If I had to pick a favorite legume, I think it’d probably be a chickpea. Their soft, chewy texture pairs perfectly in some of my favorite salads, works well as a vegan replacement in traditional chicken or tuna dishes and yes, I’ve even tried them in fudgy blondies. What more could you want in a protein-packed little bean?
This recipe for chickpea muffins was inspired by my black bean brownie muffins, which are a cross between a black bean brownie and a chocolate muffin. If you haven’t tried them yet, then what are you waiting for?!
Now I know you’re probably thinking: beans in baked goods sounds weird. But, when blended together with a few ingredients, a touch of pure maple syrup and peanut butter, they somehow transform into the FLUFFIEST muffins you’ll ever eat.
In fact, they were such a hit with Tony, that after trying one he came back into the kitchen and exclaimed, “I really like those muffins — they’re so fluffy!”
The best part was that I didn’t even tell them they were made with chickpeas. Heh.
What’s in these chickpea muffins?
These chickpea muffins are made with only 7 simple ingredients, plus the batter is blended together in a blender or food processor, making this recipe super simple to throw together in no time at all. Here are the ingredients you need:
- Chickpeas: This recipe uses BUSH’S® Organic Garbanzo Beans (also known as chickpeas!). They’re perfectly soft and cooked to perfection, which is one of the reasons I love using them in recipes.
- Eggs: In order to help these flourless peanut butter muffins rise, we have to use eggs. Unfortunately, I would not recommend using an egg replacement in this recipe.
- Peanut butter: the one and only. Make sure to use a natural creamy peanut butter (with just peanuts and salt) to keep the recipe consistency and texture nice and fluffy. I have only tested this recipe with peanut butter, but I also think other nut butters such as almond or cashew should work out similarly.
- Pure Maple Syrup: one of the reasons I love using pure maple syrup in my recipes is because not only is it an unrefined sweetener, but it’s also not quite as sweet as honey so it doesn’t overpower flavor.
- Vanilla extract: if you don’t have it, don’t worry about it. Vanilla adds a nice flavor, but the muffins will still be wonderful without it.
- Baking powder: to help the muffins rise and get all fluffy inside! Make sure your baking powder is fresh.
- Chocolate chips: I prefer to use dark chocolate chips, but mini chocolate chips, semi-sweet or dairy-free chocolate chips will all work well.
My favorite thing about this recipe is that these muffins are seriously packing peanut butter flavor + over 7g protein per muffin.
This means theses chickpea muffins are great for after-school snacks, lunch box treats, post workout on-the-go fuel or a travel snack. YASSSSSSS chickpeas solvin’ all the hangry probs.
How to store these chickpea muffins:
I recommend storing these in an airtight container in the fridge after a day. You can also freeze muffins in a container or reusable bag and reheat them or defrost them for later. Muffins will stay good for 3 months if properly stored in the freezer.
See how to make the peanut butter chickpea muffins:
I hope you all love these chickpea muffins! This recipe is sponsored by BUSH’S® Beans. All recipes, text and opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting AK and the brands that help make this site possible.
Fluffy Flourless Peanut Butter Chickpea Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 (15 ounce) can BUSH'S® Organic Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained (chickpeas)
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter (just peanuts + salt)
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (or sub honey)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top (dairy-free, if desired)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with 10 muffin liners (we’re only making 10 muffins) and spray the inside of each liner with nonstick cooking spray so that the liners do not stick to the muffins -- this is important.
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Place chickpeas and 1 egg in the bowl of a food processor or high powered blender and process until beans are well blended. Add two other eggs, peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, baking powder and salt and process again until smooth. Fold in ⅓ cup chocolate chips.
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Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips evenly among the tops of each muffin batter. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffins comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then remove muffins from tin and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Keep muffins for a day at room temperature, then transfer to fridge and place in an airtight container. Makes 10 muffins.
Recipe Notes
Feel free to use almond butter or cashew butter instead of peanut butter.
How to store these chickpea muffins: I recommend storing these in an airtight container in the fridge after a day. You can also freeze muffins in a container or reusable bag and reheat them or defrost them for later. Muffins will stay good for 3 months if properly stored in the freezer.
83 comments
you are a freaking wizard. Can’t wait to try these, lady!
Thanks Dana! Hope you love them 🙂
These are the best! I was able to whip them up in about 10 minutes. Mom and toddler approved, and a great source of iron. I left off the chocolate chips, but will definitely make another batch with them!
Amazing! So happy these were kiddo approved, too 🙂 the perfect snack!
These muffins are delicious. Made as the recipe started. Brought to work and nobody said anything bad, they all loved them. Then I told them they had no flour. This recipe will stay in my collection. It’s very easy to make and quick. Thank you for sharing
I’m so glad everyone loved them! The chickpeas are the best secret ingredient 🙂
WOW. Your recipe is awesome. I will use it to make pies for my family dinner today
Hope they love these muffins!
made this in a 8/8 pan and it is amazing! Making a healthier chocolate frosting to top!
Perfect! Love that idea!
