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    Home » Snacks

    Fudgy Vegan Peanut Butter Chickpea Blondies

    Published: Aug 11, 2021 by Jim Mee Sha · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Blondies slices on a parchment paper with chocolate chips in the background.
    A tray of blondies on a parchment paper with text overlay.

    Fudgy, gooey and sweet, this vegan peanut butter chickpea blondies is the perfect wholesome treat to have on hand! Easy to make, ready in 30 minutes and only requires a handful of simple ingredients. Stores well and is freezer-friendly too!

    Chickpea blondies arranged on a parchment paper topped with chocolate chips and salt flakes.

    Chickpeas seriously works extremely well in baking. I had use it to make peanut butter cookies and cookie dough hummus in the past. (Both which taste amazing by the way, so do check them out!) This time round, we will be baking vegan peanut butter blondies with this versatile beans.😉

    Jump to:
    • 💚Why you will love this recipe
    • 🤔What are blondies
    • 🥜What you will need
    • 📃Notes/substitutions
    • 🔪How to make
    • ✔Helpful tips
    • 🍫Variations/add-ins
    • ❔Commonly asked questions
    • 🍽More healthy vegan desserts
    • 📖 Recipe

    💚Why you will love this recipe

    • Fudgy, soft and decadent - You will be surprised by how good these peanut butter chickpea blondies taste! Loaded with peanut butter and chocolate chips, this treat is definitely a crowd-pleaser.
    • Simple and quick to make - This fuss-free recipe is ready in 30 minutes and only calls for simple pantry staples that you probably already have on hand!
    • Healthy, high and protein and fiber - Both chickpeas and peanut butter are great sources of plant based protein, and are also packed with fiber at the same time.
    • Stores well and is freezer-friendly - Store a few slices of these vegan chickpea blondies in your freezer so you will have dessert ready to go whenever you are craving something sweet!

    🤔What are blondies

    Blondies are essentially brownies without cocoa powder, hence the name! Their texture closely resemble that of brownies and are chewy and fudgy. Traditionally, they are made from flour, butter, sugar and eggs.

    For this healthier version, chickpeas are used as a base, and blondies are naturally sweetened with dates. Peanut butter provides extra richness and flavor, and acts as a substitute for butter.

    🥜What you will need

    Ingredients needed like chickpeas, peanut butter, dates and oat flour on a grey background.

    📃Notes/substitutions

    • Chickpeas - Both canned chickpeas or chickpeas cooked from scratch will work in this recipe.
    • Dates - You can substitute it with ⅓-1/2 cup of maple or agave syrup instead. Add it in after processing the chickpeas. (along with peanut butter, oat flour and baking powder)
    • Peanut butter - I recommend using natural peanut butter than is made only from peanuts and salt without the addition of hydrogenated palm oil. You can even make your own at home, and I do recommend checking out this post on how to make peanut butter for a more detailed instructions.
    • Oat flour - If you do not have it on hand, simply grind up some rolled or quick oats in a blender or food processor.

    🔪How to make

    Preheat oven to 180C / 350F. Line a 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.

    Add chickpeas and dates into the food processor and pulse until they are finely ground.

    Showing processing chickpeas and dates in a food processor.

    Add rest of the ingredients, except chocolate chips and process until everything is well incorporated and batter is smooth. The mixture should resemble that of cookie dough, so do add plant milk or water, a tablespoon at a time if needed.

    Using a spatula or spoon, stir in chocolate chips.

    Collage showing blondie mixture then adding in chocolate chips in a food processor.

    Transfer mixture to the baking pan. Using the back of a spoon or spatula, smooth out the edges. Top with more chocolate chips if desired.

    Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges are nicely browned. You can also insert a toothpick down the middle to check for doneness. It should come out fairly clean with a few wet crumbs.

    Let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, before transferring to a baking tray to cool down further. Slice and enjoy your vegan chickpea blondies!

    Collage showing before and after baking blondies in a square pan lined with parchment paper.

