Cinnamon Chickpea Blondie Bars for the Nutritarian Sweet Tooth

I think this nutrient-dense dessert will take you by surprise. Even though they're free of sugar, free of fat, and high in protein and fiber, beans can totally be used to make sweet treats!

Whether you want a healthy snack for yourself or your kids, I highly recommend these yummy Cinnamon Chickpea Blondie Bars.

They’re like chocolate-free, peanut butter brownies!

Except for way better because they don’t have any dairy, eggs, or processed junk!

My favorite bean is the garbanzo bean. AKA the Chickpea.

When you cook beans from scratch, from the dry bean, they have amazing flavor.

I actually have to make extra when I make them from scratch because as soon as they're cooked and drained, I tend to gobble up a couple handfuls. That's how tasty fresh beans can be.

That being said, I still recommend keeping canned beans on hand, just in case you want to whip up a beany treat like these Cinnamon Chickpea Blondie Bars and don’t have time to prepare the dried beans.

If you're doing any traveling or camping this summer, you may want to make a batch of these before you hit the road. These bars are a great on-the-go option because they're easy to pack, mess-free, and tasty at room-temp.

Between the chickpeas, quinoa, and flax seeds, I think these bars would satisfy and delight any Nutritarian!

Cinnamon Chickpea Blondie Bars

By Chef Katie Mae

Makes 9–12 bars (8x8 inch dish) | Ready in 25 minutes | Stores 7 days in fridge

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ cups chickpeas or white beans (15oz can, drained and rinsed)
• 12 Medjool dates, pitted
• ¼ cup ground flax seed
• ¼ cup ground quinoa or oat flour
• ¾ cup peanuts or almonds
• ½ cup water
• ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ tablespoon baking powder
• ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
2. Add tall of the ingredients to a food processor. Blend until it becomes a thick dough. If you still see some nuts intact, that’s actually preferred—it gives the bars more texture.
3. Move the dough to the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the bars comes out clean. Slice and serve warm.