I absolutely loved these! Made them within a few minutes of seeing the post. Love that they are vegan, gf, oil free, and use real grains rather than starch, yet turn out so light. And that glaze…I want to put it on toast, it is that yummy! You knocked it out of the park with this one!
Can I ask what glaze you are referring to?
So happy to hear that, Bonny! Such a great breakfast or snack.
How were you able to make these vegan?
Vegan?? How so?
Wow! So tasty! My twin toddlers have been refusing breakfast for a month but devoured these this morning!
I’m so glad you found these! New favorite breakfast 🙂
These were delicious! We used almond butter, dried cherries and almond slices. We left out the chocolate this time. I loved the texture, taste and color.
Perfect! Sounds delicious.
These are amazing! I have 4 little kids and am always looking for healthy snacks. These will definitely be a staple in our home.
These are perfect for them! Such a great, easy snack.
Made these and they are SO GOOD. So fluffy and quick & easy to make!!
So happy you loved them!!
This recipe sounds really interesting, but I live abroad and don’t have access to Bush’s Garbanzo Beans. I have a huge supply of cooked chickpeas right now, and was wondering what the drained weight of the chickpeas is… Thanks!
The drained weight is about 250g or 1 1/2 cups of chickpeas 🙂 Enjoy!
MY 3 KIDS AND I COULDN’T STOP EATING THESE! So scrumptiously yummy and healthy! I used 2 cups of frozen cooked chick peas (yes, food processor needed for that job, blender bogged down) and I’m wondering if that’s why my muffins were more dense than fluffy as you and others described? Next time I’m going to try 1 1/2 cups and I’ll let you know.
So glad you all loved them! I’m not sure why they were more dense, it could have been because you used frozen chickpeas instead of fresh!
I made these again (good excuse to eat some more HOT out of the oven, haha) using 1 1/2 cups frozen chick peas. Even the kids thought they came out lighter and more fluffy. So, I think the extra 1/2 cup chicks did make them more dense! Thanks again for your unending nutritional creativity, simple cooking methods, and easy recipes!
These are delicious!, I’ve made the chickpea blondies from AK several times, but prefer these! I only had about 1/4 to1/3 cup of peanut butter left, so I substituted tahini for the remainder and it was totally fine. Yum!!
Perfect! I’m glad the tahini worked out well. Such a great snack!
This is a great recipe, as I am trying to cut down on the amount of flour I consume. The muffins were a little too “wet” for me, so the second time I made them I cut the peanut butter and the syrup in half and doubled the baking powder. They turned out more to my liking as the flavors were more subtle and the muffin was fluffier.
Such a great snack! Hmmm strange to hear that they were a bit too moist – it might’ve been the brand of peanut butter you have? I’m glad those swaps worked out for you!
These muffins look absolutely wonderful! Would you recommend using flax eggs as a vegan alternative? Chickpeas are interesting in desserts. I LOVE it in hummus and curries already, but I have consumed chickpeas in dessert hummus before (honestly, homemade >>>>>> store-bought) as well as a blondie before! SO YUMMY.
I don’t think it would work quite the same as the eggs help to create a fluffy texture. I suggest my chickpea blondies instead 🙂https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/flourless-chocolate-chip-chickpea-blondies-with-sea-salt-vegan-gluten-free-healthy/
Delicious and super easy to make! I used mix nut butter instead of peanut butter with some tahini. I love it. Thank you for sharing
Perfect! So happy to hear that!
I just made these and they were amazing! So easy to make and really fluffy. My kids loved them. I’ll be making these again!
So happy to hear that, Jessica! I’m glad they’re kiddo-friendly 🙂
is it okay to use chickpea flour instead of the actual beans?
I wouldn’t recommend it! The flour will change the consistency in these muffins.
I’m gonna try given the great reviews. Nervous of the taste of the chickpeas?? I wonder could u use pb2?
They really just taste like a delicious peanut butter blondie! I wouldn’t recommend using PB2 as the consistency and taste won’t really be the same.
Ty! Trying today
Omg!! Amazing. Def making again!
Glad you loved them!
These are amazing!
Glad you like them!
Yum! I added cinnamon, more vanilla, and white chocolate chips to this delicious muffin recipe! I also incorporated a teaspoon of soy milk because the mixture was feeling a little thick. They’re currently in the oven, and I’m so excited to delight in them when they come out! 🙂 Five stars for now even though I haven’t even tried them yet; I’ve got faith in you, Ambitious Kitchen. -Penelope
Perfect! Hope you’re loving them, Penelope!
Made these exactly to the recipe and they were fantastic – thank you Monique! Will the texture change if I reduced the maple syrup next time, or could you suggest a lower-sugar substitute? (would apple sauce or greek yogurt work?) thanks!
I think you could try reducing the maple syrup to 1/3 cup with good results! I wouldn’t recommend using another sweetener.
I admit that I was skeptical on how these muffins would turn out using chickpeas instead of flour. These muffins are so tasty and light. They were so easy to whip together. My husband loved them. This recipe is definitely a keeper on our family.
The chickpeas do sound strange but they create the fluffiest texture! So glad you both loved them!
