Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondie Bar

Jennifer Hunt, RDN, LD

Print Recipe

Servings 12

Ingredients

15 oz can chickpeas garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained
½ cup unsalted almond butter or peanut butter
6 medjool dates pitted
8 tbsp chocolate chips divided
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tbsp maple syrup or honey
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8x8 pan with cooking spray (or coconut oil).
Place medjool dates in a small bowl, cover with 1/2 cup of water and microwave for 1 minute on high. Remove softened dates and place in food processor along with garbanzo beans (discard date water). Puree dates and beans for about 30 seconds, scrape down the sides and then repeat 1 or 2 more times, until mixture is pureed.
Next, add in all other ingredients except chocolate chips. Puree until all ingredients are combined well, scraping down sides once or twice as needed.
Stir in 6 tbsp chocolate chips. Pour mixture into greased pan and spread out. Mixture will be sticky so it will take a minute to evenly spread in the pan. Top with remaining 2 tbsp chocolate chips. Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow to cool (if you can stand it!) for about 10 minutes or until just barely warm. This allows it to set and makes it easier to cut. Enjoy!!

Notes

If using a 9x9 pan, the blondies cooking time will be reduced. Set timer and check accordingly.
Mini chocolate chips also work well!
If you can’t find pitted dates it’s okay- they are easy to remove.
The blondies are best (like cookie dough!) when they are removed as soon as the toothpick comes out clean. It takes 21 minutes in my oven.
Cashew butter or peanut butter can be used in place of almond butter.

Nutrition

Calories 180; Fat 9g; Saturated Fat 2g; Sodium 129mg; Potassium 105mg; Carbohydrate 23mg; Fiber 4g; Sugar 14g (Added Sugar 5g; Natural Sugar 9g); Protein 4g