Chickpea Blondies with Chocolate Chips
These vegan chickpea blondies are soft, chewy, and perfectly fudgy, with melty chocolate chips in every bite. Made with simple plant-based ingredients and protein- and fiber-rich chickpeas, they’re a healthier twist on the classic blondie without sacrificing that decadent texture and flavor. And don’t worry—you’d never guess there are chickpeas hiding inside! One bite, and you’ll be reaching for another.
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I have a feeling these chickpea blondies are going to be on repeat at our house! They’re one of those recipes that checks so many boxes—soft and fudgy, loaded with chocolate chips, easy to make, and most importantly, absolutely delicious.
What I especially love about this recipe is how many people can enjoy it. These blondies are vegan, oil-free, and gluten-free, making them a great treat for everything from an after-school snack for the kids to family gatherings where there may be different dietary needs around the table.
And before anyone gets nervous about putting chickpeas in dessert, trust me on this one! Once everything is blended together and those chocolate chips are added, you’d never know they were hiding in there. The chickpeas help create that wonderful texture while adding a little extra protein and fiber along the way.
I love having a dessert recipe like this in my back pocket—something that feels like a real treat but is made with simple ingredients I feel good about serving. Around here, I don’t think a batch is going to last very long! Another delicious chickpea dessert we enjoy over and over around here is these chickpea chocolate chip cookie dough bites that you can eat raw (my favorite) or bake into cookies!
Why You’ll Love These Chickpea Blondies
🌱 Vegan, oil-free & gluten-free – These chickpea blondies are 100% plant-based with no eggs or dairy, making them a dessert that works for many dietary needs.
🍫 Soft, chewy & fudgy – Everything you want in a blondie, with plenty of melty chocolate chips in every bite.
🫘 Protein- & fiber-rich chickpeas – Chickpeas add plant-based protein and fiber while creating that wonderfully fudgy texture. And don’t worry—you can’t taste the beans! It’s easy to make chickpeas in your Instant Pot without even soaking them!
🍁 Naturally sweetened – Maple syrup adds just the right amount of sweetness without refined sugar in the batter.
👨👩👧👦 Family-friendly – A fun way to add a nutrient-dense ingredient to dessert without sacrificing flavor. Kids will never guess what’s hiding inside!
🙌 Easy to make – Made with simple pantry ingredients, these blondies come together quickly without a lot of fuss.
Ingredients You’ll Need
🫘 Chickpeas – The surprise ingredient! They add plant-based protein and fiber while helping give these blondies their soft, fudgy texture. Once blended, you won’t taste them at all.
🥜 Peanut butter – Adds richness, moisture, and a delicious nutty flavor without the need for oil. We’ll talk about some substitutes below.
🍁 Maple syrup – Naturally sweetens the blondies and adds moisture to help keep them soft and chewy.
🥛 Oat milk – Provides just enough liquid to help everything blend into a smooth, creamy batter. Another unsweetened plant milk should work too.
🌾 Oat flour – Gives the blondies structure while keeping them gluten-free. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oat flour if needed. No need to buy another speciality flour. It’s super easy to make oat flour in your blender!
🍫 Vegan chocolate chips – Because every good blondie needs plenty of chocolate! They add little pockets of melty chocolate throughout. Be sure to try our vegan chocolate chip muffins and healthy peanut butter chocolate chip cookies too!
Substitutions & Variations
- Nut butter – Almond butter or cashew butter are easy swaps. For a nut-free option, sunflower seed butter works especially well. Tahini can also be used, but it will give the blondies a slightly more earthy flavor.
- Sweetener – Agave nectar, date syrup, or brown rice syrup can be substituted 1:1. Date syrup may make the blondies slightly darker and give them a deeper flavor.
- Plant milk – Almond, soy, cashew, or another unsweetened plant-based milk can be used instead of oat milk. Coconut milk can also work, though it may add a subtle coconut flavor.
- Oat flour – To keep these chickpea blondies gluten-free, be sure to use certified gluten-free oat flour. You can also make your own by blending old-fashioned oats into a fine flour.
- Chocolate chips – Use your favorite dairy-free semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. Chopped dairy-free chocolate is another delicious option for bigger pockets of gooey chocolate.
- Add some crunch – Fold in chopped walnuts or pecans for a little extra texture and nutty flavor.
- Make them extra chocolatey – Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips over the top before baking. It makes them look pretty irresistible, too!
How to Make Chickpea Blondies
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
STEP #1: Preheat the oven and prepare the pan.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make the blondies easier to remove after baking.
STEP #2: Rinse and drain the chickpeas.
Drain the canned chickpeas and rinse them thoroughly under running water. Allow them to drain well to remove as much excess water as possible.
STEP #3: Blend the batter.
Add the chickpeas, peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, oat milk, oat flour, and baking powder to a food processor. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. If your food processor is small, blend the ingredients in two batches and combine them afterward. Transfer the batter to a mixing bowl and allow it to cool before adding the chocolate chips.
STEP #4: Fold in the chocolate chips.
Once the batter has cooled, gently fold in the vegan chocolate chips.
Waiting until the batter cools helps keep those little chocolate chips from melting before they ever make it into the oven.
STEP #5: Spread the batter in the pan.
Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly into the corners. Smooth the top with a spatula so the blondies bake evenly. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top if you’d like.
STEP #6: Bake, cool, and enjoy.
Bake for about 35 minutes at 350°F. Remove from the oven and allow the blondies to cool completely before slicing. They’ll continue to firm up as they cool, so don’t rush this part—then slice, serve, and enjoy!
