These flourless brownies with a sweet potato frosting (which is optional but very recommended!) are absolutely delectable. They are vegan, gluten-free, oil-free (if you leave out the chocolate chips), grain-free, protein-rich, fudgy, chocolaty, and so rich! Made with chickpeas and other wholesome ingredients.
Healthy Flourless Brownies
Brownies will remain my favorite dessert. Period. I just love them, especially when they are fudgy, super chocolaty, and rich like these healthy vegan brownies with the most epic sweet potato frosting.
The recipe is plant-based, gluten-free, grain-free, protein-rich, and easy to make. It takes just 10 minutes to prepare the batter, so there is no excuse to not make this delicious dessert.
I love trying out new brownie recipes. I already shared some of my favorite recipes with you on my blog, like these Sweet Potato Brownies or these Pea Brownies and even Healthy No-Bake Brownies. These Cheesecake Brownies were a big hit as well!
Maybe you have already tried out one or more of these recipes. The healthy no-bake brownies have been remade many times on Instagram and people love them.
Chickpea Brownies
These vegan brownies contain chickpeas as the main ingredient. Chickpeas (sometimes known as garbanzo beans) are amazing, they are high in protein and contain lots of fiber, minerals, and vitamins. I love using chickpeas in desserts, for example in these No-Bake Cookie Dough Bars.
Vegan, Grain-Free, Gluten-free, Flourless Brownies
Not only are these brownies gluten-free, but they are also grain-free, flourless, and vegan. Ground almonds, flax seeds, chickpeas, and cocoa powder are the main ingredients of these deliciously healthy brownies. I also made them once with coconut flour. Both versions are good! Instead of ground almonds, you can use any ground nuts of choice, for example, hazelnuts.
Sweet Potato Frosting
You can make these flourless brownies without frosting, and I am sure you will like them. However, to take this dessert to the next level I urge you to make this lush sweet potato frosting! It’s made with sweet potatoes, so it’s basically like eating salad, haha. Seriously, in my opinion, the frosting is a must and my boyfriend actually LOVED it!
You Will Love These Brownies Because They Are:
- Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
- Gluten-free
- Grain-free
- Flourless
- Protein-rich
- Oil-free (if you leave out the chocolate chips)
- Chocolaty
- Fudgy
- Rich
- Healthier than most other brownies
- Can be made refined sugar-free
- Easy to make
- Delicious
- Great for dessert or breakfast
Mini Chocolate Chips
I’ve topped these chickpea brownies with dairy-free mini chocolate chips. This step is optional, of course, but in my opinion, you can never have enough chocolate in your life. So if you have the possibility to get them, then definitely do it!
Should you recreate my recipe, 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 would love to see your recreations.
How To Make Flourless Brownies?
It’s so easy to make these vegan chickpea brownies. I love using a food processor because it’s so convenient and you don’t need lots of different bowls. Simply add in the ingredients, blend and you are almost done. Check the easy recipe and the video below!
If you are looking for more delicious vegan brownie recipes, then check out the following ones:
- Zucchini Brownies
- Sweet Potato Brownies
- Cheesecake Brownies
- Caramel Chocolate Brownies
- Best Vegan Brownies
- Healthy No-Bake Brownies
Flourless Brownies
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 3/4 cup (150 g) coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (90 g) ground almonds (*see recipe notes)
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (60 g) cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp ground (2 tbsp ground) flax seeds or ground chia seeds
- 1 tsp (1 tsp) baking powder
- 1/4 tsp (1/4 tsp) baking soda
- 1 Pinch of (Pinch of) salt
- 1/4 cup (50 g) dairy-free chocolate chips (optional)
Wet ingredients:
- 2 (15 oz) cans (500 g) chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) plant-based milk
- 1/3 cup (80 g) nut butter or seed butter of choice (*see recipe notes)
- 1/2 (60 g) banana or 1/4 cup applesauce
- 2 tsp (2 tsp) vanilla extract
Frosting
- sweet potato frosting (optional)
Instructions
- I recommend using a kitchen scale for this recipe.
- Blend the chickpeas with all wet ingredients in a food processor until smooth (check the video).
- Add all dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips) to the food processor and blend again until the mixture is combined.
- Line a pan with parchment paper or grease it with vegan butter or coconut oil and spoon the batter into it. My baking dish measures 9"x6" (23 x 15 cm).
- Bake in the oven at 355 degrees F (180 degrees C) for about 40 minutes (it can take longer or shorter, depending on your oven and the size of your baking dish) or until a toothpick comes out almost clean (can still be sticky but not wet). Test after 35 minutes with a toothpick. Don't overcook the brownies! Let them cool completely. They'll still be soft at first but firm up once cooled down. They taste best on the 2nd or 3rd day!
- Check out this recipe to make the sweet potato frosting! Top with chocolate chips an enjoy!
Notes
- You can use any ground nuts instead of ground almonds. For a nut-free version try ground hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. If you want to make the brownies with coconut flour, then use only 45 grams and not 90 grams since coconut flour absorbs a lot of liquid.
- Any nut butter like peanut butter, cashew butter works fine. For a nut-free version use coconut butter or sunflower seed butter.
- Nutrition facts are for 100 g without the frosting.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Simple and Delicious Vegan Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
Hello Ela! First of all, thank you for your website. I am so inspired by everything you offer, I’m so glad you’re here. You make vegan so accessible and colorful, it’s not like any other website I’ve seen before. I’m not vegan but try more and more to be better at it, and you help a lot.
I’d like to make this recipe because it looks amazing but I’d like to know if you can taste the chickpeas as it is 500 gr? I made something with chickpeas once and I could feel the taste.So I don”t know if this is the case here 😉
Thank you so much!
