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!
[Tweet “#vegan #Cinnamon #Blondies w/ a surprise ingredient! #glutenfree #chickpeas #recipe #dessert”]
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 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
this 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!
Hi, 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!
Thank 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
Oh 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! 🙂
These look lovely but what could I use instead of oats as I cannot tolerate them, not even gluten free ones. Thanks
You 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!
i’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?
Hi, 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!!
We absolutely LOVE these! Such a great snack or healthy breakfast on the go. Thank you!
Thank 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!
I 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?
Hi, 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!
I’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.
Ahhh, 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!
Great thank you
What could you replace chickpeas with – if you have an allergy? White beans?
Hi, Charlotte. I haven’t tried them with any substitutions. You can try white beans, but they are much softer than chickpeas. Just know that they might not hold up quite as well. Let me know how they turn out.
Yum, yum, YUM! I made these twice last weekend and as soon as I hit ‘post’ I’m going to make another batch.
For those interested in substitutions, I didn’t have cashew butter, so I made the first batch with peanut butter, plus I subbed applesauce for half of the peanut butter and half of the maple syrup. They were moist and delicious but I could taste the peanut butter (which I love, but I would have liked more of the cinnamon to come through) and they didn’t quite look as lovely as these pics, so of course, I had to try them again. The second batch I used almond butter and made no applesauce substitutions. I couldn’t taste almonds and the cinnamon was more pronounced, which was great. I also didn’t notice any difference in the moistness or texture. So for my next batch (only minutes in my future) I’ll stick with the almond butter and do the applesauce substitution (makes me feel less guilty if the whole batch falls into my mouth).
Thanks so much for these!
This is awesome!! I’ve made them with peanut butter before too, and while still delicious, not as good as with the cashew butter. I’m thinking pecan butter would also be delicious as pecans are so “buttery.” Thank you so much for your feedback, Sarah! Good to know about the applesauce…I’ll have to try that! Happy baking (and eating!!). 🙂
Cinnamon brownies blondies with chickpeas brownie
So I made ANOTHER batch yesterday (I bought two cases of canned organic chickpeas at Costco, so, you know) and thought I’d share this weekend’s substitution. I’m out of nut butter, so I used 1/2 cup of canned organic pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon. Delicious! I ate the rest for breakfast this morning, guilt free.
Oh, Sarah, I’m so glad you popped in to let me know about these subs! I actually suggested to someone who is nut-free that maybe they could try sweet potato puree, but I wasn’t sure if it would be too soft. Delighted to hear that it worked perfectly! And yay for seasonal treats! 🙂
Does it will work if I use apple sauce instead of the butter? You know, fot a fat free recipe
I’m not sure, Jim. Personally, I don’t shy away from healthy fats. These blondies definitely won’t be as rich and creamy with applesauce, but it might still hold together ok. I really can’t say for sure without trying it. Let me know if you give it a try! Thanks for stopping by!
Has anyone tried freezing these? My busy life often requires make ahead, batch cooking & freezing!
That’s a great question, Danielle. I have not tried freezing them, but I bet it would work just fine. Have you seen my Cinnamon Chickpea Truffles? They are similar in ingredients and flavor, but created specifically for the freezer. However, now that I’m thinking about it, I don’t see why you couldn’t freeze the blondies. If you give it a try, let me know how they turn out!
Yes, I freeze them and they’re fine, they don’t actually freeze solid for some reason (maybe the oil in the almond butter?) so you can even eat them straight out of the freezer. Which kind of defied the point of me putting them in there, I thought that if they were frozen I wouldn’t eat so many in one go!
Thanks for sharing this, Ali! Glad they freeze well…even if they are still super easy to grab and eat! 🙂 I actually make a truffle version of these that are supposed to be eaten straight from the freezer – they taste like cinnamon cheesecake bites!! https://www.veggieinspired.com/cinnamon-chickpea-dairy-free-truffles/
Any ideas for a sub for the oats? My son has celiac disease and can’t eat oats for the first year 🙁 They look delicious!
You can try a little brown rice flour (or an all purpose gluten free flour blend) – you probably won’t need 1/4 cup though. Start with a tbsp or two until you get a brownie batter consistency. Let me know how it turns out. 🙂
Hi,
What substitute would you recommend for the cashew butter? My husband is allergic to all nuts.
