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Gluten-Free Garbanzo Bean Blondies

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So, I saw a recipe for Garbanzo Bean Blondies on Pinterest the other day. I just happened to have all of the ingredients and found the idea so intriguing that I whipped some up after dinner last night.

My children were all confused as to why I was blending up garbanzo beans in the VitaMix. In fact, Silas (2 1/2) saw me dump them in and immediately hollered out, “Ewwww!”

But no one turned up their noses at the finished result. They were different than a typical blondie–not quite as sweet and a bit of a different texture. But they were yummy, especially for being gluten-free and fairly healthful.

Have you tried any interesting recipes recently? I’d love to hear about it!

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  1. Fiona says

    This recipe is delicious! I’ve never heard of using beans this way, but I’ll be making these again and trying other recipes including beans. I did have a little trouble blending the beans (my blender is old so it may not be powerfull enough). I followed the recipe but added a little bit more oats (I had about 1/2 cup left in the container so I used it all), and a little bit more flax seed. I had my husband try it before I told him what was in it, he really liked it, couldn’t even taste the beans. My kids loved them and still have no idea (and never will)!!!! Thanks!!

  2. jami nato says

    hey, thanks for the shout out on this!
    gluten free is getting easier and easier for us…i think we’re on to dairy free next. ugg.
    anyway, thanks. 🙂

  3. Holly says

    Did anyone’s chickpea blondies turn green and blue overnight? They taste even better now (less like chickpeas), but the middle turned a strange color. They were simply sitting in the microwave overnight, away from the cats.

  4. Shelah says

    Thanks for the recipe….keep ’em coming. 🙂

    Chickpeas definitely add some goodness to this. But BEWARE it makes a small quantity. I divided it into 12 small servings….that’s around 200cal each and 22GRAMS OF SUGAR. It IS still a “sometimes” food, to be sure.

    I tried it with half the sugar and no chocolate chips….still tastes good. (This version is 130cal with 9grams of sugar.)

  6. Karen Nelson says

    Love this blog, first of all. I was going to mentioned Chocolate Covered Katie having some good, unique recipes but I was too late on that idea. I have tried a few of her recipes for desserts and they have been a hit. Jessica Seinfeld (Jerry Seinfeld’s wife) has Deceptively Delicious and Double Delicious for books that are somewhat unique. She wrote them with the interest of getting her kids to eat more fruits/vegs. Rocco DiSpirito with Now Eat This! is another one too, like black beans in brownies and so forth.

  8. :) says

    Crystal,
    I made the homemade chocolate bars the other day found on Chocolate Covered Kaite’s website. I used the Nutiva coconut oil you always post about, some cocoa powder, and a bit of honey. WOW! They are so good. I don’t think I’ll EVER buy a chocolate bar again. You should try them. I’m so glad you had a link to her site in your menu plan, cause I’m a chocoholic, and I really am goin nuts over all the “healthy” dessert recipes!!!!
    And I’m seriously going to try adding beans to some desserts. Great idea. 🙂

  9. Christy says

    I found a recipe once for choc. chip cookies made with Chickpeas and I thought it’d be gross. We decided to make it and they were actually pretty good. To bad I lost the recipe.

  11. The Deal Mommy says

    I LOVE this idea! My cheat is not a recipe per se, but I’ve been using baby food squash instead of butter for years in my kids macaroni and cheese and no one has been the wiser.

  12. Chris says

    ooooh. i have a thing for chickpeas. in soup, roasted, salads…and now dessert! i have to try this…looks delicious. thanks for sharing!

  13. Brooke says

    Hi Crystal,

    I was wondering how you had your ‘color season’ done for your clothing, hair, etc. ?? Did you hire a color consultant?

    • Crystal says

      I used the book Color Me Beautiful and a good friend who has studied color seasons extensively helped me figure out which colors look best on me and how to determine that. Once you figure it out, it’s really easy to be able to tell instinctively whether something is your color or not.

