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Cinnamon Chickpea Blondies! Moist, tender, and fudgy flourless blondies with a crackly top. I dare you to eat just one!
Perfect Blondies
I don’t think I’ve ever worked so hard on getting a recipe just right. I can’t even count how many times I tweaked my original recipe, but I finally nailed it! These Cinnamon Chickpea Blondies are my new go-to treat! They are moist and tender in the center with just a bit of a crackly crust on top. They are perfectly sweet, healthier than your average blondie recipe and, oh, so addictive!
Healthier Than Traditional Blondies
While these do contain a good amount of sugar, they are also packed with protein, fiber, folate and iron, so you can feel good about your new afternoon treat! Oh, and guess what? They are dairy free, gluten-free and oil-free too!
And, the cinnamon….ahhh, the cinnamon. I LOVE cinnamon. So spicy, sweet and fragrant. Did you know cinnamon, full of manganese, fiber and calcium, has been shown to have anti-clotting and anti-microbial properties? It also helps to control blood sugar levels and boost brain function. Basically, you need to devour these dreamy blondies immediately!
If you’re a cinnamon lover too, be sure to check out my Cinnamon Oatmeal Smoothie, Maple Pecan Cinnamon Scones, and Cinnamon Squash Quick Bread.
Quick and Easy
The entire batter is made in the bowl of a food processor and comes together in less then 5 minutes. It doesn’t get much easier than that.
Kid Approved
My kids and I inhaled these in a little over one day! And I’ve made several more batches since. (They are delicious with a cup of coffee!) We can’t get enough.
I kept the leftovers in an airtight container on the counter and they were still just as dreamy the next day. They haven’t lasted longer than that yet so far in this house, so I can’t vouch for the life expectancy of these babies beyond that. However, I would probably keep them in the fridge if you still have some left after 2 days. (Don’t worry, you won’t!)
Secret Ingredient
It’s no secret that my “secret” ingredient in these Cinnamon Chickpea Blondies is, duh, chickpeas! I super swear promise you will not taste them! Trust me! But they do provide that great fudgy texture!
Cinnamon Chickpea Blondies
I absolutely can’t wait for you guys to try these! I promise you will love them. After you make them, run back here and leave me a comment with your feedback and star rating below letting me know how quickly you devoured them! You can also snap a quick pic and tag me on social media @veggie_inspired and #veggieinspired so I don’t miss it! Enjoy, guys!
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas (drained and rinsed) (or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas)
- 1/2 cup cashew butter
- 1/4 cup old fashioned oats (certified gluten free if desired)
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1.5 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- Cinnamon Sugar mixture (optional for garnish) (equal parts of cinnamon and sugar mixed together)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly spritz an 8x8 baking dish with oil or line with parchment paper.
- Combine all ingredients, except walnuts, in the bowl of a food processor and puree until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Add the walnuts, if using, and stir gently, then smooth the batter out.
- Bake for 30 minutes until the sides start to pull away from the baking dish and the top is firm.
- The blondies will continue to firm up while cooling.
- Sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar garnish, if using.
- EAT!
You Might Also Like:
Gluten Free Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
No Bake Cinnamon Chickpea Truffles
Ash says
07/07/2019 at 7:21 amHi! Excited to try this recipe, though I’m wondering if chickpea flour could be used instead of canned chickpeas? If so, how much would I need to use?
Jenn Sebestyen says
07/07/2019 at 11:08 amNo, I wouldn’t try that…the blended chickpeas bring moisture that the flour wouldn’t have.
CEYLON GOLDEN CINNAMON says
05/16/2019 at 10:21 amThis is really nice for myself and for my family. I will save this page and prepare with my wife at home…. thanks for making enjoy our weekend…
Leanne says
03/13/2019 at 5:46 pmDo you think these would work without baking powder? I’m on a food sensitivity diet and can use baking soda but not baking powder. The only other swap I’d be making is either almond flour or AP GF flour for the oats.
Jenn S. says
03/15/2019 at 9:29 amI can say with 100% certainty that they will turn out exactly the same, but I think it will probably be fine. I think almond flour might be a good sub for the oats. Let me know if you try them and how they turn out.
Imma says
12/06/2018 at 10:40 amI was wondering, what can I use instead of nut butter? Any ideas for a nut free subsitute?
Jenn S. says
12/06/2018 at 1:07 pmSunflower seed butter would work. Enjoy!
ES says
11/05/2018 at 9:07 amI usually never leave comments on recipe threads, but OMG these were the best bean blondies I’ve ever made. The texture is perfect and they were delicious out of the oven and even straight out of the fridge the next day. Previous recipes with chickpea flour were less than successful, and I am happy to find a chickpea baking recipe that doesn’t taste of beans!
I substituted the cashew butter for sunflower seed butter and the walnuts for a small handful of pepitas and sunflower seeds.
