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My chickpea brownies are rich and fudgy, with a shiny, crackly top and melty pockets of semi-sweet chocolate in every square. A whole can of chickpeas gets blended with cocoa, almond butter, and sugar in the food processor, then baked into a crowd-pleasing treat!
save this recipe!I always have a can of chickpeas in the pantry, and I love putting legumes in dessert. Here they replace the flour completely, which is exactly why these became my go-to for get-togethers.
Chickpeas are drier than black beans, so this batter blends up noticeably thicker than the mixture for my fudgy black bean brownies.
Thick is what you want here. When it’s done blending, it should look and spread like classic brownie batter!
The Brownie Pan I Bring to Every Get-Together
I keep a can of chickpeas in my pantry at all times, and these are what I make with it when I want a treat for the week or a dessert everyone at a get-together can eat.
- You control the texture with the timer: pull early for fudgy, bake longer for cakey.
- Cocoa, brown sugar, and almond butter mask the chickpea flavor.
- Freezer squares go straight into the air fryer when a craving hits.
Key Ingredients
- Chickpeas: They replace the flour and give the brownies their body. Drain and rinse them well so the canning liquid doesn’t loosen the batter.
- Cocoa powder: Half a cup carries almost all the chocolate flavor before the chips go in, and it’s one of the main reasons nobody tastes chickpeas.
- Almond butter: Along with the eggs, this is what binds the batter. Peanut butter works as a swap, but it has a much stronger flavor and you’ll taste it in the finished brownie.
- Eggs: The other half of the binding team, and the reason these brownies hold together so well with no flour. If you need an egg-free brownie, make my flourless vegan sweet potato brownies instead.
- Dark brown sugar: Adds a deep, caramel-like flavor that helps cover the chickpeas and keeps the center moist and chewy.
- White sugar: Using some white sugar alongside the brown is part of what gives the top its shiny, crinkly finish.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Stir them in after blending so they stay whole and melt into pockets as the brownies bake. If you’re baking for gluten-free or dairy-free guests, check the label.
Do Chickpea Brownies Taste Like Chickpeas?
They don’t! Cocoa, dark brown sugar, and vanilla are all bold flavors, and together they completely cover the flavor of chickpeas.
My master’s in sensory science was all about how flavors interact. Stronger flavors can mask quieter ones, and a mild ingredient like chickpeas gets covered easily. If you like this trick, my brownie batter hummus takes it even further.
Serve them with
A scoop of vanilla ice cream or a handful of fresh raspberries is all a warm square needs. If the pan is headed to a get-together, these make an easy sweet ending after a savory spread like my creamy buffalo chickpea dip and a platter of my jalapeno popper chickpea pinwheels!
Chocolatey Chickpea Brownies (No Flour!)
Ingredients
- 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed, 425 g can
- ½ cup cocoa powder, 45 g
- ⅓ cup white sugar, 65 g
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar, 75 g
- ¼ cup almond butter, 65 g
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil, 60 mL
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, 5 mL
- ½ tsp each salt, baking powder, baking soda
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, 85 g
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan.
- Blend: In a food processor, combine all ingredients except chocolate chips until smooth.
- Chips: Stir in chocolate chips.
- Bake: Transfer batter to your prepared pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the edges pull away from the sides and the top is shiny and a bit crinkly. A toothpick inserted may still come out with moist crumbs.
- Serve: Allow brownies to cool before cutting.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist, and should be taken as an estimate. For the most accurate nutritional information, calculate it using the actual ingredients in your recipe.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
