Gooey and decadent, you will never know these chocolate chip blondies are made with good-for-you ingredients!

Years ago, my good friend made a decadent dessert, Tollhouse Pie, for all of her neighbors and employer for Christmas.  Sitting across the table from her at lunch, she described this seductively sweet treat. It sounded like a heavenly chocolate chip cookie.  I imagined it having just come out of the oven- it was drool worthy.

I never made the recipe.  Not because I don’t believe in treats because I 100% do.  But, when I make an entire dessert, unless there are a lot of people to share it with, I know that the leftovers will keep drawing my attention.  Instead, I like to make desserts that are absolutely divine AND include ingredients I want to eat on a regular basis.

This dessert, Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondie Bar, is sweet, gooey, and peppered with melted chocolate chips, but is actually low in added sugar AND does not contain any artificial sweeteners.  The secret is dates! This is the same secret in my scrumptious (gluten-free) Flourless Blueberry Muffins and once you begin using dates in your baked goods, you will be amazed at their sweetening abilities!

The list of main ingredients for this Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondie Bar is simple:

Chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)

Almond butter

Dates

Chocolate chips

Vanilla

I don’t know about you but there is always a little bit of chocolate in my date- somewhere.  Why not this blondie bar?! The recipe comes together quickly using your food processor. If you are having guests over or just want a sweet treat, this is the ONE you want to make!

Beans are no longer a boring side dish or soup, but will quickly become your favorite nutrient dense go-to ingredient when baking.  It is absolutely amazing how the bean flavor is masked by the vanilla, dates and chocolate. No one will be able to guess that this blondie is flourless.

Chickpeas are inexpensive and boast about 5 grams fiber and 5 grams protein per serving. Slowly releasing carbohydrate into the bloodstream, these legumes are perfect for sustained energy.  Chickpeas are rich in manganese and folate and contain more than 15 different minerals and vitamins. But I think their most remarkable feature is how easily they can be used to create drool-worthy baked goods!

This dessert is great for those with gluten allergy/sensitivity as well as egg and peanut allergies.  Especially when planning a party or gathering, it’s good to be mindful of those with dietary concerns, so this Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondie Bar just might be the right one for your next event.

A few quick tips to get this recipe ‘just right’:

• Remove the bar from the oven as soon as the toothpick comes out clean so the texture resembles cookie dough.  For my oven, it took 21 minutes.
• If you can’t find pitted dates, it’s totally okay!  The pits are very easy to remove.
• Medjool dates are MORE sweet, moist and meaty than deglet noor dates.  Make sure to choose the Medjool variety. These can often be found with the dried fruit OR in the produce section of the store.  But if you can’t find them, just ask!
• An 9×9 pan can be used if you don’t have an 8×8, but the cooking time will be reduced.  Set your timer and check accordingly.
• A different type of nut butter can be used.  I have tested almond and cashew butter. Peanut butter will likely work very well.
• Dark chocolate chips are divine if you can find them!  Minis also work well. Use what you have!

Dessert doesn’t need to be ‘off limits’ just like it doesn’t need to be every day.  Choosing recipes with ingredients you want to include (mixed with a little chocolate!) is one smart way we enjoy treats in our home.  If that’s what you are looking for, I hope you love this recipe too!

This Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondie Bar is yummy warm when the chocolate is just slightly melted!  But it’s also fantastic just out of the fridge for a cookie dough texture!

Cheers to beans with a little bit of chocolate and a whole lotta goodness!