Vegan Chickpea Brownies. Grain free Brownies with chickpeas and nut butter or seed butter. These Vegan Gluten free Brownies Can be made without nuts. Fudgy Healthy No Added Oil, No Added refined sugar Jump to Recipe
I am always playing around with beans and lentils in desserts 🙂 And the successful results show up on the blog! You all have been loving my lentil brownies and this Chickpea Cookie Pie. In this version, I use chickpeas for a fudgy delicious brownie!
These Vegan Chickpea Brownies need a few ingredients, cooked chickpeas, nut butter or seed butter, chocolate in various forms (melted, chips and cocoa powder), vanilla, almond flour and baking powder. They are also grain-free!, have no added refined oil or added refined sugar. There might be sugar, oil in the chocolate chips depending on which you choose to use. There are brands that use just cocoa butter and are unsweetened or sweetened with stevia.
These Brownies are smoother(no bean skin!), fudgyier and tastier than bean brownies and use less sugar and fat than regular brownies. Everything gets added to a food processor to process to a smooth stiff batter, which is spread in a brownie pan and baked. Serve these warm with vegan ice cream!
Ingredients used for these Fudgy Chickpea Brownies and Substitution options
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips melted with 1/3 cup non dairy milk and 3 tbsp maple syrup. This makes the chocolatey wet of the brownie mixture. It adds a chewyness to the otherwise easily crumbly or dense brownie. The melted chocolate is also a good binder. You can use more non dairy milk instead of maple.
- 15 oz can cooked chickpeas or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas make the base of these brownies. You can also use white beans such as navy or northern.
- 3/4 cup nut butter such as peanut almond or cashew, or use sunbutter to make nut-free. This helps keep the brownie more brownie like and less cakey or beany.
- 5 tbsp Coconut sugar or other sugar, you can use less or more to preference.
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder, adds additional layer of chocolate.
- 1/4 cup almond flour To help offset some of the moisture. I use almond flour to keep these brownies grain-free.Feel free to use a different flour if you like(all purpose or gf flour like oat or rice).
- 2 tsp vanilla extract. You need extra vanilla in this recipe so the chickpeas can absorb the flavor and the chickpea flavor does not peak through.
- Some Baking powder to lighten the brownie up
Step by Step photos:
Assemble the ingredients for the brownies. Heat the non dairy milk and maple until just about boiling. Add the chocolate chips and mix to melt until smooth.
Add the chickpeas, nut butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, cocoa and baking powder to a food processor. Process for half a minute to combine. The nut butter might not incorporate depending on the nut butter used. It will mix in after adding the melted chocolate.
Add the melted chocolate and process again until well mixed and smooth(1-2 mins). Immediately transfer the mixture to a parchment lined baking dish. The mixture can start to stiffen as it sits, so you want to spread it out soon. Stiffer mixture will just take longer to spread. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and bake.
Try to let it cool for atleast 10 mins, then slice and serve. The flavor improves on sitting, so they will be more chocolatey the next day. Warm and serve.
Variations of these Chickpea Brownies:
- Mix 3 tbsp peanut butter with 1 tbsp maple syrup and swirl on top for peanut butter swirl brownies.
- Add 1 tbsp oil for chewier and 2 tbsp more non dairy milk for softer brownies.
- Make individual bites in muffin pan. Bake for 20 mins.
- Add cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice for spiced up brownies. Add mint extract for mint chocolate brownies.
- Use cooked black beans instead of chickpeas to make Black bean brownies. Make sure to process long enough so the beans get smooth.
More Brownies and Blondies from the blog
- No Bake Hazelnut Walnut Brownies. GF
- Vegan Pumpkin Brownies
- Brownie Cookie Dough bars. GF
- Gluten-free Brownies and Brownie Mix. GF
- Vegan Almond Butter Blondies with Chocolate Chips , GF
- Bleuberry Brownies!
- Coconut Flour Brownies GF
Troubleshoot:
– Dryish brownie: Bake for less time(5 mins), Drizzle melted chocolate on top. Add 1-2 tbsp of oil to the batter for the next time
– Not sweet enough, add more sugar to the batter
– Batter too stiff, add 2 tbsp non dairy milk or milk + oil and process.
