Dark Chocolate Chickpea Brownies

These Dark Chocolate Chickpea Brownies are gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and grain-free. The recipe only requires a few pantry essentials you probably already have on-hand, and a blender! Read through the whole post and recipe to see a vegan option for these chickpea brownies.

Beans. They really are the magical fruit.

Except they aren’t a fruit, they’re a legume.

And they aren’t magical, they’re just very versatile.

I enjoy making succulent chocolate treats out of beans.

Please don’t slap me.

If you’ve been around The Roasted Root for a while, a bean-filled brownie is nothing new to you. Many moons ago, I posted Black Bean Brownies, and all the peeps went bonkers cah-ray-zee over them. Even more moons ago, I posted Garbanzo Bean Brownies, which are more like fudge, but that’s neither here nor there.

BT Dubs, “chickpea” is a fancy word for “garbanzo bean.”

Beans. Not just for burritos.

Real talk: Do these chocolate lumps of lovin’ have the flakey top and “the edge” (as I like to call it…you know, where the brownie meets the pan and makes a layer o’ crisp) the way a gluten brownie does?

No they do not. But they are still everything you want in a brownie and more. Because they’re healthy + fudgy, rich, moist, and addicting.

Before I made these brownies, I told myself I wouldn’t eat the whole batch. Riiiiiiight.

 

These low-glycemic gluten free brownies include chickpeas, raw cacao powder, coconut sugar, and just the tiniest smidge of oil. I added in coffee grinds to give depth of flavor, but if you don’t have any on hand, you can leave them out.  I also added dark chocolate chips, because: goo.

Are you wondering if these brownies taste like beans? I have the answer to that. They don’t. They taste like brownies.

Combining the health qualities of chickpeas, raw cacao powder and coconut sugar yields a brownie with benefits.

They are full of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and are low on the glycemic index, which means they won’t spike your blood sugar the way a normal brownie does. Can we make brownies with benefits?

How to Make Chickpea Brownies:

These should be called blender brownies because all you do is toss the ingredients in a blender, flip the switch, then bake your batter. You don’t even need a bowl. A no-bowl brownie is a good brownie!

Start by preheating your oven and lining an 8″ x 8″ pan with parchment paper.

Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Do note: if your blender is not a high-powered blender, you may have trouble getting the beans to blend. If this is the case, add a small amount of oil and continue to blend and scrape the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula until it all comes together. You may also use a food processor!

Once the brownie batter is ready, simply transfer it to the parchment-lined pan and smooth it into an even layer. You can top with chocolate chips or chopped nuts if you’d like.

BAKE!

Once the brownies are out of the oven, allow them to rest at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving. This allows them time to setup so that they hold together better. The longer you wait, the better they will hold together.

Can I Freeze Chickpea Brownies?:

Yes, absolutely. Wrap any leftover brownies in the parchment you used to bake them, or in plastic wrap, then place them in a zip lock bag. Freeze them for up to 1 month. Thaw when you’re ready to eat one (or six).

How Do I Make Vegan Chickpea Brownies?

I’ve been asked quite a bit if you can use flax eggs to replace the regular eggs in order to make the recipe vegan. I truthfully haven’t had luck with flax eggs for this recipe, as the brownies turn out with an odd texture. If you are fine with a fudgier, chewier brownie and are not a texture person, you may absolutely love the way they turn out with flax eggs. Worst case scenario, you can toss them on ice cream and call it a sundae.

I have tested this recipe replacing the eggs with Bob’s Red Mill’s vegan egg replacer, and they turned out great! Simply make two vegan “eggs” using the egg replacer and proceed as normal.

If you have experience using aquafaba, you can give it a try and let me know how it goes!

Beans. They do a brownie good.

More Healthy Brownie Recipes:

• 4-Ingredient Flourless Healthy Brownies
• Paleo Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
• Grain-Free Vegan Peanut Butter Brownies
• Flourless Avocado Brownies
• Fudgy Keto Brownies

My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your all your support!

If you make these Chickpea Brownies, please feel free to share a photo and tag@The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!