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Moist, tender, and fudgy flourless blondies with a crackly top. Gluten free and vegan, but so delicious no one will ever know. These Cinnamon Chickpea Blondies will become your new favorite treat!
These Cinnamon Chickpea Blondies are our go-to treat! They are moist and tender in the center with just a bit of a crackly crust on top. Perfectly sweet, healthier than your average blonde brownie recipe, and made from pantry staples. They’re so easy and, oh, so delectable!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
While these flourless chickpea blondies do contain a good amount of sugar, it’s the unrefined kind, and they’re also packed with protein, fiber, folate and iron thanks to the chickpeas, peanut butter, and oats. You don’t have to feel guilty about indulging your sweet tooth.
Bonus: they are dairy free, gluten-free and oil-free, too! Basically, you need to devour these dreamy vegan blondies immediately!
Chickpeas ~ It’s no secret that my “secret” ingredient in these Cinnamon Chickpea Blondies is chickpeas! I super swear promise you will not taste them! Trust me! But they do provide that great fudgy texture!
Oats ~ Old fashioned rolled oats give some structure to these fudgy blondies. You can sub oat flour, all-purpose flour, or a gluten free flour blend if you prefer.
Many readers have left them out with great success.
Cashew butter ~ Nut butter gives this blondie recipe some fat to make it extra indulgent. It also helps everything stick together. Cashew butter is nice and thick and has a natural sweetness, but not an overpowering flavor, which allows the cinnamon to really shine.
Any nut butter will do in a pinch. The flavor will change slightly depending on the nut butter used, but will still be delicious.
For a nut-free option, use sunflower seed butter.
Sweetener ~ Coconut sugar and pure maple syrup bring a delicious caramel-like flavor that complements the cinnamon so well.
If you don’t have coconut sugar, brown sugar may be used instead. If you don’t have either of those, cane sugar can be used, as well.
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.
Technically, you could leave it out if you don’t love cinnamon, but that just seems wrong.
If you’re a chocolate chip lover instead, try these gluten free blondies!
More recipes featuring cinnamon
- Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Chickpeas
- Maple Pecan Cinnamon Scones
- Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
- Vegan Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- Spiked Hot Cocoa with Cinnamon
How to make the recipe
Please scroll down to the recipe card for exact ingredient measurements and instructions.
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.
After that, just spread the batter in a prepared 8 x 8 pan and bake!
Storage/Freezing
My kids and I inhale these vegan blondies usually in a day!
Counter: If you have leftovers, keep them in an airtight container on the counter for 1-2 days.
Fridge: After that, storing them in the fridge would be best.
Freezer: You can even freeze these yummy blondie bars. The easiest way is to cut them into squares and then lay them in one even layer on a baking sheet or large plate in the freezer. Once the bars are frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe zip-top plastic bag or container.
FAQs
Not much actually. They are more similar than they are different. They are both soft dessert bars. The main difference is that brownies contain chocolate and blondies don’t.
Both brownies and blondies can have many variations and flavors.
Typically, a high fat to flour ratio will make brownies fudgy. In this case we are adding some healthy fat with the cashew butter, but it’s ditching the flour altogether and blending the low-fat chickpeas until smooth that really makes these blondies fudgy.
You’ll know the chickpea blondies are done when the top starts to crackle and the sides start to pull away from the pan. A toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean.
More vegan dessert bar recipes
- Vegan Pumpkin Bars
- Fudgy Mocha Black Bean Brownies
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
- Cranberry Oat Crumble Bars
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bars
- Classic Vegan Toffee Bars
- Triple Almond Oat Bars
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment below with your feedback.
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For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Cinnamon Chickpea Blondies
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas drained and rinsed (or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas)
- ½ cup cashew butter
- ¼ cup old fashioned rolled oats certified gluten free if desired
- ⅔ cup coconut sugar or organic brown sugar
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts optional
- Cinnamon Sugar mixture optional for garnish (equal parts of cinnamon and sugar mixed together)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Lightly spritz an 8×8 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.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture, if using.
- 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.
- Cut into equal size squares and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
ThermomixBlogger Helene says
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!
Jenn S. says
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!
shine0367 says
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!
Jenn S. says
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!
DeAnne says
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?
Jenn S. says
Hi, DeAnne! Yes, you can substitute 1:1 for regular sugar. Let me know how they turn out for you! Have a great holiday!
Molly says
These were delicious! I will definitely be making these regularly.
Jenn S. says
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! 🙂
Stacey says
They’re in the oven as a type this. The batter was so good that I would eat it by the spoonful. Delicious.
Jenn S. says
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!
Kahley says
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!!
Jenn S. says
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!
Jenn S. says
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.
medinalakegirl says
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.
Jenn S. says
That’s pretty cool. Thanks!
rita barber says
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?
Jenn S. says
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.
lara says
would a seed butter work to make these nut free?
Jenn S. says
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!
Liss says
Any thoughts on using almond butter instead of cashew butter? My son is allergic to cashews but these look amazing!
Jenn S. says
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!
Amy Nammack-Weiss says
Can you make your own cashew butter? Do you just blend cashews until smooth?
Jenn S. says
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!
Sheran says
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.
Jenn S. says
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.
Nandy says
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!
Jenn S. says
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!
Linda @ Veganosity says
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. 🙂
Harmoni says
This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Jenn S. says
Whoop! I agree! 🙂
Vanessa @ VeganFamilyRecipes.com says
Oooh yum! Jenn, these look absolutely delicious! I love sweet treats that have hidden protein in them. Sharing 🙂
Jenn S. says
Thanks, Vanessa! I kind of have a habit for putting beans in pretty much everything. 🙂
Natalie says
These looks so GOOD! They remind me of a snickerdoodle in bar form <3
Jenn S. says
Yes, Natalie! I debated calling them snickerdoodle bars or something like that, but didn’t want to compete will all that SEO traffic. 🙂 LOL!
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen says
I want to reach into my screen and grab one!!! These look superb! Can’t wait to try 🙂
Jenn S. says
LOL, Ceara! Get it, girl! Let me know if you make them!