Vegan Chickpea Brownies
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (78.86 ml) non dairy milk such as almond or coconut or soy
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 cup (90 g) vegan chocolate chips
- 15 oz can chickpeas drained, or 1.5 cups cooked
- 3/4 cup (187.5 g) nut butter such as peanut, almond or cashew or use sunbutter to make nut-free
- 5 tbsp coconut sugar or other sugar , use 7-8 tbsp for sweeter
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup (28 g) almond flour , see note for nutfree
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 to 1/4 tsp salt, depends on if the nut butter and chickpeas are already salted
- 3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) baking powder
- 4 tbsp vegan chocolate chips for folding in and for topping
Instructions
- Heat the non dairy milk and maple syrup in a skillet or microwave until just about boiling. Take off heat. Add the chocolate chips. Mix until melted and smooth and set aside. Line a brownie pan with parchment. Preheat the oven to 350 deg F (180 C).
- Add chickpeas, nutbutter, coconut sugar, cocoa, vanilla, salt and baking powder to a food processor. Process for half a minute. (The nut butter might not fully incorporate, which is ok)
- Add the warm melted chocolate + milk mix (from step 1), almond flour and process again until smooth and even mixture. Add a tbsp more milk if too thick. (Or add 2 tbsp oil for chewier result)
- Fold in 2 tbsp chocolate chips into the batter. Transfer the batter immediately to the parchment lined brownie pan. Spread using a spatula. to even out the top as much as possible. (This batter doesnt melt like regular brownie, so the uneven top will bake uneven. and not even out during baking). Sprinkle some chocolate chips on top.
- Bake at 350 F for 35 to 40 mins. Cool for 10 mins then slice and serve with whipped coconut cream or vanilla ice cream. Store on the counter for the day and refrigerate for upto 5 days. Freeze for upto a month
Claire
Do you think the nut butter could be substituted for coconut/almond yoghurt instead? Or at least maybe part of it?
Vegan Richa Support
not in this recipe…
Geetika
Hi can I use coconut oil instead of the nut butter/ sunbutter?
Thanks!
Vegan Richa Support
yes rhwy’ll be a little more fudgier texture
Carrie
I made the vegan chickpea brownies for my mom’s 85th birthday. They were a HUGE hit. Everyone who tried them was raving about how delicious they are. I loved saying that one of the key ingredients is chickpeas. Soooooo good!
Jenny
I can’t wait to bake this with my kiddos this weekend!!!
Just wondering… what vegan chocolate chips do you use?
Thank you 🥰
k
I completely forgot to add the 1/4c almond flour, until after the brownies were in the oven for 15 minutes (gosh darn it!). I am happy to report that they still turned out – cut-able, hold-able, even with my error. I am sure they would be even better with all the ingredients 🙂
Marie I.
We’ve made these several times and they are outrageously good. I’ve added a bit more chocolate chips…Nobody would ever think these contain chick peas
Vegan Richa Support
that’s awesome!!! exactly, they are so versatile, thank you for the awesome rating
Isabelle
Unfortunately, I didn’t have all the ingredients so made a few adjustments but think it worked out fine. The texture is a little grainy but the flavour is nice. I think I’ll probably add some fruit in like cranberries or raspberries maybe to make the flavour sing a little and to even out the texture a bit next time I make this. Otherwise, I thought it was really good and am glad to be able to eat brownies and not feel quite so guilty at the time! Thanks so much for this recipe, really glad to find a gluten free and vaguely healthy brownie that tastes great ☺️
Vegan Richa Support
That’s great Isabelle, thank you.
Hella
Love it 😊 even staunch non-vegans like it 😊👍
Vegan Richa Support
Thanks !!
Rose
Hi I love all your recipes thanks ! I want to try this one soon but I dont have an oven where I live. It seems to ne it would work in a no-bake version, what do you think ? If so would you recommend to change anything ?
Jessica Loihle
Very easy, very chocolatey
Vegan Richa Support
awesome!!! thank you
Shravani
Absolutely a guilt-free recipe to munch on and very well explained. Thank you so much for this brilliant brownie recipe Richa 😍
Cassy
Amazing! Just modified these using what I had on hand and they turned out fabulous. I omitted the maple syrup and cocoa powder, used black turtle beans (blended with an additional 1/6 cup soy milk), reduced the almond butter by 1/4 cup & used oat flour instead of almond flour. They needed an extra bit of time in the oven, but I did also double the recipe. So, so yummy.
Vegan Richa Support
thanks for the modification info!
Renu
Can we just boiled the soaked chickpea and use or is it advisable to use the can or tin one?
Thanks
Vegan Richa Support
You can boil soaked chickpeas to cook them first if you prefer not to use canned.
Maxine
Best Treat ever – I have made them without the coconut sugar and they are still very very tasty!!
Great work on this!
