Flourless Chickpea Brownies (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Name: Flourless Chickpea Brownies (Vegan & Gluten Free)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 15.5 ounces chickpeas (1 can); ½ cup almond butter (or any nut or seed butter); ½ cup pure maple syrup; 1 tablespoon vanilla; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon sea salt; ⅓ cup cocoa powder; ¾ cup mini chocolate chocolate chips

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The BEST Flourless Chickpea Brownies are fudgy and full of delicious chocolate flavor. These protein-packed brownies are the perfect vegan, gluten-free dessert or snack for any time of the day!

Hand holding up a chickpea brownie with more in the background.

These brownies are essentially a baked version of a delicious brownie batter hummus!

Dessert hummus is exactly what you think it is! Swap all the savory elements of a traditional hummus with maple syrup, nut butter, and some vanilla extract, and you have an amazing, protein-packed dessert.

Now, take that a step further. Add cocoa powder and a generous helping of semi-sweet chocolate chips, and you have brownie batter.

Pop it in the oven, and you have a decadent, rich, chocolatey, fudgy brownie.

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.

They are sure to be your new favorite recipe for dessert (or dinner!)

Do you love chickpea brownies? You should also make chickpea cookie dough dip, chickpea cookie dough truffles, and chocolate aquafaba mousse!

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What Do Chickpea Brownies Taste Like?
Ingredients
Equipment
Make the Brownie Batter
Bake the Brownies
Top Tips
Flourless Chickpea Brownies Variations
Storage
Recipe FAQ
More Vegan Chickpea Desserts
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💬 Comments

What Do Chickpea Brownies Taste Like?

These vegan brownies are shockingly similar in taste to traditional brownies with a fudgy texture. I think the amount of maple syrup and chocolate is to thank.

Chickpeas are also a fairly neutral flavored bean and are masked by the other ingredients. If you were to make this recipe with black beans or cannellini beans, I'm not sure they would have quite the same success.

All in all, there is not a hint of bean flavor in these brownies. These brownies are sure to impress your taste buds when you try them for the first time!

Ingredients

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 liquidy and 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. 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.
Cocoa Powder is a key ingredient in providing a rich chocolatey flavor. It also binds these flourless brownies together.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda work together as the leavening agents in these brownies to keep them soft and light instead of flat. They are used somewhat sparingly to keep the brownie fudgy instead of cake-like.
Sea Salt complements the sweetness of the maple syrup.
Mini Chocolate Chips are the final touch that completes the brownies with some extra sweetness. I like to load up the inside 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!

Please refer to the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and detailed instructions.

Equipment

You must use a food processor or blender to ensure the smoothest and fudgiest brownies, with not a chunk of chickpea in sight. If these brownies go into the oven chunky or grainy, they will come out that way, too.

Don’t try to mash your chickpeas by hand, or else you might end up with something that resembles more of a chocolate chickpea chicken salad or meatloaf.

Make the Brownie Batter

Here’s a step-by-step guide to making the brownie batter with chickpeas:

Step by step guide to making chickpea brownie batter. 1. Place all wet ingredients in a wood processor. 2. Blend until a smooth batter forms. 3. Add dry ingredients. 4. Blend until batter is completely smooth.

Place chickpeas, almond butter, maple syrup, and vanilla in a food processor.
Blend for about a minute until a smooth batter has formed.
Add cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
Blend until combined. Scrape down the sides of the food processor as needed.

Bake the Brownies

Here’s how to bake your flourless, vegan brownies to perfection:

Step by step guide to baking chickpea brownies. 5. Add chocolate chips to the batter. 6. Spread into a brownie pan. 7. Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top. 8. Bake until the top is partially dried out but still springy and moist.

Add ½ cup of the chocolate chips and mix with a spoon into the batter.
Spoon the batter into an 8” x 8” brownie pan lined with a parchment paper sling.
Use a spatula to spread the brownie batter into an even layer. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips over the top.
Bake at 375°F for 22 to 26 minutes. Let the brownies sit for 30 to 35 minutes. Then, remove the brownie using the parchment paper sling and slice it into 9 pieces.

Top Tips

Wash your Chickpeas! Give your can of chickpeas a thorough rinse and remove some of the skins that fall off in the process. This is key to removing any chickpea flavor from the brownies. I’m not one to pick off the skins of each and every chickpea. It simply takes too much time. But, if you see a few fall off as you wash and dry your chickpeas, discard them.

Don’t Overbake the Brownies! Like regular brownies, overbaking will lead to a dry and crumbly brownie instead of fudgy. Test to see if they are done by touching the top of the brownie. It should be fully cooked but still feel moist instead of completely dried out. When you stick the brownie with a toothpick, it will not come out completely clean, which is okay. What’s most important is that it isn’t completely runny inside.

Let the Brownies Set! These gluten-free brownies need at least 30 minutes to rest and gel together after leaving the oven. They will fall apart if you try to cut into them right away. That is a guarantee! They will still taste great, but they will be a bit messy. Flourless chickpea brownies taste better as the day progresses because they just get fudgier and firmer.

9 flourless chickpea brownies with crumbs on a sheet of parchment paper.

Flourless Chickpea Brownies Variations

Here are a few ways to customize your chickpea chocolate brownies:

Chickpea Blondies - Leave out the cocoa powder and make simple chickpea blondies. They're like chickpea chocolate chip cookies in bar form!
Nutty Brownies - Replace the chocolate chips with chopped nuts for added crunch and flavor. Add an extra drizzle of nut butter on top and swirl it with the batter for a marbled look.
Salted Caramel Brownies - Drizzle a generous amount of salted caramel sauce over the brownie batter for a sweet and salty combination. You could even top the brownies with flaky sea salt, too.
Mint Chocolate Brownies - Add a teaspoon of peppermint extract to the batter or top the brownies with crushed candy canes for a festive holiday treat.
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.
Fruity Brownies - Mix fresh raspberries or strawberries for a fruity sweetness to balance the rich chocolate.
Espresso Brownies - Add a shot of espresso or a tablespoon of instant coffee to the batter to intensify the chocolate's richness and add a delightful depth of flavor.

Storage

Store fudgy chickpea brownies in an airtight container once they are fully cooled. If you're stacking the brownies within the container, place parchment paper between the layers to prevent the brownies from sticking together.

Store in a cool, dry space at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Mine have never lasted more than a day, though.

I have not tried freezing these brownies, but they should be able to be frozen for a couple of months. Let them thaw in the refrigerator before enjoying them.

Recipe FAQ

Can I use a 9" x 13" pan instead of 8" x 8" for brownies?

I have not tried making these brownies in a baking dish larger than 8" x 8", but essentially for a 9" x 13" pan, you would just double the recipe. The recipe card has a tool to adjust the ingredient quantities.

A loaf pan should also work but would make thicker brownies, and they may need an extra 5 to 10 minutes in the oven to bake all the way through. Or you could half the recipe!

Is it better to cut brownies hot or cold?

This goes hand in hand with letting the brownies set for 30 minutes outside the oven. Cut the brownies once they are cooled to room temperature for the best results. The inside will be perfectly set, resulting in clean, even cuts.

Stack of 3 chickpea brownies on a blue plate with more brownies in the background.

More Vegan Chickpea Desserts

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