Peanut butter blondies that are made from chickpeas hence making them flourless. This super fudgy and moist vegan treat is also secretly healthy !
Beans used in baking ? I used to think that it is impossible and weird. One day, I had finally gather the courage to try it. Turns out , it is actually not as bad as i expected it to be.
In fact, it is actually REALLY GOOD. You cant really taste the beans in the baked goods. The beans also gave the baked goods a creamy texture that is moist and rich when you bite into it.
Jump to:
Blondies vs traditional brownies
The main difference between brownies and blondies is the addition of cocoa powder / chocolate. Blondies are just technically brownies with the chocolate flavor. They are both super fudgy and dense when it comes down to texture.
🍅 What you will need
- You can use quick oats or rolled oats in this recipe. Oat flour can also be use in place, but you will need a little less than stated / add more liquid.
- You can substitute the peanut butter with other kinds of nut/seed butter, but it will not peanut butter flavored anymore. I do recommend checking out my salted caramel chickpea blondies, which is nut free hence perfect for those of you who cant have peanut butter.
- Either canned or chickpeas cooked from scratch can be used.
Optional add-ins / toppings
- Vanilla extract is a great addition and will make your kitchen smell amazing !
- Add in some cinnamon powder to make them fall themed.
- Chocolate chips. I mean, who doesnt love chocolate ?!
- If you prefer them to be extra sweet, feel free to add a 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup.
- I really love topping mine with a thick layer of peanut butter . Or you can use this peanut butter frosting by Joy Food Sunshine.
- Other toppings that are perfect for this recipe are chopped nuts ( especially peanuts ), desiccated coconut or even extra chocolate chips !
🔪 How to make
Start by soaking your dates in hot water to soften them. But if your dates are really moist, feel free to skip this step.
Blend your oats in the food processor / high speed blender until it turns into flour. It typically takes about 20-60 s on medium high speed, depending on the food processor / blender you are using. ( I recommend using a food processor in this recipe, trust me it will make your life easier ! )
Place in the rest of the ingredients, into the food processor along with the oat flour. Blend until a smooth, cookie dough texture forms. Add in some plant based milk / water, a tablespoon at a time if the batter is too dry. Stir in your add-ins now, if using.
Transfer your batter into a lined / greased 8x8 square pan and smooth it down using a spatula / the back of a spoon. Bake it for 20-25 mins, or until it is golden and a toothpick comes out clean. ( A few crumbs are ok. )
Let it set in the pan for 10-15 mins before transferring it to a cooling rack. After the blondies has cooled down, spread a thick layer of peanut butter / frosting and top it with toppings of choice. Slice and enjoy !
❔ Commonly asked Q&A
Store leftover on the countertop for 2-3 days, and in the fridge for up to 1 week. And yes, they can be frozen ! To freeze them, simply place them on a large plate in one layer and let them sit in the freezer for about 2 hours. Now they are frozen, you can transfer them to zip lock bags / freezable containers.
To reheat them, simply let them thaw on the counter at room temperature. You can then choose to reheat it in the microwave or just eat it cold !
Yes, they are naturally gluten-free. One thing to take note of is to make sure your oats are certified gluten-free as cross contamination may happen in normal oats.
Simply stick a toothpick in and it should comes out clean. A few crumbs is ok. Another telltale sign that your blondies are done is when the sides have slightly pull away from the pan.
🍽 More healthy vegan desserts
- Vanilla Coconut Bliss Balls with Dates and Cashews
- Quick and Eggless Low Sugar Peanut Butter Cookies
- Vegan Sweet Potato Brownie Cookies
- Eggless Protein Tahini Blondies
📖 Recipe
Fudgy Vegan Peanut Butter Chickpea Blondies
Equipment
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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/300F. 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
- 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.
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.
Emily Vedolich
What can I use to substitute the dates? Can I use raisins the same way?
meesha
I would not recommend using raisins, but you can use 1/2 cup of maple syrup or agave syrup instead 😉
MG
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!
meesha
Thanks for the feedback ! I am really happy you really like the recipe.... Yes it will taste great with some chocolate 😋
Maryann
These were very delicious and so satiating! Will make these again for sure. Enjoyed by my non-vegan family 🙂
meesha
I am really glad you like it ! 😁
Nakeysha
Hi my daughter can’t have oats or almonds can I replace oats with coconut or cashew flour or cassava maybe
Thanks
meesha
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 !