Healthy Chickpea Blondies - Chickpeas add protein to these scrumptious blondie bars that are low in added sugar! Gluten-free and egg-free.

With prices of food going up, how's about a tasty way to serve beans?
A can of beans is still around a buck, making them a cheap accompaniment to a meal or a nice way to add some protein to a dessert. If you know me, I've been a fan of beans in desserts for a while.
I love the protein they add, as well as the fiber, and you can't taste them, in my opinion.
Speaking of dessert, let's chat blondies, specifically chickpea blondies.
I've been making these for a year or so, and all the kids love them. When I made them to take pictures for the blog, Sam happened to be sitting by, and exclaimed, "there's beans in there?!"
I had to laugh, because he hates beans!
Even after telling him that the batter tasted like cookie dough, he still wouldn't touch it.
He did eat them post-bake, and I chided him a bit saying, "you're eating beans!" Of course, he didn't care at that point, since they were mixed, baked, and covered with chocolate chips, lol.
Ingredients needed
Chickpeas - Also known as garbanzo beans, these provide the base of this recipe.
Nut or seed butter - Choose a flavor you like, as this will add flavor and richness. We enjoy peanut butter or Sunbutter best! Almond and cashew would be my faves if I tolerated them better.
Maple syrup - As with most of my recipes lately, these are low in sugar (only ONE tablespoon of maple syrup for the batch!).
Applesauce - I make my own applesauce in the Instant Pot once or twice a week, so I always have this on hand for recipes. It adds moisture and natural sweetness.
Oat flour - This combines with everything to create a thicker dough. Oats are also naturally sweet, so they contribute to flavor in that regard.
Baking powder & baking soda - Helps the blondies bake through and rise a bit.
Sea salt - I always add some salt to bring out all the flavors of a dish.
Milk - Use any milk you tolerate. The flavor doesn't come through much, unless you're sensitive to a stronger flavor, like coconut.
I feel like the other ingredients add to the natural sweetness, including oat flour, applesauce, and vanilla. I also add in some stevia, which helps!
I hope you like these if you give them a shot!
Recipe notes
You can substitute the tablespoon of applesauce for one of maple syrup, if you like.
Other bean-based desserts
Black Bean Cupcake with Peanut Butter Frosting
Healthy Chickpea Blondies
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 2 Tablespoons any nut or seed butter we like peanut butter
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon applesauce
- ¼ cup oat flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 5 Tablespoons milk of your choice
- ¼ cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate or as desired, for the top
- stevia, for extra sweetness I use about 15 drops
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add ingredients to a food processor, sans chocolate.
- Process until smooth.
- Oil an 8 x 8 inch glass baking dish.
- Pour the batter into the dish and spread it out evenly.
- Top with chocolate, as desired.
- Bake 15-20 minutes (you want them a bit underbaked for best texture).
Notes
Nutrition
If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!
Sue
Thank you so much for this recipe! It is great. I made it for my daughter who can't have sugar or gluten right now and is missing treats. I just found you and will be trying more of your recipes.
Lauren
Thanks, Sue! I'm happy you found a treat your daughter liked here. 🙂
Angie
These look wonderful! I try making low-sugar desserts for my hubby and me.
Once a friend made some bean brownies for me that were so good I didn’t want to stop eating them. And yours look just as delicious! I want to make these. Can’t wait to see how my husband likes them.
Mary Ann Scott
I wish everything didn't require a food processor I don't have one