Patti
Smells SO good in the oven! Haven’t tasted yet but they look awesome and I am optimistic. Will follow advice on comments to let sit longer to get the real fudgy taste and hopefully nice neat squares!
Super THICK batter, I used a Bullet and it was too stiff to mix properly so I finished by hand.
Next time I will puree beans & peanutbutter first
Richa
yes its a thick batter, i usee a food processor, you can add some non dairy milk or oil to help it move, also warm the nut butter as the nut butter can someetimes be too stiff solid depending on ambient temp
Matt
I’m about to try these–thank you for the recipe!
This was at the bottom of your printable recipe… “Use all-purpose or wheat flour instead of almond flour or oat flour for gluten-free. ”
This may confuse people (who don’t know what gluten is) into thinking all-purpose/wheat flour is gluten-free. This would be more clear: “If you do not want it to be gluten-free, use all-purpose/wheat flour instead of almond or oat flour.”
I really don’t intend to be annoying. I’m celiac and so that stood out to me.
Richa
i’ll update it
Mel
WOW! I stumbled upon your website a couple years ago (an never left, ha) and I would like to say how awesomely creative you are. I read your bio and what an amazing, joyful, loving, and helpful individual you are! Your recipes have changed not only my world but my husband and sons as well. All the best!
Richa
thank you
Aswathy
This recipe was so simple and quick! It turned out so tasty! It was slightly a little thick but still very delicious! I’m addicted!
Richa
awesome!
Shakimono
Wow!!!! I opened a can of chick peas , hoping to make lunch and then I took the AQUAFABA TOUR!!! 😂😂😂😂! I looked up VEGAN BROWNIES and your recipe came up, sure simple ingredients and the batter tasted sooooo delicious!!!! Thank you for the inspiration! I hope they are as chewy and gooey and delicious as my imagination!
Richa
Thanks!
Christine
These turned out really yummy and so full of protein!
Richa
yay!
Anne Maas
Thanks for sharing.These look delicious! Could you use chickpea flour instead of the cooked chickpeas and if so, what would be the ratio?
Richa
it wont work as a direct sub as the flour is different than the the moist volume of cooked chickpeas. Try my other brownies, i posted another grain-free nooil brownie. veganricha.com/?s=brownie
sneha
Hi Richa,
What is the alternate for maple syrup? I don’t have it and would prefer some alternative to it.
Richa
use sugar and add 3-4 tbsp more non dairy milk
Amy
Would these freeze well?
Richa
yes
Emily
Just made these. Added 2 tbsp oil for decadence and extra chocolate chips. Gosh they turned out so delicious! I agree that they get fudgier after cooling for a few hours. Perfect with some vanilla ice cream
Richa
awesome
Maureen Scott
I hate to write this but these didn’t turn out good for me. I would use a can of black beans instead. Maybe I didn’t put enough sugar in them. I cut that back to 3 tsp.
I ended up throwing them away. Bummer. I normally love all that you make. I own both cookbooks. Could have been me.
Richa
oh no, you probably do need the sugar as theres just enough in these. Many vegan chocolate chips are not sweet enough, so you need enough additional sweetness. You can taste the dough before baking. i’ve tried some blackbean brownies before and had to give them away as i didnt like the texture. What was the problem other than less sweet? Also, The texture and sweetness improves as they sit and chill.
if the only issue was sweet, You could crumble them up, drizzle some melted chocolate and vanilla ice cream and they would work just fine. theres always ways to fix food :). Lets figure out what happened.
Alexandria Phillips
Turned out very good. I followed the recipe.
Richa
awesome!
Chloe
Very yummy!
How many grams would be per serving?
I am doing macros so would be great to find out 🙂
Vegan Richa Support
2″ square cut is approx 60g
Adina
These look so so good. Question – I don’t have a food processor – will it get smooth enough with a blender stick? thanks
Richa
You will need to add more non dairy milk. Use warmed non dairy milk, warmed nut butter and also blend while the chocolate mixture is still warm as it thickens quickly and the blender will seize.
Adina
thank you
Cassie Thuvan Tran
Chickpea brownies are such a delicious treat! I tried a recipe with chickpeas, peanut butter, baking powder, and maple syrup. SO easy yet addictive! I have to try your recipe out because it probably would be a little bit more well-formed and solidified!
Dennis Miller
Just tried your Vegan Chickpea Brownies, Great recipe, I am just starting WFPB lifestyle medicine so I took out all salt and still great brownie. I tried making nut -free way as well as almond flour and both again turned out delicious. I used Ghirardelli powdered chocolate in the base mixture and then took Ghirardelli powder mixed with fresh, pure maple syrup and drizzled on top before serving, Everyone loved the brownies even after telling them they were vegan and WFPB!
