Step aside, boxed mix, because Chickpea Brownies are in town! These gluten- and dairy-free brownies are the perfect vegan treat. They're a healthy alternative to regular brownies and are so quick to make!
Watch this video to see how I make chickpea brownies!
The most delicious vegan homemade brownies
If you're an avid baker I'm sure you've tried your hand at Internet trends like black bean brownies, sweet potato brownies, or even avocado brownies. But have you tried chickpea brownies?
In my opinion, these are the best of the alternative brownie options. They're filled with ooey gooey deliciousness and are so easy to make. Plus, they're perfect for customizing with your favorite toppings. After making my signature chickpea blondies, I knew I had to make a chocolate version!
For me, a daily sweet treat is a must, so I love to keep something chocolate in my pantry at all times. When I realized I could make these just a little bit fudgier and a little bit more chocolate-y, I was in.
Along with my favorite cake, cookies, and muffins, chickpea brownies are on a very frequent rotation in my kitchen.
Ingredients used in this brownie recipe
For this recipe we're sticking to gluten-free, vegan ingredients while also keeping things as natural as possible. Along with the chickpeas we'll be using a blend of nut butter, almond flour, and of course lots of chocolate chips!
- Chickpeas
- Nut butter (I like almond or peanut)
- Maple syrup
- Coconut oil
- Vanilla
- Almond flour
- Cocoa powder
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Chocolate chips
Kitchen tools that you'll need
This recipe is a quite simple one. You'll need only a handful of tools including a food processor (or blender), a spatula, and a baking dish. That's it!
For measuring ingredients, you'll need these sizes: ¼ tsp, 1 tsp, 1 tbsp, ¼ cup, and ½ cup.
How to make brownies with chickpeas
Chickpea brownies are so simple to whip together! Everything just needs to be mixed, and then you toss the batter in the oven for a little over 20 minutes. If you don't have a food processor, you can use a blender.
First, preheat the oven to 350F.
In a food processor, blend the chickpeas, nut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla.
Once blended, add the almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Continue to process, scraping down the sides as necessary until smooth.
Once creamy and smooth, take off the lid (I also remove the blade) and stir in the chocolate chips. Do not process.
Next, pour the batter into a greased 8x8 pan and sprinkle the top with extra chocolate chips.
Bake for 21-23 minutes, and tada! Your brownies are ready to devour.
Tip: If you'd like, you can bake these in a loaf pan for extra thick brownies. This method will require about 30-35 minutes in the oven.
Tasty add-on options
There are few recipes as versatile as brownies. No matter how they're made, whether it's with a box mix or from scratch, brownies can be transformed into anything you'd like. Here are some of the ways that I like to make my brownies extra special.
- Switch up the chips: In addition to chocolate (or instead of), you can add white chocolate, peanut butter, or even butterscotch chips.
- Sprinkles: Add your favorite type of sprinkles for a touch of color!
- Fruit: Like a little fruit with your chocolate? Any type of berry, especially strawberries and blueberries, would taste great in these brownies.
- Pretzels: Salty and sweet go together like peanut butter and jelly! Add crushed pretzels to the top of your brownies for the perfect flavor.
- Oreos: Love Oreos? Mash 'em up and sprinkle them on top! And yes, your brownies will still be vegan!
- Candy: Add your favorite candies like M&Ms or KitKats!
- Drizzle: Finally, take your presentation up a notch by coating your brownies with a tasty chocolate, peanut butter, or caramel drizzle.
Bonus: Serve up warm alongside your favorite vanilla ice cream for an extra satisfying treat!
Optional substitutions
You know how it goes. You read through a recipe, feel a craving coming on, and immediately head to your kitchen to give it a go, only to discover that you're missing a key ingredient!
Well, in the case of these brownies, there are a number of swaps that will work. So before you head to the store, check this list for substitution options!
- Nut butter: I mentioned that I like to use almond or peanut butter, but any nut butter will work!
- Maple syrup: In place of maple syrup you can use molasses or honey. Start with a smaller measurement and add more as needed.
