Gluten-free, Refined Sugar-free, Grain-free and Vegan Blondie Recipe

Happy Hump Day! This guilt-free "sugar" high, perfect for getting you through the mid-week slump, happens to be free of countless allergens (thanks to my friend Rachael for passing it on to me). It's gluten-free, refined sugar-free, grain-free, vegan, dairy-free and egg-free! Shwooh, so much freedom in one dessert. Now, let's get to baking that Blondie recipe!

**Please see my modifications to this recipe at the bottom of this blogpost.**

You're going to need the ingredients listed below for this delectable, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, grain-free and vegan Blondie recipe. Make a grocery list, and hit your local health food store! For those of you who prefer pictures to lists, just keep scrolling.

Ingredients:

15 ounces cooked chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans)

1/2 cup raw almond butter (*I substituted mine for organic cashew butter*)

1/3 cup honey, maple syrup or blue agave (*I substituted 1/4 cup blue agave plus 1 TBSP xylitol*)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

a pinch of salt

1/3 cup gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate chips (Your local health food store should carry Chocolate Dream's gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate chips)

(Just a heads up: you'll combine everything in the food processor except for the chocolate chips which you'll fold in after blending!)

The list in picture form for all of you visual bakers...

Here are those gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate chips by Chocolate Dream I mentioned above. They are a great sweet treat, but don't go too wild. Those little chips disappear fast!

Remember to cook your chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and strain them before tossing into the food processor.

Once you've cooked the chickpeas, throw everything (but the chocolate chips) into the food processor.

Voila! This recipe forms such a beautiful consistency for baking.

Don't forget to blend everything into the food processor but the chocolate chips. You'll want to fold those into the "dough".

After folding in the gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate chips into the chickpea and cashew butter dough, spread into a brownie-friendly dish that is lined with parchment paper to avoid sticking. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350º.

Once your Blondies are all baked and golden, pull them out of the oven, and let cool. Then indulge!

I baked mine for 24 minutes to perfection, and these Blondies are disappearing daily!

My Modifications:

This is my second time making this dessert. "Why?", you ask. Well, truth be told - I messed up the first time by blending in the chocolate chips rather than folding them into the chickpea and cashew butter "dough". My second time making these Blondies, I made sure to avoid making that mistake again. However, what I discovered is that I actually like the recipe more with the chocolate chips blended rather than folded into the dough. Blending the chocolate chips provides the dough with an overall sweeter taste and a consistency that is slightly more moist. My mistake turned into a successful (and preferred) option! 

Also, if you are accustomed to sweet desserts, I recommend using honey or maple syrup (and maybe a 1/2 cup rather than 1/3 cup) to sweeten up this recipe to your liking. Lastly, I substituted almond butter with organic cashew butter because I prefer the consistency, sweetness and overall flavor of cashew butter. If you're looking for an exceptionally delicious brownie recipe that leaves people in disbelief over it being gluten-free and dairy-free, I strongly suggest trying the one found in Cooking for Isaiah by Silvana Nardone of Silvana's Kitchen! Bon Appétit! xx