subbed cooked moth beans for the chickpeas and agave for the maple syrup. Without being overly measured(just carelessly throwing things in the bowl) these still turned out so chewy and chocolatey. Decadent, without being laden with oil and butter(well, there was the pb, but that is all good in my book). Thanks for the recipe 😁
I’m glad they worked out well!
These are so good what’s even better about it is I put everything my food processor. No moving it from the processor to the blender, less clean up a lot less!! I love it anytime I have a sweet craving but don’t want to pack on the calories I make this . and the best part is I can eat the batter!!! yummy !!! so good !!
Absolutely! Glad you love them!!
These are phenomenal!! Used raw honey and added 1 egg, as recommended to make it more cake-like, and also added 1/4 cup ground flaxseed, baked 25 minutes until edges were brown, and allowed to cool the full 20 minutes… WOW!! Would NOT change a THING!!! AMAZING!!! They came out super light and fluffy, melt in your mouth tender, and ZERO chickpea flavor. SUPERB and a real keeper! Thanks for another rock star recipe!! Will definitely be making again and again and again, lol. Thank you!! 🙂 Would love to see an ‘Ambitious Baby’ once your son starts eating real food! 😉
Perfect! So happy to hear that, Susie 🙂 and will definitely share more kid-friendly recipes!
Love the creativity of using chickpeas to make blondies. Although, if I made it i’m sure i’d eat all the batter before actually cooking them.
It makes amazing vegan “cookie dough” too!!
These are absolutely delicious!!
So glad you love them!!
Just made these blondies, turned them into brownies. They turned out so good! I was a bit suspicious about the structure but it turned out great, and i love that it’s not too sweet 😊 thank you for this recipe xxx
Love that idea! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Hands down one of the greatest things I have ever tasted. These blondies have changed my life. So gooey and delicious and incredibly easy to make. I did a medley of almond, peanut, and cashew butter and it was an excellent flavor balance. Next time, I’m thinking i’ll add walnuts and shredded coconut for more texture. But perfect recipe, perfect taste.
My first recipe review EVER. Found this recipe two years ago and have made it about 20 times! My go to dessert, doesn’t taste healthy at all and everyone who has ever eaten it has loved them 🙂🙂🙂 I usually quadruple the recipe to make a big tray that my family eats over like 2 days! I also reduce the salt and sweetener and grate some ginger into the batter for an extra dimension and voilaaa! Thank you so much for this healthy, hearty, deliciously satisfying recipe, big love ❤️
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂 and glad you’ve found some flavors to add!
I love this recipe but just wondering how to alter it and add pumpkin into it ?
I haven’t tried adding pumpkin so I can’t give a recommendation as I’m not sure how the result would bake up, I’m sorry!
As someone who gagged at the smell of her can of chickpeas, I am impressed!! I wasn’t really expecting anything besides a hummus bar when I read the recipe, and I was very surprised with a delectable and chocolatey gooey cookie bar!! The only part that this recipe didn’t deliver one is the serving size- I mean 16 bars? I ate three at once then haha! I do reccomend adding an extra pour (1-2 tbs) of syrup, and an extra tsp or generous pour of vanilla to mask the peanut buttery chickpea-ness. Otherwise perfect!!
I’m glad you still gave these a try! Such a great treat 🙂
Made these tonight, minus chocolate b/c I was out and they were fantastic! Thanks for the recipe. There’s something so incredible about chickpeas and peanut butter together that I really loved.
Amazing! So happy you loved them 🙂
These were DELICIOUS! I used almond butter and date syrup. I let them cool for like 2 min then they fell apart but you could actually cut them after half an hour.
I’m glad that worked out well! And yes I’d recommend letting them cool a bit longer before cutting (but they’ll be delicious either way!)
such a delicious recipe with few and clean ingrediants! the description was right, i liked the dough just as much as the finished product. i think the vanilla extract helped the flavor the most and i had to stop myself from eating spoonfuls. after baking them the blondies were very soft and crumbly however, so i mashed all of them together and rolled them into sixteen “blondie balls” so they wouldn’t collapse when you pick them up. overall the taste won over the texture and i will be making these again :)) #wonderfulvegandessert (ps. my family had no idea there were chickpeas in them, so sweet and good)
Sorry to hear that the texture didn’t quite turn out! I’d suggest making sure they’re completely cooled before cutting them. Glad you were able to turn them into another delicious treat 🙂
Wow! Amazing and so easy because everything goes into the blender. I added chia seeds but that’s the only modification. Looking forward to using this recipe a lot
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Is it possible to use Reguar not natural peanut butter? I’m dying to make these tonight and it’s all I have 💕
Yes, I think that should work okay!
Awesome recipe and high recommended! Thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed!
New favorite super simple to make while also being healthy. Everyone that tries them loves them. Definitely a go to dessert to keep around the house
Absolutely! Perfect treat or snack 🙂
These are sooooooooooo good! I double the ingredients and make them at least once a week. My husband and kids are picky eaters but they love them. Thank you very much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Love that! Such a great treat 🙂
Hands down the best baked good I’ve ever made. And the dough is even better!!! Thank you!
