The Best Vegan Chickpea Blondies Recipe

These vegan chickpea blondies are amazing! You will have no idea they are based on protein packed chickpeas. The gooey, fudge like centers are perfection.

This conversation is sponsored by California Beans. The opinions and text are all mine.

When it comes to dessert, I am a sucker for a good cookie or brownie. These “light brownies,” as my kids call them, are so incredible I couldn’t stop making them. Plus, they are not hard to put together and taste like pure indulgence!

Vegan Chickpea Blondies

What I found funny is that when I polled my Instagram audience on whether they prefer brownies or blondies, way more people voted for blondies that I thought would. I never would have guessed and am so thrilled that I decided to create this recipe for you all!

These turned out better than I expected. So good in fact, that my kids were caught taking down an entire pan with zero cares if I needed them for anything. It’s a good thing I love them…the kids and the blondies 😉

Why are chickpeas called garbanzo beans?

Some people may call chickpeas garbanzo beans! They are actually the exact same bean. Turns out, chickpea is the Latin word, while garbanzo bean has Spanish origins. But both are the same thing!

Is it better to use canned or dried chickpeas?

You can use canned or dried chickpeas in this particular recipe because you are blending them completely. Both are great and will give the same end result. However there is a process for using dried beans.

Dried chickpeas have a little more of a “meaty” chewy texture which is why I love them for many plant-based meaty alternative recipes, like my vegan taco meat. But for this one, either kind works!

How do I cook dried chickpeas?

There are a few extra steps you will need to do in order to use dried beans in this recipe (or any recipe for that matter!). For a full comprehensive post check out all about how to cook dried chickpeas here.

Keep in mind that 1 cup dried chickpeas makes 3 cups cooked chickpeas. Here are the instructions:

1. Soak the amount of dried beans you need overnight. For this recipe you will soak 1/3 cup dried to get one cup cooked.
2. Drain and rinse the chickpeas the next day and put them in a pot covering them with water.
3. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30-40 minutes. You want them pretty soft, so start checking around 30 minutes and stop cooking once they are soft enough to mash in between your fingers.

If you are making other recipes where you do not want the chickpeas too soft, make sure you stop cooking prior to the 30-40 minutes. I’d start checking around 20-25 minutes.

Mix-Ins

The best part about blondies is their versatility! You can mix in so many delicious options to change up the flavors. Some of my favorite things to add in are:

• Chocolate chips, because obviously
• Peanuts
• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Chopped dates
• Marshmallows (these vegan marshmallows are delish)
• Pretzels
• Nut butter (swirled inside)

Tips for storing

These vegan chickpea blondies can be stored just like your traditional types of blondies. They do best in an airtight container so they don’t dry out and should be eaten after a few days. You can also store them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days but after that the texture and flavor won’t be as good.

If you want to keep these for longer, you can also try freezing them. Make sure to let them cool completely, do cut into squares. This keeps the texture the best. Wrap the entire large square in plastic, then foil to help prevent freezer burn.

After that, store in an air tight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to eat, allow to defrost slowly on the counter. Once they have reached room temperature, cut into squares. You can also warm them a bit in the microwave or toaster oven.

Tips for reducing the sugar

This is a dessert, so it definitely has it’s fair share of sugar. If you are looking for something less sweet, you can try a few different options (note that any change in the recipe, will change the end result):

• Reduce the amount of maple syrup, but add a little water to make up for the loss of liquid. Slowly add one teaspoon until you get the same batter like consistency.
• Use date paste instead of maple syrup. When making the date paste, add enough water to get the same consistency as maple syrup.

Tips for baking

1. For the best texture you need accuracy with the flours. Which is why I include precise weights. If you don’t have a scale, then you can purchase this fairly inexpensive one.
2. If you prefer to measure, then measure the flours by scooping your measuring cup into the flour versus spooning it into it. This is how I measured when getting my weights.

How to Make Vegan Chickpea Blondies

This recipe requires some blending in order to get the chickpeas nice a smooth. After that it’s an easy mix and bake!

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Use a blender or food processor to mix the wet ingredients with the chickpeas.
3. Combine everything.
4. Put in a greased baking dish.
5. Bake and serve!

And if you want a step by step tutorial, check out my video below! The video is sponsored by California Beans and the amazing California bean farmers.