Hi, Heather. I haven’t tried it with anything else, but Sunbutter (made from sunflower seeds) or Wow Butter (made from soy) would both probably work for texture. The taste will likely be a bit different, but probably still delicious! Let me know if you try it!
Is there a way I can print this recipe? Allergic to eggs and desperate for something “baked”
Hi, Sheri. Yes! Right under the picture in the recipe section is a PRINT button. I hope you love these! Please come back and let me know how they turn out for you. 🙂 Enjoy!
I made these tonight and they are delicious! I used PB2 to reduce the calories/fat and I added white chocolate chips (which yes, would increase the calories/fat lol)
They turned out great!
Oh, great, Meghan! I’m so glad you liked them! I actually have a container of PB2 in my pantry which I used all of one time. I never think to use it. Great idea to add it here…plus the white chocolate chips – yum!
I made these yesterday. They are so good and I didn’t even use cashew butter (used peanut butter instead. I can’t wait to try them with cashew butter.
Hi, Dana! I’m so glad you loved them! I have made them with peanut butter before too. The cinnamon comes through stronger when you use cashew butter, but really good either way! Thanks for the feedback!
I tried this recipe, and I loved them! Thanks so much! Will make them again.
Thanks, Dave! So happy to hear you loved them! Have a great week!
Hi I tried to pin your recipe on Pinterest, but it keeps blocking it saying the link leads to spam. Just thought I’d let you know!
Yes, thanks, David! I have 2 messages in to them already. I have no idea what happened as I haven’t done anything differently in MONTHS! Thanks for trying to PIN though! I’m hoping it’s resolved in a few days (or sooner..fingers crossed!!).
I made a batch tonight but I had to use sunflower butter and chopped cashews, almonds and hemp seeds instead of walnuts. They turned out perfectly delicious so I think you have created a foolproof recipe! They are so easy to make! Love them!
HaHa! I was starting to get scared when I was reading all of your changes, but YAY so glad they worked!! Hemp seeds are one of my favorite things, so that sounds like an awesome sub!
Made these tonight and they are delicious! Thank you:)
Excellent! So glad you liked them. Thank you!
OBSESSED! This recipe is awesome.
HaHa! That is the most awesome feedback I’ve ever received! Thank you, Stephani! I’m so glad you liked them!!
I LOVE cinnamon. So I had to try this recipe. They were so easy to make, and really, REALLY good!
So happy you like them, Jude! Thank you!
I tried these and they are amazing this is next on my list to make!!
🙂 Thank you, Nancy! They are one of our favorites too!
Another great recipe! My husband and I really enjoyed the cinnamon flavor. They were perfectly moist too. Do you think I could reduce the sugar a tad, or did you already try that when you were developing the recipe? Also, I try not to use a lot of salt. I’ve noticed that you typically use salt in your baked goods. I am not sure what the purpose is…sorry for my ignorance.
Hey, Sara. Thank you! I’m so glad you guys liked them. The salt is to enhance the other flavors…it does make a subtle difference, but you could certainly leave it out and the recipes would work just fine. If you like things less sweet, I’m sure you could reduce the coconut sugar amount. You might even try to sub a smashed banana for all of the maple syrup – it might change the flavor a bit…not sure how much the banana flavor would come through, but as far as texture I would think it would work fine. If you happen to try it, let me know how it works out…or I might just do some experimenting this weekend!! 🙂
Hi Jenn – these look amazing and i am really looking forward to making them. just a quick question: what size can of chickpeas did you use? I have 2 sizes in my pantry and don’t know which one to use for this recipe.
Hi, Xena! Sorry, I should specify that in the recipe…thanks for pointing that out. I used a 15 oz can. I hope you enjoy! Please come back and let me know how they turn out!
Just made these and they are amazing!!! Brilliant! No dirty dishes, fast and delicious. My kids destroyed them in five minutes. Will double the batch next time. Thanks!
AWESOME!! I’m so happy to hear that, Tracie! Thank you so much for stopping by to leave this glowing review!! Makes my day!!
Thanks so much for the recipe! I substituted the maple syrup with coconut oil and used peanut butter instead – and added some brown sugar and cocoa powder, basically making them to brownies! They are so delicious! Definitely going try them as blondies some time soon 🙂
Cinnamon brownies sound awesome too!! Thanks, Michelle! So glad you liked them!
Looks delicious! I’ve never baked with chickpeas or beans but I have to try it:)
You won’t taste the chickpeas, I promise! Let me know if you try them!