So glad you loved them!
Hey! I made these and had to throw away the entire pan because they were inedible due to how bad they tasted. They looked just like yours and I followed ur recipe exactly!! Do you know what might have gone wrong ? I don’t think it’s a difference in taste preference here, mine were gross. I’m wondering if I used low quality chickepeas or something ? I was so excited for these to work 🙁
Hi! So sorry to hear that! I wish I could help troubleshoot but it sounds like one or more of the ingredients you used were spoiled?
Ok, this recipes phenomenal. Seriously, it tastes just as good as a cookie or blondie and definitely will satisfy your sweet tooth when you crave having a treat but want to eat something that has nutritional value. Whenever I make this recipe, I seriously have to try my best not to consume the whole thing in one day. It’s soooo good.
Yes! Perfect treat 🙂
Can you freeze these?
Yes!
Moist,Decadent and Healthy!
Glad you like them!
We really liked these! I added one egg, 2 extra T of maple syrup and 1 extra tsp. of vanilla. I don’t have a food processor and had to use my Vitamix. It was not easy and I was afraid I was going to burn the motor out but most of it got mixed up. It was even harder getting the batter out of the Vitamix. Next time I might try my mixer. My husband is not a fan of most healthier version of foods but he like this and I loved them so I will be making again. Thank you this great recipe.
Sorry to hear that your Vitamix was tricky to use! I’m glad they turned out well 🙂
I am not one to typically leave reviews but I had to for these!! This is my favorite recipe ever. They are so easy to make and so delicious! I am always in the mood for a sweet dessert with natural ingredients and these are perfect. Highly recommend!
So glad you loved these! And thanks for your rating 🙂
Just want to let you know that I made Flourless Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondies without Sea Salt, your lovely recipe, multiple times and it’s great every time. They look perfect like your post. They are great taste and become my unique and to keep my recipe. Five pounds of chickpea I got from Target are gone for couple months, LOL.
by the way, this time, I have Lipini ground bean that I bought from Costco. I just wonder if I can use that substitute for chickpea. The nature of color of Lupini is pretty bright yellow, I steamed it and tasted it, it is not bitter as people said. What you think, I might try that?
Any comment, please let me know, thank you. I love your recipes.
So glad you loved them! I’m not sure that would work quite the same, so sorry!
I put all the ingredients in a blender and the chick peas didn’t get smushed. They remained intact. I thought I would save time by throwing everything in the NutriBullet, but it doesn’t work. It would definitely have to be a food processor then, and not a bullet. I spent a half hour crushing every chick pea between my batter-drenched fingers after also trying a handheld mixer. It took me an hour to make this recipe. Next time I will start by mixing the chick peas and the syrup and build from there. Nice recipe though. Thank you.
Sorry to hear that! I do recommend using a food processor if you can. Let me know how it goes with mixing the chickpea with maple syrup first!
These are so delicious! Biting into one of these things tastes like you’re eating cookie dough! It’s a great healthy-ish treat! I added 1/4 cup almond flour.
Absolutely! Glad you loved them!
This is my absolute FAVOURITE go-to recipe, thank you so much for it! I can’t count the number of times I have made it.
I just had one query, as a non-gluten free recipe, would it be possible to add in some flour? Every time I have made them before they’re always far too wet and when baked they’re either crumbly or too wet (still incredibly delicious though!).
Thanks so much!
That’s strange that when you bake them you get two different results. Hmm! I would recommend using a few tablespoons of flour or you can add an egg to help bind them together more (they get fluffier!) Also feel free to try my chickpea muffins: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/flourless-peanut-butter-chickpea-muffins/
These are probably the best baked good I’ve ever had NO JOKE. They taste like wonderful, luxurious cookie dough, But they’re made out of chickpeas. It doesn’t make sense just make them and thank Monique later.
Amazing! So happy to hear that 🙂
What a simple and easy recipe! And it actually works! Also so easy to make simple changes and adjustments!
So glad you liked it!
So good! I used almond butter and unsweetened carob chips, which were really tasty. To sub for the food processor I used an immersion blender to emulsify the chickpeas and maple syrup. It took a couple minutes longer than the food processor, but the results were pretty similar and there was no major cleanup. Does anyone remember the old-school Tiger’s Milk bars (which were sold at actual health food stores in the 80s and 90s but are junk)? These really remind me of those, but actually wholesome.
Perfect! So glad you loved them 🙂
OMG. This is one of the most delicious things I have made! I was pretty thrown at first by the chickpeas… but I was delighted when I found that you can not taste them at all! The flavour of the nut butter and maple syrup completely mask the chickpea taste, and leave you with a decadent, creamy, and slightly nutty batter. I haven’t baked it yet, but I am so excited to (if the batter isn’t all gone first). I can see the batter even being delicious as a spread on pancakes/waffles or toasts, or in something like oatmeal! So many uses. I will definitely be making it again 🙂
Amazing! So glad you loved these!