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!
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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!
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:
- 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:
- 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.
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
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!
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.
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Flourless Chickpea Brownies (Vegan & Gluten Free)
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Equipment
- Food Processor or blender
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
Instructions
- 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.
- 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 (please see notes about how to check when they are done!)
- 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
- 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.
- 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. Flourless chickpea brownies taste better as the day progresses because they just get fudgier and firmer.
- 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.
This recipe has been updated with new pictures and tips. It was adapted from Maggie's recipe that was posted on March 29, 2019.
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 ☺️💗