I am well aware that this recipe will not appeal to 90 percent of those who see it but honestly, it’s more for me than you. This is why. My kids were outside when I made them and came in to see them cooling on the counter. They begged for a bite and I gave them each one, with not a word about the ingredients. The oohed and ahhed with such gusto and not a single remark about a “funny taste” or “weird texture”. Shocked, I had one myself. No joke, it was delicious. Great “fudgy” texture, a nice balance of sweet and salty with the still melted chocolate on top. Shocked, once again.
Gluten, egg and dairy free, yes, but I’d like to focus on what it has rather than what it lacks. With loads of protein and fiber in each square, chickpeas are also a great source of folate and iron; it’s a fantastic “dessert” when you’re trying to eat as cleanly as possible. The ingredient list is crazy short and since it’s made in the food processor, it takes minutes to make. This will be made again and again in my house; why give the kids the flour/sugar/butter version when they got this excited about the CHICKPEA version?
Chickpea Blondies
Makes 8×8 pan
1 tsp. avocado oil
2 c. canned (ideally unsalted) chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
1/3 c. maple syrup
1/4 c. ground flaxseed
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. bittersweet chocolate chips. chopped
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8×8 inch baking pan with avocado oil.
- In a food processor, process all ingredients except chocolate until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and process again until smooth.
- Fold 1/4 c. of the chocolate into the batter. Smooth batter into pan and top with remaining 1/4 c. chocolate.
- Bake for 25 minutes (edges should be turning golden and center is set. Let cool at least 1 hour and cut into bars.
