viral chickpea blondies

vegan and gluten-free — and 1000% worth the hype
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viral chickpea blondies

A lot of recipes these days claim to taste like cookie dough. But when I tell you these viral chickpea blondies taste nothing like chickpeas and everything like cookie dough, you’ve got to believe me!

The original recipe comes from food and nutrition creator Jaclyn Savage. It went viral after her sister made them with Alix Earle on TikTok — and after reading the reviews on Jaclyn’s post (seriously, go take a look), I knew I needed to try them ASAP. Needless to say, they did not disappoint.

As a bonus: they’re vegan, gluten-free, and have a little extra protein thanks to the chickpeas.

3 tips for the best vegan blondies

There are three key factors that contribute to the cookie dough vibes — and therefore make these blondies such a hit.

  1. 1. Using a full tablespoon of vanilla extract, which makes baked goods taste sweeter and melds all the flavors.
  2. 2. Using cashew butter, which is rich and buttery and has a more neutral flavor than other nut butters. With that said, peanut butter or almond butter will absolutely work here.
  3. 3. Refrigerating the blondies as soon as they come out of the oven and letting them chill there overnight, which makes them dense and fudgy when sliced.
  4. For the cleanest slices, use a plastic knife — a tip I picked up at Kitchn.

see it in action…

viral chickpea blondies

makes 9 blondies
hand placing viral chickpea blondies in a stack on a dark plate

Ingredients

  • 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and patted very dry with paper towels
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup cashew butter (grind it yourself in the store for a cheaper option than a jar). alternatively, use peanut or almond butter.
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/3 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling on top (Hu gems are great if you want to keep it vegan)
  • flaky sea salt, for topping (optional)

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8” square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, line with a parchment paper sling, then grease the parchment.
  • Add the chickpeas, maple syrup, cashew butter, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a food processor or high-speed blender. Process, scraping down the bottom and sides as necessary, until smooth. Add the flour and process until combined.
  • Add the chocolate chips and process once or twice until evenly dispersed. (Alternatively, transfer the batter to a bowl and stir them in. I’m just trying to spare you a dirty dish!)
  • Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with a few more chocolate chips, if desired.
  • Bake until the edges are golden-brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with flaky salt and let cool just long enough for the pan to not be piping hot. Transfer to the refrigerator for at least one hour but ideally overnight.
  • Slice into 9 squares (or 16 squares, for smaller blondies) with a plastic knife for the cleanest cuts (these are meant to be fudgy!). Store leftovers in the fridge.
Inspired by Jaclyn Savage, RDN

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    • Thanks so much! Yes, I’m hoping to eventually add nutrition info to the site. In the meantime, I recommend MyFitnessPal. It’s what I personally use to track my protein intake and find I find it very user-friendly.