Think sweet, gooey chocolatey goodness that can act as a healthy snack option! These Chickpea Blondies bars are just that, made with all natural ingredients and melt in your mouth vegan chocolate, they are a such a surprisingly tasty treat that also helps boost your nutritional goals for the day!
When looking for a healthy sweet treat option, not only do I want it curb that sweet tooth craving but if it can also add to my nutritional targets for the day AND keep me on track during the week that is a major, yes please! No refined sugar or fake butters here, just real ingredients. The protein and fiber loaded chickpeas act as the flour and egg in traditional baked goods, the all natural peanut butter gives them they’re gooeyness, boosts the nutrition further and swapping vegan chocolate chips for regular ones, make this an anti-inflammatory dessert that will fuel your day!
Inspo
This recipe was inspired by looking for a healthier alternative for baked goods. Trying to eliminate inflammatory foods from my diet and coming up with healthy options for those that want a dessert but without refined sugars, regular flours or dairy products. These Chickpea Blondie Bars stack up when it comes to something sweet yet nutritional!
MAKE IT
A few simple ingredients, a food processor or blender and a baking dish is all you need to bring these blondies to your table!
Ingredients
- Chickpeas, rinsed and drained -garbanzo beans work also
- Peanut Butter, all natural
- Maple Syrup, real syrup not pancake syrup
- Oats, traditional rolled oats, plain
- Vanilla, real Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- Sea Salt
- Baking Powder
- Chocolate Chips ( I used vegan chocolate chips here, and also have used Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350* F. Gather supplies and utensils. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, set aside.
Add Oats to the food processor and pulse into a flour like texture or your desired consistency. Then add chickpeas, and remaining ingredients except the chocolate to the processor and blend until a somewhat smooth consistency. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt. Taste test! This is where you can tweak the the spices and sweetener to your liking. Add in chocolate chips and stir well. don’t pulse.
Spray a baking dish with cooking oil. Add blondie mixture and spread out evenly.
Bake about 25-30 minutes until set. Chocolate will be melted and the Blondie Bars golden brown.
Let cool about 10 minutes then slice into 9 bars. Enjoy!
Storing & Serving
Prep these bars ahead to have a healthy sweet option on hand for the week or even the month.
Prep for the Week: Allow blondies to cool. Cut into 9 squares then store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge up to one week.
To Freeze In Advance: Lay each bar flat either in a freezer safe tupper ware container – making sure there is room for them all to lay flat and have space in between bars so that they do not freeze together. Cover with the lid or tinfoil. Freeze a few hours until frozen solid.
To serve remove a bar from the container, let thaw on counter an hour or until no longer frozen in center. To speed up the thawing process, microwave the bar about 1 minute checking occasionally as they thaw rather quickly. Enjoy!
:
Ingredients
1 Can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/3 C Natural Peanut Butter
1/3 -1/4 C Maple Syrup
2 Tsp Vanilla
1/2C Oats
1/4tsp Baking Powder
1/2C Vegan Chocolate chips
1/8 tsp Cinnamon
Sea Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350* F
- Gather supplies, rinse and drain chickpeas
- Place oats into the processor. Blend until a flour like texture.
- Add remaining ingredients except chocolate chips and sea salt. Blend until a somewhat smooth consistency and everything is mixed in evenly.
- Add in chocolate chips, but don't blend these, just stir in with a spatula until evenly distributed.
- Spray a 8X8 baking dish with cooking oil. Pour in batter. Spread evenly throughout the pan.
- Bake about 25-30 minutes until chocolate is melted, the bars are set and the edges are golden brown.
Notes
TIPS & SWAPS
Wait about 10 minutes before cutting the bars so that they stay together better
Vegan Chocolate can be subbed for Semi Sweet or Milk Chocolate Chips
Sub Oat flour for Oats
Reduce peanut butter and maple syrup a bit for a less gooey, lighter bar.