Jenn S. says
11/05/2018 at 1:49 pmThank you so much! I’m so happy you love them!! Your subs sound great – and perfect for those that need nut-free. Thank you!
Ricky says
09/13/2018 at 10:48 pmYumm! We made these as a ginger bread variation: used molasses instead of maple syrup (and only about 1/2 the total amount of sugar, it was still sweet enough for us) and a mix of cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg and cloves. I couldn’t stop eating the batter. So good!
Jenn S. says
09/14/2018 at 7:41 amRicky, that sounds so good!! I love everything gingerbread. What a great idea. I’m so happy you loved them. Thank you!
Sam says
08/21/2018 at 10:32 pmMy boyfriend and I really enjoyed the texture of this blondie, which was really smooth. We used almond butter instead of cashew butter, flavoured oats (cinnamon, apple, almond, coconut) instead of plain oats, brown sugar instead of coconut sugar, and agave syrup instead of maple syrup. Overall, we found that the blondies were a tad too sweet and tasted more like carrot cake. Considering how much we deviated, this could be why it tasted like carrot cake and I’m not sure if agave syrup is sweeter than maple syrup. I could definitely see people enjoying this, especially a la mode.
Jenn S. says
08/22/2018 at 8:57 amHi, Sam. The recipe as written doesn’t taste like carrot cake at all. Agave is very sweet. I personally don’t love it in bigger quantities than a tbsp or 2. It has a strange aftertaste to me. I also find brown sugar to be a tad sweeter than coconut sugar. So, yeah, you had a much sweeter blondie. The coconut from your flavored oats probably contributed to the carrot cake vibe too.
Kat says
07/09/2018 at 6:23 amI subbed cashew butter for almond & coconut butter and just used standard sugar. Amazingly delicious. I’m struggling not to eat them all before my wife gets home! I’ll probably cut down the sugar next time as they’re a bit sweet for me.
Jenn S. says
07/11/2018 at 9:52 amOooh, I bet the coconut butter made them so creamy and rich. Great idea! They are definitely addictive, aren’t they?! So glad you loved them! Thanks, Kat!
Denise says
02/15/2018 at 9:24 amI love this recipe, but I have found that the 30 minutes baking time is more than sufficient, and if anything, too much and a bit drying. Despite the fact that the batter itself is delicious on its own, I only need 15-17 minutes in the oven with this recipe, and with the 30 minutes cool down thereafter, they are at its most gooey, moist, blondie texture that I find optimal. I live on sea level (not a high altitude), so I wonder if my suggestion would resonate with many other readers as well.
Jenn S. says
02/15/2018 at 11:20 amThanks, Denise! Glad you like them and thanks for your tip. I haven’t made them in awhile, but I’ll bake them for less time next time and see how they turn out. Thanks!
Denise says
02/15/2018 at 1:12 pmThanks for the reply! I notice they also taste super good after they have been chilled and set in the fridge, whether be for an hour, or overnight. I love chickpea blondies and I’ve been on a chickpea blondie baking spree the past couple weeks. So good, and almost completely guilt-free to keep indulging!
Jenn S. says
02/16/2018 at 9:04 amYes! I love them in the fridge too. If you like them that way, you should try my Cinnamon Chickpea Truffles! I keep them in the freezer and they taste like cinnamon cheesecake bites! So good!
Thea Burton-Evans says
05/14/2018 at 1:37 pmIs there something I can substitute for cashew butter? I’d love to make these for my little one as she loves chickpeas but she’s allergic to nuts.
Jenn S. says
05/14/2018 at 3:18 pmHi, Thea. You could try Sunbutter or even Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter. Now that I just wrote that, I’m totally going to try the cookie butter next time. That stuff is awesome! 🙂
Mich says
02/12/2018 at 7:04 pmThese are absolutely delicious! Only two challenges with this recipe, one is spreading the batter evenly (the parchment paper kept sliding around) and second, not eating the entire batch. Thank you for this recipe, it was exactly what I was looking for when I ran into your website. Will definitely make again!
Jenn S. says
02/12/2018 at 8:20 pmHaHa, yes, not eating an entire batch is a challenge. 🙂 Sometimes I spray my baking pan with a spritz of oil and then put the parchment down – it helps the parchment to stick to the pan, but the oil isn’t directly on the food. So glad you loved them, Mich!
Amanda Underwood says
01/17/2018 at 6:35 pmI baked mine a little longer because they were not quite set, but it might be because I added chocolate chips. These were easy and super tasty!
Jenn S. says
01/17/2018 at 9:26 pmThanks, Amanda! So happy you loved them. And chocolate chips sound like a yummy addition!
Lori says
01/11/2018 at 6:22 pm1.5 tablespoons of cinnamon is overpowering. Did you mean teaspoons?