    ✔Helpful tips

    • Be flexible with the amount of liquid use. If you blondies batter appears to be too thick, add water or plant milk, a tablespoon at a time.
    • For a gooier vegan chickpea blondies, bake for 20 minutes. If you prefer a cakey one, you can bake it up to 25 minutes.
    • To slice your peanut butter chickpea blondies cleanly, let it cool down completely first before cutting it with a plastic knife or any non-serrated knife.

    🍫Variations/add-ins

    For some extra texture and crunch, you can add in some chopped nuts like peanuts, walnuts or almonds. Or, chop up your favorite candy bars into chunks and mix them in to make your vegan chickpea blondies extra sweet.

    If you are sensitive to peanuts, feel free to swap out peanut butter with other nut butter like almond and cashew butter. You can even use tahini or sunflower seed butter if you want it to be nut-free.

    If you think that there is any complementary spices or flavorings, add it in! I like adding some vanilla extract and sea salt to enhance the flavor of this vegan chickpea blondies. You can even stir in some cinnamon or cocoa powder if desired.

    A tray of sliced chickpea blondies with chocolate chips and a jar of milk in the background.

    ❔Commonly asked questions

    Does it taste good and can you taste the chickpeas?

    This peanut butter chickpea blondies taste as good as, if not better than the classic ones! It is buttery, soft with just the perfect amount of sweetness. You can hardly taste the chickpeas, if at all as the other ingredients mask the beany taste almost completely.

    How to store leftovers and is it freezable?

    Leftovers vegan chickpea blondies can be kept in the fridge for 4-5 days in a sealed container. It is freezable too and can be frozen for 3 months. Keep blondies slices in a storage container before freezing.

    To reheat frozen blondie slices, let them thaw overnight in the fridge, or on countertop for a few hours. You can then reheat them in the oven for 10-12 minutes at 180C/300F. Or, you can just simply heat them up in the microwave.

    A tray of peanut butter blondies arranged on a parchment paper topped with sea salt flakes.

    🍽More healthy vegan desserts

    • Mousse served in a glass topped with whipped cream and shaved chocolate with chocolate and spoon in the background.
      Vegan Tofu Chocolate Protein Mousse (no cream)
    • Collage of cookies, blondies, chickpea apple cake and stack of chocolate cookies.
      20 High Protein Vegan Sweet Chickpea Desserts
    • PB2 cookies on a white surface with bowl of sea salt, a spoonful of peanut butter and jar of PB2 beside.
      Healthy PB2 Peanut Butter Powder Cookies
    • A tray of sliced coffee cake on parchment paper with a cup of coffee beside.
      Healthy Eggless Coffee Cake

    If you did make this recipe, do leave a rating and comment down below, we love hearing from you! Subscribe to My Plantiful Cooking to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get the latest updates. 😉

    📖 Recipe

    Few slices of blondies arranged on a parchment paper with chocolate chips in the background.

    Fudgy Vegan Peanut Butter Chickpea Blondies

    Meesha
    Fudgy, gooey and sweet, this vegan peanut butter chickpea blondies is the perfect wholesome treat to have on hand! Easy to make, ready in 30 minutes and only requires a handful of simple ingredients. Stores well and is freezer-friendly too!
    4.78 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 16 blondies
    Calories 171 kcal

    Equipment

    • 8x8 square baking pan

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 15 oz canned chickpeas ( about 3 cups cooked chickpeas )
    • 1 ½ cups dates pitted*
    • ½ cup oat flour
    • ½ cup peanut butter
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ( optional )
    • ½ cup chocolate chips
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Lined a 8x8 square pan with parchment paper.
    • Add chickpeas and dates into the food processor and pulse until they are finely ground.
      2 15 oz canned chickpeas, 1 ½ cups dates
    • Add rest of the ingredients, except chocolate chips and process until everything is well incorporated and batter is smooth. The mixture should resemble that of cookie dough, so do add plant milk or water, a tablespoon at a time if needed. I ended up adding ¼ cup.
      ½ cup peanut butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Using a spatula or spoon, stir in chocolate chips.
      ½ cup chocolate chips
    • Transfer mixture to the baking pan. Using the back of a spoon or spatula, smooth out the edges. Top with more chocolate chips if desired.
    • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the edges are nicely browned. You can also insert a toothpick down the middle to check for doneness. It should come out fairly clean with a few wet crumbs.
    • Let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, before transferring to a baking tray to cool down further. Slice and enjoy your vegan chickpea blondies!

