Vegan Flourless Salted Caramel Chickpea Blondies

Jump to Recipe

Fudgy and gooey vegan salted caramel blondies that are made up of chickpeas. This recipe is super healthy, flourless and can be made gluten-free !

I know what are you thinking - chickpea in baking ?! I have to admit I was also quite skeptical the first time making chickpea blondies. But surprisingly, chickpea works really well in this recipe ! It gives the blondies a soft, buttery texture and I promise you cant taste the chickpeas. 🙂

Traditional salted caramel oftentimes contains cream and butter. Hence why in this recipe we are using dates, tahini and salt to give our blondies a rich salted caramel flavor.

What are blondies

Blondies are just brownies but without the cocoa ! Sometimes referred to " blond brownies ", they are really similar to brownies when it comes to the texture. Both are buttery and super gooey, hence a perfect sweet treat to end your meal !

What you will need

• Chickpeas - Canned or cooked chickpeas works well in this recipe.
• Rolled oats - Help hold the blondies together, and works as a flour substitute.
• Tahini - When paired with dates, it works really well as a salted caramel substitute ! I prefer using hulled tahini, as it is slightly less bitter than the unhulled ones.
• Dates - The main sweetener in this recipe. I am using medjool dates here, but you can use any dates you have on hand.
• Baking powder - slightly lifts the blondies, giving it a lighter texture.
• Salt - Brings out the flavor profile of the blondies. And also, what is salted caramel without salt ?

List of substitutions / optional add-ins

Following the ingredients listed in this recipe will give you the best results, but here are some adaptations, if needed.

To make this recipe gluten-free, simply use gluten-free oats in place of regular oats. And you can sub the oats with oat flour, but bear in mind that you might need a little less .

For the add-ins, go as crazy as you like ! I can picture some chopped pecans and walnuts in here, but feel free to add-in whatever sounds good to you. 😉

How to make

1. Soak your dates in hot water for 20 mins. You can skip this if your dates are really moist.
2. Preheat oven to 180c. Start by turning the oats into oat flour by whisking it in a food processor/ high speed blender.
3. After the oats are turned into flour, add in the rest of the ingredients and blend until a smooth paste forms. Now, you might have to add a splash of plant based milk to reach a consistency that resembles cookie dough.
4. Place the dough into a lined 8x8 inches square baking pan. Smooth out the dough using a spatula.
5. Bake it in the oven for 20-25 mins, or until the edges are slightly browned.
6. Let it cool in the baking tray, slice and serve !

How to store + freeze

Leftover blondies can be stored at the counter for about 1-2 days. After that, it is recommended you refrigerate it. Blondies will last in the fridge for about 1 week.

The good thing about these blondies is that you can totally freeze them ! To freeze them, simply cut them into squares. Place them one layer on a baking tray or large plate and freeze them. After they had frozen ( about 2-3 hours ), you can transfer them to a ziplock bag or freezer-friendly container.

To heat up frozen blondies, let them thaw and reheat them in the microwave or oven. You will then have dessert ready to-go !

Here are more healthy vegan dessert recipes that you may like

• Sugar-free vegan Black Bean Brownies
• Healthy Vegan Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
• Vegan Sweet Potato Brownie Cookies
• Vegan Puffed Quinoa Chocolate Bliss Balls