Flourless Peanut Butter Chickpea Brownies (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
This website uses affiliate links which may earn commission for purchases made at no additional cost to you.
Fudgy. Chocolatey. Peanut Buttery. Some of my favorite words…I wrapped them all up into these Peanut Butter Chickpea Brownies. Let’s dig in!
*This post was originally published on February 3, 2022 and updated on October 13, 2023.
Alternative Desserts and My Husband’s Distaste for Them
I experiment with “alternative” desserts (as my husband likes to call them) all the time. I have a big sweet tooth, but I know that heavily processed desserts don’t make me feel good and are obviously not good for me or my family. I love creating sweet treats that I feel okay about eating and I get even more excited when I feel okay about my kids eating them.
Recently, my husband took a bite from one of my “alternative” dessert creations and stated that he just really does not like these types of desserts. I swallowed my pride and thought, “Well good. More for me.” He explained that he anticipates a dessert to actually taste like dessert…aka. very sweet and rich.
When I made these Peanut Butter Chickpea Brownies, I didn’t ask my husband to try them or even tell him that I made them…I mean, he said he doesn’t like my alternative desserts after all. I merely left them out on the counter with indifference.
And then, something unexpected happened.
While I was in the other room, my husband went into the kitchen, saw my brownies sitting there, and decided to take a bite.
All of the sudden, I heard my husband’s voice proclaiming his love for my brownies. I rushed into the kitchen, doubting whether I heard him correctly. I saw my husband hovering over the brownie dish, his mouth filled with brownie, “Now, this is what I’m talking about! These are actually sweet and I can’t taste the chickpeas.”
I did it! I created an “alternative” dessert that had won Drew’s approval!
A Dessert You Can (Mostly) Feel Good About
If you’re going to make a dessert for your family, you can feel mostly good about this one. It still has sugar in it – don’t get me wrong – but it has less than regular brownies. You can omit or reduce the amount of chocolate chips if you want to reduce the sugar. You could also try reducing the amount of maple syrup to 1/3 cup instead of 1/2 cup.
Recipe Highlights
Easy to make. Put everything in the food processor (except for chocolate chips) and blend!
Flour-free. This recipe is both flour-free and gluten-free.
High in protein and fiber. Chickpeas add protein and fiber to these brownies!
Vegan. No eggs or dairy are used in this recipe!
How to Make Chickpea Brownies
STEP 1 – Pulse chickpeas
Pulse the chickpeas in a food processor or high-speed blender a few times.
STEP 2 – Blend the remaining ingredients
Add the remaining ingredients except for the chocolate chips and blend until smooth. Now add the chocolate chips and either pulse a few times or hand mix them in.
STEP 3 – Bake
Transfer batter to a greased 8×8 baking dish and bake in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 17 minutes.
This is a great recipe to involve your kids in – they can even try the batter and you don’t have to worry since there’s no raw egg in it!
How to Store
Store in an air-tight container on the counter for 2-3 days or store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You may want to heat the brownies up slightly before enjoying them!
Can I Make These Nut-Free?
Yes! Simply swap the peanut butter out with a nut-free butter, like sunflower seed butter. If using sunflower seed butter, omit the baking soda because it will turn the brownies green!
More Yummy Treats!
Vegan Thumbprint Cookies With Raspberry Chia Jam
Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you tried these Peanut Butter Chickpea Brownies or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for even more deliciousness!
Peanut Butter Chickpea Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas
- ½ cup peanut butter, (creamy and salted – if not using salted peanut butter, add ¼ teaspoon salt to the brownie batter)
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup maple syrup, (you can reduce this to ⅓ cup if desired)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Vegetable oil spray
- ½ cup chocolate chips , + more for topping if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with vegetable oil spray (I use coconut oil spray) and set aside.
- In a food processor or high-speed blender, pulse the chickpeas a few times.
- Add the remaining ingredients (except for chocolate chips) and blend until smooth.
- Add the chocolate chips and pulse a few times just to mix them in (or you can do this by hand).
- Pour the brownie batter into the baking dish and smooth it out. (Optional) Top with chocolate chips if you would like!
- Bake for 17 minutes. The edges should look dry and firm, while the middle should still look slightly underbaked. If you want more of a cake-like consistency, cook a few minutes longer.