Who doesn’t love a big batch of gooey, chewy, delicious chocolate chip chickpea blondies? When I switched to a healthier lifestyle around 4 years ago, I would never have thought to use ‘unusual’ ingredients in my baking. Nowadays, delicious chocolate courgette cake, black bean brownies and chocolate chip chickpea blondies are the norm!

I remember researching healthy meals and sweet treats when I first started eating healthier, and came across chickpea blondies from a foodie blogger (I can’t remember which one!) It was one of the first recipes I made and it was delicious! This was also pre-Coeliac, so I gave myself some great groundwork in gluten free eating before I even knew that would be the way I ate for the rest of my life.

I promise you cannot taste the chickpeas in the recipe. They create the most delicious texture, and that is all! This recipe is also great for those with allergies, as it’s gluten free, dairy free and vegan (if you use maple syrup). I like making a big batch of these blondies, then freezing half for another time. They can last up to a week if kept in an air-tight container but are best in the first couple of days.

A word of warning when baking these – they may seem underdone at first (especially from the melted chocolate chips), but the gooier they are the better! Remember they don’t have any eggs, so even if they seem underdone they’re still ok to eat!

If you love blondies, then definitely try out my Peanut Butter & Raspberry Swirl Blondies – these aren’t vegan, but they are delicious!

INGREDIENTS

1 can chickpeas, rinsed (drained weight 240g)
130g peanut butter
160g honey/maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
30g ground almonds
75g coconut sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
90g dark chocolate chips + extra to sprinkle on top

RECIPE

1. Preheat your oven to 180C/160 Fan/350F and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Add all the ingredients, minus the chocolate chips, to a food processor and blend until smooth.
3. Fold in the 1/3 chocolate chips, then spread the mixture into the prepared baking tray.
4. Sprinkle over the remaining choc chips.
5. Bake in the oven for 25-30 mins until the toothpick comes out clean.
6. At first, the mixture looks underdone (mainly because of the melted chocolate chips) but once they cool, they’ll be so delicious!

Sophie x