The best flourless chickpea brownies are fudgy and full of delicious chocolate flavor. These vegan gluten-free brownies are the perfect dessert or snack any time of day!
These brownies are essentially a baked version of a delicious brownie batter hummus made with maple syrup, almond butter, and vanilla extract.
Add a little baking soda and baking powder (as well as a generous helping of semi-sweet chocolate chips) and pop it in the oven. The result are these decadent brownies.
Using a food processor is key to making a smooth brownie batter with chickpeas. Once baked, these vegan brownies are shockingly similar in taste to traditional brownies with a fudgy texture.
Serve with a scoop of vegan ice cream and fresh strawberries for a delicious dessert. There's no way you won't come back for seconds!
Ingredient Notes
You will need these simple ingredients to make vegan chickpea brownies:
Chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans, are the main ingredient. You wouldn’t even know about this secret ingredient except for the fact that it’s in the name of the recipe!
Pure maple syrup sweetens the brownies. Other liquid sweeteners like agave nectar or date paste also work. I would not recommend swapping this for a granulated sweetener as this also helps when blending the chickpeas to make a smooth batter.
Almond butter, or any nut or seed butter, makes the brownie batter smooth and creamy. Cashew butter is quite neutral-flavored and works great as well. Tahini is classically used in hummus and is a great option if you are nut-free.
Pure vanilla extract is crucial to masking any bean flavor and complementing the chocolate.
Mini chocolate chips complete the brownies with some extra sweetness. I like to mix them into the batter and sprinkle more on top so there is a melty piece of chocolate in every bite. I opted for semi-sweet, but dark chocolate chips taste great too.
The recipe card below includes the full list of ingredients + instructions.
How to Make Chickpea Brownies
- Blend chickpeas with almond butter and maple syrup.
- Add dry ingredients and chocolate chips.
- Add to baking dish and sprinkle with more chocolate chips.
- Bake and let cool before slicing.
- Enjoy!
Chickpea Brownie Variations
Chickpea blondies are one of my favorite variations of the brownies. You simply need to leave out the cocoa powder. During fall, pumpkin chickpea blondies are extra festive and filled with pumpkin spice flavor.
Turn these into s'mores brownies! Add a layer of graham cracker crumbs to the brownie batter, and top it with vegan mini marshmallows and chocolate chunks before baking.
Additions like chopped walnuts, espresso, peppermint extract, or a drizzle of vegan caramel would also be delicious.
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Flourless Chickpea Brownies
Equipment
- food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 15.5 ounces chickpeas 1 can or 1 ½ cups
- ½ cup almond butter or any nut or seed butter
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ¾ cup mini chocolate chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and line an 8” x 8” glass pan with a parchment paper sling. Instead of parchment paper you could also spray the pan with cooking oil.
- Place 15.5 ounces chickpeas, ½ cup almond butter, ½ cup maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract in a food processor.
- Blend for about a minute until a smooth batter has formed.
- Add ⅓ cup cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon sea salt.
- Blend until combined. Scrape down the sides of the food processor as needed.
- Add 0.5 cup mini chocolate chocolate chips and mix with a spoon.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Use a spatula to spread the brownie batter into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 0.25 cup mini chocolate chocolate chips on top.
- Bake at 375°F for 22 to 26 minutes. The top of the brownies should feel baked but the inside will still be a bit soft. When you stick the brownie with a toothpick, it will not come out completely clean, which is okay.
- Let the brownies sit for 30 to 35 minutes to cool. Then, remove the brownie using the parchment paper sling and slice it into 9 pieces.
Notes
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* The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy will vary on specific ingredients and brands used.
Kimbra Wellnitz says
Everything you would expect from a Brownie!
Maggie says
Awesome! So happy you liked them Kim!
Stephanie says
What type of nut or seed butter? Is real butter or are you talking about like peanut butter? Thanks
Maggie says
Hi Stephanie, You can use peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter or any other kind of nut or seed butter. Sorry for the confusion, and I’ll make sure to update the recipe to be more clear.
Jane says
These are fantastic! Can you update the recipe to state that the chickpeas should be drained? It makes a big difference if you don't drain them.
Maggie says
Hi Jane, I am so glad you loved the recipe! Thank you for the input on draining the beans. I will update that right away!
JANE says
These brownies are fabulous, but be sure you drain the chickpeas! The recipe does not state this. You don't want the liquid.
Marjory Pilley says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks for the tip!