      • Jennifer says

        I got the book from the library after you recommended it: went through all my clothes and only kept the cutest/right colors *and* I found 3 pairs of different shades of purple earrings at the Dollar General for $3 to compliment my wardrobe — I get compliments all the time, lol! It’s so much easier to shop too; I decided what colors/styles work for me and pretty much stick with that! So glad you recommended it, I think I dress about a million times better with my minimalist closet than I ever did before!

      • Brooke says

        Thanks so much, I’ll have to check out that book from my library! 😀 Your coloring always looks so good; I can tell you know your colors and styles well. ;D

  15. Becky says

    I made garbanzo bean brownies several months ago (different recipe), and I think it might have been okay if I hadn’t called them brownies. The texture was too different for hubby, who deemed them a flop. He said, though, that the primary problem was that he was expecting something similar to brownies. Sounds like I should give the recipe you posted a try and call them “a healthier treat” until he tries them and approves of them. 🙂

  16. Abigail says

    I’ve made something similar….so so so amazing! might give this one a try too. I find them to be a little thicker and heavier then cookies and cakes, which means they last longer by eating smaller portions.

  19. Toni says

    I’ve made brownies out of brownie mix and a can of black beans. It wasn’t bad. We also make the EASIEST pumpkin muffins in the world in a pinch, out of 1 box spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin. They are a huge hit at home AND when we take them anywhere.

    • Wendy says

      I’d love to try that. Do you add eggs, oil, etc… that the cake mix calls for or do you only dump the mix and canned pumpkin in the bowl.

      • Toni says

        Just the box of mix and the 14oz can of pumpkin. Nothin else (you can add 1/8 cup of water if you prefer, but it’s not at all necessary and we don’t add it.) The batter will be VERY thick. We fill 16 muffin tins 2/3 full (spray them or use muffin liners). Bake according to the baking directions on the package. Super simple, quick, and yummy!

        • Jessica says

          These have become a family and potluck favorite of ours too. I add some pumpkin pie spice to taste and they are amazing!

  21. Challice says

    OH COOL! I am trying 12 new recipes a month and we ended up not being able to do Sushi this month, I’m gonna try this for my GF family! SAWEET!

  22. Jenny says

    I just made these brownies last week, and they were very tasty AND easy to make. They’re also free of gluten, refined sugar, and dairy–perfect for the paleo diet. Careful not to overbake as they will dry out pretty quickly. They are a little less sweet than typical brownies, but the texture was amazingly close to the original version! Did I mention these are SUPER easy??

    Darn-Near-Paleo-Brownies:
    Ingredients:
    16 oz almond butter
    2 eggs
    1 cup honey
    1 tbsp pure vanilla
    1/2 cup cocoa powder
    1/2 tsp sea salt
    1 tsp baking soda
    Blend almond butter until smooth (microwave a little bit).
    Add eggs, honey and vanilla. Blend cocoa, salt, and baking soda into mixture.
    Spread mixture into greased 9 x 13 pan.
    Bake @325 for 30-40 minutes.
    Enjoy!

  27. Amy says

    Brownie mix with a can of black beans, similar concept. From my understanding, those are the only 2 ingredients.

  28. Nony (A Slob Comes Clean) says

    Such a bizarre idea, but I may have to try this! I’m allergic to chocolate so anything brownie-ish that doesn’t have chocolate is a must-try for me. (Obviously, I’ll leave out the chocolate chips!)

    • Susan says

      I have a Vita Mix and I LOVE it. Best blender out there in my opinion. They’re expensive, but an investment that’s been worth its weight in gold.

  31. Jill says

    I have tried brownies with the dry ingredients (box mix or I suppose you could make your own) and a can of drained and rinsed black beans. Puree the black beans and mix it in with the dry ingredients. Bake as usual. They are delicious and super fudgy! My husband wants to take these to a party sometime to see if anyone notices…I doubt they would 🙂

  32. Heather @ Family Friendly Frugality says

    There’s a cookie dough recipe (to eat raw) that uses garbanzo beans I think? I’ve been wanting to try that one too! I’m chicken though. I should just go for it!

    I’ve been experimenting a ton with new recipes lately! My favorite is a roasted broccoli recipe my friend gave me.

    Although I made some super yummy baked potatoes with grilled onions, steak and blue cheese tonight and they were incredible!