These blondies taste like sneaking a spoonful of cookie dough—but baked, sliceable, and better-for-you. They’re soft, gooey, and loaded with melty chocolate chips, with a secret protein boost thanks to FlavCity Vanilla Protein Smoothie Powder (and yes… chickpeas, but no one will ever know). Sweetened with maple syrup and finished with flaky sea salt, these are the kind of treat you make “for the week” and somehow they’re gone by tomorrow.
Makes 12 blondies
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper.
- Rinse the chickpeas really well. Any leftover liquid can make the batter too loose and give a beany taste.
- Add rinsed and drained chickpeas, almond butter or peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla to a food processor. Blend until completely smooth. It should look creamy with no chickpea pieces. The batter should turn into a thick, creamy batter with zero visible chickpea pieces. If you stop too early, the texture will be grainy. Scrape down the bowl a few times so everything fully blends.
- Add the protein powder, baking soda and sea salt. Blend again until just combined. Don’t over-blend after adding the protein powder. Over-blending can make the blondies dense.The batter will be thick but creamy. It should not look dry or crumbly. If you used a thick peanut butter and the batter looks too stiff, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of water and blend again.
- Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula. This keeps them from breaking down and turning streaky.
- Spread batter into the baking dish. Smooth the top. The batter should look thick like cookie dough.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes. The edges should look lightly golden. The center should look slightly glossy and underbaked. This keeps them soft. They will firm up as they cool.
- Once it comes out of the oven, top with a few extra chocolate chips and flakey sea salt.
- Let cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes so they can set before slicing. This is KEY. The cooling is a part of the process. If you cut too quickly they will be too moist.
Recipe Notes & Troubleshooting!
- Nut butter texture matters: Use a runny, drippy almond or peanut butter. Thick, dry nut butter can make the batter stiff and crumbly. If needed, add 1–2 teaspoons of water to loosen it.