Hi Eva, thanks so much for your kind compliments! 🙂 As regards the chickpeas, in my opinion, they are not noticeable in the brownies because the flavor is masked by the other ingredients. However, it’s important that you rinse them really well. Also, I recommend making the frosting. 🙂
Thank you very much Ela! As when I made the recipe a few years back I wasn’t (clearly) as good and interested as today, so it’s really likely that I didn’t rinse them. Thank you so much, as usual!
You are very welcome, Eva. 🙂
I’m sorry to bother you again x) I always brainstorm for the recipes I’m gonna make the week incoming, and I was wondering if I could use dates instead of chickpeas? I don’t have chickpeas at the moment, and only go to the store once a week and I have dates that are waiting to be used. Even if you haven’t made it with dates yet, I’d be so glad to have your opinion on this. Thanks so much Ela! Answer only if you have time 😉
Hi Eva, no worries! I think the brownies would turn out too sweet with so many dates. You can try out the following no-bake brownie recipe which has dates: https://elavegan.com/healthy-no-bake-brownies-vegan-gluten-free/
And once you have chickpeas you can make this recipe. 🙂
Look great, can’t wait to try!
I’m not vegan just have a nut allergy and egg.
Is it possible to use dairy butter? (as that’s what I have in stock)
Hi Paris, I never made these brownies with butter but I think it might work fine.
I absolutely loved these!!! I made them with monkfruit sweetener and they turned out absolutely delicious! I used an 8×8 pan for them and I got 9 servings out of it.
That’s wonderful, Gina! I am so glad you loved the recipe. 🙂
I really wanted to like these…. but couldn’t do it. Looked like the pic but the taste just wasn’t there unfortunately.
Sorry you didn’t like the recipe, Laurie. This recipe is very popular with many 5-star reviews, however, every taste differs.
Love this recipe Ela! I’ve tried almost all of your brownie recipes but to me this one is the best and it freezes wonderfully. I wrap the slices twice in plastic foil and then in aluminium foil, put them in a plastic bag in the freezer and let them thaw wrapped in the fridge all night, they are then ready for breakfast! My husband loves the zucchini ones though. I’ve done this flourless brownies many times and today I tried with 1/2 chickpeas (cigró de pagès) and 1/2 white beans (fesolets) and it tastes delicious too. I haven’t tried the recipe with the frosting yet, but at least with brown sugar and psyllium husk (instead of flax seeds) you can’t tell there’s veggies inside. Thanks for such wonderful recipes!
That’s wonderful, Katia! I am so glad you love these brownies. Thanks for sharing your substitutes. 🙂
Hi Ela
I love this brownies!! just wondering if i can use date syrup instead of coconut sugar?
Thanks in advance
Hi Sunny! Date sugar should be fine. I wouldn’t use a liquid sweetener because the mixture might end up too wet. It can work though, but I never tried it. Please report back if you give it a try. 🙂
What can be substituted for the chickpeas that is lower in carbs??
That’s a good question, Kim. I haven’t made these brownies with a substitute that is lower in carbs. Silken tofu might work but I since I never tried it I can’t say how the result will be. You might check out my vegan zucchini brownies and use almond flour instead of oats for a low-carb version. That should work well. Here is the recipe: https://elavegan.com/vegan-zucchini-brownies
Thank you these look so delicious, I’m making them right now for Thanksgiving! Just realised my baking powder is way expired. Anyway way I can skip it out or substitute for something else?
I would have left it out and doubled the amount of baking soda.
I loved the texture of these brownies, but they weren’t very sweet and the frosting also wasn’t very sweet and had a strong sunflower butter taste more than anything. Any suggestions how I could modify it to taste more chocolatey and sweeter?
All tastes differ, Sunny. 🙂 To make it taste sweeter, simply add more sugar or you could also add melted dairy-free chocolate! If you don’t like sunflower seed butter, you can use any nut butter of choice.
Hi Ela, can I keep these brownies out of the fridge? If yes, for how long?
It depends on in which climate you live. I would always recommend storing them in the fridge. 🙂
are they freezer friendly?
Yes, they are freezer friendly! 🙂
Ela! This flourless brownie recipe looks incredible! I will certainly pin to my favorite dessert board! Dee xx
Thanks a lot, Dee! So kind of you to pin the recipe to your favorite dessert board! Thank you! 🙂
It’s the most delicious brownies I’ve ever baked. So moist and mouthwatering even without frosting… Thank you very much for sharing it… ?
You are very welcome, Katie! I am so glad you liked these brownies. 🙂
Thank you for your amazing recipes, definitely going to make these brownies this week! Any chance you post macros or at least calories? Thank you keep up the amazing work !
I will add them soon. Working on updating all blog posts, which takes a lot of time. 🙂
Thank you for your response! I’m getting hungry from just looking at your recipes! ??
Haha, I hope you will like all the recipes which you try out. 😀
Are these good for someone that has diabetes
I wish I could answer but since I am not a medical professional I cannot tell you!
I made it twice, without the frosting and they are really good!
Awesome! So happy you loved these flourless brownies, Audrey! Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Do you think it would work with ground walnuts instead of almonds?
Yes, that should work just fine! 🙂
Is there any way I can make this if I cant have nuts?
Well, it’s actually mentioned in the recipe notes.
THANK YOU FOR THIS LOVELY RECIPE, MIGHT BE THE NICEST BROWNIE I’VE TASTED. SIMPLE INGREDIENTS AND EASY MAKING PROCESS. I MIGHT MAKE IT EVERY WEEK HAHA
That’s awesome! So happy you liked it, Anastasija! 🙂