- Coconut oil: Missing coconut oil? That's okay! You can use any similar baking oil.
- Cocoa powder: It may sound obvious, but you can actually use chocolate in place of cocoa powder. You'll want to use 1 ⅓ ounces of unsweetened chocolate for this recipe.
A healthier brownie treat
I always aim to make recipes as whole and healthy as possible, which is why I used a number of ingredient alternatives in these brownies.
First up, I used chickpeas! This ingredient serves as the base of this recipe and is a great way to fill the brownies with protein. They contribute to the texture and fudginess too. Plus, it tastes great.
I used coconut oil rather than vegetable or canola oil because it has a better nutritional makeup and is a slightly healthier option.
Next, I used almond flour in place of white all-purpose flour because it provides more nutrients and works so well in baked goods.
Finally, I used maple syrup to sweeten this recipe because it's an all-natural option that tastes fantastic and doesn't add any harsh chemicals or preservatives to the recipe!
How to store chickpea brownies
These chickpea treats can be kept in either the refrigerator or at room temperature. Just place them in a securely sealed container to prevent air from drying them out.
More chocolate desserts to ease your sweet tooth
There's more chocolate where these brownies came from! And lots of it, to be honest. Here are some more of my favorite sweet recipes that do wonders for smashing those cravings!
- Healthy Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
- Walnut Stuffed Chocolate Covered Dates
- Healthy Chocolate Granola Recipe
- Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes (Gluten-Free)
Chocolate Chickpea Brownies
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a food processor, blend chickpeas, nut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla,
- Once blended, add in almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Continue to process, scraping down sides as necessary until smooth.
- Once creamy and smooth, take off lid (I also remove blade) and stir in chocolate chips.
- Do not process the chips.
- Pour into greased 8x8 pan and sprinkle with extra chocolate chips if desired. ** see note for extra thickness
- Bake for 21-23 minutes.
Annie says
Absolutely Amazing! I love your blueberry muffins as well. You are awesome Erin Lives Whole!
Erin says
Hi Annie, I am so glad you enjoyed both of them! 🙂
Lirca Indiana King says
Oh my god ,thankyou so much i made this me and kids love it they would not imagine this is made with cheakpeas
Erin says
Hi Lirca, I am so happy everyone enjoyed them! 🙂
Jessica says
I’m not vegan or gluten free, however I have gestational diabetes and was looking for something lower sugar and lower carb with higher protein and fiber that would satisfy my brownie cravings but not spike my blood sugar. My only substitution was using 1/4 cup of honey instead of the maple syrup (lower in sugar) and I added a few tablespoons of water to make up for the moisture. They came out absolutely perfectly chocolatey and fudgey and had I not known any better I’d never know they were gluten free or vegan (Which I guess I canceled out the vegan part by using honey technically). Absolutely amazing!
I did have a question though - have you ever tried this recipe but instead putting the mix in mini muffin tins or making them cookies instead ? Would totally be insterested in how that turned out
Erin says
Hi Jessica, thank you for sharing! I am so glad you enjoyed them so much and made them your own with honey. 🙂 I haven't made them in a muffin tin or as cookies, but feel free to give it a try and just watch/check with a toothpick for when they're cooked all the way since the baking time will vary. Let me know how they come out!!
Amanda Michel says
These brownies are easy to make and delicious! However, the nutritional information needs to be recalculated. Each brownie has 232 calories, 13 grams of fat, 24.1 grams of carbs and 5.5 grams of protein.
Erin says
Hi Amanda, I am so glad you liked them. Thanks for your comment. I’ve come to learn that every nutrition calculator may be different and while yours may say one thing, mine may say the other. I will double check it again, thanks!
Lynn says
I've made these tons of times and everyone always loves them! My (non-vegan) neighbors asked me to make them for their Christmas cookie party. Today, I'm trying them in cookie form. Fingers crossed!
Panagiota says
How much chickpea flour instead of boiled chickeas would you recommend using?
Erin says
Hi Panagiota, I wouldn't recommend it. You need the texture from the chickpeas!
Panagiota says
ok thank you 🙂
Erin says
You're welcome!