I Just bumped over this post and I am drooling over this. I am allergic to gluten and chocolate and this recipe fits the bill in so many ways. I cannot wait for the weekend. Definitely doing this. I am also doing a cream for it that I also found today and sharing for those who wished for a cream: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2015/04/30/healthy-vegan-marshmallow-fluff/
I’m so glad you like it, Daryl! Please let me know once you try them. That marshmallow fluff sounds amazing!! Definitely going to check that out! Thanks!
Has anyone tried these with peanut butter? Or adding chocolate chips instead of walnuts? TIA.
Hi, Amber! I have made them with peanut butter before. They were very good, but it does change the flavor, making the cinnamon not quite as pronounced. I prefer them with the cashew butter. I also think chocolate chips would be delicious instead of or along with the walnuts, but again will change the flavor. Please let me know if you decide to try them and what you end up using!
Thanks Jen! I’m going to try with cashew butter and chocolate chips 🙂 I’ll let you know what I think. Taking them on a date so fingers crossed.
I skipped the walnuts and melted dark chocolate chips which I spread across the top of the brownies. It was amazing!
Hi, Angele! Chocolate “icing” sounds amazing! So glad you loved them. Thank you!
I just made these today. Had to substitute a few items as I didn’t have everything on hand. I used regular granulated sugar instead of coconut sugar and almond butter instead of cashew butter. They turned out really well and I’ll definitely make them again. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi, Rebecca! I’m so glad you loved them. I bet almond butter would give them a really great nutty flavor. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
Hi! AMAZING recipe…to be honest, I wasn’t completely convinced that the chickpea taste wouldn’t “shine through”…but you were right – no chickpea taste at all!
As I’m living in Abu Dhabi I tried an slightly Arabic version and substitued the maple syrup with date syrup…(a little bit more “caramel” taste) and a combination of cardamon and cinnamon…Blondie heaven! I was dreaming about some whipped coconut cream on top or sourcream icecream…
It’s a keeper! Thanks again…
Next time I’ll try to add some whipped aqua faba to the batter…
Hi, Renata! I’m so glad you liked them! It’s amazing how you can’t taste the chickpeas, right? Date syrup sounds amazing!! And probably healthier than maple syrup too! I’ve just begun experimenting with cardamom, but I love it!!
Love all your substitutions; especially the cardamon. Thanks for sharing. I want to try it with AF also. Did you ever try it with the aqua faba?
Hi, Laura. I have not personally tried it with AF, but I know someone told me awhile ago that they added it to all the other ingredients and it worked. I’m not sure how much they used and what the texture of the blondies were, but I’m sure you can play around with it and come up with gold! 🙂 It seems to be a pretty foolproof recipe! Come back and let me know if you give it a try!
yowzah — I just made these and they are amazing! Thanks so much for inspiring me to try a new recipe idea 🙂 I made these in my Thermomix, and because I was out of oats I substituted corn meal. Though I do adore oats, I also love the texture that comes with the addition cornmeal so I crossed my fingers and hoped it would work out. Also I have to say I was a tad doubtful about how these would work without even any egg in the recipe. Fantastic. (And particularly good fro diabetics like me, as cinnamon is proven to reduce blood glucose levels.) This one is a keeper!
Thanks, Helene! I’m so glad you liked them! I would never have thought to use cornmeal…I’m so glad it worked out for you. I have never heard of a Thermomix before. Just looked it up…interesting! And Yes, cinnamon is great for controlling blood sugar. I just posted an awesome Oatmeal Cinnamon Smoothie yesterday that sounds right up your alley too! Thanks for stopping by!
I made these yesterday & we all loved them! I’m allergic to oats, so I substituted quinoa flakes for the oats. They were delish; it’s a keeper!
Hi! So glad you liked them! And good to know about the quinoa flakes. I have never used those before, but I’m going to have to start!
These sound so wonderful I’m going to make them for lunch over the holiday weekend. Do you think I could use regular or raw sugar instead of buying coconut sugar?
Hi, DeAnne! Yes, you can substitute 1:1 for regular sugar. Let me know how they turn out for you! Have a great holiday!
These were delicious! I will definitely be making these regularly.
Thanks, Molly! I’m so glad to hear that! I don’t even want to tell you how many batches we’ve eaten in this house! 🙂
They’re in the oven as a type this. The batter was so good that I would eat it by the spoonful. Delicious.
