Hellooooo Holiday baking!

Celebrate cozy baking season with these flourless chickpea blondies made with cashew butter, dark chocolate chunks, and yes – chickpeas.

Baking with legumes, like black beans and chickpeas, is an easy way to add fiber, moisture, and protein to baked goods, without compromising on flavor. Because chickpeas have a neutral taste, they can easily be snuck into brownies (like these heavenly black bean brownies!), cakes, and even cookies for a boost of nutrition. SCORE.

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are rich in protein, manganese, folate, copper, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. Because of their high fiber content, chickpeas are also noted to stabilize blood sugar levels and prevent spikes of insulin. Fiber is also essential for healthy digestion, feeding gut bacteria, and managing weight. (1)

Numerous studies have shown that legume consumption is correlated with lower total cholesterol levels and reduced instances of cancer, most likely because of their high fiber content. (2, 3)

Chickpeas are blended with creamy cashew butter and a liquid sweetener of choice, such as maple syrup or honey. Cashew butter is a delicious source of vitamins E, K, and B6, copper, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, iron, and selenium. Cashews are rich in both lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants which support eye health, too.

These chickpea blondies are made extra delicious with the addition of dark chocolate chunks and flakes of sea salt. Look for a dark chocolate bar at least 70 percent cacao or higher, and chop it up using a sharp knife. My favorites are Alter Eco super blackout chocolate and Eating Evolved primal dark chocolate, which are delicious and uber dark. Alternatively, dark chocolate chips are great in a pinch, too.

These flourless salted cashew butter chickpea blondies are a delicious way to honor your sweet tooth – because you should totally honor it.

I’ve shared the recipe for these flourless cashew butter salted chickpea blondies with Organic Authority. Head to the article for the recipe!