Jenn S. says
01/11/2018 at 7:43 pmNope, tablespoons is correct. You can certainly lessen it if it’s a strong spice for you, but I LOVE it!
ARPI says
01/11/2018 at 6:17 pmThese are so delicious and light! Thanks for sharing.
Jenn S. says
01/11/2018 at 7:20 pmSo glad to hear you liked them! Thank you!!
Joy Bittner says
06/29/2017 at 10:58 amthis looks just so tasty – i’ve been reading through the comments and was wondering about some substitutions (since i live out of the US and sometimes the ‘fancier’ stuff is hard to find. I saw you could sub a banana for the maple syrup, but what about the coconut sugar? Think an equal amount of white sugar would work? I’m also going to have to make that peanut for cashew sub, so i’ll let you know how it works out! thanks for sharing! I found you via pintrest, so it must be working now. looking forward to trying your other recipes! Un abrazo desde Ecuador!
Jenn S. says
06/29/2017 at 11:11 amHi, Joy! Thanks for stopping by. You can definitely sub in white sugar for the coconut sugar. I have used peanut butter in place of the cashew butter before too and they’re yummy – a bit different flavor because peanut butter is a much stronger flavor that cashew – but still yummy! And, although I haven’t used banana in place of maple syrup, I actually think that’s a really great idea and should work great. Let me know how they turn out!
Kats says
06/27/2017 at 1:51 pmThank you so much for this recipe! Made them for the first time today and they are absolutely amazing!
I’m sugar free so replaced the coconut sugar with xylitol and maple syrup with coconut oil (tip from one of the other posts) . Even my 2 year old couldn’t get enough! Tomorrow we’re doing your cinnamon sugar cookies, can’t wait! Thank you for so many great recipes, just what I’ve been looking for x
Jenn S. says
06/27/2017 at 2:00 pmOh yay!! I’m so glad you loved them, Kats! And stay tuned because I have a whole roundup of recipes coming all about using chickpeas in desserts! That post should be up next week. Hope you love the cookies too – those are my fave! 🙂
Rosemary says
02/18/2017 at 6:07 pmThese look lovely but what could I use instead of oats as I cannot tolerate them, not even gluten free ones. Thanks
Jenn S. says
02/19/2017 at 7:47 amYou can probably just skip them. Or if the batter seems to loose, you could try 1/4 cup of almond flour. Let me know how they turn out!
Noelle says
11/24/2016 at 2:12 ami’m so stoked to try this recipe! i don’t have cashew butter but i do have raw cashews– should i just throw them in the food processor alone to make butter or do you suggest adding sugar and/or oil of some sort?
also, i only have ceylon cinnamon. that shouldn’t make too much of a difference in taste, should it?
Jenn S. says
11/24/2016 at 8:16 amHi, Noelle. Yep, you can just throw them in the food processor. You’ll have to stop it and scrap down the sides every so often. It will get crumbly first and then pasty before it gets creamy. Just stick with it! You don’t need to add anything at all to it. If for some reason you aren’t able to get it smooth enough, you can try adding a tsp or so of oil, but let it go for a good 10-15 minutes if you need to first before resorting to that. And, yes, Ceylon Cinnamon is the best! So definitely use that if you have it! Enjoy!!
Sam says
11/20/2016 at 1:04 pmWe absolutely LOVE these! Such a great snack or healthy breakfast on the go. Thank you!
Jenn S. says
11/21/2016 at 8:24 amThank you so much, Sam! I happy to hear you love them. Thanks for stopping by to let me know. Have a great week and Happy Thanksgiving!
Michele says
10/23/2016 at 6:26 pmI just found your website yesterday and made these and the Butternut mac and cheese today. I really liked both. For these, I actually liked the batter more than the finished product. Mine were more like cake brownies when I wanted more like fudgy brownies. I did not make any substitutions. Should I try more chickpeas next time to make them more moist?
Jenn S. says
10/24/2016 at 8:20 amHi, Michelle. Thanks! I’m glad you liked them both. These blondies should definitely not have been cakey and I’ve never had anyone say that they turned out that way, so I’m not really sure what might have happened. Are you at high altitude by chance? I know that makes a difference in moisture content. You could try leaving out the oats next time and see if that helps. Thanks again for stopping by!
Michele says
10/24/2016 at 6:13 pmI’m not at high altitude. I did use dried beans that I had cooked in the pressure cooker. I put chickpeas in my salad every day so I like them a little firm. Maybe they weren’t soft enough for this recipe.
Jenn S. says
10/24/2016 at 7:03 pmAhhh, that could definitely be the issue. I hadn’t though of that actually, but yes, beans cooked from scratch tend to be much drier. I will have to trial a batch from dried beans and see how to make them moist. I’ll let you know what I find out!
Michele says
10/24/2016 at 7:17 pmGreat thank you