Stacey, thank you for stopping by! I just made another batch today too! And, yes, the batter is finger licking good!! Can’t wait to hear how you like them when they are finished baking!
I think I’ve died and gone to heaven! These are SOOO good!!! I would highly recommend these to everyone, regardless of whether or not they are gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian- EVERYONE. That is how good they are. Also, is there a way to find out the nutrition facts? Thank you so much for this beautiful recipe!!
Kahley, I think you are my new best friend!! LOL! Thank you so much for your wonderful comment. I am thrilled that you liked them so much. I definitely strive to make food that EVERYONE will like, not just those eating a plant based diet. You just made my day! Thanks again for stopping by. Have a great rest of your week!
Oh, and I haven’t figured out the nutrition fact, but you can enter the ingredients into http://www.nutritiondata.com or, I think, http://www.myfitnesspal.com also has a place to do that.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ is free and it now has a recipe importer. You input the URL of the website where the recipe lives and myfitnesspal matches the ingredients. It’s not always perfect, but overall it’s pretty quick even if you need to tweak the ingredients a bit after import. I just imported this recipe substituting Nutzo Seven Seed and Nut Butter for the Cashew Butter (which I don’t have) and it came out to 229 calories per serving.
That’s pretty cool. Thanks!
I have just made them and they were delicious, but I must have done something wrong as they were very crumbly!!! Still fantastic, but any idea what went wrong?
Hi, Rita! I’m glad you liked them. Did you eat them hot out of the oven? They set up as they cool down. If you followed the ingredients and directions exactly, that’s the only thing I can think might have happened.
would a seed butter work to make these nut free?
Hi, Lara. Thanks for stopping by. I have not tried these with seed butter. I imagine it would work. The consistency might be a little different because of the different consistencies of all the nut/seed butters out there. But, I don’t think you would ruin it by any means. Let me know how they turn out if you try it!
Any thoughts on using almond butter instead of cashew butter? My son is allergic to cashews but these look amazing!
Hi, Liss. It will probably work. Almond butter has a pretty strong flavor, so it will change the flavor of these a little bit…not that that’s a bad thing necessarily. Peanut butter as well. For a more neutral flavor, macadamia or pecan butter would also probably work if he could have those. Let me know if you try it and how it turned out! Thanks for stopping by. Have a great week!
Can you make your own cashew butter? Do you just blend cashews until smooth?
Hi, Amy! Yes, you sure can! You have to be patient as it can take quite awhile to come to the right consistency, with lots of scraping down the bowl of the food processor…and possibly letting your food processor rest for a few minutes every so often. But, eventually, you will get beautiful creamy cashew butter by using JUST cashews! Resist the urge to add liquid even though at some point you will be thinking you need it. Just keep scraping down the bowl and processing some more. It will happen! Could take up to 30 minutes depending on your appliance. Good luck and enjoy!
Just wondering if the maple syrup/agave could be increased or maybe Apple sauce for the sugar ? I am trying to stay away from sugar.
Hi, Sheran. I actually tried this recipe several different ways before settling on this exact recipe as the best. I did try a version with all maple syrup. It was tasty, but the texture wasn’t perfect. It certainly won’t ruin it though. If you try it, let me know how it turns out for you.
Made these tonight and my family said they were the best brownies they had ever had! My teenage boys are vegetarian athletes who won’t eat a lot of sweets, but they loved this ingredient list and ate them right up. Sadly, not a crumb remains!
Nandy, thank you so much for your comment! It makes my day when readers make my recipes and share their pictures and comments. I LOVED your pic on Instagram! They looked amazing! And, I’m happy to hear they are teenager approved! Thank you again!
Chickpeas are the best and so versatile. These look really good Jenn! I made a pumpkin chickpea blondie last fall and they were gone in a day. I’m definitely trying your recipe because I love cinnamon. 🙂
This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Whoop! I agree! 🙂
Oooh yum! Jenn, these look absolutely delicious! I love sweet treats that have hidden protein in them. Sharing 🙂
Thanks, Vanessa! I kind of have a habit for putting beans in pretty much everything. 🙂
These looks so GOOD! They remind me of a snickerdoodle in bar form <3
Yes, Natalie! I debated calling them snickerdoodle bars or something like that, but didn’t want to compete will all that SEO traffic. 🙂 LOL!
I want to reach into my screen and grab one!!! These look superb! Can’t wait to try 🙂
LOL, Ceara! Get it, girl! Let me know if you make them!