Is Blondie really a food? I’m not sure. It didn’t actually even click to me until recently that ‘blondies’ were just like brownies, but not chocolate. One of those ahhhhh moments. Regardless, I pegged her as a food so that I could groove to her tunes. In the process, I found a delicious treat!
Looking at the pictures now, I guess these are really more like dirty blondes, as I added some coffee to give them a bit of a kick. Anyway, that’s neither here nor there. Let us eat with our eyes.
I’ve never actually made a blondie before now, and I rarely make brownies either (I don’t know why – they’re delicious!) However now I’ve made them twice, as the first run didn’t quite go to plan. I had used spelt flour and mashed banana, however I also added too much baking powder it came out quite light and cakey rather than dense and fudgey. It was still delicious – just not a blondie.
The second time I went for a chickpea base, as I know black beans make great fudgey chocolate brownies. These didn’t quite have the same crisp crust that you might expect, however the inside was gooey and tasty. Plus you can eat the whole damn lot of them because they are made of chickpeas and therefore they are healthy. Yay!
Hazelnut Choc Chip Espresso Blondies
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup nut butter
1/4 cup flax meal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup freshly brewed espresso
3/4 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup dark choc chips
Pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 180C and line a square brownie tin with baking paper.
Toast hazelnuts in a pan over low heat until slightly browned and aromatic. Remove from heat, roughly chop, then set aside.
Place all ingredients except hazelnuts and choc chips into a food processor and mix until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and fold through hazelnuts and choc chips.
Spread batter into prepared tin and bake for 25-30 mins. It may seem a little soft when it comes out, however it will firm up as it cools. Look for a slightly golden top and the batter coming away from the edge of the tin. Remove from oven and allow to cool in tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool (best to pick it up with the baking paper so it doesn’t fall apart) Cut into squares and enjoy!
Easiest recipe ever?
I’m going to post a second video, because I just love her shoulder dancing about a minute in in this once. So good.
Little Vegan Bear 
Hi Caeli! I’ve nominated you for a Liebster award http://vegan-in-wales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/liebster-award.html
Thanks so much Rosie – that’s so lovely! 🙂 I have had a couple of nominations so will address them after MoFo x
I hardly make blondies – and never made brownies as much as I want – but aren’t they delicious. And in a every so slightly relevant aside, I saw Helen Feng on the weekend who was billed as the Blondie of Beijing!
I really think I’m going to start making them more – they are so easy and delicious. The Blondie of Beijing? BRB – must check this out!
Ha! I was listening to Blondie yesterday and wondered if you’d do this!!!
I wasn’t sure if I was going to, but then I thought it was a great excuse to make blondies for the first time! Worth it!
Awesome, as soon as I read the word “Blondie” – the back of my brain went into autopilot and Heart of Glass fired up. I love Blondie. But I’ve never tried making blondies, I’ll totally do the chickpea version, for my health of course 😉
Haha – I love Blondie autopilot. Yes it’s all about our health! Because these are ‘healthy’ I pretty much ate the whole tray in a day…hmmm…
I love Blondie and the treat looks really good. 🙂
Thank you so much! 🙂
Love the idea of using chickpeas…. but it was the hazelnuts that cinched this one for me. These look awesome! What nut butter did you end up using?
Absolutely – hazelnuts get me every time! I used almond butter because I figured it had the most neutral flavour, but hazelnut butter would be out of this world I reckon!
I have to admit that although I’ve heard of using chickpeas in sweet goods like this I have never actually tried it! I will have to experiment!
I do love a black bean brownie though 🙂
I’ve never done a black bean brownie so that will have to be next on the list! I think you can kind of taste the chickpeas if you know that they’re there, but everybody who I fed this to had no idea!
I love blondie and I love the look of your dirty blondes. Seriously wishing I had some baked foods to munch on right now.
Thank you! I wish I hadn’t eaten them all in the first day so I had something to munch on now too, haha.
Yes to all of this.
Haha thanks Kelly 🙂
I love Blondie and blondies. It took me little bit to twig to the whole brownie/blondie thing as well.
I’m definitely a new convert 🙂
Ooey, gooey deliciousness right here Caeli! I missed this post but I have to write a comment as… well, BLONDIES. I love them. Particularly healthy ones as it means that I can both indulge and feel good about it! I’ve never felt brave enough to make baked treats with chickpeas but your pictures pretty much sell the idea to me. Making this as soon as I get home (and I might just listen to Blondie as I bake!) xx
Totally with you on that one Laura – although I may just indulge a little more because of the ‘health factor’! The night I made these I think I had them in place of dinner, and then told myself that it was okay because they were basically falafels. Ha! And baking and listening to music is the best, Blondie is great for it 😀