I’ve been wanting to make Peanut Butter Chickpea Blondies for AGES… and now am wondering what took me so long? This healthy rendition of a blondie is gluten free, vegan and packed with fibre… yet still tastes decadent! Bring it ON!
I don’t have a huge sweet tooth now that I’m a bit older (my taste has evolved, can anybody else relate?). But I still have a weakness for chocolate and peanut butter. There’s just something about that combination that makes me weak in the knees.
A traditional blondie is packed with butter, sugar and refined flour. And while that’s ok for a treat once in awhile, it’s so satisfying to create healthier versions of childhood favourites that can be enjoyed more often. And of course, it’s even better when it can be whipped up in a blender in one simple step. Now that’s a recipe that I can get behind.
These blondies are made with a few simple ingredients that most of us have in our pantry. Note that if you’re looking for a really fudgy brownie bake these for the lower time; if you’re looking for a denser less fudgy brownie go for the longer bake time. Regardless, THESE ARE A VERY FUDGY BROWNIE. I just want to be clear that I find them super satisfying but are very dense thanks to the chickpeas. Not everyone’s jam, so if this isn’t what you’re after keep reading for a few other healthier treats that may be a better match for your sweet tooth;)
NOTE: you MUST use natural peanut butter that has been well-stirred as per the recipe (we tried the Adams and Nuts to You brands and both worked well) – the processed types of peanut butters (ie: Kraft, Jiffy etc) do not work. Also, please make sure that you use the right size of can of chickpeas and that you don’t forget to rinse them and drain them well.
If you’re looking for other similar recipes try these Coconut Black Bean Brownies, this Chocolate Peanut Butter Chia Pudding or these No-Bake Chocolate Haystack Cookies that will take you right back to your childhood!
Peanut Butter Chickpea Blondies
Peanut Butter Chickpea Blondies
These Peanut Butter Chickpea Blondies are so easy to make, packed with plant fibre and protein, gluten free, vegan... and yet feel so indulgent!
Ingredients
- 1 540 mL can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup milk of choice (soy, almond or other)
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (use dairy free if making vegan)
- 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel (optional)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9" x 9" baking pan with parchment paper.
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Combine all ingredients in a high power blender except chocolate chips and the fleur de sel and blend until smooth. The mixture will be very thick.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan, scraping it out of the blender using a rubber spatula. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips and then the fleur de sel if using. Bake for approximately 25-35 minutes or until the brownies are set (bake for the lower time for a fudgy brownie and the longer time for a less fudgy brownie). They will just be very light brown around the edges.
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Remove from the oven and let cool before cutting.
Tried these today! Very tasty but they all fell apart completely! I baked a lot longer than the recipe says as well. I also used regular kraft peanut butter if that makes a difference?? Thanks!
Hi Maria,
Unfortunately Kraft peanut butter won’t work in this recipe. It needs to be natural peanut butter (the kind that separates)
Hey tori; just tried this tonight. My browni was not cookied at all. I tested it at 20 min so put in for 25 and just assumed it would be good. Sadly not. Do you think if that is the case I would need like 45 min? Also would drying the chickpeas afterwards have anything to do with it? They tasted amazing but sadly not cooked at all. I made your black bean brownies the other day and they were perfect!
Hi Brooke,
What type of peanut butter did you use? Unfortunately only natural, smooth peanut butter will work.
Hey Tori!
I made these this morning but the inside didn’t set. Is there supposed to be baking soda included in the receipe?
Thanks!
Hi Jacqueline,
We’ve tested this recipe several times and you have to use a natural peanut butter (the type that seperates) otherwise the mixture won’t be thick enough!
Hmmm I did use a natural creamy P.B… as mentioned above it does taste great just not cooked inside. Maybe I’ll try a longer cook time.
These are perfect. Thank you for sharing!
I used natural almond butter ( the kind from Costco) and they turned out perfect!
Thank you 🙂
I also cooked it for the full 35 minutes 🙂
Perfection!
I am allergic to peanuts so I used approx 30% cashew butter and 70% almond butter with an 8×8 glass dish and baked for 45 mins. I think I might bake for another extra 10 the next time because I checked at 35 with a toothpick and the bottom seemed to not be set yet, then I checked again at 45 and it appeared almost set at the bottom. Let cool (but not completely because I’m not patient) and they were close to set but not quite. None the less, SUPER DELICIOUS! Thanks for the recipe Tori!
Yum! Love the mix of nut butters!
Hi Tori I’m in Australia we don’t have these size cans of chickpeas (our cans are generally 400g) It would help if you could tell me the weight of the drained chickpeas in grams so I can use the same amount in the recipe. Thanks
These turned out perfectly ❣️
Made these today, I used all natural peanut butter and baked for 40 mins and they are still not cooked all the way through .. it’s like they need some texture in them , some sort of flour? Either way they still taste great but aren’t the right texture, pretty pasty and dough like in the center .
Hi Cailey,
I’m sorry they didn’t turn out as you hoped! It is indeed a more fudgy texture not a cakey brownie.
I used sunflower butter to make these treats school friendly… they are beautiful and tasty! Cooked for the full 35 minutes. Thanks Tori 😊
Amazing!
Delicious and healthy. The whole family loved them. The kids had no idea that these were made with chickpeas.
Mom win! So glad the kids liked them!!
I made these twice already 🙂 I added a 1/4tsp cinnamon the second time around to see what would happen and it was so good!
yum I’ll have to give that a try!
Super delicious Tori! Made these with my kids today and they were a total hit. I used Adams All Natural Peanut Butter. They turned out just right. Will definitely make these again!
That’s so awesome!!
Will this recipe work with Jif Natural PB? It is natural, but doesn’t separate like some.
Hi Kim ,
I unfortunately haven’t tried the Jif brand before so can’t give you an answer for sure!
These were delish but unfortunately had the same issue as others. I read the earlier reviews on issues setting and made them exactly how Tori instructed. My thought is that it was the peanut butter, I used 100% natural peanut butter creamy(Kirkland brand). This one doesn’t separate like Adams with an upper oil layer.
Hi Katelyn thank you for the reply and sorry you didn’t love the texture! I will add to the post in bold so that people know that it isn’t a traditional brownie- I think that your peanut butter should have been fine? Did they look like the ones in my post (same as the picture)?
Hi Tori, they looked very similar to the picture posted just extremely soft and had an unbaked texture, especially when warm. I kept them in the fridge and that helped to stiffen them up.
Hi Katelyn,
They definitely have more of a fudge like texture but we were a fan of that! Hopefully you enjoyed them!
I LOVED these. Can’t keep my hands off of them. They are almost the texture of cookie dough. I put large chunks of dark chocolate on top and lots of sea salt and the texture contrast is fantastic.
Yum! We found them addicting too, so glad you liked them!
My kids love it, so do I:) so easy to make. Our must take on away tourneys..
Thanks so much Razan!!
Tori do you happen to have the nutritional information for these or know where I can find it?!
Hi Ashley we haven’t run the nutritionals for this recipe yet sorry!
This recipe is super easy however, I had similar issues with it not setting. I make my own natural peanut butter and had to cook it for 30+ extra minutes in order for it to set. They still taste yummy and don’t look overcooked but definitely need a lot longer cooking time.
Hello! I was wondering if you could use almond butter for this recipe? My daughter is allergic to peanuts.
Thank you!
Hi Tara, we haven’t tried it before but it may work if you use an all natural almond butter! Would love to hear how it goes if you give it a try.