    Notes

    *Dates can be substituted with liquid sweetener like maple or agave syrup. If your dates are dry, soak them in hot water for 20 minutes to soften before using. 
    Baking tips
    • Be flexible with the amount of liquid use. If you blondies batter appears to be too thick, add water or plant milk, a tablespoon at a time.
    • For a gooier vegan chickpea blondies, bake for 20 minutes. If you prefer a cakey one, you can bake it up to 25 minutes.
    • To slice your peanut butter chickpea blondies cleanly, let it cool down completely first before cutting it with a plastic knife or any non-serrated knife.
    Storing - Leftovers vegan chickpea blondies can be kept in the fridge for 4-5 days in a sealed container. It is freezable too and can be frozen for 3 months. Keep blondies slices in a storage container before freezing.

    Reheating - To reheat frozen blondie slices, let them thaw overnight in the fridge, or on countertop for a few hours. You can then reheat them in the oven for 10-12 minutes at 180C/300F. Or, you can just simply heat them up in the microwave. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 171kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 6gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 68mgPotassium: 247mgFiber: 4gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 10IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 1mg

    Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.

    Did you make this recipe ?Tag @myplantifulcooking on Instagram !

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kathy

      March 28, 2023 at 3:23 am

      FYI, 180c is not 300 degrees farenheit, It is 356 degrees. I put the batter in the oven at 300 as marked and after 25 minutes it still wasn't baked so I had to double check the temp and found 300 was too low. I turned up the temp and hope they come out okay

      Reply
      • Meesha

        March 28, 2023 at 7:17 pm

        I am so sorry about that!😅

        Reply
    2. Rachel

      February 08, 2023 at 10:13 am

      Do you add the aquafaba from the cans of beans as well?

      Reply
      • Meesha

        February 08, 2023 at 6:36 pm

        No, I drained my chickpeas before using it. However, feel free to save the aquafaba for other recipes like my aquafaba brownies! 😁

        Reply
    3. Emily Vedolich

      January 28, 2021 at 4:30 pm

      What can I use to substitute the dates? Can I use raisins the same way?

      Reply
      • meesha

        January 28, 2021 at 8:51 pm

        I would not recommend using raisins, but you can use 1/2 cup of maple syrup or agave syrup instead 😉

        Reply
      • Rachel

        February 08, 2023 at 10:16 pm

        That’s the sweetener so I would imagine you can replace it with sugar, maple syrup, agave syrup, or maybe some really ripe bananas.

        Reply
    4. MG

      December 28, 2020 at 1:25 pm

      I used a food processor but my machine still got toast! I used an immersion blender instead. But I think the best way to get a smooth consistency was to blend everything separately. Extra work but saves your machines! I tried the batter and depending on the peanut butter you are using, it tasted like reese's peanut butter cups to me! I might use chocolate as a topping. Thanks for this recipe!

      Reply
      • meesha

        December 28, 2020 at 3:45 pm

        Thanks for the feedback ! I am really happy you really like the recipe.... Yes it will taste great with some chocolate 😋

        Reply
    5. Maryann

      November 10, 2020 at 2:22 am

      These were very delicious and so satiating! Will make these again for sure. Enjoyed by my non-vegan family 🙂

      Reply
      • meesha

        November 10, 2020 at 8:39 pm

        I am really glad you like it ! 😁

        Reply
    6. Nakeysha

      October 23, 2020 at 4:39 pm

      Hi my daughter can’t have oats or almonds can I replace oats with coconut or cashew flour or cassava maybe

      Thanks

      Reply
      • meesha

        October 23, 2020 at 7:57 pm

        You can try substituting it with coconut flour, but I recommend starting with 1/4 cup as coconut flour can soak up lots of liquid ! You might also need to add more plant based milk / water if the mixture still turns out to be to thick. Hope that helps !

        Reply

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