This recipe for chickpea blondies with peanut butter couldn’t be easier. They are a great snack or lunch box filler to make for kids as they contain no refined sugar.
To make these chickpea blondies all you need to do is chuck all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and whizz them all up before baking in the oven.
They’re a great choice for picky eaters who aren’t keen on pulses or struggle to get enough protein as they’re packed full of nuts and chickpeas, both of which are good source of protein.
Beans and pulses work really well as a flour replacement
It’s been such a revelation to me how well beans and pulses can work in sweet treats as a flour replacement. After making a successful batch of black bean brownies I was keen to try a healthy version of a blondie, and decided to make them chocolate free to see how these went down with the kids.
What are these blondies free from?
These delicious chickpea blondies with peanut butter are free from gluten and dairy. They can also be free from refined sugar if you pick your brand of peanut butter well.
You could use any nut butter in its place if you prefer – cashew butter is particularly good.
Did the kids like these peanut butter and chickpea blondies?
When I originally wrote this post Miss R was two, R was four and Baby S was about an inch big with a long way to go before he was ready to be born! I wrote at the time that Miss R would eat peanut butter straight from the jar with her fingers given half a chance, yet it was the original picky eater, her big brother R, who really couldn’t get enough of these blondies.
It’s wonderful to be able to give them a sweet treat knowing that it isn’t full of bad things, and might even actually contain some goodness. R still isn’t keen on chickpeas or peanut butter – or many other things – but he does love these and it’s good to know that he’s getting some goodness.
This recipe is based on this one from Ambitious Kitchen, which uses chocolate chips.
More recipes you might like
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Healthy gingerbread chickpea blondies
Here’s how to make chickpea blondies with peanut butter:
CHICKPEA AND PEANUT BUTTER BLONDIES
Ingredients
- 400 g cooked chickpeas from a tin, drained and rinsed
- 175 g peanut butter unsweetened, crunchy or smooth, you can also use cashew butter
- 75 g maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt optional
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 75 g ground or chopped almonds
Instructions
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Grease and base line a square cake tin measuring 20cm x 20cm. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (fan)/200°C/gas mark 6.
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Place all the ingredients in a food processor and whizz up together. If you don't have a food processor you will need to mash the chickpeas up really well before combining with the other ingredients.
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Pour into the cake tin and spread evenly. Bake for around 20 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Be careful not to overcook or they'll be a bit dry.
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Cool in the pan for 20 minutes or so then turn out and cut into squares. Makes 16 blondies.
Pin chickpea blondies with peanut butter for later
NB: post and photos updated May 2017
Jenny
Hello again,
For the peanut butter would you recommend a smooth peanut butter without oil, salt or sugar added?
And is vanilla extract ok in place of vanilla essence?
Thanks.
Mandy Mazliah
Hi Jenny, you can use whichever peanut butter you prefer. I usually use a crunchy one but without anything added. And yes you can use vanilla extract.
Jenny
Hi there,
This might seem like a silly question, but I assume the tin of chickpeas needs to be fully drained before adding it the mixture?
This is the first of your recipes I am trying so am looking forward to it!
Many thanks.
Mandy Mazliah
Yes, please drain the chickpeas first!
Balvinder
Wow, blondies with chickpea sounds very very interesting. Love the texture,. Will have to try these.
Mandy Mazliah
Thanks Balvinder, these are always a big hit with my kids
Emily @amummytoo
I keep reading about blondies and I’ve yet to make them – these look great and I wouldn’t have guessed it’s a free from recipe. Thanks for linking up to #recipeoftheweek – sorry I’m a bit late over! Have Pinned this post and scheduled in a tweet. New linky just went live for this week 🙂 x
Sneaky Veg
Thanks Emily! Hope you like them if you do try them.
Jen @ Blue Kitchen Bakes
I’ve heard of black beans as a flour substitute but not chickpeas, I have loads of chickpeas in the cupboard at the moment and I’ve been wondering what else I could do with them. This sounds like a fantastic idea!
Sneaky Veg
Hope you like them! Would love to hear how you get on if you do try them.
Alison
I never knew you could use chickpeas in baking! These look lovely
Sneaky Veg
You can’t taste the chickpeas at all – they’re great!
Danielle L
I have several chickpea brownie recipes I’ve pinned over time but I’ve never made on as they usually involve a few more steps. But this looks just perfect for my first foray into using chickpeas in baking – I’ve pinned it. Thanks
Sneaky Veg
Great! I’d love to see photos if you do make it. Enjoy!