I made these today and was so impressed I ate 2. I made it in a pan and sliced it into 20 servings. I also sent the recipe to my son. I will make sure I have chickpeas in the the pantry!
Amazing! Glad they worked out well in a pan 🙂
This is an amazing recipe. My family loved them, even after they found out what went in them! Easy to make and great flavor. I used 64% dark chocolate chips and the combo was just right. I got 12 average size muffins out of it. Not sure how they kept as they didn’t make it past day two!
Love it! So happy to hear that, Melissa 🙂
Any ideas for alternatives to chocolate chips? Mine are in the oven now. I tried to use a few raisins and crushed walnut. I also cooked two without chocolate. I just can not seem to be able to buy chocolate chips in Germany right now, so any tips would be really appreciated as there are so many nice recipes with chocolate chips.
Raisins and nuts are great, otherwise if you can find chocolate bars you can break those up into chunks!
I’ve had these on my list for some time. Finally made them, but I only used 1 egg and used almond butter instead of peanut butter. They turned out great and tasty as heck. For two of them I added chocolate chips to make my kids happy but the others I added in a mix of unsweetened diced baker’s dried fruit mix. I love dried fruit (fruitcake – I admit it!) and this was a healthier way to get my fix.
So, I found this recipe here but then I found an almost identical one on a vegan site. The main difference was no eggs and had 1/4 tsp baking soda. I guess my decision to use just one egg was from that recipe. Not that I have anything against eggs, but just thought I’d do it this way…
Thanks for a great recipe. I’ll make again and probably switch up the nut butters and add-ins.
Can you tell me if the extra eggs would make some substantial difference? I really thought mine turned out fluffy and moist with just one.
Decided during quarantine that your site is definitely my favorite recipe site. I’ve made a handful of things from here since we’ve been home.
Oh, has anyone else noticed the shortage of garbanzo beans at the grocery store? Along with toilet paper, these seem to be a hot commodity 🙂
So glad you loved these! They tend to hold together much better with additional eggs 🙂
Absolutely delicious! I was looking for an easy to make muffin recipe with simple wholesome ingredients that my one year old and husband would love (And me too!) and these were totally a winner! Perfect snack or quick breakfast on those busy mom mornings! Thank you so so much!
So happy to hear that! Such a great snack or breakfast 🙂
Love this idea, thanks Monique! Unfortunately mine turned out a bit dry.- any suggestions? Do you think adding yogurt/milk would help, or prevent them from cooking right? Thanks!
I’ve made these several times without issue. Did you change the measurements at all? They always come out super fluffy for me, so all I can think of is that perhaps they were overbaked?
These are delicious and easy to make. They came out so fluffy! Thank you for sharing your recipe! I love finding healthier versions of yummy treats!
Absolutely! So glad you loved these ones 🙂
I made this recipe and ended up doubling the chocolate chips (because I have no self control) and WOW I will be making these again! You can’t tell there isn’t any flour!
Love it! Glad you enjoyed!
These are really dang good, my whole family gobbled them up. We cut it down to 1/3 cup maple syrup and they were plenty sweet. I might even go down to 1/4 cup next time to cut more sugar and make these even more guilt free.
I’m glad that worked out well! Happy to hear that the whole family loved them 🙂
Wow! I am going to make these today! I don’t have a muffin tin and plan on using a glass loaf pan, any recommendations to make this work? Vary cook times? Parchment paper?
I think a 9×9 or 8×8 inch pan would be great. Definitely make sure you grease the pan and use parchment paper.
Great recipe. I through it together so fast! Soft and fluffy texture that is not too sweet. My picky 6 year old loves it and my GF husband thinks its great, so we have a triple win!
Perfect! Glad everyone enjoyed!
I stored the muffins in an airtight glass container. When I went to eat one the next morning, they all have a “greenish blue” marbling in them. It’s not mold but what???
That’s interesting. Did you happen to use sunflower seed butter? Sometimes this happens when people use sunflower seed butter as it reacts with the baking leavener and causes baked goods to turn green. This can also happen if your baking powder has aluminum in it. I suggest buying an aluminum free baking powder to avoid this.
Delicious!! I even brought some into work and no one could tell they were made with beans instead of flour!
Love that! You’re making all of the best muffins 🙂
I have never left a review of any recipe before but I felt compelled to do so. I have made many “health-ified” recipes as I call them over many years. Some turn out, some don’t. I was so surprised in the simplicity of this recipe and the amazing taste & texture. I followed the recipe exactly as is but I did swap out honey for the maple syrup. You will never miss a flour filled chickpea-less muffin again!
Amazing! So happy you found these ones and gave them a try 🙂 the perfect snack!
These are the best muffins ever!! My daughter’s love them. They will eat about 6 mini muffins in one sitting (1Tbs of batter). I always double the recipe and keep one weeks worth out and freeze the rest. I will mention, I can’t find 15oz cans. I weigh out 13oz of chick peas and have never had an issue with the recipe turning out.
So happy to hear that! I love the idea of mini muffins 🙂 and yes those cans should be just fine!