Virginia says
Hi Erin, do you drain and rinse the chickpeas or do you just use the whole can as is?
Erin says
Hi Virginia, I always drain and rinse the chickpeas. Let me know how your brownies come out!
Karin says
Made this today, tested on my twin 6 year old grandkids. They LOVED them!!
You do need to use dairy free chocolate chips in order for these to be "dairy free". Otherwise, allergic reaction or dietary restriction could be bad.
This recipe is a keeper.
Erin says
Hi Karin, thank you for letting me know. I am so happy everyone enjoyed the brownies!! 🙂
Visnja says
I am absolutely obsessed with these brownies! I've made them 5 times in the last 2 months. Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I put walnuts instead of chocolate chips sometimes. They are always delicious, and taste just like the real thing.
Erin says
Hi Visnja, thank you so much for your kind words! I am so happy you love the brownies so much and walnuts are such a great choice!
Shelby says
I make this all the time.
Erin says
Hi Shelby, I am so happy you love the brownies!!
Catherine henney says
This is the first vegan brownie I have made and the smell is wonderful, I cannot believe how easy it was to make. I am hoping there is enough left for my nephew who is vegan lol 😂 as I cannot wait to eat it
Erin says
Hi Catherine, I am so happy you made and enjoyed them!! Thanks so much for your support!
Victoria Blume says
These are straight up amazing! My kids are little sleuths when it comes to picking up on "healthy" desserts. They can sniff out anything and all three loved these brownies. I subbed organic peanut butter powder and sprinkeled sea salt on top of the batter, before baking.
Emily says
I love these!! I sub 3:1 almond:coconut flour (bc it’s cheaper) and tastes so delicious! I am too addicted!! I don’t even think it’s healthy anymore for how much I eat it haha
Justin says
I love fudge and I love brownies and this was the perfect recipe to satisfy those cravings. I think next time I may use a tablespoon or two of cashew milk so I don’t kill my wife’s blender. Thank you for the recipe!!
Erin says
Hi Justin, so happy you love the brownies. 🙂
Jess says
Made these last week and they were SO good. My family had no idea and thought they were traditional brownies. They were so moist and I love that they are grain and sugar free! No guilt eating these 🙂
Erin says
Hi Jess, thank you so much for the kind words and so happy you and your family loved them!!
Jen says
I’ve made these twice now and I love them! I have a huge sweet tooth so having something chocolatey and satisfying on hand that doesn’t make me feel gross (or pack on the lbs!) is a good system lol. I like adding walnut and pecan pieces too
Erin says
Hi Jen, so happy you've made them a couple of times already! I always like my sweets too and love you adding your own touch with nuts! 🙂
Alison says
I can’t remember if I’ve reviewed these before but I’ve made these a dozen times and they’re the best brownies ever! My family and I love them! 💖 After having these I can’t understand why someone would make traditional brownies! These are better 😊
Erin says
Hi Alison, thank you so much for your kind words! I am so happy you and your family love them. 🙂
Mary says
Amazing!
Me and my non-vegan family loooved these brownies! My sister-in-law said they are perfect!
Erin says
Hi Mary! I'm so happy you and your family enjoyed the brownies! 🙂
Tayla says
Thank you for a lovely recipe! I made them with honey (only used about a 1/4 cup), almond butter, canola oil, and instead of almond flour I used ground up oats. They were delicious at room temp or warmed up with some ice cream!
Erin says
Hi Tayla, thank you for the kind words and so happy you loved them and made them your own! 🙂
Amy says
We have made these twice and they are so good. My kids love them. I prefer them with almond butter but when we used the peanut butter they tasted like Reece’s. So yummy. Thanks for sharing.
Erin says
Hi Amy! I am so happy you and your kids enjoy the brownies and made them your own! 🙂
Jose says
Hey! Could I substitute almond flour for quinoa flour?
Erin says
Hi Jose! I haven't tried it with quinoa flour but feel free to try it! Before you bake be sure to check the ratio of whatever flour you choose because most aren't 1:1. Let me know how it goes!