Tawana says
My new favorite go to brownie crave. Yummy 😋
Marjory Pilley says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for your comment.
Donna says
Due to anaphylactic allergy to ALL nuts/seeds could the nut butter be replaced with either a vegan butter, oil or half oil & half apple sauce perhaps?
Sarah Pilley says
Hi Donna! I have not tried it myself but I think half and half of oil and applesauce would work. The nut/seed butter is there to help with blending the chickpea and to add moisture and hold them together.
Cindy says
Healthy and they hit the spot for my sweet tooth!
Cheryl says
so delicious! I did add maybe 1/4 cup brown sugar to make it extra sweet. I can't believe how good these brownies turn out
Sarah Pilley says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them Cheryl! I will have to try that!
Jodi says
Holy moly, these are OUT OF THIS WORLD. I've made them three times, and the last time made a few adjustments that worked out so well I may have gasped a little (or a lot).
I substituted applesauce for half of the almond butter, added a teaspoon of espresso powder, two scant tablespoons of brown sugar, and 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts. I inadvertently left out the sea salt, so after they were done baking, I topped them with Maldon flake salt. I refrigerated them after they cooled down.
Although these are fantastic the same day they're made, I actually prefer them the next day, when they're cold and fudgy. I have no idea if they freeze well, because there's no way they're lasting that long.
Sharlyn says
Tasty! I use almond butter and absolutely take the time to remove the skins from the chickpeas. I like it fudgy so I bake for about 23 minutes. This really does taste and hold together better if you can wait one day. Thanks for the healthy treat!
Theresa says
Surprised by how good these turned out. Very chocolaty and fudgy. My daughter liked them but said she wanted some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream to go with it to cut the richness. Will make again for sure!!
brody says
loved it!!!
Penny says
Delicious - a wonderful way to enjoy brownies! Could you please confirm whether the nutrition values are per serve or for the whole tray? Thanks!
Sarah Pilley says
Hi Penny! The nutrition is based on 1 brownie if you cut the tray into 9 pieces. So 1/9th of the tray 🙂
Janice says
Delicious!
Susan says
Hi, my husband prefers cake-like brownies. Can you tell me what I can do, if anything, to make them cakey.
Thanks
Sarah Pilley says
Hi Susan! I haven't tried this myself but perhaps if you added some flour (maybe all-purpose, oat, or almond) it would make them less fudgy and more cakey?
SB says
Is each brownie serving 393calories?
Sarah Pilley says
Hi SB! Yes the nutritional information listed is for 1 brownie (when you cut the brownies into 9 squares). You could also definitely cut these into 16 squares as the brownies are very rich.
Britt says
I made the recipe exactly as written. The were so delicious. Everyone loved them. Thanks for the recipe!
Heather says
I've been making this recipe for over a year. The only change I've made is skipping the chocolate chips. I've used almond butter, peanut butter, and sunbutter. All versions have been delicious. This is great as a healthy breakfast, a fun snack, and as the base of the best ice cream sundae. This has been life-changing for my autistic daughter. Thank you so much!
Rosalie says
I have made this a couple times now and everyone I've shared with LOVES it!
Janel says
The best.
Megan says
I have made these so many times. To save on ingredients, I like to use half honey, half maple syrup and half pb, half sunflower butter. They really are fantastic. My kids ask for them, and I find myself craving them. This is definitely the best "healthy dessert" recipe I've ever made!
Sarah Pilley says
Hi Megan! I love to hear that ☺️💗
Lindzey Divietro says
These brownies were very easy to make in my blender! I baked the in my toaster oven for about 22 min! They are chewy and the chocolate taste is delicious, I added more maple syrup as they wouldn't blend enough in my blender! They are a big win for me!
Sarah Pilley says
Thank you so much for your kind comment Lindzey 💗 That's awesome that they worked in the toaster oven too!
Wendy says
These are very fudgy when you need that extra umph to hit your chocolate requirements.
I did wrap individually in saran wrap and then put them in a freezer bag. They freeze & thaw wonderfully.
Sarah Pilley says
So happy to hear this Wendy 🥰 And that's a great idea to wrap them individually!
Danielle Filips says
I made these for my family and they couldn’t tell the difference. I’ll be making these again!
Sarah Pilley says
Yay! I'm so glad you all enjoyed 💗
Marla says
Best recipe I have made.
Sarah Pilley says
Thank you 🥹🫶