Can You Taste the Chickpeas?
This is probably the question I get asked most often whenever I share a dessert made with chickpeas! I hear it all the time with our edible chickpea cookie dough, and my answer for these blondies is the same: nope!
No one is ever going to bite into one of these and say, “Wait a minute…are there beans in here?” Once the chickpeas are blended with the peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and the other ingredients, their flavor completely disappears into all that sweet, vanilla chocolatey goodness.
The key is to stick with the recipe and the measurements as written. The balance of ingredients is what keeps the chickpeas undercover while letting them do their job of creating that wonderfully soft and fudgy texture. So go ahead and serve them without announcing the secret ingredient. I won’t tell if you don’t!
How to Store Vegan Blondies
These chickpea blondies store really well, which is handy if you can manage not to eat the whole batch first!
Once completely cooled, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I actually love them chilled because they become even more dense and fudgy.
For longer storage, freeze the blondies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. I recommend placing parchment paper between the layers so they don’t stick together. You can thaw them in the refrigerator overnight or simply pull out one at a time whenever you need a little chocolate fix.
Tip: Try warming a refrigerated blondie for just a few seconds in the microwave to get those chocolate chips nice and melty again. So good!
Can I Make Chickpea Blondies Without Peanut Butter?
Absolutely! If peanut butter isn’t your thing—or you’re making these for someone with a peanut allergy—you’ve got options.
Almond butter or cashew butter should make an easy swap and still give you that creamy richness these blondies need. For a nut-free version, sunflower seed butter is my favorite choice. Tahini can work too, but it has a stronger, slightly earthy flavor, so just know that it may change the taste a bit.
Whatever you choose, use the same amount called for in the recipe and make sure your nut or seed butter is nice and creamy. That’s important because it’s doing more than adding flavor—it also helps give these oil-free chickpea blondies their wonderfully moist, fudgy texture.
So, no peanut butter? No problem. We’re still having blondies!
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope! There’s no need to spend time peeling every chickpea. Once everything is blended really well, the skins disappear right into the batter and you won’t even know they’re there.
Absolutely. Just cook them until they’re nice and tender before using them. You’ll want to use the same amount of cooked chickpeas as the drained canned chickpeas called for in the recipe.
Don’t panic if they seem very soft when they first come out of the oven! Chickpea blondies firm up considerably as they cool. Let them cool completely before slicing so they have time to develop that wonderfully fudgy texture.
These are! The recipe uses oat flour instead of wheat flour. If you’re preparing them for someone who needs to strictly avoid gluten, be sure to use oats or oat flour that are certified gluten-free.
More Healthy Chickpea Snack Recipes
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Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondies
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas (2) 15 oz cans
- 1 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsweetened oat milk
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make the blondies easier to remove after baking.
- Drain the canned chickpeas and rinse them thoroughly under running water. Allow them to drain well to remove as much excess water as possible.
- Add the chickpeas, peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, oat milk, oat flour, and baking powder to a food processor. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. If your food processor is small, blend the ingredients in two batches and combine them afterward. Transfer the batter to a mixing bowl and allow it to cool before adding the chocolate chips.Note: No need to buy expensive oat flour! You can easily make your own by blending old-fashioned oats in a blender or food processor until they reach a fine, flour-like consistency. If you’d like, simply do this first before adding the remaining ingredients.
- Once the batter has cooled, gently fold in the vegan chocolate chips. Waiting until the batter cools helps keep those little chocolate chips from melting before they ever make it into the oven.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly into the corners. Smooth the top with a spatula so the blondies bake evenly. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top if you’d like.
- Bake for about 35 minutes at 350°F. Remove from the oven and allow the blondies to cool completely before slicing. They’ll continue to firm up as they cool, so don’t rush this part—then slice, serve, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Peanut butter – Almond butter or cashew butter are easy swaps. For a nut-free option, sunflower seed butter works especially well. Tahini can also be used, but it will give the blondies a slightly more earthy flavor.
- Maple syrup – Agave nectar, date syrup, or brown rice syrup can be substituted 1:1. Date syrup may make the blondies slightly darker and give them a deeper flavor.
- Oat milk – Almond, soy, cashew, or another unsweetened plant-based milk can be used instead. Coconut milk can also work, though it may add a subtle coconut flavor.
- Oat flour – To keep these chickpea blondies gluten-free, be sure to use certified gluten-free oat flour. You can also make your own by blending old-fashioned oats into a fine flour.
- Chocolate chips – Use your favorite dairy-free semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. Chopped dairy-free chocolate is another delicious option for bigger pockets of gooey chocolate.
- Add some crunch – Fold in chopped walnuts or pecans for a little extra texture and nutty flavor.
- Make them extra chocolatey – Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips over the top before baking. It makes them look pretty irresistible, too!
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About the Chef
Sarai Leo Matsui enjoys creating delicious Mexican, American, and Japanese dishes that bring together flavors from the cultures she loves. She is bilingual, a talented photographer, and loves thrifting and discovering new treasures along the way. Sarai lives in Western North Carolina with her husband and young daughter, where she enjoys cooking, creating, and sharing food with her family. Read More…
These chickpea blondies are absolutely delicious! They’re soft, fudgy, chocolatey, and no one will ever guess there are chickpeas hiding inside. I love that they’re vegan, oil-free, and gluten-free too. This is definitely a recipe that will be on repeat at our house! Another winning recipe from my niece, Sarai!