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.
Gillian says
Nice brownies! Have made them a couples times now.
Used up some cashew butter (not my fave flavor nut butter) and still tasted great combined with the other ingredients.
Thanks Erin for the simple and tasty recipe.
Erin says
Hi Gillian, I am so happy you enjoyed them so much! Thanks for your support! 🙂
Lauren says
These are far and away the best brownies I have ever had. I had to hold myself back from finishing the entire batch. Thank you!!
Erin says
Hi Lauren, so glad you liked them so much! 🙂
Katie says
Hi! I made these and was just wondering, is the brownie batter supposed to be like a thick creamy almost cookie dough consistency or more liquidy like box mix brownie batter? Mine turned out like a thick creamy paste kind of. Did I do it wrong? Haven’t tried them yet they’re still cooling but they smell good!
Thanks!
Erin says
Hi Katie, it should be thick! If it's too thick like you can't spread it, then add more oil! Let me know how they came out!
Teal says
OMG! These are SOOO good. Thank you so much for giving me a healthy alternative for my daily chocolate fix. I loved them!! Super fudgy and delicious!
Erin says
Hi Teal, I am so glad you love them!
Gina Benson says
How do you think these would turn out if I used 1/2 dates I stead of maple syrup?? And maybe added a banana as well??
Erin says
Hi Gina, I haven't tried it but it should be okay! Let me know if you do and how they come out! 🙂
Margarita says
These are the best brownies. My son thankfully eats most so I don’t. I added 1-2 tbs of almond milk to make them a little smoother. Excellent!
Erin says
Hi Margarita, I am so happy you both enjoyed them! 🙂
brynna says
AMAZING! You cannot even tell that there is any chickpeas... taste like a regular brownie but with more fudge and 100 times better!!
Erin says
Hi Brynna, so happy you enjoyed them!!
Laura Tuccitto says
Hi there! I've been making these brownies for months and I LOVE THEM as is! But I just started following the Starch Solution diet so now the almond flour and nut butter are off limits for me. Any suggestions for substitutions for those 2 items so I can keep these brownies in my life? Please say yes!! Thanks so much!
Erin says
Hi Laura, so happy you love them so much!! For the flour, you can use any flour you'd like- just check the ratio since not all are 1:1. For the nut butter sub, you can use tahini, coconut butter or sunflower seed butter. I haven't tried them with this recipe but let me know how they come out!
Laura Tuccitto says
Ok, so I swapped the almond flour with oat flour (1:1 I'm not sure if it's supposed to be a 1:1 though because I couldn't find anything consistent on Google), the nut butter with apple sauce since I am avoiding fats right now and the coconut oil with 1 tbsp of aquafaba. I baked for the recommended time but they still felt really soft so I popped them back in for 5 more minutes. They just cooled and I tried one and they have the consistency of like a mousse or soft fudge but still taste delicious! I'm not sure if I needed to add more oat flour to firm them up or bake longer but I loved them just how they were. They feel very indulgent now. Do you happen to know the conversion rate of almond flour to oat flour? I may try more oat flour next time to firm them up a bit... Or I may just keep making them this way because I really do like it. Thanks for a great recipe!!
Jenny says
These were so tasty! Very fudgy and rich but since they're made with lots of whole ingredients, they didn't feel as heavy as regular boxed brownies. I did melt the chocolate chips in the batter and used butter instead of coconut oil (mine had gone bad). Both changes worked well, but I am sure following the recipe to the T would've been just as great.
Erin says
Hi Jenny, I am so glad you liked them and made them your own!
Avriel says
so good and fudgy! next time for sure i’ll bake in a loaf pan for more of thickness.
Erin says
Hi Avriel, I am so happy you liked them!
Lydia says
These were amazing! Thank you!
Erin says
Hi Lydia, glad you enjoyed them!!
Vicki says
Erin-
These are our favorite brownies!
They’re fudgy and rich- just what I’m looking for in a brownie.
Phenomenal recipe. Thanks for sharing!!
Erin says
Hi Vicki, I am so glad you like them!!
Sarah says
These are soooo good! SOO much better than processed brownies, so fudgey and delicious.
Erin says
Hi Sarah, so glad you enjoyed them!!
Brittany says
I baked at the right temp, in a 8x8 and for 23minutes and they didn’t cook all the way through. I did use a glass dish and not metal. Could that be why?
Erin says
Hi Brittany, yes, glass dishes do not get as hot as metal. You would need to cook for longer.
Anna says
These brownies are the best vegan dessert I've ever tried!
I was so surprised at how moist the brownies were thanks to the chickpeas. I didn't have chocolate chips, so I just used cocoa powder, and it masked up the taste of the chickpeas completely. Only the beautiful fudgy texture remained!
For optional add-ins I used walnuts and raisins, which added a delicious crunch and chewy texture.
Not only do these brownies taste great, but they are also super healthy. They only have 1/2 a cup of flour, which is amazing! In addition, they are sugar-free! The chickpeas and peanut butter are great sources of plant-based protein.
Thank you Erin for this recipe!
Erin says
Hi Anna, thank you for sharing! I am so happy you loved them and made them your own! 🙂
Dee says
These are delicious! They don’t taste like typical brownies - they have a fudgey/brownie batter/chocolate hummus texture, which luckily I love!! Note that the chocolate chips are essential - they melt into the batter and add texture and flavor. I considered omitting them but I’m SO glad I didn’t - you can’t tell where the chocolate chip ends and the batter starts... that’s how rich these brownies are! I froze the whole batch and the reheat beautifully in the microwave. Note I did make a change, so take my review with a grain of salt. I tasted the batter and wanted more dark chocolate flavor, so I added 2 heaped tbs extra cocoa powder and compensated with 2 tbs almond milk. This change was perfect for me as a bitter chocolate lover, but most people would probably prefer the original!
Erin says
Hi Dee, thanks for your kind words! I am so glad you liked them and great idea freezing! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Kim says
This just came out of the oven and all I gotta say is WOW. I’ve never baked with chickpeas before and I am absolutely boggled that this delicious, chocolatey, not too sweet goodness is made out of chickpeas!!!! I’m literally mind blown lol Thank you so much for sharing! This is a keeper for sure!!!
Erin says
Hi Kim, ah I am so happy you enjoyed them! 🙂
Juli Klopfenstein says
Loved this recipe!!! I used 1/3 cup maple syrup and double Dutch dark cocoa powder. So yummy!! Thanks for the recipe!!
Erin says
Hi Juli, thanks for sharing! 🙂
Danielle says
Made these today. They are awesome. Can’t even taste the chickpeas! I added espresso powder for some extra flavor.
Erin says
Hi Danielle, I am so glad you like them!!
Kristen | Good and Guilty Vegan says
These were yum!!!! I did 1/2 the amount of maple syrup and they were perfect :). I've tried different chickpea brownies before but these ones for me had the best flavor!
Erin says
Hi Kristen, I am so happy you enjoyed them! 🙂