Two upgraded ingredients I love to use in brownies, blondies, and bars are legumes and dates, and these chickpea blondies are no exception. Given how much I love my fudgy black bean brownies I bake on a weekly basis (since my son loves them as much as I do!), I wanted to see how the recipe would translate to blondies. I have similar recipes on my website, but most of them are vegan and/or grain-free. For this recipe, I incorporated grass-fed beef protein powder, eggs and oat flour, to increase the protein and fiber, making them more of a heartier, healthy snack (for both my son and myself).
They are not overly sweet, but I like them that way. These blondies are simply sweetened with dates, and then whatever protein powder you use (assuming you use it). My protein powder has some monk fruit, which lends a touch of (sugar-free) sweetness. Remember your tastebuds adapt, so the more you incorporate Healthified desserts into your life, the more you crave them over their traditional counterparts
Planning and prep
You will need a batch of my date caramel before you bake these blondies. I actually already had some on hand, so it was easy to throw it in the blender with the rest of ingredients. If you don’t want to take the extra step to make the date caramel in your food processor, I am sure you could soak the dates, remove the pits, them blend them with the rest of the blondie ingredients like you would do in the black bean brownie recipe. The choice is yours!
Substitutions
Protein powder: Use any vanilla protein powder. I love Be Well by Kelly and Truvani brands.
Milk: I use unsweetened almond milk, but any milk would do.
Legumes: I use chickpeas in this recipe, but I am sure a can of white beans would work too.
Flour: I use oat flour, but almond flour would be the closest substitution. If you want to use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour, decrease the measurement to 1/3 cup as these flour blends contain gums that may affect the texture if you use too much.
Eggs: Eggs are pretty necessary in this particular recipe, but I have an egg-free chickpea blondie recipe on my site (nut butter is used instead).
Add-ins: A lot of blondie recipes incorporate chocolate chips, so feel free to add them in these as well!
Healthier Blondie Bars
Equipment
- Food processor
- Blender
Ingredients
For the date caramel
- 20 pitted Medjool dates
- 3-4 cups boiling water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the blondies
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup oat flour or almond flour
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder optional
- 1/4 cup almond milk or dairy-free milk of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 baking tin with parchment paper.
- Make the date caramel. Make the date caramel. Place dates in a large bowl and cover with enough hot water to cover. Allow to soak for at least 20 minutes. Drain the dates, reserving 1/4 cup of the soaking water. Peel and remove pits (skin should come off easily). In a food processor, combine the dates, soaking water, and vanilla extract. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as you need to. Set aside until ready to use.
- Make the blondies. To a high-speed blender, add all of the ingredients: date caramel, chickpeas, eggs, oat flour, vanilla protein powder (if using), and milk. Blend on high, using the tamper to get everything going if you need to. Consistency should be a creamy batter.
- Transfer the batter to the baking tin. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean. Allow the blondies to completely cool in the baking tin (at least one hour), before transferring them to the refrigerator to set (at least another hour). When ready to enjoy, slice into squares.