Richa
thanks!
Sneha
Hey, Can this be be cooked in a cooker ?
Richa
not really. the texture will be very different. you can try a small portion at high pressure for 10 mins
Krys
Best legume vegan brownie we’ve ever had!! Best of all – kids devoured it!! Thank you so much for sharing it!!!
Richa
yay!
Gail Cannady
Excellent. Not an easy recipe, but I’m sure the second time around will be better. (I had to call hubby in to help clean up the mess I made.)
No one at Easter picnic will know there are beans in this.
Important to smooth the top of the batter prettily, as they don’t liquify, spread or puff up like most baked goods. How you put it into the oven, is how it comes out.
Thanks for this great recipe.
Richa
awesome! yes i should add that tip to smooth it out nicely.
Emily Roque Cisneros
Best legume brownies I’ve had! A little soft in the middle when cooking 40 minutes, so I let mine go a little longer. Also would recommend a longer pan. I used a brownie one and they were really thick!
Richa
awesome! Probably the chickpeas or nut butter were more voluminous? Use a bigger pan for sure.
Jade
Trying these out this weekend! Thanks a ton for sharing the recipe!
alena
I saw these on insta and had to make them immediately… so yes I made these already lol. I used a can of black beans and it worked beautifully. these are by far the best bean brownies I’ve made and I love that they’re grain free. sooo good
Richa
yay! thats awesome!
Christine
I have made the chickpea cookie pie on several occasions; which is surprisingly quite tasty! So naturally I am very excited to try these~! They look very fudgy. As a vegan myself, I have tried many of Richa’s recipes. Some better than others; but I find myself really digging the curry flavors. Thanks for the variety!
Richa
awesome thanks Let me know which ones need some improvement 🙂
tania
it says to add melted chocolate but where is that step in the ingredients/ what type of chocolate? how much?
Richa
from step 1 where we melted the 1/2 cup chocolate in the non dairy milk and maple syrup. i’ll update to be clearer.
Susan
I’m definitely going to try these! Thanks for making such flexible recipes. My husband and I were at a an Indian street food restaurant and I wished you could have been there whispering in my ear what’s what and what is vegan. We ended up with a tasty meal, but weren’t exactly sure what it was 🙂 It’s the same when I go to the Indian market. There are so many beans that I don’t know!
Richa
Thank you Susan!
You should ask the shop people to explain 🙂 Many indian street foods are like nachos. Some crispy base with toppings and dressings(chutneys) but very different flavor profile, Some are sandwiches, and some like a salad but like a whole new level 🙂
Susan
Thanks Richa, I like idli and we usually try to get thali where are there are choices. Language is the barrier, they can tell us if it’s vegan, but don’t always know what ingredients are called in English. 😂 In the store I like to walk down the aisles and look at everything, just wonder what I’m looking at sometimes. 🤣 You know, not that I would buy, just wonder what it is.
Denise Matthews
I love your recipes and cookbooks do you think you will do another cookbook?
Richa
Thanks!! yes i am trying to write one. Its a lot of work and I need to hire some help for the blog to be able to write a book 🙂
trish
OMG this looks awesome!!! I’m actually not a chocolate fan (crazy isn’t it!) but this recipe is too good to pass on…and I have to share it! Just out of curiousity if I was to try this without the chocolate what spices would you suggest?
Richa
try the chickpea cookie pie instead. https://www.veganricha.com/2017/05/peanut-butter-chickpea-cookie-pie.html some cinnamon always does well.
trish
Thank you …I’m torn as I really love all the ingredients here as I can eat everything in them! Thanks again for such great recipes 🙂
Richa
they are pretty similar recipes, so you can use that as reference. omit cocoa from this one and just add warmed milk and maple, probably just a 1/4 cup milk. should work out fine
Peggy
Yikes I have all the ingredients except I don’t have a food processor 🙁 I have a Vitamix but not much practice with that yet. Can I make it by hand or if not…can I use Vitamix as a food processor by just pulsing it?
Richa
hmm it should work in the vitamix. warm the nut butter before adding. You will need to add more non dairy milk (2-4 tbsp is ok to add) to get things moving. Then trasnfer tothe pan. it will be a mess to clean it up 🙂 or you can just blend the chickpeas inthe vitamix and then mix the rest with it in a bowl.
Mike
Hey Richa !!
Thanks for those incredible ideas, i really impressed by your yummy recipes. thanks again !