Espresso Vanilla Bean Chickpea Blondies Recipe

This legume-filled sweet treat has a hint of coffee flavor and flecks of vanilla bean.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1½ cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
⅓ cup creamy no-stir peanut butter
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
¼ cup quick oats
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch flaky salt for topping (optional)

Directions

Before you begin: Wash your hands. 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Prepare an 8½-by-4½-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Add chickpeas, peanut butter, brown sugar, vanilla bean paste, espresso powder, oats, flaxseed, baking soda, baking powder and salt to a food processor and blend until thoroughly combined and smooth, scraping sides one to two times during processing. Transfer batter to loaf pan and smooth top with spatula. Bake for 30 minutes, or until top is set.
3. Allow blondies to cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes. Lift parchment paper, transfer blondies to cutting board and cool for 15 minutes. Use a knife to cut into eight squares. Store leftover squares in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Information

Serves 8
Serving Size: 1 blondie (63 grams)

Calories: 186; Total Fat: 7g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 362mg; Carbohydrate: 26g; Fiber: 3g; Sugar: 15g; Protein: 6g; Potassium: N/A; Phosphorus: N/A.

This recipe originally appeared in Food & Nutrition Magazine^®, published by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.