Vegan Chickpea Blondies (Gluten-Free)

Name: Vegan Chickpea Blondies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas (rinsed and drained); 1/2 cup plant-based milk; 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1/3 cup nut butter or seed butter (of choice (I used cashew butter)); 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1/2 cup granulated sugar (of choice (see notes)); 3/4 cup almond flour ((see notes)); 4 tbsp ground flax seeds; 3/4 tsp baking powder; 1/4 tsp baking soda; 1/4 tsp sea salt; 1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (+ more for the top)

Published by Ela on 20. January, 2019, updated on 31. July, 2021 | 131 Comments As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

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4.91 from 31 votes

These simple vegan blondies are made with chickpeas, almond flour, and dairy-free chocolate chips. They are super gooey, soft, fudgy, moist, rich, and yummy! This blondie recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, protein-rich, dairy-free, egg-free, healthy, and can be made nut-free!

Gooey vegan Blondies (blonde Brownies)

Oh my, oh my… these chocolate chip blondies turned out better than expected. I always thought brownies are my weakness, but now I am not sure anymore! After making lots of brownie recipes like flourless brownies, simple no-bake brownies, sweet potato brownies, or healthy vegan brownies with peas (!), I thought it was time to create a healthy recipe for blondies. And I am glad I did!

What is a Blondie?

Blondies are actually the cocoa-less “blonde” version of brownies, however, they are even gooier and not cakey at all! They have a wonderful vanilla flavor, a tender texture, and a rich taste. As you can tell from my photos, I even underbaked them a bit, because that’s how I love them – super moist, gooey, fudgy, and delicious!

As I mentioned before, these vegan blondies happen to also be gluten-free, and grain-free. Even better, they contain healthy ingredients like chickpeas and almond flour. No eggs, no dairy, or regular wheat flour. Win, win!

The Ingredients

Wet ingredients:

Chickpeas: I used a can of chickpeas, rinsed, and drain. You can also cook chickpeas from dry if you prefer.
Plant-based milk: Any dairy-free milk is fine, like almond milk, cashew milk, or coconut milk.
Apple cider vinegar: Or use regular vinegar or lemon juice for these vegan blondies.
Nut butter or seed butter of choice: I used cashew butter, however, feel free to use almond butter or even peanut butter.
Vanilla extract: Use real vanilla or vanilla powder for the best flavor.

Dry ingredients:

Granulated sugar: I used Xylitol, however, you can also use coconut sugar, organic cane sugar, or a keto sweetener like Erythritol.
Almond flour: Any finely ground nuts will work too.
Ground flax seeds: Or use ground chia seeds.
Baking powder & baking soda: They will provide a little lift during baking.
Sea salt: Just a little is needed to enhance the flavor of these gluten-free blondies.
Dairy-free chocolate chips: Or use your favorite bar of chocolate and chop it with a knife!

Please read the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information.

How To Make Vegan Chickpea Blondies?

Watch the video to see how easy it is to make these chickpea blondies.

First, preheat the oven to 360 degrees F (180 degrees C) and line a baking pan (my pan measures 9″x6″ / 23 x 15 cm) with parchment paper.
Process all wet ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth and lump-free.
Add all dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips) and mix again (don’t overmix though).
Now add the chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate of choice) and stir with a spoon.
Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan and top it with more chocolate chips.
Bake in the oven for about 25-35 minutes (it can take some minutes more or less, depending on your oven and the size of your baking dish). I have a gas oven and baked the vegan blondies for about 27 minutes, and they were still a bit underbaked (which I love though!).
Let them cool, then cut them into bars. They will be quite soft after baking, but firm up more once cooled down. Enjoy!

How To Store

You can store leftovers (if there are any) covered at room temperature for a day or so, or in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

Can I freeze blondies? Yes, you can freeze these vegan blondies for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight. You can reheat them in the oven for a couple of minutes.

Recipe Notes & FAQ’s

Can I use a different flour instead of almond flour? As mentioned before, you can use any ground nuts of choice instead of almond flour (almond flour = 100% ground almonds). Some people had success making the recipe with oat flour, however, since almonds contain over 50% fat and oats don’t, the blondies won’t turn out as rich, gooey, and moist.

Can I make these vegan blondies nut-free? To make the recipe nut-free, I would recommend using ground unsweetened shredded coconut. Please do not use coconut flour because it contains less fat and absorbs a lot of liquid. The dessert would turn into a nightmare. Also, use coconut butter instead of cashew butter. I wouldn’t recommend sunflower seed butter as it will turn the blondies green unless you leave out the baking powder and baking soda (yes, this already happened to me, haha).

Chocolate Chip Blondies

I used mini chocolate chips for these easy-to-make blondie bars. They are dairy-free and not as sweet. If you prefer a keto sweetener, you could try out sugar-free chocolate chips for these blondies.

Other Vegan Bars & Brownie Recipes

Should you give this delicious vegan blondie recipe a try, please leave a comment and rating below, and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your recreations.