Vegan Nutty Chickpea Blondies
Chickpea blondies you say? Here we go again, hiding nutritious morsels in food. This time yes, it's the humble chickpea (full of protein and folate), but you'll also find fibre-rich, digestion-loving flax and heart healthy fats (from the nuts and oils) jammed in there too.
This blondies recipe calls for a can of chickpeas. Whilst we generally suggest using fresh ingredients as far and wide as possible, this is an occasion where the consistency of the canned chickpea simply suits the recipe. Just be sure to rinse your chickpeas well under cold running water prior to use. This will cut the sodium content by almost half. I am told that rinsing also makes the chickpeas easier to digest and less gas producing (a pertinent point ;-) ).
I'd also like to suggest looking for BPA free cans when purchasing your chickpeas.
Makes 12
For the blondie:
1 x 400g can chickpeas, rinsed well and drained
1/2 cup peanut or almond butter
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons ground flax
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
For the chocolate topping:
1/2 cup cacao butter, melted
3 heaped tablespoons cacao powder
2 tablespoons maple syrup, warmed to be runny
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Preheat the oven to 180c. Line a loaf tin with baking paper.
Place all blondie ingredients into a food processor and combine until smooth. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared loaf tin. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. The blondies will be moist! Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in the loaf tin on a wire rack.
To make the chocolate topping, combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Pour the chocolate over the blondie while still in the tin. Place in the fridge to set for one hour minimum.
Remove from fridge, lift out of loaf tin and use a warm knife to slice the blondie into squares.
Blondies are best kept stored in an airtight container in the fridge and will store for a couple of weeks. The chocolate topping has a fudgey consistency that needs to be kept chilled.
Have a hankering for more chocolate recipes? We have many! Find 16 of our best chocolate recipes, all in the one post right here. And don't forget to let me know what you think of this recipe please - any and all feedback appreciated. Thanks folks.
